The Philadelphia 76ers emerged from the NBA Trade Deadline with quite a few complicated draft pick bundles. Lets reexamine what and where the team will pick in the 2017 NBA Draft
It seemed that more players focused on setting up for the 2017 NBA Draft than the 2017 NBA Playoffs at the trade deadline this year. The Philadelphia 76ers were somewhat active at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline. But amidst all that furor of trading players for picks, there were plenty of conditions, clauses, factors, and protections. To the naked eye, its challenging to decypher the codicil-like amendments to the 2017 NBA Draft of the Philadelphia 76ers.
How do the 76ers stand heading into the draft?
To tackle this, we would be wise to start with the known, proceed to the new, and then summarize everything at the end.
Swarm and Sting
We know that the team found itself with three to four picks on the books to find that third player in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The team added “two” 2nd round picks for Ersan Ilyasova, and a first round pick for Nerlens Noel.
Just to be fair, the books say that the Philadelphia 76ers have a top-20 protected first round pick from the Dallas Mavericks in the 2017 NBA Draft. In real term, that means the Dallas Mavericks must finish as a top-ten in the NBA this season.
Right now, the Mavericks have played 60 games, and are 24-36. Should the Mavericks WIN OUT, the team will finish with a 46-36 record, or a .561 winning percentage. That is only good enough for 12th in the NBA as the teams now stand. To convey as a first round pick, the Mavericks need to win out and two top ten teams need to slump badly. In summary, it’s not happening. In fact, it’s too complicated.
Let’s jump back to the known. We had reviewed the 2017 NBA Draft round one matrix for the Philadelphia 76ers some time ago. Let’s review where we stand in that first round as of today:
PHILADELPHIA 76ers 2017 NBA DRAFT MATRIX (as of March 3rd, 2017)
- POSITION PICK ONE PICK TWO (Lakers Pick)
- First 11.6% (Protected)
- Second 13.0% (Protected)
- Third 14.6% (Protected)
- Fourth 0.0% 31.9%
- Fifth 26.1% 12.3%
- Sixth 36.0% None
- Seventh 8.4% None
- Eighth 0.4% None
- Ninth None None
- Tenth None None
As you can see, dynamics in that first round have changed significantly. In fact, with the Philadelphia 76ers finding new ways to win despite a depleted roster, the team faces a very plausible outcome of selecting with the Lakers picks before the team actually selects with their own. While most teams have their own standing impacting the subsequent NBA Draft, the Lakers and Kings directly impact the 76ers draft this year as well.
More from The Sixer Sense
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Sixers Podcast: Danny Green returns + James Harden bombshell
The fact that the Sacramento Kings remain a team with some buoyancy despite deflating the roster in trading DeMarcus Cousins will rectify as the season progresses. Any drop in the standings for the Sacramento Kings will skyrocket the 76ers probability in the 2017 NBA Draft.
To improve the teams draft probabilities, Philadelphia 76ers should favor: Philadelphia 76ers losing (improves draft odds), Sacramento Kings losing (improves swap probability) and Los Angeles Lakers Winning (reduces odds of pick protection in 2017 NBA Draft).
Got all that? Sixers lose? Good. Kings lose? Better. Lakers win? Best of all. Lets move onto round two.
Round Two Before NBA Trade Deadline
The Philadelphia 76ers, by way of trading Kendall Marshall, ended up with two picks in round two of the 2017 NBA Draft. In that deal, the Philadelphia 76ers picked up the best and worst two out of four 2nd round draft picks.
Picks breakdown: Sixers to get most & least favorable of Jazz four 2017 2nd round picks (own, those of Detroit, Golden State, New York).
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) August 26, 2016
As of today, the two picks conveying to the Philadelphia 76ers are the picks from the Golden State Warriors (60th) and the New York Knicks (38th). And what of the Philadelphia 76ers 2nd round pick? It’s on it’s way to the New Orleans Pelicans, as the second installment payment of picking up point guard Ish Smith for one half of the 2015-2016 season.
Entering the trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers had a chance at one to two first round picks, and two second round picks. The team intended to trade two starting caliber centers, and the anticipation was that the 76ers could land one or two additional later first round picks.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the NBA Trade Deadline:
Fire Sale
With all the talk of trade rumors in the twelve months leading up to the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline, fans expectedly some hefty returns on team players. Instead, NBA teams gambled by low balling the 76ers, and the trade deadline wore down the team.
The first trade was not surprising. Despite a very productive cameo appearance in Philadelphia, Ersan Ilyasova was not interested in returning to the Philadelphia 76ers in a likely ever diminishing role. That prompted the 76ers to get something for nothing, translating into a deal at the deadline with the Atlanta Hawks.
Sixers are finalizing a trade to Ersan Ilyasova to Atlanta for Tiago Splitter and two second-round picks, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
Two seconds for a part time starter “sounds” fair, but let’s dig below the surface to see what gold lies amidst the rubble in this trade.
