Sixers draft: 5 small forwards to watch in 2021 NBA Draft

5 small forwards to watch in Sixers’ NBA Draft: Trey Murphy III

This is the ideal outcome. The pipe dream. The “how did other teams let this happen?” moment. Not dissimilar to when Tyrese Maxey, who should’ve gone around the lottery, dropped into Philadelphia’s lap at 21 last season. The odds of Murphy getting to 28 are much steeper, but there’s at least one inexplicable faller each year. The Sixers should pray it’s Murphy.

Again, size in the second unit was a problem for Philadelphia. The Sixers would benefit from Murphy’s 3-and-D skill set, not to mention the positional versatility that comes with his 6-foot-9 frame. Murphy is one of the best shooters on the board, and one of the best defenders. He can switch onto the perimeter, battle in the post, or play free safety. He’s active, aware, and long, boasting a 7-foot-1 wingspan.

For much of this season, Murphy was an afterthought. It’s a surprise teams didn’t crack the code sooner. He is such a clean fit in the modern NBA, with multi-positional upside and day-one value as a spacer, that’s it’s remarkable to think just how recently the Murphy frenzy began.

Philadelphia does not have the assets or the motivation to trade up, so frankly, of the names on this list, Murphy is probably the one you should pay the least attention to. It’s hard to fathom the other 29 GMs letting him get to 28. Murphy is a hand-in-glove fit on just about every roster, and he comes from a great program at Virginia. This would require luck on Philadelphia’s part, but hey, crazier things have happened.

PROJECTED DRAFT RANGE: 10-30

BIG BOARD RANKING: 13