The Philadelphia 76ers walked out of the 2012 NBA Draft with two players, and although they may not have selected the player(s) anyone wanted, the front office was surprisingly active.
The Sixers began the evening with the 15th, 45th and 54th picks. They selected Moe Harkless with the 15th pick, traded the 45th and a future first for Arnett Moultrie, and sold the 54th pick to the Brooklyn Nets.
Harkless is young and athletic, and will come in right away and defend. How he fits in the Sixers future plans is to be determined. Either Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner or Thaddeus Young are going to need to be traded. Keep in mind he's only 19 years old and possesses a good amount of upside.
Moultrie is another athletic prospect, who presented good value at the end of the first round. The Sixers didn't give up much to get him (the future first is lottery-protected for three seasons, and then becomes two second rounders), and he instantly becomes the most athletic big on the Sixers roster. Alley-oops and dunks courtesy of Jrue Holiday are a'comin'.
The only move of the night I was not pleased with was the selling of the 54th pick. Let's say it for what it is – cheap. They could have taken Scott Machado to replace Lou Williams, instead of pursuing Jamal Crawford. Or they could've taken Darius Johnson-Odom to replace Jodie Meeks.
We'll have elaborated thoughts in the coming hours/days/weeks, but for now, I'm giving the Sixers a solid B/B- for their evening. They drafted for upside, rather than "safe", and made a move to get their guy in Moultrie. I applaud them for being active. Selling the 54th pick left a sour taste in my mouth, but maybe they can get a couple of decent undrafted free agents.
Grade the draft and discuss below. Next up: Free Agency