Former Wisconsin basketball star Sam Dekker recently worked out for the Philadelphia 76ers, according to NBC Philadelphia’s John Clark.
Dekker most recently played in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors for one game during the 2021-2022 season. His long and winding professional career led him to the British Basketball League’s London Lions, where he has spent the last two seasons.
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The 30-year-old’s career has included stops in the NBA with the Houston Rockets (2015-2017), Los Angeles Clippers (2017-2018), Cleveland Cavaliers (2018), Washington Wizards (2018-2019) and Raptors (2021). He has also played in Russia for Lokomotiv Kuban (2019-2020), and in Turkey for Turk Telekom (2020-2021) and Bahçeşehir Koleji (2021-2022).
The Wisconsin legend’s recent stop with the London Lions has been his best as a professional. His 2023 season included per-game averages of 20.8 minutes, 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals on 53% shooting. That performance was enough to earn British Basketball League MVP honors as the Lions went on to win the BBL Cup Final — where he was also named Cup Final MVP.
The 2012 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball recipient is looking for another shot in the NBA with 76ers general manager Daryl Morey — the former Rockets GM who drafted Dekker in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft.
I’m told the Sixers held a free agent workout and tryout for a former first round draft pick of Daryl Morey in Houston, Sam Dekker pic.twitter.com/hQYEdizxLr
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 18, 2024
Dekker’s storied Wisconsin career included two Final Four appearances including one trip to the national championship game. He finished his three-year career with per-game averages of 27.9 minutes, 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.5 blocks on 52.5% shooting and 33% from three. His other collegiate accolades include two All-Big Ten Second Team nods (2014, 2015) and an inclusion on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2013.
The 76ers are working to retool the roster around superstar Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey after yet another early-round playoff exit. Dekker may find a role as a depth piece at small forward.
The former Badgers’ previous NBA stops were short-lived. But it’s possible that his game is greatly improved since moving overseas in 2019.
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