NBA Draft: Getting Los Angeles Lakers Pick This Season Would Greatly Help Philadelphia 76ers

With the NBA Draft lottery just over a month away, the Philadelphia 76ers could be in the running for two lottery picks, at the Los Angeles Lakers’ expense.

In the case of the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuild, this offseason could prove most important. Obviously, in the NBA, teams acquire talent in three distinct ways. They will either draft, trade for, or sign NBA players in free agency. Fortunately, the Sixers could have not one, but two 1st round NBA Draft picks thanks to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now, in order for this to occur, the Lakers’ draft pick can’t land in the top three. Currently, the Lakers have the 2nd best odds at the the first overall pick at 19.9 percent. In terms of a top three pick, the Lakers have a 55.8 percent chance there. This does not bode well for the Sixers, but this does not signal the end of the world.

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With all that said, this means that the Lakers have a 44.2 percent chance at landing below that top three threshold. Fortunately, this means that Los Angeles can’t fall any lower than 5. Now, this all goes back to the idea that they maintain the second worst record in the league. Ideally, the Sixers should hope for other teams to jump LA in the loser standings, but the 2nd worst record won’t kill them, either.

Anyway, having that Lakers pick could give the Philadelphia 76ers a serious advantage going into the draft. With a second first round pick, the possibilities open up. That second first opens the door for trades for star players, moving up in the draft, or even simply drafting two lottery prospects. The Philadelphia 76ers should hope that the ping pong balls fall in their favor.

More Picks, More Opportunities

So, it goes without say that the Philadelphia 76ers have holes to fill. With the medical unknowns of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, the Sixers need to begin building as good a team as possible. Now, I’m not saying that they won’t stay healthy, but you have to at least bring in guys who can grow alongside the cornerstones of this franchise.

Luckily, this year’s draft class could do the trick. The real areas of need for the Sixers lie in the guard and wing positions. If there was a year to have such needs going into an NBA Draft, this is the year. It has been said multiple times, but this year’s draft class is as guard-heavy as any in the history of the league.

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Two More Chances For Core Players

Having two first round picks opens the door to building that core at needed positions. With two picks in the top 10, the Sixers could look to fill needs at both guard positions. This could be any combination of Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith Jr., or Frank Ntilikina. To me, the best possible combination is Malik Monk and either De’Aaron Fox or Dennis Smith Jr.

With Monk, you get a proven scorer who can shoot the lights out. While a little undersized at 6-3, 190 pounds, Monk can score as well as anyone. He makes sense as an off-ball scoring threat. Fox and Smith both bring athletic ability to the table. Both players can score, but they can also create opportunities for others.

But, the key to the having the second first rounder lies in the idea of trial and error. By having an addition guard, the Sixers can evaluate what the best fit is for the team. If anything, having more options puts the Sixers in the best position to succeed. Optionality remains key.

Tradable Assets

While less likely of an option, the Sixers could look to use the two first round NBA Draft picks in some sort of trade. Having two first rounders is an anomaly in itself. Most teams are lucky to have on pick, let alone two.

With two first rounders, the Philadelphia 76ers would have so many options. They could package the picks in a trade for a star player. Two guys that come to mind are the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George and Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler.

Now, it goes without saying that George and Butler are both All-Stars in their own right. They can both lead teams to the playoffs if given the chance. George especially has shown this ability. Having two picks in the NBA draft lottery could sway the Pacers or Bulls into dealing their cornerstone guys.

In a slightly different scenario, the Philadelphia 76ers could look to move up in the draft. Potentially, a team like the Orlando Magic or the Phoenix Suns could value multiple picks over one top 3 pick. The idea here lies in the Sixers valuing a guy like Josh Jackson, Markelle Fultz, or Lonzo Ball over the others available.

Trade Up? Only With Two Picks

Now, the idea that Philadelphia could trade the Los Angeles Lakers pick along with their own to move up in the draft is not that far-fetched. For a team that needs a consistent, top-tier guard/ wing, this draft class is the cream of the crop. Thus, the acquisition of assets has been built around the idea that the Sixers need to package them for an All-Star caliber player.

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While going all in on one player may not make sense most times, the Philadelphia 76ers are in the position to make that leap. In a league driven by stars, Philadelphia should hope to acquire that coveted Los Angeles Lakers pick. Thus, that pick could end up helping bolster the Sixers’ backcourt. Obviously, more picks could equate to more chances at success. Hopefully, the ping pong balls fall in favor of a franchise that certainly needs a little lucky.