The Only Missing Ingredient – Value
The saddening part of this exchange? Tiago Splitter was included to balance the salary exchange. In short, Splitter is oft-injured player who countered the Hawks pickup of Ilyasova’s salary. The more disappointing component? Two second round picks. (recall that was the price of Kendall Marshall and Ish Smith in earlier trades). The net result of this trade is one pick and one swap.
More from Draft
- Philadelphia 76ers Ten Biggest Mistakes of the Last Ten Years
- The Sixers sign four undrafted players after the NBA Draft
- Players the Sixers should target in undrafted free agency
- How to Watch the 2023 NBA Draft as a Sixers Fan
- 2023 NBA Mock Draft: 5 wing prospects 76ers could target
Let’s explain.
The Philadelphia 76ers add the 2nd round pick from the Miami Heat to the 2017 selection group (right now that pick stands as the 44th selection). Next, the team then receives the ability to swap the 2nd round pick of the Atlanta Hawks with the least favorable pick owned by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2017 NBA Draft.
As indicated earlier, that means the Philadelphia 76ers will have the right to trade the 60th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft with the 49th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Atlanta Hawks lose the Miami Heat second round pick, and move back 11 slots with their own pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. That seems like a shrewd bargain for a starting caliber power forward heading into the playoffs.
But the team traded once more.
Noel Shoved Out The Door
The Philadelphia 76ers time with Nerlens Noel was drawing to a close. Noel publicly called out the front office. The Philadelphia 76ers countered by negotiating to retain other players, but remaining silent where Noel was concerned.
Noel was shopped. But his played seem to skew defensively, the skew of head coach Brett Brown. Some thought the team might retain Noel. Others hoped the team would extend a qualifying offer to at least control Noel’s future.
Instead, the team shoved him out the door and never looked back. Keep in mind general managers set a price for transactions by comparing to other transactions. The Philadelphia 76ers paid for Ish Smith with two second round picks. So too did the team receive two second round picks for Kendall Marshall.
The exchange rate for a player with any potential was, at a minimum, two second round picks.
But the Philadelphia 76ers did not get that for Ersan Ilyasova. Instead the team received a second and a right to improve 11 spots on another second. Now for the piece de resistance!
The Philadelphia 76ers agreed to trade Nerlens Noel for: Taking on the swelled contract price of Andrew Bogut, a young wing prospect in Justin Anderson, and an impossible-to-achieve first round 2017 draft pick Top-20 protected that converts into a 2017 second round pick and a 2020 second round pick.
If you consider the Bogut inclusion, this trade was a first round draft pick shy of fair market value. But the team does get the Dallas Mavericks 2nd round pick in 2017. That value diminishes with each win the Mavericks achieve.
Summarize Sad Story Sixers’ Squandered Value
In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers have potential to pick multiple times in round one, and multiple picks in round two, of a robust 2017 NBA Draft.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers First Round 2017 NBA DRAFT MATRIX (as of March 3rd, 2017)
- POSITION PICK ONE PICK TWO (Lakers Pick)
- First 11.6% (Protected)
- Second 13.0% (Protected)
- Third 14.6% (Protected)
- Fourth 0.0% 31.9%
- Fifth 26.1% 12.3%
- Sixth 36.0% None
- Seventh 8.4% None
- Eighth 0.4% None
- Ninth None None
- Tenth None None
The summary of the 2017 NBA Draft second round is as follows:
PHILADELPHIA 76ers 2017 NBA DRAFT MATRIX (as of March 3rd, 2017)
- Pick Original Team
- 37th Pick Dallas Mavericks
- 38th Pick New York Knicks
- 44th Pick Miami Heat
- 49th Pick Atlanta Hawks (swapped for 60th pick from Golden State Warriors
In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers have one or two GREAT picks in round one. The team will be far busier in round two.
Conclusion
After clearing two of three expiring contracts from team, the Philadelphia 76ers simply do not have the slots for so many new faces to join the team. What does that mean? Well for starters, the number and sequence of those second round picks strongly persuades open minds that team may trade back into first round.
How far could the team get? Let’s check out FanSided’s NBA Draft Trade Value Chart. With a four 2nd round picks within 12 positions, the team conceivably could land back into the lottery round (albeit at 15).
So let’s get this right. If the Lakers pick conveys at four or five, the Philadelphia 76ers could land three of the top 15 picks in the NBA Draft? There are plenty of reason why it won’t happen. And the team needs to find a team willing to trade out of the 15th pick (Hello Denver Nuggets!)
We have lots more to discuss. Much more to speculate about. With the team sitting on Furkan Korkmaz and Vasilije Micic overseas, one or two picks in round one, and four picks in round two of the 2017 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers will be reloading for a good 2016-2017 run.
Next: These Philadelphia 76ers Are Brothers For Life
If all the cards fall the right way, the team will have six players to sort through, plus two more previously drafted and stashed. While it was a detoured, bumpy mountainous road to get there, the team is once more set up for a huge haul.