MILWAUKEE — The 76ers were the first team with a real opportunity to call Dewayne Dedmon.
Other teams sent out feelers, checking on Dedmon’s availability in case they might need a center. But the Sixers were all-in about signing him in the buyout market after he was waived by the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 9.
“I show my appreciation to people who come calling,” Dedmon said Saturday of signing with the Sixers on Valentine’s Day. “... They were the ones that had a real job waiting for me.”
This isn’t the first time the Sixers acquired a center late in the season to provide depth.
They picked up De’Andre Jordan last season in the buyout market, and the Sixers signed Greg Monroe late in the 2018-19 season.
Removed from their glory days, neither of those additions proved to be impactful. But Dedmon brings much-needed postseason experience. The 10th-year veteran played in the Eastern Conference finals last season with the Miami Heat. In 2017, he reached the Western Conference finals during his first stint with the Spurs.
In addition to that, he’s 7 foot, 245 pounds and could provide frontcourt depth behind six-time All-Star center Joel Embiid.
At worst, he’s a solid option in the rotation.
When the team needs a guy to shoot it a little bit, it can insert Dedmon. The Sixers can go with Montrezl Harrell when they need a low-post scorer. And if they need defense or energy, they’ll probably go with Paul Reed.
In addition to Dedmon, the Sixers acquired Jalen McDaniels from the Charlotte Hornets in a four-team deal before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
On paper, the Sixers’ acquisitions don’t move the needle when it comes to being more competitive against the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.
The Eastern Conference’s third-place Sixers improved to 41-22 after Saturday night’s 133-130 victory over first-place Bucks. Milwaukee, who have the league’s best record of 45-18, are four games ahead of the Sixers.
And the Bucks only got better with in-season additions. Goran Dragic is expected to sign with the Bucks for the rest of the season after completing his Saturday meetings with the team. The Bucks also acquired Jae Crowder from the Phoenix Suns in a four-team trade.
The second-place Celtics (45-19) added frontcourt depth with the acquisition of sharpshooting big Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade.
And while Muscala and Crowder have both contributed to their new teams, Dedmon’s debut had been put on hold. He didn’t play in the Sixers’ final game before the All-Star break, a 118-112 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, one day after signing with the team. He was supposed to make his debut on Feb. 23 against the Memphis Grizzlies, the first game after the break. However, he injured his left hip while lifting weights following a Feb. 22 practice.
That led to Dedmon being sidelined five games. He was finally available Saturday night in Milwaukee, but didn’t play. That came after Dedmon participated in the morning’s shootaround and moved freely during shooting drills afterward.
“For me, it was definitely [disappointing] because I came in feeling great,” he said of the injury. “I had plantar fasciitis at the beginning of the year. I just beat that and came in with a fresh body, fresh legs, fresh feet, and for that to happen in the weight room.
“But it’s all good. It’s part of the process. Take my time to get better, fill it up and be ready to go.”
Dedmon, who last played for the Heat, is likely motivated to prove his former team wrong.
The 33-year-old was solid backup center there for 2½ seasons before being traded to the Spurs on Feb. 7 after a less-than-ideal situation in Miami.
Dealing with plantar fasciitis, Dedmon lost playing time. That took a toll on him.
The frustration boiled over and he got into a heated verbal altercation with coach Erik Spoelstra and threw a massage gun onto the court from the sideline during the Heat’s Jan. 10 game against the Thunder. He was ejected, suspended one game by the Heat, benched, and then traded.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about motivation,” Dedmon said. “I got mental clarity. For myself, that’s the biggest thing that I need moving forward in my life and my career. I need mental clarity and stability
“For me to get traded from there was my mental clarity and my stability.”
Dedmon said he knows exactly what he brings to a team. So do the Sixers, who didn’t waste time expressing how much they need him for what they hope is a championship run.
