Philadelphia 76ers need the Sacramento Kings to start tanking

The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have the star power to contend for a championship this season, so they need the Kings to tank to help them get that star.

The success of the Sacramento Kings is probably one of the best feel good stories surrounding the early NBA season. The young Kings players have played well to begin the season, mirroring the Philadelphia 76ers record of 4-3. However, what the Sixers need more than anything is for the Kings to start losing.

It’s not to do any type of ill for the development of Kings young core that includes: De’Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein and Harry Giles. The future for the Kings should get Sacramento fans excited. However, the Sixers need that bright future to be delayed by one more season.

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The reason being is simple: the Sixers still own the rights to the Kings 2019 first round pick if it lands on the first overall pick. Philadelphia originally got the that pick fully unprotected due to the trade the team made to acquire Nik Stauskas as a part of a salary cap relief move made by the Kings in 2015.

Then former general manager Bryan Colangelo basically traded the rights to the Kings picks, minus if the protection on the number one pick, for the rights to swap picks with the Boston Celtics to draft Markelle Fultz. The results of that trades are still being analyzed, although it appears that Boston seems to have won that trade early on.

Fultz has the potential to be a very good player, but has yet to find his star power that made him a superstar in college. If Fultz is going to develop into the third star the Sixers desperately need, it will take time. However, Philly still needs a third star to go along with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid sooner rather than later and that’s where the Kings pick comes into play.

It’s unlikely that Sacramento can continue their hot start as the season progresses, especially out in a loaded Western Conference. The Sixers need to bet on that fact, if they want to add an elite player from the draft next summer. College players like R.J. Barrett or Cameron Reddish would be a welcomed addition to the Sixers rotation.

Next. PLAYER GRADES: Philadelphia 76ers 113, Atlanta Hawks 92. dark

Adding an elite player through the draft would be a lot easier than trying to lure one via free agency. Sacramento tanking gives the Philadelphia 76ers a lot better chance of adding a star prospect next summer. It’s early in the season and unless Fultz makes dramatic strides in development in the near future, the Sixers need to add another star in order to be competitive in the future.