In news that should come as little surprise to Philadelphia 76ers fans, the team has apparently told veteran forward Andres Nocioni it doesn't want him back. This comes from Nocioni himself, in an interview with La Nacion, a news outlet from Nocioni's native Argentina. According to a translation provided by HoopsHype.com, the exchange went thusly:
La Nacion: And how do you see your future in the NBA?
Andres Nocioni: I don't know. The Sixers already said they don't want me. And now we're in a lockout. So I'll see what I'll do. Playing in Europe is a possibility.
Last season, his first with the Sixers, Nocioni averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 boards, making 54 appearances, including 17 starts. He played just 17.2 minutes per game, the lowest figure in his six-year career. That average dereased to 13 per game after the All-Star Break, strongly indicating Nocioni does not figure into coach Doug Collins' plans for the Sixers.
As much as the Sixers apparently don't want Nocioni back, he is indeed under contract for at least the 2011/12 season (if the lockout doesn't eliminate it, anyway) for $6.65 million, according to ShamSports' authoritative salary database. "El Chapu" is owed $7.5 million in the 2012/13 season, but that year is a team option which Philadelphia will certainly decline.
Nocioni probably wouldn't mind a trade; in March, as Liberty Ballers pointed out, he indicated he may ask the Sixers to deal him. "I want to be an active member of a team. This is difficult for everybody and more so for somebody with my personality," he said."
Nocioni owns career averages of 10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 43.2 percent shooting. He achieved his greatest success with the Chicago Bulls early in his NBA career, including a 14.1-point, 5.7-rebound campaign in 2006/07. He'll turn 32 this Nov. 5, so his best days are clearly behind him.