The Philadelphia 76ers' reward for a nightmare season was the No. 3 overall pick in next month's NBA Draft. It's a tremendous boon for an anxious fanbase and a path forward for a franchise seemingly stuck in neutral.
That said, Daryl Morey's reputation is what it is. The man likes to maximize a championship window and he's unafraid to swing a big, brash trade, even when it goes against the wishes of the fanbase. The hope is that he doesn't fall into a familiar trap with the No. 3 overall pick.
Morey's track record in the draft is remarkably strong, but the Sixers are still — in theory — trying to win a championship. Joel Embiid is expected back at full strength next season (sure, pal), while Tyrese Maxey and Paul George continue to occupy max contract slots. This is an expensive, veteran roster. That has led to considerable buzz around a potential trade of Philly's top-three pick.
While moving back a few spots for extra draft assets is a sound concept, the Sixers should probably avoid flipping the No. 3 pick in a strong draft for another veteran. It's time for Morey to take the ol' two timelines approach, and ideally execute it better than his former rivals in Golden State did.
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Sixers shouldn't trade No. 3 pick for another veteran (with a handful of exceptions)
I'm not going to sit here and say the Sixers shouldn't consider trading the pick for Giannis Antetokounmpo. If a generational star in the middle of his prime (or before his prime) becomes available, all bets are off. But Kevin Durant, or Lauri Markkanen, as some outlets have floated? Those names hold less appeal.
Any path to Durant or Markkanen would involve packaging the No. 3 pick and Paul George. While there is understandable appeal to getting off of the PG contract, he was hurt this season – pretty much front to back. I'm not sure he is total dead weight, and using such a valuable asset to flip him for a 36-year-old KD on an expiring contract does not feel like good value. Markkanen is younger and has several years left on his contract, but his impact was muted in Utah last season, and his upside is limited as a non-creator on the wing.
This is a strong draft. Even if you're an Ace Bailey skeptic like myself, there is immense potential there. The Sixers can go in a number of directions at No. 3, whether it's Bailey's shot-making, a spring-loaded athlete like VJ Edgecombe, or a trade back scenario, with names like Kon Knueppel and Tre Johnson in the mix. All present a path to stardom, or at the very least high-end starterdom.
Philadelphia needs to invest in its future. There's a reason Morey has said he plans to get younger. We've seen the benefit of not only depth, but youth with teams like OKC. It's difficult for older teams to survive the grind of an 82-game regular season and the playoffs. The Sixers fell apart when the injuries started to pile up. Some of that is rotten luck, but a lot of it was a critical flaw in roster construction.
Embiid and George are still elite players at full strength, but neither is guaranteed to be available and to perform on a weekly basis. As such, with limited draft capital and an overloaded cap sheet, the Sixers need to start charting a course for the future. It starts with two incredible guards in Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, 24 and 21 years old, respectively. Add in the No. 3 pick, with solid fringe guys on the rise like Justin Edwards and Adem Bona, and the Sixers at least have a foundation if the core of this roster falls apart.
Ideally, Philadelphia can add an instant contributor at No. 3 who can impact winning out of the gate before developing into a more central figure down the line. Whether that's Bailey, Edgecombe or a mystery third option, only time will tell. But trading the pick for another veteran, unless it's an absolute home-run, no-brainer of a trade, reeks of desperation in the worst way, and it could doom this team to a morbid fate.