All Of The Sixers Possible 2015 Draft Picks Explained

The NBA Trade Deadline has passed, and you've had a few nights' rest to either get over the losses of Michael Carter-Williams and K.J. McDaniels or erect a few voodoo statues of Sam Hinkie to stab with swords. Nothing's going to convince you one way or the other now, so I won't try. But that voodoo statue thing is pretty messed up, bro.

So let's bond over something we can all agree on: the Sixers and their many draft picks! As in: there are many of them! Derek's got a handy guide on all their picks here. Let's address all of the 2015 picks the Sixers could have.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 1ST ROUND PICK -- currently #3, could finish 1-4

This is obviously our best bet at landing a stud in June. I don't necessarily think it's a guarantee that the Sixers will get markedly worse without MCW and KJ when you add in a point guard like Isaiah Canaan that can better space the floor. But it remains a near-certainty that this will stay in the bottom five heading into the lottery. Good.

With 29 games left, it's probably prudent to start rooting for Sixers losses. On the other hand, it's so fun to like this team that I don't know if I can bring myself to do it. Minnesota won last night, which is both good and bad, and it looks like New York and LA may never win again. My guess is Minnesota jumps us, but NYK and LAL suck better, and the Sixers are the third worst team in the league, an improvement on last season! The rebuild is working!

LOS ANGELES LAKERS 1ST ROUND PICK -- currently #4, could finish 1-5

The Lakers pick. I've been pacing around my house saying it in hushed tones like "the second cell phone" or "Asia McClain", because there's so much weighty uncertainty around it. Some words on the protection:

1. It's Top 5 protected after the lottery this season.
2. If not conveyed this season, it's Top 3 protected in 2016 and 2017.
3. If still not conveyed, the pick is unprotected in 2018.

Because of the relative strength and depth at the top of this draft and how the Lakers may not be quite this miserable going forward -- not to mention our own Veruca Saltian desires -- the best case scenario is the Sixers getting the 6th pick from LA this season. Here's what the standings look like now, courtesy of the lovely Tankathon:

The Lakeshow, losers of 7 straight and starters of people like Robert Sacre, Tarik Black, Jordan Clarkson, Wayne Ellington, and Ryan Kelly (their starting lineup last night in which they lost, go figs), are unlikely to win many more games. Hinkie knew getting the pick this season wasn't probable when he made the trade. But that's not to say the pick isn't tremendously valuable -- it's so good that it forced Hinkie's hand to deal MCW.

Sam places tremendous importance on predicting where picks will end up. And I'd bet he doesn't think this awful Lakers team is due for a big turnaround. Yes, they have plenty of cap room and a hopefully healthy Julius Randle next season, but there are so many holes that need plugging, and with Kobe Bryant coming back injured and still old, they have almost zero chance of being a playoff team in the West. Anthony Davis isn't even making the playoffs! Sure, LA will sign a couple free agents (although lots of RFA's), but as Derek said: "This is a franchise that recently brought in Carlos Boozer and Nick Young, and hired Byron Scott, in an attempt to win."

Put it this way: I'm more concerned about the Lakers landing in the Top 3 next season than I am them playing themselves out of the Top 10. Pick's gonna be good.

That being said, I want it this year. You want it this year. So let's look at the odds of that happening.

If the Lakers finish 6th: they'd have to jump into the top three. 21.5% shot. Nick Young would have to get awfully Swaggy to win them enough games to finish at 6.

If the Lakers finish 5th: just one team would have to jump. The Cavs did it from #9 last year (and mercifully it won't be the Cavs this season). There's a 57.2% chance of them keeping the pick, giving the Sixers a 42.8% shot to steal it. Doable!

If the Lakers finish 4th: they would need two teams to leapfrog them in the lottery so they'd fall to #6. There is a 17.2% chance of that happening. Not impossible! But not ideal.

If the Lakers finish 3rd: three teams have to jump. 4% chance. Tuck your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye.

It's strange because, for the Sixers pick, we're rooting for the Wolves and Knicks to win games. But for the Lakers pick to convey, we desperately need them to stay below LA. Scoreboard watching is stressful.

Of those Magic-Kings-Jazz-Nuggets-Celtics teams within reach, I think the ones with the best chance of losing a bunch of games are Boston and Denver. Let's root for some shameless tanking from those lovely cities please and thank you.

