We had plans to do mock drafts and breakdowns of various targets at pick No. 3.
Oh, well.
With the Sixers obtaining the No. 1 overall pick and presumably Washington guard Markelle Fultz, the early drama of draft night is now gone. But president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo dropped an interesting nugget during his press conference Monday to announce the trade with the Boston Celtics.
"I think whether we are selecting No. 1 or just staying at three, there's been some talk about our interest in acquiring yet another pick, and I'm not going to give up those efforts because we have moved up to No. 1," Colangelo said Monday afternoon.
The Sixers are armed with four second-round picks this year and at least one extra first-round pick in 2018 (Lakers) or 2019 (Kings) depending on which conveys to the Celtics. If Colangelo wishes to make another bold move, he should have the ammo to do it.
With that mind, we break down five players who might be worth trading into the end of the first round for.
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*Note: These players are projected to go between Nos. 20 and 30 in the first round.
Semi Ojeleye, SF/PF, SMU, 6-7/235
A Duke transfer, Ojeleye has an intriguing skill set for today's NBA. He already has an NBA frame and knows how to use it. After struggling to get off the Blue Devils' bench, Ojeleye won AAC Player of the Year, averaging 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and also shooting an impressive 42 percent from three.
He's sort of a tweener forward, but with the emphasis on positionless basketball, Ojeleye could certainly have a role as a stretch four and occasional wing, depending on the matchup. There will be questions about why he couldn't stick at Duke, but he played lights out at SMU. I see a lot of former Blue Devil Luol Deng in his game.
How he fits the Sixers: It'll be interesting to see how the Sixers deploy their rotation, but they don't really have much depth behind Dario Saric at the four (I don't necessarily include Ben Simmons in that conversation) and spots on the wing seem to be wide open. Ojeleye could be an intriguing bench piece with his ability to hit open looks and his versatility to play both forward spots.
Harry Giles, PF/C, Duke, 6-11/222
I'm sure this would go over well here. Giles tore his ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee in 2013. Then he tore his ACL in 2015. With that said, injuries are the only reason Giles is on this list. ESPN ranked Giles as the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school.
It's a little surprising that Giles chose to come out after one uninspiring season at Duke. Then again, why risk further injury? Teams will have to do their due diligence and see if Giles has regained any of the bounce and explosiveness that made him such a coveted prospect.
How he fits the Sixers: This a pure value pick, but it's super risky. The idea would be to stash Giles in the G-League and see if he can regain his form. If he does, he could be a steal. If money starts to become a factor in 2019, Giles could be insurance if Richaun Holmes decides to leave in free agency.
Terrance Ferguson, SG/SF, NBL (Australia), 6-7/186
Ferguson is one of the tougher players to evaluate in this draft. ESPN's 11th ranked recruit coming out of high school, Ferguson decided to go the route of Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay and play overseas. Ferguson, who just turned 19 last month, spent the last year in Australia playing in the NBL.
At times he looked overmatched, but it's important to remember that he was a skinny 18-year-old playing against grown men. With that said, it was Ferguson's decision to forego college. He had the reputation of being a knockdown shooter, but shot just 31 percent from three during his one season in the NBL. He did also flash athleticism and slashing ability.
How he fits the Sixers: Ferguson has a great pedigree and his reputation as a shooter aligns with what the Sixers need. You just have to hope that Ferguson gets physically stronger and that will allow him to compete at the next level. Side note: As of now, Ferguson is the only 2017 draftee to sign with Ben Simmons' agent, Rich Paul.
Tyler Lydon, SF/PF, Syracuse, 6-10/225
If you're looking for a shooter, Lydon certainly fits that bill. The 21-year-old forward has the look of a prototypical NBA stretch four. Lydon shot just a tick below 40 percent from three and over 80 percent from the free throw line. He's also a sneaky athlete, capable of running the floor in transition. He's also a strong rebounder (8.6 a game this season).
The concern with Lydon is the same as every other Syracuse product: How will he function outside of Jim Boeheim's zone? You worry about Lydon's frame against bigger NBA fours, but he's already gotten bigger and stronger since he arrived at Syracuse.
How he fits the Sixers: Lydon's ability as a shooter would be extremely intriguing to the Sixers. With Simmons, Fultz and Embiid taking up so much attention there will be open looks. Lydon seems like the type of player that could knock them down.
D.J. Wilson, PF, Michigan, 6-10/240
Wilson has a similar skill set to Lydon. He can fit that stretch four mold, hitting 37 percent of his threes this season. Where Wilson has the edge on Lydon is his size and athleticism. Wilson could prove to be better switching onto guards and wings at the next level. He also showed more ability off the dribble and finishing at the rim as well.
Where Lydon has the edge is rebounding. Lydon wasn't the strongest, but he wasn't afraid to throw his body around. For a player of Wilson's size, you'd like to see him be more physical, especially on the glass.
How he fits the Sixers: Wilson might be the better fit in the modern NBA with his athleticism allowing him to switch out on smaller, quicker players. The rebounding is definitely a concern, but the Sixers should be a strong rebounding team with Simmons and Embiid both on the floor.
