Most of the focus on the Pistons’ decision to void a trade for Donatas Motiejunas will be on what this means for Houston and Detroit. But there was a third team involved in that move who got the rawest deal of all despite being nothing more than an innocent bystander.
The voided Rockets-Pistons trade caused the 76ers to waive a player for no reason
Philadelphia had to let JaKarr Sampson go to be a part of a trade that ultimately never happened.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
As part of the trade the Rockets sent Joel Anthony, along with a second-round pick, to Philadelphia to get under the luxury tax. To make room for Anthony, who they planned on later waving, the Sixers released athletic wing JaKarr Sampson. The reported plan was that the 76ers would ultimately waive Anthony and then re-sign Sampson once he cleared waivers.
Sampson didn't go along with the plan, signing a non-guaranteed two-year deal with the Nuggets. That was unfortunate, but at least the 76ers got yet another second-round pick from the Anthony transaction.
Now, with the original deal voided, the Sixers are left with nothing. No second-round pick, no JaKarr Sampson.
Losing a player like Sampson isn’t franchise-changing. He’s an athletic 6’9 wing who’s only 22, but he went undrafted out of St. John’s in 2014 for a reason. He’s averaged just 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in the 121 games he played for the Sixers since. But it’s certainly not the way new chairman Jerry Colangelo wanted things to go in his first post-Process trade deadline with the team.
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