Sixers get 3rd pick in the 2017 NBA Lottery via Kings swap
The Sixers received the third pick in the lottery via Kings pick swap, and look towards June to complete the core.
The Sixers are once again in the top three of the draft. Philadelphia will be selecting third in the 2017 NBA draft, and it’s all thanks to former general manager Sam Hinkie. The Sixers pick conveyed at fifth, but thanks to the Kings pick swap (!!!!) they moved up to third.
The Sixers will also receive the 2018 unprotected Los Angeles Lakers pick since the pick did not fall out of the top three. The Boston Celtics got themselves the top pick in the draft, followed by the Lakers, then the Sixers.
With the order in place, the focus now turns to what prospects the team will look to select. There is a pretty tight consensus of the top three, but there could be some domino effect depending if the Lakers select Lonzo Ball or Josh Jackson. Even with the Lakers’ young backcourt, the team used their 2016 pick on forward Brandon Ingram and could very well pass on Jackson.This leaves the Sixers with the possibility to draft a versatile wing for the future.
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The reaction was a positive one, although team representative Joel Embiid seemed upset to not get the first pick. It’s icing on the cake for this team, who have battled through a polarizing rebuild the past few seasons. It’s also a testament to the moves Sam Hinkie made, which allowed the team to jump up two spots years after the infamous “Kings fleece”.
Those two spots could be the difference between a solid prospect to a future star. The Sixers will look to continue their success within the top three. The team has been able to accumulate Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, but has seen a flop in Jahlil Okafor.
With their fourth top three pick in a row, Philadelphia can start to gel together the image of a formidable team. The vision of Sam Hinkie lives beyond his tenure with the team, and now the pressure is on Bryan Colangelo to make the right selection, and paint another pretty free agent period.
This is a promising night for Philadelphia, but the work is far from over. The team has pieces in place to be great, but it’ll take a diligent, non-reactive offseason to push this team forward now.