The Sixers have decided to cut their number of two-way players in half for the time being.
The team is waiving Dakota Mathias, a team source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. PhillyVoice's Kyle Neubeck first reported the news, which the team later officially announced.
Mathias, a 25-year-old Purdue product, was thrust into an unexpectedly large role after Seth Curry tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 7 and contact tracing sidelined several other key Sixers. He totaled 80 minutes in the Sixers' losses to the Nuggets and Hawks. His most significant moment as a Sixer, though, was his go-ahead three-pointer in overtime of the team's win Tuesday over the Heat. On the floor because Ben Simmons and Tyrese Maxey had fouled out, his jumper from the top of the key helped ensure that Joel Embiid's 45 points and 16 rebounds came in a winning cause.
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All told, Mathias averaged 6.0 points and 1.6 assists over eight games, shooting 30.8 percent from three-point range.
Rookie power forward Paul Reed is the Sixers' lone remaining two-way contract player. NBA teams this season can have two-way players active for as many as 50 games. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that the NBA and NBPA are discussing the addition of a two-way roster spot as the league struggles with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sixers, therefore, might have two slots they are able to fill in the near future.
The NBA G League season is set to begin next month in a Disney World "bubble" environment. Here's a look at the Delaware Blue Coats' roster before Mathias was waived:
Delaware will be one of 18 participating teams. Jared Brownridge, Justin Robinson and Julian Washburn are returning players, while point guard Frank Mason, the G League MVP last season, is an intriguing name to watch.