Here’s who the Sixers should consider trading up for in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Philadelphia 76ers have managed to acquire five picks for the 2020 NBA Draft. Whilst many breakout stars have been found outside of the lottery, it’s always a bigger gamble to find an NBA-ready star with picks that low. With five picks to use, it would be worthwhile for the Sixers to consider trading up for a higher pick that is more likely to be a solid contributor to their rotation.
Whilst there are players that are likely to be available at 21 that would be decent picks, there are better, more suitable players available higher up. These are three prospects that would be worth the Sixers trading up for.
3. Tyrell Terry and Desmond Bane
The reason I’ve lumped these first two together is because it’s possible that one of them, maybe even both of them, will be available at #21 so we might not need to trade up at all.
Tyrell Terry is a Stanford freshman who can knock it down from 3. Shooting is the core of his game and he’s great at using off-ball movement to get open for outside shots. He can also shoot off the dribble, not afraid to pull up as his confidence is sky high.
He could relieve Shake Milton of primary playmaking responsibility for the second unit and offer great spacing for Ben and Joel with the first unit whilst running the halfcourt offense if necessary. The biggest problem with Terry is that he’s only 6’2 and could be a defensive liability for the Sixers.
Desmond Bane is a senior shooting guard from TCU and he’s seen his draft stock increase drastically from a second round prospect to a mid-first round pick in some mocks. He’s a steady shooter, shooting 44.2 percent on 6.5 attempts a game and his experience at the collegiate level make him a good prospect to instantly make an impact.
He’s grown into a decent playmaker, showing efficiency handling the ball on the pick-n-roll and he’s an intelligent player who exerts himself, playing with high intensity on both ends of the court. Bane’s drawback is primarily his lack of athleticism which will limit him at the next level on both ends on the floor.
2. Saddiq Bey
Saddiq Bey is a great prospect that would be a snug fit with the Sixers roster. He’s a sophomore wing from Villanova with a knack for shooting from the outside. He shot 45.1 percent on 5.6 attempts this last season and his movement off ball to get these shots would be a welcome addition to Ben and Joel’s game.
He saw a climb in offensive responsibility in his second season at Villanova, showing an ability to initiate and create offense, playing as the ball handler on the pick-and-roll or bringing the ball up the court. Even with this increased responsibility, he had an okay assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.6:1.
He’s not an elite athlete but his Basketball I.Q., awareness and size allow him to be solid on the defensive end. A player who can shoot, create and handle the ball at a high level is just what the Sixers need and they wouldn’t have to sacrifice too much defense as a result of it.
Where he falls short is his ability to create his own shot or use his first step to get by defenders. He’s also been criticized for being too passive, often opting to give the ball away rather than taking his man on. This passiveness is also reflected in his rebounding, steals and blocks numbers which were 4.7, 0.8 and 0.4 per game respectively.
1. Aaron Nesmith
Aaron Nesmith is definitely my favorite player in this draft for the 76ers. He’s a sophomore sharpshooter from Vanderbilt who shot 52.2 percent from deep on 8.2 attempts a game last season.
His movement off-ball using cuts and screens to get open for outside shots in addition to his spot-up shooting ability make him the type of offensive piece the Sixers need. In addition to this, he can shoot it off the dribble, make good passing reads and attack closeouts using the mid-range jumper.
Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid both had great success with J.J. Redick, a player who shared a similar skill set to Nesmith. Where Nesmith differs most to Redick is his defensive ability. Nesmith has decent size for a wing player standing at 6-foot-6, sporting a wingspan of 6-foot-10 and weighing in at 213 lbs. His size and basketball I.Q. allow him to be versatile and solid on the defensive end despite his lack of athleticism.
The issue with Nesmith is that all of this is based only on 14 games. A foot injury put him out for the rest of the season so we don’t know how reliable the stats or the tape really are. Additionally, the injury itself is a concern, especially because foot injuries tend to haunt players in the NBA.
An advantage for him though, is that he’s had 10 months without having to play competitive basketball, giving him enough time to recover. He’s also not the greatest ball handler nor is he good around the rim but what he can do from the outside is enough to make this irrelevant.