Win Now
Let’s ignore the 2016-2017 success or failure for just a moment. I’d like to take you back in time to a groundhog day 2016 interview of Jerry Colangelo. In that interview, Jerry Colangelo proclaimed the Philadelphia 76ers would be very competitive in three years. He elaborated that to mean winning playoff games.
Sir Charles In Charge
If the Philadelphia 76ers land Markelle Fultz in the 2017 NBA Draft, or two top five picks, the team will likely take those picks and roll.
But should the 76ers land just the seventh pick of the 2017 NBA Draft? You can bet that will kick Bryan Colangelo into full “trade” mode.
The Philadelphia 76ers have a 36, 39, 46 and 50 picks coming in the 2017 NBA Draft. For the first round, the team can be picking from first to seventh, plus a better than even odds of landing a Lakers first round pick from fourth to sixth.
Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em
The real question is, will the 76ers use those picks? Unless the picks have a chance at landing NBA ready talent? The answer is probably no.
Bryan Colangelo is not exactly a fan of young NBA players. He’s worked patiently with youth in Philadelphia because the team’s future is in the hands of rookies Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and in a smaller part Dario Saric and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Colangelo has no intention of infusing this roster with another youth movement. Despite the inability to get significant minutes out of several veterans this year, there have been no indications that he wants fewer senior leadership on his team. In fact, he may likely be interested in even more veterans.