I’m not sure many people would peg JaVale McGee as the mentoring type. According to Keith Pompey at the Philadelphia Inquirer: — that’s exactly the mercurial centers plan for his stay in Philadelphia.
While many — including myself expected McGee to clamor for a buyout — the talented big man says he wants to stay in Philadelphia and help brand a winner.
“I don’t want to get bought out,” said McGee, a 27-year-old in his seventh NBA season. “That’s not a positive thing. When you think about it, you don’t get all of your money when you get bought out.
“So it doesn’t make sense why someone would want to get bought out unless they are older – older and they want to go to a contender or something. I’m not that old. I just want to play basketball.”
The Sixers, are committed to giving him every opportunity to do just that.
“We are coming into this whole thing with an open mind,” coach Brett Brown said Sunday after the team’s morning shootaround at the Amway Center. “He is around a bunch of genuine people, coaches that care. That will give him every chance to keep moving and to be as good as he can be.
“And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But it’s not going to be on us.”