Former Kentucky players Isaiah Briscoe, Aaron Harrison and Alex Poythress are among those trying to impress the Philadelphia 76ers this week during a mini-camp leading up to summer league.
The 6-foot-3 Briscoe went undrafted last week, and his participation with the Sixers was first reported by ZAGSBLOG. The 6-6 Harrison went undrafted in 2015 and the 6-7 Poythress in 2016. All three are playing in the mini-camp alongside numerous players, including No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz.
“It’s a blessing,” Briscoe said Thursday at the Sixers’ facility in Camden, N.J. “I thank God for being in this position. I am going to take full advantage of it. I am enjoying the process. I’m having fun with it, just out here competing with these guys. It has been fun.”
Briscoe worked out for the Sixers and Knicks, among others, but an ankle injury sidelined him from five workouts leading up to the draft.
“Well, the NBA is very humbling, right?” said Sixers assistant and Director of Player Development Billy Lange. “So there’s 450 roster spots and Isaiah has been one of those guys that has been projected to be in one of those 450 spots probably from seventh grade and on and here he comes in and he knows he’s fighting. His energy today was great. He came in a few days early, just to start to understand the nomenclature of our team and get some shots up. I think these guys have a feel for where they are and the situation is what it is. He’s going to have to play well, but he’s going to be in front of 30 NBA teams to do it.”
Harrison and Poythress will have the same opportunity to make an NBA roster.
“It’s just confidence,” Harrison said. “Confidence in shooting the ball. Just knowing what the coaches expect and what they want from me. I’m just going to out there and play hard and do what I do well. Just play hard all summer and see what happens. ”
The Sixers are looking to finalize their Summer League roster “as soon as possible,” a team source said.
The Sixers will play in the NBA Summer League in Utah from July 3-6 and then in Las Vegas from July 7-17. ESPN will present all 67 games from Las Vegas across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and the ESPN App, including 35 on its linear television channels. NBA TV will air 28 games, starting with the league’s opener on July 7, when the Toronto Raptors meet the New Orleans Pelicans at 6 p.m. ET. In total, 63 games from Las Vegas will air across ESPN and NBA TV’s linear channels – a Summer League record.
