Report: Sixers sign forward Jabari Walker to two-way deal

The Sixers are signing forward Jabari Walker to a two-way contract, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Walker spent the first three seasons of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. He saw improvement in his three-point efficiency this past season, shooting 40 percent on very low volume.

Walker, 22, has a ways to go on the offensive end of the floor. The defensive side of the ball is where he's exhibited more consistency. Walker's rebounding rates are above average, and perhaps even more impressive for a big of his size. His steal rate was excellent this past season.

Walker, who measured 6-foot-6.75 with a 6-foot-10.75 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, has received praise for his upside from experts since the time he was drafted.

He received high marks for this summer's free-agent class of power forwards. The Athletic's John Hollinger deemed his value to be around $7.3 million, per his BORD$ metric, and ranked Walker above fan-favorite Guerschon Yabusele.

Here's what Hollinger had to say:

This number is probably a surprise, as Walker was an afterthought in Portland’s rotation a year ago; there were just too many bigs in the queue ahead of him. That could make him an under-the-radar pickup someplace else; Walker shot 38.9 percent from 3 and is only 22 and has always been effective as a paint finisher and rebounder in his three pro seasons.

Portland will have restricted free-agent rights on him if the Blazers make his qualifying offer for a piddling $2.4 million, but the Blazers would likely flinch at a decent offer sheet since they have tax issues and a surfeit of bigs. It’s hard to see retaining Walker being a huge priority for them.

It's natural for quality players to get buried in the rotation by players who have garnered more significant investment from teams. Portland had a glut of bigs and forwards last season, rendering Walker unnecessary.

That an analytics pioneer of Hollinger's stature found Walker to be worth more than the taxpayer mid-level exception might speak volumes to one thing the Sixers have done extraordinary well in the Nick Nurse era: refurbishing careers.

Kelly Oubre Jr. and Yabusele are poster children for what the Sixers have done with minimum contracts on the younger side of 30. It's possible Walker had better offers than a two-way deal elsewhere but opted for a program that has rehabilitated value to NBA careers. Not only does Philadelphia represent an opportunity for playing time, but the Sixers have proven that they see untapped value in players.

Evidently, Walker is hoping to parlay a bargain price tag into more solid footing in his NBA career.