Sixers draft grades 2021 — Aaron Henry, undrafted/two-way contract
On first glance, this (non)pick probably deserves a solid A. To sign my 49th-ranked prospect in undrafted free agency is a solid achievement, and there’s no doubt Aaron Henry can make it in the NBA. In fact, he’s probably a more interesting prospect than Charles Bassey, who could conceivably join him on a two-way contract.
That said, Henry is almost exclusively a defender at this point, with a sturdy 6-foot-5 frame and great tools on that end of the floor. He can smother ball-handlers at the point of attack, and he’s a tremendously aware off-ball defender, too. Henry can carve out a future on defense, and defense alone.
Offensively, however, Henry leaves a lot to be desired. He’s a sub-30 percent shooter from deep, and his flashes of mid-range competency are cobbled together with poor decision-making and robotic shot mechanics. Henry took on a playmaking role at Michigan State, and he’s a generally capable ball-handler, but his ambitions as a scorer have never quite leveled with his actual capacity for scoring.
It would have been nice for the Sixers to get a more surefire spacer in the draft. Springer was the absolute right pick, and he should become a good shooter in time. That said, he’s not yet a proven spacer, and while Bassey and Henry have their merits, Philadelphia would be wise to invest in a young guard or wing who can shoot.
There is still plenty of time left to sign other undrafted free agents, or simply seek out shooters in free agency/via the trade market, which is likely Daryl Morey’s plan. Again, given the Sixers’ competitive aspirations, there is no hurry to get young talent on the floor. Henry has time to build on his strengths, and will spend most of his rookie season in the G-League.