76ers Jazz Basketball | July 5, 2023

Philadelphia 76ers forward Azuolas Tubelis (29) and Utah Jazz guard Colbey Ross, rear, wait to step on the floor in the second half during an NBA summer league basketball game July 5 in Salt Lake City.

It's official: Azuolas Tubelis will spend his first professional basketball season with the Philadelphia 76ers.Β 

The former Arizona star and undrafted forward joined the Sixers for NBA Summer League and agreed to a two-way contract last month. Tubelis officially signed a two-way contract, which could be worth up to $500,000, on Monday.

The Lithuanian standout will be shuttled between the Sixers and the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia's G League affiliate.Β 

At NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Tubelis, who is the seventh player in Pac-12 history to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding, averaged three points and two rebounds in 10.1 minutes per game.Β 

β€œHe has a knack for getting stuff done, whether it’s in the paint, the basket, transition,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said of Tubelis last month. β€œZu might not be the guy initiating everything or making all the highlights or making a bunch of jump shots, but he’s kind of the receiving end of a lot of those plays. He can just catch the ball and lay it up, and there’s a value in that. That’s a lot harder to do than people think.

β€œAnd the way he runs the floor, I think he creates these opportunities for himself and his teammates.. But like a lot of these guys, now the real challenge is in front of you. You’ve got to go at that level with the best players in the world, and you’ve got to make it happen. I’m excited to see Zu’s journey.”


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Contact sports producer Justin Spears at jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports