Sixers Score No. 3 Draft Pick
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In a season marked by one loss after another, the 76ers finally had a winning moment in the NBA draft lottery. They had the fifth worst record and would have lost the pick to Oklahoma City had they finished outside the top six in the lottery.
The Sixers not only retained their pick, but will end up choosing No. 3 in the NBA draft.
While it was the Dallas Mavericks who hit the jackpot in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes by earning the No. 1 pick (after having just a 1.8 percent chance in doing so), the Sixers did well for themselves by getting the third pick.
Will they keep the pick or trade it? There could be arguments for doing both.
One problem is that Flagg and Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper are considered the two biggest gems in the draft and then it’s perceived that there is a talent drop-off after that.
That is why a team like San Antonio with the second pick, has a much better bargaining position in a trade than the Sixers do.
With a high payroll, the Sixers can use some young players on rookie scale contracts. The one problem is that in picking No. 3, the contract won’t exactly be cheap.
The rookie scale for the No. 3 pick in the draft is $8,415,800 for the first season, according to RealGM.com. NBA teams can pay as much as 120% and as low as 80% of the rookie scale.
There still should be some NBA teams who might be interested in trading for the No. 3 pick. The Sixers also have other ammunition in a trade, including the Los Angeles Clippers unprotected 2028 first round pick.
So, it appears as if Sixer president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has plenty of options.
For this exercise, let’s assume the Sixers keep the No. 3 pick. If so, where could they go?
Here are some of the potential players the Sixers could look at No. 3. We have included their stats in conference games, because that appears to be a better barometer than some of the early-season non-conference games against weaker teams.
1. Ace Bailey, Rutgers freshman forward. There has been a lot of discussion on how Bailey may have underachieved at Rutgers. While he has had his critics, here is one thing to suggest–watch him play. He is ultra-athletic, is a shot maker and has a high ceiling. While Rutgers was disappointing this season, Bailey, in 20 Big 10 games averaged 16.9 points and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting .443 from the field and .337 from three-point range. These aren’t overwhelming stats, but he was playing on an outmanned team (despite the presence of Harper) and more than held his own. A knock on him is the degree of difficulty of many of his shots, but he can create off the dribble. While Rutgers listed him as 6-10, he measured barefoot at the NBA combine at 6’7.5, which is quite a difference.
2. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor freshman combo guard. Edgecombe measured 6’4 at the combine barefoot. He might be the best athlete in the draft and is looked on as a plus defender down the road. The problem with him is his handle. In 19 Big 12 games he averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and shot .454 from the field, .391 from three (in 92 attempts) and .817 from the foul line. He is another player with a great upside. A major question: is he the pure point guard the Sixers would be looking for so Tyrese Maxey can play off the ball, or would he be better playing an off-guard position.
3. Tre Johnson, Texas freshman shooting guard. Johnson is listed as a combo guard, but he would have to improve his handle to play the point. Yet he is considered probably the best pure scorer in the draft. He was measured at 6’4.75 without shoes. In 18 Big 12 games he averaged 20 points, shooting .404 from the field and .364 from three. The big knock on him is that he was a gunner who didn’t always take the best shots. Still, he has a scorer’s mentality and could get his shot anytime he wanted. He also shot .899 from the foul line in Big 12 play. His defense will have to improve dramatically, but he is the type of player who relishes taking the big shot.
4. Kon Knueppel, Duke freshman wing. Knueppel, who was measured at 6’5 without shoes, is arguably the best shooter in the draft. In 20 ACC games, he averaged 14.7 points and shot .485 from the field, .424 from three-point range and .900 from the foul line. Can he create his own shot? Maybe not like players such as Bailey, but he can shoot well off screens and was also strong taking it to the basket. A team can never have enough shooting. Would picking him at No. 3 be too high? These are many of the questions Morey and his staff will be pondering leading up to the June 25th draft.
Photo: Rutgers No. 4 Ace Bailey / Rutgers Athletics
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Author: Marc Narducci
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