In the absence of a permanent general manager, it appears the spirit of Sam Hinkie overtook the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers entered the week with six of the draft's 60 picks, including No. 10 overall. They left Thursday night with three new rookies, an unprotected 2021 Miami Heat first-round pick and three future second-rounders.
That draft-night haul could give Philadelphia the extra ammunition it needs to trade for a star either this summer or down the road.
With head coach Brett Brown serving as the team's acting general manager in the wake of Bryan Colangelo's resignation, it was fair to wonder how he'd handle his dual responsibilities on draft night. Would he prioritize the immediate future, or would he maintain the “longest view in the room,” to steal a Hinkieism?
At first, it appeared as though the short term won out. With the No. 10 overall pick, the Sixers selected Villanova wing Mikal Bridges, a soon-to-be 22-year-old who could have immediately slotted in as a rotation player. Though Bridges struggles to create off the dribble—a much-needed area of improvement for the Sixers—his 6'7″ frame and 7'2″ wingspan made him the top three-and-D prospect in this year's draft class.
Had the Sixers stood pat with Bridges at No. 10, few Sixers fans would have batted an eye. He may not have had the most upside of anyone still left on the board, but he represented a safe double. With budding megastars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons already in place, Philadelphia no longer needs to take home run swings during the draft every year. Finding players to complement those two is a far greater priority moving forward.
“In Joel Embiid and in Ben Simmons, you know what you have,” Brown said earlier in June. “How do you add to that completely influences how we see the draft.”
On paper, Bridges looked like the perfect fit alongside Simmons and Embiid. Pairing him with fellow three-and-D wing Robert Covington would have added even more length to Philadelphia's third-ranked defense from last season, further clogging passing lanes and disrupting opponents' offensive rhythm. After Bridges knocked down 43.5 percent of his three-point attempts at Villanova as a junior, he could have slotted in as a floor-spacer on offense and a potent catch-and-shoot threat off Simmons' drive-and-kicks.
While it was easy to conceptualize Bridges' fit in Philadelphia, Brown and the Sixers didn't settle for the safe double.
With the Phoenix Suns on the clock at No. 16, the Sixers came to terms on a trade that sent said pick (Zhaire Smith) along with the Heat's unprotected 2021 first-rounder to Philadelphia in exchange for Bridges. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reported Wednesday that the Sixers were “very interested” in Smith, who worked out twice with them leading up to the draft. and Brown dubbed him the 1B on the Sixers' draft board to Bridges' 1A on Thursday night.
Brown conceded Bridges would have “come in and slotted in and played right away,” while Smith “is gonna be fighting for some minutes.” He added, however, that, “it's rare that a 10th pick comes in and plays, even on poor teams.”
In other words: Smith being behind Bridges on his developmental curve is of no concern to Brown and the Sixers.
“We believe that we're gonna take Zhaire and put him into our development system and polish up all of those things,” Brown said. “And we're excited. The city of Philadelphia is gonna love him because of his complete competitiveness, his athleticism and his toughness. He is bred for the city of Philadelphia.”
As much as Brown and the Sixers believe in Smith's upside, the unprotected 2021 Miami first-rounder sealed the deal for them.
“That [Miami] pick might be the key to all of this,” Brown said Thursday night.
Earlier this month, ESPN.com's Zach Lowe reported the NBA could be getting rid of the one-and-done rule “as early as 2021.” While such a change is no certainty, “it could create a single draft loaded with the best prospects from two consecutive high school classes” if it does come to fruition, as Lowe noted.
With the Heat bogged down by bloated contracts and lacking much promising young talent outside of Josh Richardson, Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow, that Miami pick could wind up being worth its weight in gold. Regardless of where it ultimately lands, there's also value in the Sixers having a cost-controlled rookie deal in 2021 since Embiid, Simmons and Markelle Fultz will all be on their second contracts by that point.
There's no guarantee the Sixers are the ones who make that pick, though.
“That [Miami pick] could be the thing that flips it with us having more assets to enhance a realistic trade for a star,” Brown said Thursday. “We are star hunting, or we are star developing. That's how you win a championship.”
With Kawhi Leonard seemingly wanting out of San Antonio, according to multiple reports, Brown and the Sixers may be loading up for a run at him. The Spurs have yet to decide whether their relationship with Leonard is past the point of no return, but if they put him on the market, few teams can match the type of package Philadelphia can cobble together. (The Los Angeles Lakers, who Leonard has “at the center of his preferences for a trade destination, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, can't come close.)
Brown and Leonard overlapped in San Antonio from 2011 until 2013, which may give the Sixers an advantage over other trade suitors. If Leonard expresses a willingness to re-sign in Philadelphia following the 2018-19 season, the Sixers may decide to sell the farm for him. Having the Miami 2021 first-rounder along with the three additional second-rounders they picked up for the Nos. 38 and 39 picks gives them more assets to help grease the wheels on any deal.
Even if Leonard stays in San Antonio or gets traded elsewhere, another star player will inevitably become available on the trade market between now and 2021. After all, did anyone expect Kyrie Irving to demand a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers fresh off his third straight NBA Finals appearance last summer? Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, who had been hoarding assets religiously, took advantage and snagged a potential franchise point guard for what wound up being 40 cents on the dollar.
The Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards could each decide to radically shake up their stagnant rosters this summer, putting the likes of CJ McCollum, DeMar DeRozan or Bradley Beal on the market. Internal discord could cause the Minnesota Timberwolves to part ways with Jimmy Butler or Andrew Wiggins, too.
The Sixers, who could carve out as much as $26 million in salary-cap space this summer by renouncing the rights to all of their free agents, should be in no hurry to make a blockbuster trade. Having that option at their disposal gives them another pathway toward building a legitimate championship contender, though.
“At some point, when the time is right, I think we need help to win a championship,” Brown told reporters during his season-ending press conference. “If that's the goal—and for me and us it is—then that's the answer I give.”
With their asset cupboard now restocked as a result of their draft-night wheeling and dealing, the Sixers are poised to make a splashy signing or trade whenever they deem the timing to be right.
Follow Us
Subscribe