76ers receive medical exemption

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia 76ers were awarded an injury exception by the NBA Wednesday following the retirement of center Matt Geiger.

Geiger, whose availability and effectiveness were severely limited by chronic knee problems, announced his retirement after being waived by the 7yers on Nov. 21.

The 76ers applied to the NBA for an injury exception to the salary cap of no more than $4.07 million, half of Geiger's salary for this season. The exception can be used until Dec. 24.

Geiger was in the fourth year of a six-year, $48 million contract and had been on the injured list since Nov. 9 with degenerative arthritis in both knees.

The 7-1 Geiger had missed large chunks of the last two seasons and appeared on his way to another injury-plagued campaign. He played just four games this season.

"Anytime you have an exception it gives you a chance to explore and to do things," 76ers general manager Billy King said last week. "You can sign players or you can trade a player to that exception. It gives you all kinds of options."

Geiger, 31, missed the first 17 games of the 1999-2000 season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He had surgery on both knees last season, when he played just 35 games.