June 07, 2017
There are just over two weeks left until the Sixers are on the clock with the third-overall pick, and that means we need something to kill time during the weeks leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between now and the draft, Rich Hofmann and I will examine a different potential scenario for the Sixers. Some days, there will be trades. Other days, the Sixers may remain at three, but the players left on the board could be different due to another trade or a surprise pick.
And since there are only two teams ahead of them, we should be able to get through a good amount of the most likely possibilities before June 22.
After we've outlined the scenario and offered our thoughts on the likelihood it actually happens and whether or not it should happen, we'll ask you for your thoughts on it. We also encourage you to elaborate in the comments section. When it gets closer to the draft, we'll put the results together in a single post to show you which outcome fans are most hopeful to see play out.
Here's a look back at the scenarios we've already covered:
Trading back for a point guard – and still getting their guy
What if Josh Jackson isn't atop their board? | What if Lakers pass on Ball?
Third pick and more for Klay Thompson | Shipping Dario to Boston for top pick?
An initial offer to move up to No. 1 | Selling 3rd pick back to Kings ... with interest
Let's get right into it:
SIXERS RECEIVE: No. 6 pick in 2017, SG Evan Fournier
MAGIC RECEIVE: No. 3 pick in 2017, PG Jerryd Bayless
Let’s go deep into the hypothetical game and say the Lakers draft Lonzo Ball (who I believe would be fannnnntastic in Philadelphia) and the three-point shooting of both Josh Jackson and De’Aaron Fox scares me. Maybe Malik Monk, Jonathan Isaac, or Dennis Smith is the target and I am confident that he will be there at the sixth pick, right in front of a Minnesota team that shares some similarities to the Sixers roster.
“Across the board, you have six or seven guys that we're still looking at and considering for three,” Bryan Colangelo said the other day. “It's just that what happens at one and two is going to determine exactly how that list gets reduced.”
How about a 3-6 swap with Orlando?
Jerryd Bayless had some rotten injury luck last year, but I’m not crazy about paying him for two more years even if it’s at a combined $17 million. For this fake trade, the Sixers take on a player at the same position as Bayless that provides above-average three-point shooting and scoring with a timeline that better matches up with the Sixers core.
How would a rotation of Fournier-Simmons-No. 6 Pick-Saric-Embiid-TLC-Holmes-McConnell-Possible Free Agent X sound?
The Sixers would have to be comfortable with Fournier (owner of the greatest nickname in the NBA, “Don’t Google”), who is signed until at least 2019-20 at $17 million per year. But this could be a creative way to upgrade the roster in free agency while also shedding some salary to reduce the cap hit.
Why would the Magic want to get rid of a player who is only 24-years old and is under contract (making $17 million per season) through the 2019-20 season? For the chance to replace him with an even younger, even cheaper option at the same position who will be under team control through the 2021-22 season.
Who that player might be for Orlando remains to be seen. And while the first two picks can be penciled in as Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball, the next three picks – Philly, Phoenix and Sacramento – could go any number of ways. Moving up would help guarantee the Magic get their guy.
Even with the unknown of what will happen after the second pick, I would do this trade in a heartbeat if I were the Sixers.
After all, Bryan Colangelo said on Monday that there are six or seven players he likes at No. 3. I'm no math whiz, but if they trade back with the Magic, at least one or two of those guys will still be available for the Sixers with the sixth pick. And in the process, they get rid of a bad contract attached to a player (Bayless) who will be rendered obsolete after the addition of Fournier.
But that's both a blessing and a curse. The Magic might view the prospects in a similar way, with several players close in terms talent and potential, and would, therefore, want to keep Fournier and wait to see who is available for them at six.
Furthermore, there are some cap implications that could complicate the deal. But from a Sixers perspective, it's a no-brainer. In addition to adding Fournier and his 17.2 points per game, they'd also be guaranteed to still have some options with the sixth pick.
Assuming Fultz and Ball go 1-2, at least four of these seven players will still be on the board for Colangelo:
• Josh Jackson
• Jayson Tatum
• De'Aaron Fox
• Jonathan Isaac
• Malik Monk
• Dennis Smith
• Frank Ntilikina
Because everyone ranks those players differently, your worst-case scenario for the Sixers, in terms of which players get drafted with the third, fourth and fifth picks, likely won't be the same as mine, which won't be the same as Rich's. But if you put the above players in the order you want them, and then erase the first three names on your list – you now have your own, personal worst-case scenario with the sixth pick. And don't forget that you also got a starting guard in Fournier.
Not too shabby, right?
And don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments section below.
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