The first two picks in the NBA draft are easy enough to project, with the Dallas Mavericks in line to select Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall and Dylan Harper expected to be the No. 2 pick for the San Antonio Spurs.
Things could get very interesting from there, however.
NBA reporter Jake Fischer reported Tuesday that, “Among the various challenges in pinpointing the order from Nos. 3-8, league sources say, is the uncertainty emanating from Philadelphia and Charlotte. Sources say that the Sixers and Hornets have signaled to rival teams that they will listen to trade offers until they’re on the clock at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively.”
Philly’s No. 3 pick is arguably where the draft begins, for two reasons—one, there is a drop-off after Flagg and Harper, with a group of Ace Bailey, VJ Edegcombe, Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel making up the next tier. If the Sixers love a player they feel might be available at No. 6 or 7, for example, they may be more likely to move down the board.
And two, the Sixers have interesting decisions to make about how to not only juggle a number of different timelines on their roster—from the veteran stars (Joel Embiid and Paul George), stars firmly heading into their prime years (Tyrese Maxey) and intriguing young players (Jared McCain, their potential first-round pick)—but also trying to retain the cap space to re-sign Guerschon Yabusele and Quentin Grimes.
Moving down the board would free up some cap space while still likely ensuring the Sixers draft a player from the third tier of talents available.
The Sixers have to navigate the fact that they may not have the immediate minutes available to develop a young project like Bailey, at least compared to rebuilding teams. The Sixers have a short window left with Embiid and George, which has to be taken into consideration.
The Hornets, meanwhile, need as much talent as they can get, and if they don’t believe there will be a true difference-maker at No. 4, trading back and adding more draft assets would give them more chances to infuse the roster with talent.
At the very least, a willingness to listen to offers makes sense.
