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NBA Draft Lottery 2017: Winners and losers

By Cody Williams

Apr 2, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) high fives fans as he enters the court for warmups prior to the game against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) high fives fans as he enters the court for warmups prior to the game against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Process
Jan 18, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) leans on the scorers table before entering the game against the Toronto Raptors during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 94-89. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Philadelphia 76ers

Ostensibly, the Philadelphia 76ers ended up in a relatively nice position coming out of the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery. They would’ve ended up picking fifth on draft night. But thanks to the Nik Stauskas trade with the Sacramento Kings, they were able to move up to the third pick. That’s a great position to be in as the specter of Sam Hinkie lingers in Philadelphia, bringing ethereal blessings to the Sixers.

With that said, it’s unfortunate for them in terms of the draft class that they weren’t able to procure one of the top-two picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. When you look at the Sixers roster, the talent in terms of big men is actually quite exquisite. Ben Simmons is coming as a versatile point forward. Then, of course, there’s Joel Embiid if he can stay healthy. Meanwhile, Dario Saric proved to be a high-caliber asset with Embiid sidelined due to injury in the 2016-17 season.

All due respect to T.J. McConnell, what the Sixers lack in terms of their building for the future is a game-changing guard. And while Dennis Smith Jr. has major promise and De’Aaron Fox is awesome, Fultz and Ball seem like can’t-miss prospects in that regard. Adding either would’ve made Philadelphia one of the most exciting young teams in the league — or more so than they already are. Now they seemingly have to settle and maneuver at No. 3. It’s a mild loss, but a loss nonetheless.

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