2018 NBA Mock Draft: Mohamed Bamba could be the Suns’ last building block
C. Arkansas. Daniel Gafford. 18. player. 93.
As I mention every week, Philadelphia is quietly shallow at the big man positions.
Unless players stashed overseas such as Anzejs Pasecniks or Jonah Bolden are able to come in and contribute right away, the Sixers will be very barren at the backup big spots as soon as next season. Richaun Holmes and Amir Johnson will both be free agents this summer, leaving the team without either of their current reserves.
Gafford, coming off his freshman season, will not be an immediate contributor, but Philadelphia’s timeline is still longer than it looks. They can afford to use guys like Johnson in the short-term until a guy like Gafford develops.
The Sixers’ second-best player is a rookie. Their All-Star just signed his second contract. Another rookie will likely miss the rest of his first season. Though Philly may make the playoffs this season, their championship window is a few years out.
Gafford could easily be an athletic difference-maker by that point.