Sixers send message to retiring OKC Thunder veteran

Last week, NBA veteran Mike Muscala called it quits. After playing with several teams last season, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, the former second-round pick decided it was time to move on.

The Philadelphia 76ers social media team sent a message to the retiring forward, thanking him for his greatest contribution to the franchise.

“Thanks for everything… especially for this!” the Sixers player wrote on his Instagram account. “Good luck in your retirement, Mike!”

Unsurprisingly, the Sixers shared the moment Muscala was preparing to score a game-winning shot against the Miami Heat during the 2020 NBA bubble. At the time, the moment was significant for the Sixers, as it helped them land a protected top-20 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

This pick was used to select Tyrese Maxey, who came from Kentucky. Since Maxey became a key player in Philadelphia, Muscala has often been credited with helping the Sixers find such an important player for the franchise at the time.

However, Muscala also leaves behind a brief stint with the Sixers during his career. After a stint with the Atlanta Hawks and several stints in the NBA G League, Muscala joined the Sixers in 2018 after being traded by the Atlanta Hawks.

The veteran’s stint in Philadelphia lasted 47 games. Muscala averaged a career-high 22 minutes with the Sixers, averaging seven points and four rebounds per game. Midway through the 2018-19 season, the Sixers traded Muscala to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the blockbuster deal that landed Tobias Harris.

Muscala would not stay with the Clippers for long. After spending one day on the Clippers roster, Muscala was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The veteran spent most of his career in Atlanta and OKC. Muscala spent the first five years of his career with the Hawks in Atlanta. He spent four seasons in OKC and landed a second stint with the Thunder last year after getting a buyout from the Detroit Pistons.

After playing more than 500 games in his career, Muscala is hanging up his jersey.