By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
We know one thing for certain: Ben Simmons is coming to Philadelphia with the first overall pick. That fact alone is cause to channel J.R. Smith and spend the rest of the weekend shirtless in a parade down Broad Street. However, after 7:05pm or so rolls around, and the Sixers have already drafted their franchise superstar, there still remain a number of intriguing questions that will cause us to keep our cursors over the refresh button of Woj’s twitter page. Let’s break them down.
– Will the Sixers acquire another top-8 draft pick?
New front office decision-maker Bryan Colangelo has publicly stated he would like to acquire a second lottery pick, adding a specific cut-off of moving into the top eight of the draft. All signs have pointed toward the Sixers being enamored with Providence point guard Kris Dunn, and with the Suns reportedly looking to grab him with the 4th overall pick, it would seem like Philadelphia would need to strike a deal with Boston for #3 to make Dunn in the City of Brotherly Love a reality.
Thus far, Boston has apparently rebuked Colangelo’s offers, preferring to shop the third overall pick for a veteran player. Danny Ainge has had no luck with that thus far, though, so we’ll see if either side blinks on draft night.
– Will Bryan Colangelo grab the “veteran PG” he covets so much?
With the ability to grab Dunn very much an uncertainty, Colangelo has also been hitting the phone lines hard in search of a veteran point guard. Rumors tied him to making inquiries on all three point guards that were traded on Wednesday, Jeff Teague, George Hill, and Derrick Rose. Seemingly, Colangelo is simply doing his due diligence, which there would certainly be no harm in. Many Sixers fans worry he will mortgage too much of the future to bring in an average talent as a short-term upgrade, but I liked when he spoke in the past about bringing in veterans on “placeholder” deals. We will have to wait and see if there’s anyone else available, and if so, what sort of price Colangelo would be willing to pay.
– Will Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel both still be Sixers on Friday morning?
Much digital ink has already been spilled about how this pairing failed to work out for the Sixers on the court last season. With Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and likely Dario Saric all slated to join the team for the upcoming season, it’s been no secret that Colangelo has been shopping both Okafor and Noel to try and alleviate the frontcourt logjam.
The general consensus appears to be that most teams prefer Noel’s game to Okafor’s given the positionless, pace-and-space direction in which the league is heading. However, Big Jah is entering only the second year of his rookie deal, whereas Noel will be on the final year of his, and those couple extra years of cost control could be very desirable for some clubs. Which big man the Sixers should keep has been the most divisive issue within Sixers nation of late, but ultimately, Colangelo’s decision in that regard may be determined by what the market dictates.
– What will happen with the team’s two late first-round picks?
Given the current numbers game on the roster, it was unlikely from the beginning that the Sixers would use both the 24th and 26th overall picks to select players who would suit up opening night. While one option was to take an international player and stash him overseas for a couple years, Bryan Colangelo has made it clear Philadelphia is also investigating packaging the picks together to move up in the draft.
B Colangelo: 'We are entertaining discussions about trading 24 and 26 to move up.' #Sixers
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) June 21, 2016
Chad Ford has indicated that there’s no shortage of first round picks available, but most of those teams are looking for veterans rather than additional picks in what is generally considered a weak draft outside of the top two. If Colangelo can use 24 and 26 to move up without using any additional assets, I would count such a move as a mark in his favor.
All these questions will be answered by the end of the night Thursday. And remember, whatever else happens, Ben Simmons is about to be a Sixer! That alone is reason enough for celebration.
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