2014
K.J. McDaniels – (32)
If the 2013 NBA draft proved the magic president and general manager Sam Hinkie was capable of in a second round of an NBA draft, then the 2014 NBA draft displayed Hinkie’s acumen for finding diamonds in a coal mine.
His first gem was the selection of small forward K.J. McDaniels from Clemson. McDaniels played in 52 games with the Philadelphia 76ers, and averaged an impressive 9.2 points per game. However, he was given options of signing a one year contract with the Sixers, or a more lucrative multi-year deal. He elected the short term option, and played his heart out. He played so well, in fact, that other teams began to take notice. One such team, the Houston Rockets, weighed in with a package that included both Isaiah Canaan and another second round pick. With Hinkie believing that McDaniels play had inflated his NBA value above what the Sixers would likely pay him, he took that trade.
While McDaniels did not prosper with the Houston Rockets, his production made the Sixers efforts to maximize the NBA second round crystal clear to the NBA. There are diamonds in that round, and Sam Hinkie can find them.
Jerami Grant – (39)
While the saga of K.J. McDaniels showed how quickly Hinkie can act from the business side of the street, the Jerami Grant story shows the softer, patient, paternal side of the odds-loving general manager.
Small Forward Jerami Grant was selected from the University of Syracuse Orangemen, and the upside of Jerami Grant may have precipitated the trade of K.J.McDaniels. Playing off the bench, Grant averaged 6.3 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, .6 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in his rookie season. In his sophomore year, his offensive production has improved to 9.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, .7 SPG and a team leading 1.6 BPG . Jerami Grant is a solid contributor on the team, and is evolving into the type of two-way player coveted by head coach Brett Brown. The fact that he was uncovered with the 39th pick in the 2014 draft shows the skill of Hinkie in finding players with upside. While other teams targetted free agents, Hinkie targeted the second round of the NBA draft. Perhaps its his success there which has infuriated established NBA executives?
Russ Smith – (47)
With the 47th pick , the Philadelphia 76ers selected a 6’1″ point guard from Louisville named Russ Smith. But once more, the magic of Sam Hinkie reared once more, as he converted the immediately into a trade for former Philadelphia 76ers point guard prospect Pierre Jackson.
Vasilije Micić -(52)
In addition to the first round selection of Dario Saric, the second round added a taste of Sam Hinkie’s flair for the international players, invoking his “pick and stash” to retain the rights to developing players in international leagues at no cost to either a roster slot or to salary cap. Vasilije Micic, a Serbian point guard, plays for FC Bayern Munich of the German BBL. He injured the collateral ligament in his right elbow in November 2014, and needed nearly two months to recover. After injuring his ankle, he was relegated to the bench for BM, where his playing time dwindled. He ended his time with Bayern Munich in December 2015, and signed up with KK Crvena Zvezda in Serbia. He’s a rangy point guard on the large side at 6-foot-6, who can run the pick-and-roll quite effectively while taking the ball to the rack. While his name seldom is discussed in Sixer circles, he would be an intriguing play if the Sixers opt for Ben Simmons from the 2016 NBA draft. Micić would be the perfect peer to Simmons, whose height would give him the ability to effectively slide into whatever scheme the Sixers design for the very tall Simmons at a point guard role.
Nemanja Dangubić – (54)
With the 54th pick, the Philadelphia 76ers selected 6’8.5″ small forward Nemanja Dangubic, . The Sixers then traded Dangubic to the San Antonio Spurs for the the rights to 58th overall pick Jordan McRae and the 60th overall pick, Cory Jefferson from the San Antonio Spurs. The Sixers then traded the rights to Jefferson to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations.
Next: 2015