The 76ers Will Not Receive The Mavericks’ 2017 First Round Pick
The Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from playoff contention, and will be in the lottery. This means the Philadelphia 76ers will not get their first-round pick.
When the Philadelphia 76ers traded Nerlens Noel to the Dallas Mavericks at the NBA’s trade deadline, few believed that Philly won the deal.
The team received an injured 32-year-old center named Andrew Bogut, a grossly underutilized wing prospect in Justin Anderson, and the Mavericks’ 2017 protected first round pick for Nerlens Noel. Though few thought it fair compensation for a budding defensive star, fans could at least take solace in receiving Dallas’s first-round pick in a historically deep NBA Draft, at least until last week.
When the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Phoenix Suns on April Fool’s Day, they also officially eliminated the Mavericks from the 2017 NBA playoffs. Though the addition of Noel did help to bolster the Mavericks roster, his presence couldn’t right the team’s course, as they currently sit at 32-44. While this is an obvious disappointment for the people of Dallas, it also affects the 76ers in a negative way.
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When the Mavericks agreed to trade their 2017 first round draft pick to the 76ers, it wasn’t without conditions. Because of a weak trade market, no team was willing to give the 76ers a lottery pick for Noel, so the team instead opted to accept a package of Justin Anderson and the Mav’s top 18 protected pick.
Since the Mavericks are now eliminated from playoff contention, it is impossible for their draft pick to fall outside of the top 16. According to Realgm.com, because the conditions of the Mavericks’ protected pick cannot be conveyed, the 76ers will instead receive the Mavericks’ 2017 second-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2020 second round pick.
While receiving two more future draft picks isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the quality of the players drafted at 18 are typically better than ones available between 30 and 60. Though the 76ers have had luck finding players later in the draft (Richaun Holmes, Jerami Grant) and as undrafted free agents (T.J. McConnell, Hollis Thompson), they’ve also had a number of misses.
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In this year’s draft the 76ers could have as many as 5 draft selections, including three second-round picks. While the team could have four roster spots up for grab this off season, it is simply unrealistic for them to be able to retain that many draft selections.
Though losing out on the Mavericks’ first round pick obviously isn’t ideal for the 76ers, the trade wasn’t a total disaster. Justin Anderson, the 21st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, has been a pleasant surprise for his new team. Anderson is having a career year after arriving in Philadelphia, with new career highs in minutes, points, field goal percentage and rebounds per game.
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In addition to Anderson, the 76ers now have additional optionality in their immediate future. While the team probably won’t have 5 rookies on their opening day roster next season, they will be able to draft and stash players overseas, fill out their D-League roster or package some of their draft picks in order to acquire a player that fits the team’s needs going forward.