The Sixers agreed to their second free agent signing on Monday with a one-year, $8 million deal for point guard Sergio Rodriguez (see story) . Get to know the 30-year-old basketball veteran who has been playing in his home country of Spain after four seasons in the NBA.
Fitting with the Sixers
The Sixers had to bolster their backcourt this offseason. They agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal with point guard Jerryd Bayless, and now can add Rodriguez to the mix. While Rodriguez also is a point guard (and the Sixers still have backup T.J. McConnell at the position), he also can provide offense. The point guard position could become fluid once the Sixers begin to work rookie Ben Simmons in to the point-forward role, so having a point guard who can also shoot is beneficial for backcourt combinations.
Moving around the league
Rodriguez was drafted by the Suns with the 27th pick in 2006. The Trail Blazers then acquired him in exchange for cash. Rodriguez played his first three seasons in Portland before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in June of 2009. Less than a year later, the Kings sent him to the Knicks in a three-team deal with the Rockets that involved Tracy McGrady.
NBA numbers
His most productive season was his last stint with the Knicks, in which he posted 7.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 19.7 minutes over 27 games during the 2009-10 season. Rodriguez tallied a cumulative average of 4.3 points (41.8 from the floor and 31.6 percent from three), 1.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists during his time in the league.
Back to Europe
Rodriguez closed the first chapter of his NBA career in 2010 when he returned to Spain to play for Real Madrid. Last season, he averaged 10.9 points (including 40.9 percent from three), 6.2 assists and 2.2 boards in 24 minutes over 27 Euroleague games for the team.
Winning the trophy
In June, Real Madrid beat Barcelona for its 33rd League title. Rodriguez celebrated the accomplishment with several pictures on social media, including this group shot.
CAMPEONES !!! @ACBCOM @RMBaloncesto #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/aSbTZLJANu— Sergio Rodriguez (@SergioRodriguez) June 22, 2016
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Racking up the assists
This past season Rodriguez was named to the All-ACB team for the 2015-16 Endesa League. He also led the league in assists per game for the second time in his career. The Sixers ranked 20th in the NBA with 21.5 assists per game last season.
NBA return in the making
Buzz around Rodriguez’s return to the NBA began swirling last month. In late June, David Pick reported Rodriguez was eyeing a return to the NBA. It was the Nets, not the Sixers, that were linked to him initially. The Nets, however, added to their backcourt depth with reported free agents agreements with Jeremy Lin and Tyler Johnson.
Representing Spain
Rodriguez is a member of the Spanish national team. He tweeted a photo of himself in the 2016 Olympics uniform on July 2.
Foto oficial @baloncestofeb #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/nhwTknZYRo— Sergio Rodriguez (@SergioRodriguez) July 2, 2016
