Should the Philadelphia 76ers Trade up to Number One for Markelle Fultz?

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers secured the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Point guard Markelle Fultz out of Washington is widely considered to be the best prospect in the draft class, and is projected to be drafted first overall to the Boston Celtics in many early mock drafts.

Everybody wants the first pick in the NBA Draft. Picking third isn’t the worst spot to be in either. You can get a transcendent talent like Joel Embiid, or… Jahlil Okafor. Luckily, this years draft class is talent-filled throughout the first round and at the top. Perhaps Kansas freshman forward Josh Jackson has the highest upside in his class, and many have begun to speculate that the Philadelphia 76ers will select him with their third pick.

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Markelle Fultz, however, is a generational talent. His perfect NBA frame and ridiculous athleticism that is perfectly complimented by his ability to do everything well on the basketball court. As a freshman at Washington, Fultz averaged 23 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, 6 assists per game, 1.5 steals per game while shooting a very respectable 41 percent from three on the year. He seems destined to be the next superstar in the NBA, and has the work ethic and dedication to fulfill that expectation.

Trading up two spots is not as simple as it may seem. It even becomes more difficult when trading up with a division rival and a trade maestro in Boston general manager Danny Ainge. Trading up will have to include dealing future coveted picks such as the Sacramento Kings 2019 unprotected first rounder, or the now unprotected Los Angeles Lakers 2018 first rounder.

So the question reigns: “Do the Philadelphia 76ers need to mortgage future assets to move up two spots?” Sure, Markelle Fultz is that special. Is he special enough to the 76ers that you trade away valuable assets for him? Here is why the Philadelphia 76ers can not make the mistake of trading up for Fultz in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Why the 76ers should not trade up

It’s not too hard to figure this out. Everyone in the NBA with decent knowledge recognizes that the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics are talented young teams with great and lasting futures. It’s not crazy to think that they may be matched up against each other in huge playoff series’ for years to come. Why would the 76ers trade away and feed their valuable assets to an already talented Celtics team?

Also, it’s not like these assets are projected to be late-round picks from contending teams. These are picks that could be of top 5 value in 2018 with the Lakers pick, and 2019 with the Kings pick. The Celtics have already acquired future draft selections from a terrible Brooklyn Nets team, why give them more?

Free agency should be interesting this offseason for the 76ers as well. Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry and New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday may be pursued by the 76ers in free agency, which could steer president Bryan Colangelo away from drafting a guard. If the 76ers do not trade up, he could instead choose to draft a frontcourt finishing piece and go with the best player available in Josh Jackson.

Must Read: Josh Jackson: Welcome to Philly!

Josh Jackson is a reason for the 76ers not to move up on his own. Jackson’s fit with the Philadelphia 76ers at the three is great, as it gives the team a promising young prospect with the highest ceiling in this draft class. Jackson can cement the 76ers as a top-tier defensive team in the NBA, as well as a good slasher and compliment to rookie guard Ben Simmons. If Jackson fills the same kind of need at forward that Fultz would at guard, the 76ers need to stay put.

Wrap Up

Unless the 76ers absolutely fall in love with Markelle Fultz and claim him as “the guy,” they can not make the mistake of trading up. This draft class is too deep and talented. Fultz may be special, but proven free agents and solid young point guards deep in the draft may be available.

Next: Should the Philadelphia 76ers Trade Back?

Maybe the 76ers decide to take Jackson at three, then trade back into the top 10 and draft a point guard like Dennis Smith Jr., De’Aaron Fox or Frank Ntilikina. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the basketball gods trust the process, and Markelle Fultz falls to the 76ers with the third overall pick.