Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The Philadelphia 76ers are signing former Portland Trail Blazers guard Caleb Love and former Memphis Grizzlies wing Rayan Rupert to two-way contracts, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Love, who is set to turn 25 before the beginning of the season, averaged 10.4 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game as a rookie in Portland last season. He improved month over month as his role expanded and made a case for a standard contract. However, the return of guards Scoot Henderson and Blake Wesley, combined with the 50-game limit for two-way players, led to his role diminishing by season's end.
A fearless scorer, sometimes to a fault, Love is an intriguing perimeter shooter. In a more controlled role, he could provide quality guard depth while helping preserve the workloads of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Anfernee Simons as rookie Labaron Philon develops.
Philadelphia also signed former Trail Blazers teammate Rayan Rupert to a two-way contract. Rupert previously played alongside current Sixers forward Jabari Walker in Portland.
Rupert, 22, has the size and length to make him a natural fit for Nick Nurse's defensive system. Standing 6-foot-7 with an impressive 7-foot-2 wingspan, Rupert is capable of filling passing lanes and mucking up the opposing flow of offense.
In 64 games played between Portland and Memphis last season, Rupert averaged 5.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 16.8 minutes per game. After being traded to the Grizzlies, Rupert saw a larger role, averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 30.9 minutes per game.
Rupert's outside shot remains a question, but he has shown enough to occasionally make defenders pay when left wide open.
Both players are developmental additions, but each fills a different need. Love provides additional scoring depth in the backcourt, while Rupert offers the length and defensive upside Nick Nurse has consistently valued.
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