Sixers rumors: Isaiah Joe firmly on 2020 NBA Draft radar

The Sixers may have tipped their hand… again.

The 2020 NBA Draft is five days away, and a lot is still undetermined. While the race for No. 1 has gotten clearer, the exact order of the top five still ambiguous. In fact, pretty much every top-10 team has been involved in some type of trade rumor. Chaos is inevitable.

As for Philadelphia, any number of prospects could be justified at 21. This is a deep rookie class, and several quality shooters and playmakers will be available in the Sixers’ range. That said, the Sixers may have already issued a promise.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers “intended to select [Isaiah Joe]” in Wednesday’s NBA Draft before Daryl Morey came onboard. While there’s not much specificity in that statement, it does feel like a lot of smoke. Too much smoke to ignore the possibility of fire.

Here’s a quote from Bart Reid, one of Joe’s trainers, courtesy of Pompey.

"“The 76ers are showing a lot of interest… But I know the 76ers have reached out several different times and that’s a team when I look without knowing anything on the inside, they can use a shooter. … Everybody can use a shooter, but when you’ve got a center like Joel Embiid, a knockdown shooter comes in really handy.”"

Some speculated that Joe’s decision to stay in the draft was spurred by a promise. If the Sixers did promise him, that doesn’t guarantee a promise in the first round. Joe has been mocked almost exclusively in the second round by plugged-in draftniks.

The Sixers could very well swoop in and take Joe 34th or 36th — good value, in my book. If the Sixers do select Joe 21st, however, it would mark a worrisome trend. Joe would be the second first-round pick in a row who we effectively knew was the pick before the pick was made. Last season, Boston was able to swindle an extra pick out of Philadelphia so they could fulfill their promise to Matisse Thybulle.

Regardless of where he’s picked, Joe would provide tremendous value on the court. He’s arguably the best shooter in the draft. He shot 37.8 percent on a staggering 9.1 attempts per game from 3-point range across two seasons at Arkansas. Injuries loom large, but he’s a gunner who is unafraid to pull the trigger when there’s enough space to shoot. The Sixers need quick triggers.

Obviously, any promise made came before Morey was hired to oversee basketball operations. A Morey-led front office seems far less likely to spill critical information to the public than an Elton Brand-led front office. Regardless, it does seem as if Joe should top everyone’s list of potential Sixers right now. If not in the first round, then early in the second round.