Despite the bevy of head-scratching mistakes they have made in recent years, the Philadelphia 76ers have actually been one of the better teams in the league when it comes to the draft. They have selected high-value players year after year, and while taking VJ Edgecombe at No. 3 was not much of a chore, the same cannot be said eight years ago.
In 2018, the 76ers selected both Mikal Bridges (at No. 10) and Landry Shamet (at No. 26) in the first round of the draft. Unfortunately, the team never really benefitted from those brilliant picks. Bridges was traded right from the get go for, uh, Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-rounder which they likewise dangled away. Meanwhile, Shamet was a throw-in piece for Philly when they made the move to trade for Tobias Harris.
Now, as the irony of life would have it, both Bridges and Shamet have become key players for the Knicks. New York is only a couple of wins away from winning their first championship since 1973, and those former 76ers draft picks have been instrumental in getting their squad to where it is now situated.
76ers killed it in the 2018 NBA Draft but the Knicks are the ones reaping the rewards
Bridges' numbers are down now that he is in New York, but he has provided the Knicks with everything they needed on both ends. More importantly, he is now the league's Iron Man. He has never missed a regular season game in his career, and everywhere he has been, his impact was greatly felt.
Shamet is a tad different in that he is a journeyman, but he has found a home in the Big Apple. He has been wildly efficient and reliable in the playoffs, and his price tag now figures to go up in view of his breakout performances, especially in the Finals.
The returns the 76ers got from those players ended up being Zhaire Smith, who appeared in just 13 games in his NBA career, and Tobias Harris, who ended up being a despised figure in Philly. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20, but anyone would be a fool to not pencil those moves in as sources of major loss for the franchise.
Turns out, the basketball gods have basically given the 76ers a strong reminder that their arbitrary decisions have lasting effects, even though the consequences can be felt only in retrospect. Case in point? Just watch the Knicks, which are on the cusp of clinching the title.
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