76ers' Landry still 5-6 weeks from return

The highest-paid player on the Philadelphia 76ers won't be ready for the start of the 2015-16 season.

Carl Landry, acquired from the Sacramento Kings in what amounted to a salary dump this offseason, remains five-to-six weeks away from returning to the court, head coach Brett Brown revealed Wednesday. The 32-year-old power forward underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist in early June, a procedure that was expected to sideline him until at least October.

"He's not close," Brown said.

While Landry doesn't figure into the long-term plans of the still-rebuilding Sixers, he's one of precious few veterans on the team. While Philadelphia has been open to eating salary in order to continue to churn through young lottery tickets, Brown admitted the team will miss the leadership void of Luc Mbah a Moute, one Landry could conceivably help fill.

Landry appeared in 70 games with the Kings last season, averaging 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17 minutes. A quality reserve big for most of his career, Landry has averaged 10.9 points and five rebounds over 477 games with four teams, but has played in 70 games or fewer in five of his eight seasons.

The Sixers will pay Landry $6.5 million this season, the third season of a four-year, $26-million deal he signed with the Kings in 2013. Philadelphia is paying JaVale McGee and Gerald Wallace more to play elsewhere, leaving Landry as their highest-salaried player by nearly $2 million.

What's more, the next highest-paid player - Joel Embiid - won't play this season, meaning only 51.3 percent of the guaranteed salary on the Sixers' books is owed to players who will actually suit up.