Getty Images James Harden
The Brooklyn Nets have decided to defer the 2022 first-round pick they got in the James Harden deal. That means the Philadelphia 76ers own the 23rd overall pick in this year’s draft, with the Nets getting the rights to their 2023 first-rounder. It was an expected move that could ultimately benefit both teams.
The Sixers now have a plethora of options as they look to reshape their roster. For starters, they could use the No. 23 selection on a two-way shooting guard like MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite) or TyTy Washington Jr. (Kentucky). Or maybe they prefer to draft a physical forward with offensive upside such as E.J. Liddell (Ohio State) or Kendall Brown (Baylor). All four of those players would seem to fit the Sixers’ current configuration.
Philadelphia also has the flexibility to trade the pick in a package for a “third star.” Remember, the Sixers won’t be able to trade another pick for seven years stemming from previous trades and draft-night deals. Their coffers are extremely thin. Which makes the idea of a trade so intriguing.
The status of the #Sixers‘ first-round picks over the next few seasons:
-2022: Own, can be traded during draft night
-2023: Owed to the Nets
-2024: Own, can’t be traded (Stepien Rule)
-2025: Owed to the Thunder
-2026: Own, can’t be traded (Stepien Rule)
-2027: Owed to the Nets
Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck believes “trading the pick is a real possibility,” although the Sixers would have to wait until after the draft to complete it due to the Stepien Rule. He explained the following scenario:
It’s a problem that can be worked around — they can essentially select a player for someone else with the intent to strike a deal once it’s legal — but it takes some finessing, and you also run into the team fit issues we mentioned Brooklyn wanting to avoid.
As for names to keep an eye on in the potential “outgoing” department, it’s a bit too early to say, and I would expect chatter to heat up in the weeks leading up to the draft in late June. Matisse Thybulle is a sure bet to hear his name tossed around quite a bit this summer, though that’s probably true for everyone whose last name isn’t Embiid, Harden, or Maxey.
Need to figure out the best possible return for Thybulle/23rd pick/Green’s non-guaranteed $10M/Korkmaz. It’s about $20M in salary. Can you turn that into a good 2-way starting wing?
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Sixers Meet 3 Prospects at NBA Scouting Combine
The Sixers met with three different prospects at the NBA Scouting Combine in late May: MarJon Beauchamp (G League Ignite), Bryce McGowens (Nebraska), Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State). That doesn’t mean they are only focused on those three players but it stands to reason those are the guys high on Daryl Morey’s radar.
Beauchamp might be the most intriguing of the bunch after wowing last season in the G League. He is a 6-foot-6 slashing two-way wing player who has nice touch from the perimeter with serious defensive chops.
The Athletic’s Joe Vardon profiled the 21-year-old: “The Ignite season ended in March, and Beauchamp played his way up NBA Draft boards. In 21 games, he was Ignite’s second-leading scorer (15.8 ppg). He scored primarily at the rim and in the midrange (his .538 shooting percentage was second on the team), and draft experts typically predict him to be selected somewhere between picks 13 and 25.”
Great time breaking down film with projected 1st round pick MarJon Beauchamp at the NBA Combine in Chicago. Energetic two-way wing who impacts the game without needing any plays called for him. Love his activity. Improving perimeter shooter.
Meanwhile, McGowens projects more as a volume scorer in the NBA (think: De’Angelo Russell) after averaging 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists in 31 games last year at Nebraska. He only shot 27.4% from three-point land, though.
Smith (6-foot-3, 165 pounds) seems like a better fit for the Sixers when looking at the tape. He’s an athletic combo guard, pesky defender, and willing three-point shooter. Smith averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists in 32 games while shooting 36.9% from deep.
Morey Promised to Get Creative After Harden Trade
The one criticism of the Harden trade was that it stripped the Sixers of future draft capital. They can’t trade first-round picks in back-to-back years until 2029. But smart executives usually find a way to get creative behind the scenes. The Miami Heat did it when acquiring Kyle Lowry. Morey knows there are mechanisms at his disposal.
“Our focus is obviously to win now,” Morey said on February 15. “As far as a tradeable first, that’s technically true although there are things you can do behind the scenes, things like Miami just did to modify certain things to make a first tradeable if we wanted to go that route. But, look, our focus was to keep as many of the great players that we could. We’re in the window of Joel [Embiid] and James [Harden] and Tobias [Harris] right now. And making sure Tyrese Maxey is here, and making sure Matisse Thybulle is here. Those were the big priorities.”