Real Madrid shooting guard Rudy Fernandez (in white) passes off against three Olympiacos Piraeus defenders. (Photo : Getty Images)
Rumors abound that the Philadelphia 76ers are set to offer former NBA player Rudy Fernandez a two-year, $20 million deal as team president Bryan Colangelo aims to improve their backcourt depth.
The speculations began following the Sixers' signing of Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez to a one-year, $8 million contract on Monday. Rodriguez is Fernandez's teammate in Liga ACB squad Real Madrid.
Fansided noted that Colangelo is known to employ this kind of strategy to make sure his new recruits feel at home to his team when they arrive. The report said that having Fernandez around "will ensure that the point guard (Rodriguez) has automatic chemistry with one of his new teammates".
Fernandez, who has a buyout clause of $4 million with Real Madrid, played for four seasons in the NBA from 2008 to 2012 with the Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets.
He was drafted 24th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2007 and was then traded to the Blazers along with James Jones in exchange for cash consideration. He then spent his first three seasons in Portland before joining the Nuggets in 2011-2012.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound shooting guard averaged 9.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in 249 games in the NBA, playing in an average of 24.0 minutes per night. His best season was during his rookie year when he averaged career-highs of 10.4 points and 2.7 rebounds with 2.0 assists and shot almost 40 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Fernandez also featured in the NBA playoffs during his three years with the Blazers, playing in six postseason games each year. He averaged 5.7 points, 2.2 boards, and 1.1 dimes in 18 playoffs games suiting up in 20.1 minutes per game.
The 31-year-old is still skilled in both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor and instigates good ball movement. His "smothering" defense is said to be one of the things Sixers head coach Brett Brown is looking for this summer.
However, CSN Philly indicated that Philadelphia denied the rumor about Fernandez as they have already acquired two more guards in free-agency with the signings of Gerald Henderson and Jerryd Bayless.
The Sixers reached a two-year, $18 million contract with Henderson on Tuesday while Bayless agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal last Saturday.
