Will Jalen McDaniels Make Sixers Debut vs. Nets on Saturday?

The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t anticipate having Jalen McDaniels available to play for their Friday night matchup against the New York Knicks.

While McDaniels made it to the team’s practice facility on Friday morning to meet with his head coach Doc Rivers, Philadelphia officials mentioned that the trade was still pending. Therefore, McDaniels was listed as out against the Knicks.

Hours later, his status changed. As every player involved in the four-team deal passed their physicals, the league pushed the deal through and made it final. At that point, the Sixers activated McDaniels and had him suit up for Friday’s game.

“We just got the OK that he can play,” said Rivers before Friday’s game. “We probably will throw him out there, and we’ll see what he does.”

The game came and went, and Rivers didn’t see an opportunity to utilize the new wing. Instead, Rivers went with some familiarity and offered Danuel House Jr. some minutes where Matisse Thybulle would’ve typically played in the tight matchup against the Knicks.

“He didn’t think he was gonna play,” Rivers said after the game on Friday. “Literally, he was in street clothes. When I walked in to talk to the team before the game, I walked in and said, ‘Put your clothes on.’ I didn’t want to play him”

Will that change on Saturday when the Sixers take on the Brooklyn Nets for the second night of a back-to-back?

“Most likely, yes,” said Rivers. “There’s a strong chance he’ll play.”

Going into Saturday’s game, McDaniels is available to play, as expected. When asked whether he’ll play against the Nets in Brooklynn or not, the veteran wing wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s up to Coach, but I’m ready to go.”

All signs point towards McDaniels making his Philadelphia debut on Saturday. While his status might depend on how the matchup goes, the Sixers will need to get him acclimated sooner than later so he can get comfortable in the system ahead of their eventual playoff run.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.