Report: 76ers 2nd-round pick J.P. Tokoto signs 1-year tender
Like K.J. McDaniels a season before him, J.P. Tokoto is reportedly taking a risk and betting on himself rather than signing a team-friendly multi-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tokoto has accepted a one-year, non-guaranteed contract at the league minimum, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
That offer is the standard tender that every team has to issue to players whose draft rights they hold in order to keep those rights. In almost all cases, the player declines to sign it because of the lack of guarantee - Tokoto is now essentially passing up other opportunities to try to make the 76ers, and they can cut bait at any time, losing nothing but his rights.
Last summer, McDaniels balked at signing a multi-year deal with non-guaranteed third and fourth seasons, signing his one-year tender instead. The multi-year contract type has become somewhat commonplace for second-round picks, with teams offering guarantees in the short-term for greater team control and flexibility - and potentially discounted seasons - later.
By signing the tender, Tokoto sets himself up to become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't make the team, and a restricted one next summer if he does. The move paid off for McDaniels even though an injury shortened his rookie campaign following a trade to the Houston Rockets - he signed a three-year, $10-million deal as a restricted free agent this summer.
Tokoto isn't believed to be as NBA-ready as McDaniels was, but he was an All-ACC defender as a junior last season, and projects as a quality, multi-position defender. The Sixers have generally been willing to overlook shooting deficiencies in their approach to prospects, and Tokoto fit the mold with the 58th pick in the 2015 draft.
Armed with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, terrific athleticism, and incredibly quick feet, Tokoto should have value for his ability to stay in front of ball-handlers and disrupt passing lanes. Even if his stroke doesn't come along, he's a great passer from the wing and shouldn't be a complete zero on offense.
There were conflicting reports about the team's intentions toward Tokoto for 2015-16 earlier in the summer. The sides' inability to work out a multi-year deal could cost the Sixers money as soon as next summer if Tokoto pans out, but it also limits their downside if he struggles to make the jump to the NBA.