The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Should Philadelphia 76ers Consider Trading 2017 Picks?

By Bret Stuter

May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown represents his team during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown represents his team during the NBA draft lottery at New York Hilton Midtown. The Philadelphia 76ers received the first overall pick in the 2016 draft. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 2, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 2, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie prior to a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Pick Coveted Players

When you get there, you find a certain amount of emotion in the room on NBA Draft night. You see, it’s the same feeling found in an auction house. The thrill of competition and winning competing with the frugality of trying to get a bargain. Some GMs never tap into the emotion of the moment, and miss opportunities. Some GMs never tap into the frugal aspects, and commit to regrettable decisions.

More from Draft

But there is a third way to play the draft. Like a gambler. Know when to hold em, know when to fold em.

Not, I’m not attempting to deify the work of Sam Hinkie as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. He inherited a lousy team. He left a team with plenty of young talent on the roster and even more in the pipeline.   But that value didn’t just fall to him from the sky. Each team gets two draft picks. So how did Sam Hinkie multiply that number?

He gambled.  He used the often discarded second round of the NBA to earn a stake.  In the second round, teams shot blindly at a position. Sam Hinkie knew the value of each prospect. When he had a pick in play, he grabbed the most discounted player and immediately tried to flip that player for more second round picks. Ultimately, he bartered 2013 second round picks into players and next years picks. Each year, he repeated the strategy.