On Friday, the Atlanta Hawks announced that they had bought out the contract of 10-year veteran sharpshooter Marco Belinelli.The Hawks let him go because they wanted to give their younger players more minutes. But, coach Mike Budenholzer had some nice words to say about the guard and was impressed at what he offered to his squad during his short time there.“I want to say Marco was great for us,” the coach explained. “He was a great teammate. He’s a great teammate and smart. Wherever he ends up, he’s going to help that team. I enjoyed coaching him.”Averaging 11.4 points per game, the Italian shot 92-for-247 from beyond the three-point line off the bench for Atlanta.Therefore, in today’s perimeter-centric NBA, it wasn’t expected to be long before he found a new home.And it didn’t. Via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Belinelli has committed to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA insider added that the Sixers were one of multiple contending teams to offer him a deal.He was reportedly promised a significant role off the bench in Philadelphia. Heading into Sunday, the Sixers hold the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 28-25 record. But, it’s important to note that they’re just 3.5 games behind the third place Cleveland Cavaliers and have the opportunity to move past a handful of teams very easily.Belinelli announced his signing with a simple tweet:

Since he was bought out of his contract in Atlanta before March 1, he will now be eligible to play in the postseason if the team earns its way in. Therefore, the short-term rental could have a gigantic payoff if his presence can help vault the Sixers past some of the teams in front of them. 

Belinelli will most likely replace Justin Anderson in coach Brett Brown’s rotation, joining T.J. McConnell, Trevor Booker and Amir Johnson on the team’s second unit contributors. Judging by his natural shooting ability, he will most likely spell J.J. Redick and will be able to offer nearly the same exact skill set off the bench. 

Overall, Belinelli’s signing might not have appeared to be a gigantic one on the surface, but it absolutely could prove to be an extremely important one down the stretch, as it solidifies the team’s bench. If No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz returns to full health and also returns to the club, they might end up proving to be a contender before the regular season comes to a close.