The Milwaukee Bucks are once again going to have to try to catch a fierce Eastern Conference rival on their quest to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference. Former Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and the Boston Celtics closed out their NBA Finals series against former Bucks head coach Jason Kidd in the 2024 NBA Finals on Monday night. Going into next season, Milwaukee will be chasing Boston while also trying to maintain an edge over the rest of the top teams in the conference.
Mar 29, 2019; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Washington Wizards forward Sam Dekker (8) dribbles the ball ahead of Utah Jazz guard Ricky Rubio (3) during the first half at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
One of those teams is the Philadelphia 76ers who finished the year a disappoint 47-35 and with the seventh seed in the conference. With their superstar Joel Embiid under contract, the 76ers, like the Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, are trying to add the right pieces to take advantage of their NBA Championship window.
The Philadelphia 76ers Are Working Out Former Wisconsin Badgers Star Sam Dekker
According to NBC’s John Clark, the 76ers are working out a player that is very familiar to Bucks fans based in Wisconsin: former Badgers star Sam Dekker.
Dekker, of course, was on the Wisconsin teams that appeared in back-to-back Final Four’s and the one that lost to Duke in the 2015 NCAA National Championship.
After declaring for the NBA Draft, Dekker was drafted in the first round by the Houston Rockets, who then had Daryl Morey as their general manager. Morey is now leading the front office in Philadelphia.
Dekker just finished his second season with the London Lions that saw them win the British Basketball League. The former Badgers star averaged 12.3 points while shooting 40% from three.
Sam Dekker’s Brief NBA Career Included a Very Short Stop with the Milwaukee Bucks
Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Dekker goes under the basket to score over Duke’s Jahlil Okafor during the first half of their NCAA Final Four college basketball tournament championship Monday, April 6 2015 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. MARK HOFFMAN/[email protected]
After getting injured as a rookie and only appearing in three games in his first season, Dekker averaged 6.5 points in a reserve role with the Rockets in his second year.
Following the 2016-17 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the deal that sent Chris Paul to Houston. After one year with the Clippers, Dekker bounced between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards. In between those stops, he spent about 10 minutes as a Buck before being moved again.
Dekker last appeared in the NBA in 2022 with the Toronto Raptors. He played in just one game before being released.
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