Sixers End Draft Night With Signing of Champagnie to 2-Way Contract

By Matt Gregan, Sports Talk Philly 76ers Editor

The headline move of the night for the Philadelphia 76ers was their trade sending the No. 23 pick (which turned into David Roddy) and Danny Green to the Memphis Grizzlies for De'Anthony Melton. However, that was not the team's only move on draft night.

According to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice, the Sixers signed St. John's forward Julian Champagnie to a two-way contract.

Julian Champagnie will join Sixers on 2 way deal, per source

— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) June 24, 2022

Champagnie played three years at St. John's, where he averaged 19.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game as a junior last season. He is a high-volume 3-point shooter, although he had limited success in that department. Over his last two seasons at St. John's, he took 6.3 attempts per game from 3-point range and knocked them down at a 35.6% clip. He has the ability to shoot coming around screens, off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations, but he will need to improve his efficiency in order for his outside shooting to truly be a threat at the NBA level.

The 20-year-old Champagnie's (he turns 21 next week) is also a capable defender. At 6-foot-8, he has the height and length (6-foot-10 wingspan) to be disruptive defensively. He averaged 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game over his final two seasons at St. John's. He can guard both forward positions, although he lacks the foot speed to be able to defend guards out in space. He does have the physicality to be able to handle himself well in the post and the ability to be a solid weak-side shot blocker.

Overall, he has some solid skills which could eventually help land him a spot towards the end of the Sixers' rotation. However, his lack of explosiveness will limit his ceiling as a player. He was projected to be a mid-second round pick, but he did not hear his name called on draft night. The Sixers signing him to a two-way contract as an un-drafted free agent is a low-risk move and a solid signing overall. His first action with the organization will likely come with Philadelphia's Summer League teams in Salt Lake City and/or Las Vegas next month.

The Sixers also signed a pair of players to exhibit 10 contracts after the end of the draft. An exhibit 10 contract essentially serves as a tryout. It is a one-year, minimum salary contract that counts towards the team's 20-man offseason roster limit but does not count against the salary cap unless the player makes the regular season roster.

According to Chris Hayes of Yahoo Sports, the team signed Georgetown product Aminu Mohammed to an exhibit 10 contract. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game as a freshman for the Hoyas last season.

The Sixers also, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, signed 6-foot-8 forward Michael Foster Jr. to an exhibit 10 contract. Foster played for the G League Ignite last season, where he averaged 16.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in the G League Ignite Tour.