For a moment, it seemed like the former Philadelphia 76ers center Johni Broome would get a real shot at cracking a role on the Los Angeles Clippers during his sophomore effort in the NBA. It turns out that won’t be the case.
According to the NBA insider Jake Fischer, Broome will be waived ahead of training camp. If Broome isn’t claimed within the next two days, the young veteran center will become an undrafted free agent.
Johni Broome’s second season is off to a rough start
The Sixers won’t be surprised to see the Clippers cut ties with Broome early. The fact is that the 24-year-old simply struggled to stand out throughout his first stretch of action with the pros.
Despite having a loaded college resume, which includes SEC Player of the Year, First-Team All-SEC, SEC Tournament MVP, and All-American, Broome was not considered to be a first-round prospect coming out of the NCAA. Over 168 college games, Broome averaged 16.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.
The Sixers didn’t have any close links to Broome during the pre-draft process in 2025, but they ended up taking him in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft with the No. 35 pick.
On the Sixers’ main roster, Broome was buried behind Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, and Adem Bona. Broome played in just 11 games, averaging 5.0 minutes off the bench. He shot 16.7% from the field, averaging under one point and two rebounds per game.
Broome landed a lot of G League action with the 76ers’ affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. In 18 games, Broome averaged 22.9 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. In the G League, Broome managed to flash the same dominance he once did in college at Auburn. But when it came to playing with the NBA-level talent, he clearly didn’t prove enough to the 76ers.
When the Sixers looked to add Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they had to cut ties with somebody to free up space. Jabari Walker, who holds a contract with a low guarantee, seemed like the obvious cut candidate. Instead, the Sixers found a trade partner in the Clippers. It turns out that Broome was just a salary dump after all.
It’s unclear what’s next for the second-year center, but he’ll be searching for a new situation ahead of training camp. Meanwhile, the 76ers will hold a battle for backup center in training camp starting next week.
