The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers: 5 Possibilities With the Top Overall Pick

By Josh Wilson

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Scenario 2: Trade down to 2

NBA: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
NBA: Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers /

The next scenario is one that might intrigue some fans who are incredibly opposed to trading the top overall pick for an established star.

The Sixers could try to convince the Los Angeles Lakers to take the top overall pick, give the Sixers the second, and take D’Angelo Russell in the process. This would result in the Sixers having the 2015 second overall draft pick as well as the 2016 second overall. In addition to that, they have the third overall draft pick from 2015 on their team — Jahlil Okafor — as well.

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And don’t forget about other lottery picks — Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and Nerlens Noel who all still have spots on this team.

This is something that might take a lot of convincing on the Sixers part. For one, D’Angelo Russell just might be one of the big future pieces of the Lakers, and a step in the right direction of the non-Kobe Bryant era that is set to begin next season. Despite his issues with players trusting him off of the court, he’s a good player. Also, the Lakers aren’t too keen on keeping their pick, no matter where it is in the top three.

It was reported a few weeks ago that the Lakers would be shopping their pick no matter where it ended up, as long as they retained it.

It was also reported that Bryan Colangelo and the Sixers would be “open for business” regarding their NBA Draft picks. Whether or not that included the lottery picks is unclear, because the Sixers also have picks at 24 and 26 overall.

So there’s reason to believe that each team would be open to talking about it, but the reality is that this is (thankfully) very unlikely. Bryan may be tempted to try and get this going, but the likelihood that the Lakers say yes to this is very slim. The likelihood that Ned Cohen and Marc Eversley say yes is even slimmer.

Next: Take Kris Dunn