OAKLAND, Calif. _ A league source confirmed Thursday that the 76ers are interested in Wesley Matthews Jr. if the New York Knicks buy out his contract.
PhillyVoice first reported the news. The Dallas Mavericks traded Matthews, DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr., and two future first-round picks to the New York Knicks for Kristaps Porzingis, Trey Burke and Courtney Lee.
Matthews averaged 13.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 38 percent on three-pointers for the Mavericks this season. The shooting guard is making $18.6 million in the final year of his contract. The struggling Knicks don't need him this season. However, they wanted his expiring contract to help clear salary-cap space to go after A-list free agents next summer.
As a result, he's a candidate to be bought out before the March 1 deadline. The Houston Rockets are reportedly also interested in the 32-year-old.
Matthews is a solid "three-and-D" player, and the Sixers are in the hunt for a perimeter defender.
The final day of Corey Brewer's second 10-day contract is Sunday. A player can sign a maximum of two consecutive 10-day contracts with the same team before that squad must sign him for the remainder of the season or release him.
If they keep Brewer, the Sixers must trade or waive a player in order to create a spot on the 15-man roster.
The Sixers benefited from getting players during last season's buyout market, signing Marco Belinelli on Feb. 12 and Ersan Ilyasova on Feb. 28 after they were both bought out by the Atlanta Hawks.
Matthews father, Wes Matthews, played 14 games for the Sixers during the 1983-84 season.
