With the Sixers‘ season ending sooner than expected, the focus has shifted to the offseason and ways for them to improve their roster. A focal point of that is the NBA Draft, where the Sixers will have the 28th selection in the first round. With plenty of weaknesses that became glaring in the playoffs, the Sixers can go plenty of different routes with this pick, including trading it away for a more ready-now kind of player. I’ll be acting as if they keep the selection and talking about 6 players to target at pick 28.
There are plenty of players I wanted to include but assumed they’d be gone by the time we select at 28, such as Jared Butler, Sharife Cooper, and Josh Christopher. The end of the first round is always impossible to predict, so there is a chance even none of these players are available when it’s Philly’s turn to select, or there may be multiple, in which case they’ll have some decisions to make.
Regardless, let’s begin the run down of players I believe can help the Sixers now and in the future.
Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Jaden Springer
We’ll start off with someone who I personally view as a lottery talent but I’m only including him because mocks I’ve seen have him oddly within our range. Jaden Springer, who will still be 18 on draft night, has a bevy of tools fit for the NBA. He’s a master of absorbing contact, something that is invaluable for someone his size, to go along with a tight enough handle and layup package to make him a threat once he gets downhill. He isn’t going to blow by you that often, but the rest of his driving skills more than make up for it. He’s an encouraging defender on the other end, with a low center of gravity that allows him to stay strong through screens and be able to match smaller, crafty guards that he’ll be sure to see a lot of in the NBA.
He shot an encouraging percentage from behind the 3-point line (43.5 percent) in his lone season at Tennessee but on only a moderate amount of attempts (2.6 per game). Some of that had to do with the sheer amount of scorers Tennessee had at their disposal, but his jumper looks viable enough to work at the next level.
The biggest concerns appear to be he didn’t show enough flashes as a lead ball handler to offset his smaller stature as a two-guard (measured 6-foot-4.25 in shoes at the combine). Regardless, I buy into him having enough overall basketball talent to be more than serviceable at the NBA level, positional fit put to the side.
Odds are he’ll have been selected before Philly is up, but I’d have a hard time passing up the value he brings at 28, and I imagine those in the 76ers front office would feel the same.
Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Tre Mann
We all saw first hand what a lack of perimeter creation can do to a team in the playoffs, and that is where Mann thrives. An abundance of his points in his sophomore season came from self-created jumpers, where he saw an amazing improvement in his 3-point percentage as compared to his freshman season (27.5 percent on 2.8 attempts to 40.2 percent on 4.7 attempts). Regardless if you buy into such a drastic improvement or not, he’s much more than simply a shot creator.
Mann is incredibly crafty in ball screens, being able to either get downhill off the pick, or fake the drive and create an open 3 coming off the other side of the screen. He operated a decent bit off ball at Florida, something that is promising for whoever the Sixers draft, assuming Ben Simmons is still here. Being able to cut backdoor and stay strong through his finish is something we’ve been seen the likes of Matisse Thybulle do often in his time here, and is an aspect of Mann’s game I feel confident in, especially considering his ability to keep his head up and make the extra pass if needed.
There are a few concerns, one of which being his wingspan is actually smaller than his height (he stands 6-foot-4.25 in shoes with only a 6-foot-4 wingspan), which has affected him on the defensive end in college and would certainly do the same in the pros. He didn’t operate as too much of an initiator at Florida, something that once again isn’t too concerning if he’s going to be paired with Simmons or even Maxey while he’s on the floor, but having multiple high level passers is crucial and Mann has a ways to go before he’d reach that.
Overall, I believe the Sixers would be drafting him for his shot making ability, which we’ve seen is a desperate need, and while perhaps relying on a rookie to be (more or less) your sole creator off the dribble isn’t ideal, he’s the right kind of player to want on this team.
Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland
Bones is one of my favorite players in this entire class, and not just because he’s from the same hometown as me. A 6-foot-3.5 combo guard out of VCU, he has one of the most coveted skills an NBA guard can offer: efficient pull-up shooting.
Bones recently made a name for himself (for those who hadn’t heard of him already) at the NBA combine, where he was the best player on the floor Thursday in a gym full of talent. He showed off the skills he’s had for a while — his ability to take and make pull up 3-pointers on a high volume. He attempted almost eight (!!!) 3-point attempts per game during his sophomore season, something that is valuable in of itself before you even mention he shot 37.1 percent on them. Add on the fact that he shot 86.2 percent from the free throw line, and I have full confidence Bones is going to be an incredible shot maker for a long time.
Besides his card calling skill he’s incredibly effective off the bounce, consistently being able to create space for himself and not being afraid to let it fly if the shot is there. He’s active enough on defense to where I don’t think he’ll be a total negative, as even though his frame is quite small (that’s why his nickname is Bones), his 6-foot-9.25 wingspan will be a wonderful asset for him. That wingspan also allows him to be able to shoot over taller defenders at the rim, as he can create space and keep them on his hip while his extension doesn’t allow much of a contest. His passing skills are still a work in progress (I’m sensing a theme here) but he wouldn’t be asked to create for others too often, as the Sixers have the means to just let him be great at what he’s great at.
