Scott played his high school career at Deep Creek High School and then prepped for a year at Hargrave Military Academy. Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Scott was listed as the No. 33 power forward and the No. 115 player in the nation in 2007.
College career
After a solid first three years in which he led the Virginia Cavaliers in rebounding as a sophomore and junior, Scott appeared poised for a breakout year in 2010–11. He began the year averaging 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in the team's first ten games. But Scott's season ended early as he suffered an ankle injury and underwent season-ending surgery. Due to his injury, Scott was granted a medical redshirt and a fifth year of eligibility. He was one of the top players in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2011–12, averaging 18.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and led the ACC in field goal percentage at.563. He led the Cavaliers to a 22–10 record and their first NCAA tournament berth in five years, but lost to Floridain the round of 64. Scott received conference recognition as the second-leading vote getter for the All-ACC team and national recognition as an All-American by the Sporting News and the Associated Press. Scott finished his Virginia career with 1,538 points and is the third leading rebounder in Cavalier history with 944.
On June 28, 2012, Scott was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 43rd overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. On September 6, 2012, he signed with the Hawks. On December 1, 2012, he was assigned to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. He was recalled by the Hawks on December 11, reassigned on March 1, and recalled again on March 6. On February 22, 2014, Scott scored a career-high 30 points in a 107–98 win over the New York Knicks. He became a primary scoring option off the bench for the Hawks in 2013–14, averaging a career-high 9.6 points per game on the season. On August 26, 2014, Scott re-signed with the Hawks. On March 14, 2015, he was ruled out indefinitely after suffering a left toe injury against the Denver Nuggetsthree days earlier. He missed 11 games with the injury, returning to action on April 4 against the Brooklyn Nets. After getting arrested in July 2015 for drug possession, many believed Scott would be cut by the Hawks. With his legal process still pending, Atlanta chose to keep Scott on the roster for the 2015–16 season. He shot a career-best 3-point percentage during the year, reaching as high as 40.9%. On October 31, 2016, Scott was ruled out for four weeks while undergoing a series of non-surgical procedures for his left knee soreness. During the 2016–17 season, he had three assignments to the NBA Development League, two with the Long Island Nets and one with the Delaware 87ers. On February 23, 2017, Scott was traded, along with the rights to Cenk Akyol and cash considerations, to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a top-55 protected 2017 second-round pick. He was waived by the Suns the following day.
On July 9, 2018, Scott signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Philadelphia 76ers (2019–present)
On February 6, 2019, Scott was traded, along with Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanović, to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, Landry Shamet and a number of future draft picks. On June 30, Scott re-signed with the 76ers for two years on a deal worth $9.8 million.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
Playoffs
Personal life
On July 30, 2015, Scott and his brother, Antonn, were arrested for drug charges after 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of MDMA were found in a SUV driven by Antonn. The vehicle originally had been stopped for following too closely in Banks County, Georgia on Interstate 85 northeast of Atlanta; the vehicle failed to yield for about two miles, with speeds reaching 98 mph, before it finally pulled over. Scott was facing a possible 25-year prison sentence for his drug charges. On May 2, 2017, a Georgia superior court issued a ruling to suppress all evidence and dismiss the felony drug case against Scott and his brother, largely based upon testimony and evidence that suggested a pattern of racial profiling by law enforcement in the county.
