It happened.
The pick swap happened.
On a night hailed by many at XFINITY Live! as the end of the Sam Hinkie era, his legacy will continue to live on. Instead of picking fifth in the 2017 NBA draft, the Sixers will swap picks with the Sacramento Kings and select at No. 3.
As part of a trade Hinkie made on July 10, 2015, the Sixers sent Artūras Gudaitis and Luka Mitrović to Sacramento for Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, an unprotected 2019 first-round pick and the rights to swap first-round picks in 2016 and 2017.
Last year, the Sixers used their own pick at No. 1. This year, the Sixers drew the fifth spot and the Kings were drawn at No. 3 to invoke the pick swap.
When the swap became reality, Twitter went wild. That included the man at the center of the pick swap, Stauskas.
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Rain drop, drop top, we be converting on the pick swap. #ThanksSac 😜— Nik Stauskas (@NStauskas11) May 17, 2017
GIMME THAT PICK! pic.twitter.com/ckAnAv4FQQ— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 17, 2017
IT'S ON!
The Sixers will get one pick and it's in the top 3! pic.twitter.com/0VypH7rYhE— CSN Philly (@CSNPhilly) May 17, 2017
Josh Harris: "Thank you, Sam Hinkie!" As animated as I've ever seen him.— Gordie Jones (@gordonwjones) May 17, 2017
Keep in mind, Sacramento would have the 3rd pick instead of the 5th but Vlade gave Philly a pick-swap to salary dump Nick Stuaskas.— nick wright (@getnickwright) May 17, 2017
When the picks swap. #NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/REXlYsynBX— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 17, 2017
#PickSwap #ThankYouHinkie #TrustTheProcess pic.twitter.com/YfnENrIpu4— Chuck (@ChuckThaGawd) May 17, 2017
When you get the pick swap #TrustTheProcess pic.twitter.com/mBfpBAVXXV— Kevin Winans (@_CousinKevin_) May 17, 2017
Thank you... for Embiid, for Simmons, for the pick swap, for everything... the process worked #SamsTown pic.twitter.com/SzB5c3Tkx2— A (@aidan_34_powers) May 17, 2017