The Philadelphia 76ers have added a familiar giant to the mix, signing former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tacko Fall before the new NBA season.
Fall’s deal comes just weeks before training camp, and it gives the 7-foot-6 center another shot to stick on an NBA roster after bouncing around the league for much of his career. For Philadelphia, he arrives with a chance to carve out a role on a contending team.
Fall spent part of the 2021-22 season with Cleveland after signing with the Cavaliers before the 2021 season. His contract was converted to a two-way deal before that year, and he appeared in 11 games for the Cavs, averaging 1.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.2 assists, and 0.5 blocks.
Cleveland waived him in Feb. 2022.
Before reaching the NBA, Fall had already built a reputation as an unusual and intriguing prospect because of his size. He was dominant at UCF, where he earned AAC Defensive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. His junior season was interrupted by injuries, limiting him to 16 games, but he stayed healthier as a senior and gave NBA teams a fuller look at his game.
That final college season was his best stretch offensively and on the glass. Fall averaged 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 33 games, helped UCF reach the NCAA Tournament, and played a part in the program’s first victory in the event.
His shot-blocking has always been the headline skill, but questions about his rebounding for his size and his foot speed have followed him throughout his career. Those issues helped push him out of the draft in 2019, though he later signed with the Boston Celtics before making his NBA debut against the New York Knicks, when he posted four points and three rebounds in four minutes.
Since his time in Cleveland ended, Fall has played in the Chinese Basketball Association and the Australian National Basketball League. Still, he has continued to chase another NBA opportunity, and Philadelphia is the latest team to give him one.
At 30 years old, Fall still has time to extend his career, but he’ll have to make a strong impression on the 76ers’ coaching staff to win a spot.
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