All I want is a CHANCE. Let them finish 4th. So that at the Liberty Ballers/Rights To Ricky Sanchez Lottery Party (COME, IT'S GREAT, REMEMBER LAST YEAR?!), we can all lose our goddamned minds if another team jumps. Ideal lottery results: 1) Philly, 2) Utah, 3) Denver, 4) New York, 5) Minnesota, 6) Los Angeles. Chills.

MIAMI HEAT 1ST ROUND PICK -- currently #16, could finish 10-17

This is the pick that netted the Timberwolves Thaddeus Young and then Kevin Garnett. Great trade, Flip.

It's protected in the Top 10, which as of the Goran Dragic trade, seemed almost certain to be conveyed. But with the extremely upsetting news that Chris Bosh was admitted to the hospital to undergo tests for a possible blood clot in his lung, that's now less so.

A lot depends on that foursome of middling Eastern Conference teams below them. Will Reggie Jackson (or Spencer Dinwiddie!) anchor a Pistons team to a playoff run? Does Paul George come back and lead Indiana back in? Can Thaddeus Young and a not-traded Brook Lopez bolster Brooklyn's bench? Hi Charlotte!

I reckon the pick sticks right there at 16. Dragic, along with an off-ball Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng, plus the may-as-well-be-a-former-sixer Hassan Whiteside makes for a very lethal lineup, even if Bosh has to sit out the rest of the year. Would be nice if that pick slipped to 12, but I think 16's a safe bet. More importantly, the pick will come this year. I don't think all of those teams are capable of jumping Miami. A few, maybe, if Spoelstra can't get them to gel right away, but not all of 'em. We gettin' it.

OKLAHOMA CITY 1ST ROUND PICK -- currently #17, could finish 13-14 or 17-22

This is a tricky one. I've long thought that OKC is too talented to not make the playoffs, even in a crowded West, and the slippages of both New Orleans and Phoenix are certainly helping things. But in order for this pick to be conveyed this season -- acquired for the low low price of one HERE TAKE JAVALE from Denver -- the Thunder have to finish at least 19th.

Gonna be close! I'd like this one this season as well. KD and Russ aren't both going to be hurt every year -- I'd rather #19 this year than #28 next. Let's hope they can keep rolling with a fresh new bench and better chemistry. If OKC keeps the pick this season, it's Top 15 protected for the two following years. If OKC falls off a cliff and it's still not conveyed, the pick becomes two second rounders in 2018 and 2019. That won't happen.

2015 NBA DRAFT SIXERS FIRST ROUND BEST CASE SCENARIO

1. PHI
6. PHI (via LAL)
11. PHI (via MIA)
19. PHI (via OKC)

And scene.

Onto the second round!

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 2ND ROUND PICK -- conveyed to Celtics

Thanks to Andrew Bynum, Doug Collins, Rod Thorn, and Tony DiLeo! At least Boston never got our first rounder. Bastards.

ORLANDO MAGIC 2ND ROUND PICK -- currently #35

In addition to not having to relinquish a future first round pick (or two seconds) to the Magic for the Bynum deal, Sam Hinkie picked up a 2nd rounder from Orlando in the Dario Saric-Elfrid Payton draft night trade. That remains maybe the most brilliant move of Hinkie's tenure. Moved back two picks to draft the guy they wanted anyway, redacted the Bynum deal, and also picked up a nice 2nd rounder.

DENVER NUGGETS 2ND ROUND PICK -- currently #37

This is the pick they got from Houston with Canaan in the K.J. deal. Yeah, it's the lesser of the Denver and Minnesota 2nd rounders, so it'll be Denver. As I said, I expect the Nugs to suck p hard, so this one could look a few spots better in a few months.

NEW ORLEANS PELICANS 2ND ROUND PICK -- currently #45

Aw, Jrue. But thanks. This pick was acquired in the HISTORIC Eric Maynor trade of last deadline. God, this is the best.

HOUSTON ROCKETS 2ND ROUND PICK -- currently #56

They got this one (along with Ronny Turiaf!) for sending Alexey Shved to Houston back in December. This trade is known as THE SERGEI LISHOUK TRADE.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 2ND ROUND PICK -- currently #60

Hinkie took this one, emotionless, in the Evan Turner-Lavoy Allen trade to Indiana last February as well. It's going to be the last pick in the draft. Hinkie plans on drafting himself, and rubbing his bare ass all over the stage at the Draft as he stares unblinkingly into Mark Tatum's eyes.

In conclusion, the Sixers have many draft picks. Commence arguments.