His stock appears to be rising drastically after his performance at the combine, as he’s seen as a consensus first-round pick now instead of around early second round prior. I have my doubts on if he’d be available just because what he’s great at is so coveted in this league, but I truly hope the Sixers wouldn’t pass on him if he’s there .
Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Trey Murphy III
You can never have too much shooting, and Trey Murphy brings that in every sense of the term. Murphy had a season to remember, becoming part of the exclusive 50-40-90 club that saw him average 50.3 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from deep (on almost six attempts) and 92.7 percent from the line. Someone with his shooting ability is quite rare if you attach the fact that he’s 6-foot-9.25 in shoes. For the role he’d play, there isn’t much not to love; he has an insane standing reach at 8-foot-9.5 and a 7-foot wingspan that can be the catalyst for high profile defending. He didn’t overly excel on the defensive end, but the Sixers have been searching for that “big wing” for a long time and Murphy has all the traits to fit that bill.
To add to his premier shooting, he’s an explosive athlete for someone his size, who can finish strong through contact and run the fast break with ease. He didn’t spend much time guarding any true big men in college but he showed a lot of promising ability to be a weak side rim protector, as his vertical and timing help him contest without fouling. That vertical helps him as a lob finisher as well, something a passer like Ben Simmons would covet. He’s a more instant impact selection as well, as he’s already 21, having played two seasons at Rice before transferring to UVA for his junior year.
There aren’t many downsides to selecting Murphy, as he fills a lot of gaps on this roster, it’s just none of which are the most pressing issue. However, I trust that odds are the team looks to add a more experienced shot maker or another guard, especially after drafting Tyrese Maxey last year and knowing he’ll warrant more consistent playing time. Trey has been mocked all over the place but he has a ton of skills that contending teams love, so I’d be quite surprised if he was available at 28. Nonetheless, I’d love him on this team.
Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Chris Duarte
As a team hoping to contend for a title year in and year out, you need players able to produce right away, and that’s exactly what Chris Duarte is. Having just turned 24, he’ll be the oldest player in the draft, and while there may not be much room for growth at this point, you know what you’re getting, and that’s a knockdown shooter with good size for a guard and plenty of experience.
Duarte played two years of junior college ball at Northwest Florida State before transferring to Oregon and making an instant impact. His senior season saw him improve on his junior year in every percentage across the board, as well as points and assists in about the same amount of minutes. He won the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the year as he showed a promising jump shot from deep (42.4 percent on 5.5 attempts per game).
Accolades aside, there’s a lot to like about his game and how it’ll translate to the NBA. He’s an excellent and timely leaper for someone his size, making him effective on the fast break as well as cutting off ball. He’s smart in passing lanes and is able to contort his body to get shots off in traffic and through contact. He can shoot 3s in rhythm or off the catch, both valuable skills if Simmons remains on the team. He’s not too shifty or horizontally explosive for a ball handler but he makes up for it with timing his drives well and being as effective shooting the ball inside the arc as he is from deep. He didn’t look to pass the ball too much his senior season, having only amassed more than four assists on four occasions, but you’d be drafting him to fill a scoring guard role anyway.
Duarte is very much a player archetype prone to go in the 20s, as he’s a ready now player who can fit just about anywhere, and while he’s almost certainly be gone by pick 28, he’s the type of guy a team in our position would love to have.
Prospects for Sixers to consider with 28th pick: Miles McBride
Probably the best defender on this list, Deuce McBride saw his play skyrocket in his second season at West Virginia, becoming the focal point of a highly competitive team. While they weren’t as “Press Virginia” as they had been in years past, that didn’t stop McBride from having a masterful season on both ends of the court. An All-Big 12 and honorable mention All-American, Deuce was given the keys to the team and produced a season that saw him shoot 41.4 percent from deep on 3.8 attempts to go along with averaging 16 points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Diving deeper than statistics and awards, McBride is one of the best point-of-attack defenders in this class, as although he’s only 6-foot-2.5 in shoes, his 6-foot-8,.75 wingspan helps him be as active as they come on the defensive end. While the Sixers had three All-Defensive team players on their roster, none of them are among the top tier at staying with small and shifty guards. I believe McBride would be of great help with that.
He’s a much improved jumpshooter since his freshman year and I believe he’ll continue to improve at the next level. He doesn’t overly excel at any specific facet of offense but he’s a strong enough finisher and capable enough ball handler to take lead guard duties for certain spells. I think pairing him next to Maxey might be a bit clunky, but having them both gives you plenty of possibilities to mix and match lineups.
The point guard class gets very congested after the top three of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, and Josh Giddey get selected, so I expect McBride to get somewhat lost in that fold and will most likely be available at pick 28. While his point-of-attack defense would absolutely be welcomed, he doesn’t fit the mold of shot creator all of us fans are soothing for right about now, but I would love him on this team regardless.