Entering their Friday night battle, the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers are on the opposite side of the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers are currently 36-28 and own the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, they are just 0.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 4 seed and homecourt advantage.
Philadelphia, on the other hand, is not enjoying their season as much as injuries have derailed their campaign. With a month left in the season, the 76ers are 22-43 and rank among the worst teams in the East. Furthermore, they have already shut Joel Embiid down for the rest of the season.
Naturally, many expect the 76ers to punt the rest of the season and shut down their other injured key players, such as Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. While this could still be true, the 76ers recently made a move that may be questionable, but it is one that Pacers fans will certainly want to keep tabs on.
76ers sign former Pacer Oshae Brissett to 10-day contract
According to 76ers beat writer Keith Pompey (X link), the 76ers have signed Oshae Brissett to a 10-day contract. Brissett spent three seasons of his NBA career with the Pacers from 2020 to 2023. During his time in Indiana, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds across 153 games.
After his stint with the Pacers, Brissett joined the Boston Celtics last year and won a championship as a member of the team. This season, he has spent part of the season with the Brooklyn Nets' G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. In 11 games in the G League this season, Brissett is averaging 12.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals.
The 76ers are incredibly banged up and may have simply needed reinforcements to get through the season. However, given how depleted they are at the moment, it would not be a surprise if Brissett assumes a relatively large role in Philadelphia and stays with the team for the rest of the season.
Given that the Pacers and 76ers do not play again this season after Friday night, it is likely they will not meet up against their old friend until next season. Still, even though he has been gone from the franchise for the two years, it may be worth it for Pacers fans to keep an eye on Brissett during his stint in Philadelphia.