PHILADELPHIA — Georges Niang has agreed to a three-year contract worth $26 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers and will leave the 76ers in free agency, a league source confirmed Friday.
It’s a significant raise for Niang, who signed a two-year, $6.7 million deal with the Sixers in 2021.
Niang joins an ascending Cavaliers team coming off a breakthrough season. The Cavs advanced to the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James departed in 2018. While Cleveland’s young core is set with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the backcourt and Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the frontcourt, it needed experienced bench help and long-range shooting. Max Strus and Kelly Obure Jr. were other wings reportedly also on the Cavaliers’ radar.
Niang, a 30-year-old stretch forward, was a successful role player in two seasons with the Sixers. He shot more than 40% from 3-point range — garnering the “Bang, bang, Georges Niang!” catchphrase from television play-by-play announcer Kate Scott — and averaged a career-best 9.2 points per game in 2021-22. He has also been lauded for his fiery in-game personality and likable locker-room presence, which also quickly made him a fan favorite.
Following the season, Niang reiterated how much he connected with Philly and that he was open to returning to the Sixers. But that was before the firing of former coach Doc Rivers, a significant advocate for him to sign with the team two years ago, and the roster was put in A state of flux Thursday when James Harden exercised his $35.6 player option in hopes the Sixers will trade him.
Niang joined the Sixers after carving out a niche as a deep threat with the Utah Jazz, who were a Western Conference playoff mainstay at the time. The 2016 second-round draft pick is a self-made player, elevating himself from a two-way contract to a steady NBA contributor.
Now, the Sixers must add replacing Niang’s shooting and bench production to their list of offseason priorities. Athletic wing Jalen McDaniels and reserve center Montrezl Harrell are the other 2022-23 Sixers who are now unrestricted free agents, while backup big man Paul Reed is a restricted free agent. Backup guard Shake Milton reportedly agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night.
