The 13 best undrafted Sixers of all time

The Sixers begin the week of the NBA draft with zero picks. 

As a refresher: The team gave up its first-round selection (No. 28) as part of its trade for James Harden. The NBA docked the Sixers their second-rounders in 2023 and 2024 after a league investigation found the team had premature conversations with free-agent signings P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. 

In that context, we figured it’d be as good a time as any to look at the Sixers’ history with undrafted players. The list below runs through the 13 best, in no particular order, and focuses on overall careers. 

Of course, margins are often fine and there’s no supremely objective way to assess every undrafted player who’s worn a Sixers uniform. We had Scott Brooks, Michael Curry, Boban Marjanovic and House among the close cuts.

Bruce Bowen 

Bowen only spent 42 of his 873 NBA games as a Sixer. Along with Larry Hughes and Billy Owens — two former top-10 picks — the Sixers traded Bowen away in a deal that brought them Toni Kukoc.

Bowen eventually became an eight-time All-Defensive selection and three-time NBA champion known for his pesky, physical style and three-point shooting (39.3 percent in the regular season, 42.2 percent in the playoffs). 

Raja Bell 

Bell broke through on the 2000-01 Sixers, scoring 10 key second-quarter points in the team’s Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Bucks.

Both Bell and Bowen were members of the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team for the 2006-07 season. Bell was also an outstanding outside shooter who had several stellar postseasons from long range with the "Seven Seconds or Less" Suns. He made 40.6 percent of his threes in the regular season, 46.6 percent in the playoffs.

T.J. McConnell 

It’s now been eight years since McConnell played for the Process-era Sixers in summer league. 

The Pittsburgh native is an excellent mid-range shooter who’s long been renowned for his defensive energy and effort. Those traits have yielded serious results, too. Despite starting a mere three games in the 2020-21 season, McConnell led the NBA in both total steals and steal percentage.

Reggie Evans 

Evans, who had a hard childhood in Pensacola, Florida, went to Coffeyville Community College before transferring to Iowa. 

Though a very limited offensive player who struggled at the foul line, Evans was a voracious, ferocious, exceptional rebounder. His 16.3 rebounds per 36 minutes with the Nets in the 2012-13 campaign comfortably topped the league.

Andres Nocioni

Nocioni came to the NBA after winning an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2004. 

The Sixers did not get the prime version of Nocioni, whose best NBA seasons were in Chicago. He had a big first-round playoff series against the 2006 Heat squad that ultimately won the title, posting 22.3 points per game on 56.0/47.6/85.7 shooting splits.

Dewayne Dedmon 

Dedmon played for a 19-win Sixers team in the 2013-14 season and a 54-win Sixers team last year.

Between those stints, the big man spent time with Orlando, San Antonio, Atlanta, Sacramento and Miami. He started launching threes as well.

Justin Holiday 

Like Dedmon, Holiday had a brief run with the Sixers as a rookie.

He’s bounced around plenty since then but still managed to play in over 600 NBA games and build a reputation as a solid 3-and-D wing. 

Kevin Ollie 

Ollie played for 11 franchises and 12 teams in his 13 NBA seasons. 

Now a Nets assistant coach, Ollie had three stints with the Sixers.

Ish Smith 

Smith has Ollie beat … 13 teams, an NBA record.

The 6-foot guard is a beloved teammate and just won his first NBA title as a member of the Nuggets. Back in the 2015-16 season, he was the Sixers’ No. 2 scorer (behind Jahlil Okafor). 

Anthony Tolliver 

Before playing in an NBA game, Tolliver suited up for Nick Nurse’s Iowa Energy team.

The Creighton graduate forged a long career as a steady stretch four glad to dish out the wisdom he’d accumulated. Tolliver was very impressed by a rookie Tyrese Maxey in 2021, projecting that Maxey would be “a special player in this league.”

Christian Wood

Wood’s had many ups and downs, but he’s undoubtedly done far better than the typical undrafted player.

The former Sixer and Delaware 87er has averaged 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds over the past four years. 

Robert Covington 

After proving he deserved an NBA spot during the Process, Covington earned an All-Defensive First Team selection in 2017-18.

While Covington has never become an All-Defensive fixture, he’s continued racking up steals and blocks at high rates since leaving Philadelphia in the Sixers’ trade for Jimmy Butler. 

Seth Curry 

Under father-in-law and head coach Doc Rivers, Curry had one and a half strong seasons with the Sixers.

His 43.5 career three-point percentage ranks sixth in NBA history.