Scenario I: Package the two picks to move up in the 2016 NBA draft.
Of course, this is a simple one. All the Philadelphia 76ers need to do is call teams and move up…right? Well, not exactly.
Any “trade picks for other picks” requires both teams to be motivated to do so, otherwise the deal never happens or the terms will be so lopsided that fans will wish it had never happened. But there are a couple of teams who may have a mid round pick who may be interested in trading back for both number one picks. The biggest challenge is committing to that trade so that both teams feel as though they’ve exited with the greater value.
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The Chicago Bulls sit with a pick at 14, and at that spot they will have difficulty finding a starter. But if they trade back and are patient, they can develop players behind the likes of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, and they young players can earn some playing minutes and help take the pressure off the starters. Later in the draft is a tough place to find guaranteed value – so the Bulls would have two picks to pull off finding a contributor.
The Detroit Pistons have the 18 pick, and they too are stocked with able veterans like Stanley Johnson, Reggie Jackson, Andre Drummond, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris. Trading back for two picks could give them a pair of prospects to groom behind that lineup.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have the 5 pick, and although that pick is far in excess of the value of both 24 and 26, the Wolves are in need of young talent as well. By moving back and grabbing both Sixers picks, the trade could happen if the Philadelphia 76ers are willing to chip in with a player of value. Right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves are desperate to find a backup point guard. McConnell certainly fills that bill, and with the 5 pick the Sixers could draft their own point guard of the future.
Next: Scenario II