Comparing the Philadelphia 76ers’ Rebuild to the Nets’ Rebuild

Mar 15, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) reaches for the ball as Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young (30) defends during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Brooklyn Nets won 131-114. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ish Smith (1) reaches for the ball as Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young (30) defends during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Brooklyn Nets won 131-114. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
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Which Team Has the Brighter Future?

From the 2013-14 season to the 2015-16 season the Nets won 103 games out of 246 games regular season games compared to the Sixers 47 out of 246 games regular season games, but I can’t see how anyone could say the Nets have a brighter future than the Sixers.

The Nets should have had the third pick in the 2016 NBA, but they traded that pick to the Celtics, and the Celtics can swap first round picks with the Nets in 2017 and the Nets will give their 2018 first round pick to the Celtics. The Sixers own their own draft pick, the Los Angeles Lakers’ top 3 protected 2017 first round pick that turns into an unprotected first round pick in 2018 if it doesn’t convey in 2017, the option to swap first round picks with the Sacramento Kings in 2017, and an unprotected first round pick from the Kings in 2019.

Looking at the Nets’ roster for the upcoming season, Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin might be their best players and Lopez appears to be the only player capable of making an All-Star game. Compared to the Sixers’ roster that has potential NBA superstars in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid with good players in Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, it’s possible the Sixers are a better team during the 2016-17 season and seem to be a lock to be the better team by the 2017-18 season.

Next: NBA Rumors: 76ers' Nerlens Noel Nearly Nabbed Raptor's Ross

While many fans would likely prefer their favorite team choose a rebuilding strategy somewhere between the Nets doing every to win now and the Sixers doing everything to win later, if forced to choose one of the two strategies, I can’t imagine why anyone would choose the Nets.