Fit with the Sixers
It has been alluded to already, but Nesmith would make a great deal of sense for Philadelphia. If he’s on the board at 21 — which is doubtful — it’s not a hard choice to make. The Sixers have the tools to trade up if they feel compelled to do so.
Nesmith is a snug fit next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Even without Brett Brown, it’s not hard to envision Nesmith and Embiid getting ample run in the two-man game. Nesmith would also benefit tremendously from Simmons, who generates more 3s than anyone else in basketball.
Philadelphia’s greatest success in recent years has come with multiple shooters in the rotation. A second unit that includes both Nesmith and Shake Milton — two above-40 percent shooters from deep — could help to smooth over some of the Sixers’ more noticeable deficiencies on offense.
The Sixers can also help cover for Nesmith’s limitations as an on-ball defender. He’s an intelligent and aggressive defender within a team construct, and the Sixers have two elite on-ball defenders — Simmons and Josh Richardson — plus an all-world backstop in Joel Embiid to make life easier.
If you ask me to put together a list of five or so reasonable prospects for Philadelphia to zero in on, Nesmith would certainly make an appearance.