Sixers add Jabari Walker on a 2-way deal, could be a potential steal

Drew Smith
July 4, 2025
Sixers
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The Sixers are signing forward Jabari Walker to a two-way contract.

Jabari Walker is only 22 years old and checking out his stats, he can rebound and defend. He also shot 40 percent from three last season, although it was a small sample size. That’s great value on a 2-way contract for the Sixers.

Sixers add Jabari Walker on a 2-way NBA deal

Free agent forward Jabari Walker has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, source tells ESPN. Walker spent his first three NBA seasons in Portland, appearing in 188 games.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2025

Jabari Walker is a great 2-way value add for the Sixers

Jabari Walker had Portland's best on/off last season, with the Blazers improving on both sides of the court when he played. Phenomenal value as a two-way deal from the Sixers' perspective pic.twitter.com/mYKaEfHZtJ
— Ben Detrick (@bdetrick) July 4, 2025

Jabari Walker spent his first three seasons buried on Portland’s bench behind a pile of other forwards.

It’s not that he can’t play. It’s that the Blazers never gave him a real shot. He still managed to show flashes. He’s active on defense, crashes the glass hard, and finishes well around the rim. His steal rate was one of the best among bigs last season.

This isn’t just a throwaway signing. John Hollinger’s BORD$ metric valued Walker at $7.3 million. The Sixers are getting him on a two-way deal. That’s absurd value if he pans out.

Hollinger even ranked him ahead of Guerschon Yabusele, a guy Sixers fans were begging to bring back, before he left for the New York Knicks in free agency.

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Walker is exactly the kind of bet you want to see a smart team make. He’s young. He has size. He has a role-player skillset that could actually matter if developed. This is what the Sixers have done well lately. Find guys other teams gave up on and turn them into legit rotation pieces like Ricky Council.

Maybe Jabari Walker is next? At worst, it’s a cheap flyer. At best, it’s another win for the player development staff. Don’t be surprised if Walker turns this into a standard deal before the season is over.