Desmond Bane says Sixers have shown “a lot of interest” in him

The Philadelphia 76ers need to add cheap talent more than ever. Fortunately, they have a good chance to do that with the 21st overall pick and some high second-rounders in this year’s NBA Draft.

Desmond Bane, a 6’6” shooting guard from TCU, should be one of the names on their radar. Bane improved throughout his four years in college and put together an excellent season in 2019-20. He made the All-Big 12 First Team and averaged 16.6 points (shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 44.2 percent from three on 6.5 attempts), 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists (to 2.3 turnovers), and 1.5 steals per game. Some consider Bane to be the best shooter in this draft and that status is well deserved. But he has a lot more to offer as well.

During a Zoom call with media on Wednesday, Bane said that the Sixers have shown a lot of interest in him.

“There has been a lot of interest with Philly. We feel good about where we’re at with Philly,” Bane said, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire.

As Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia added, Bane mentioned that the Sixers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks have stood out to him and his agent with the high level of interest they’ve shown.

“Elton [Brand] actually wasn’t on the call,” Bane added when discussing his talks with the Sixers, per Carlin. “I think doing most of the talking was a guy named Vince [Rozman, Philly’s vice president of scouting]. They feel like shooting is a necessity for them. They need a lot of shooting. Obviously, the attention that Ben Simmons and [Joel] Embiid demand is huge, so guys like me are very valuable who can play off the ball and make shots.”

Bane may not have the explosiveness as a ball handler and perimeter creation that the Sixers need most, but he could help in plenty of areas and definitely deserves a lot of interest. He’s worth a pick around the 20 range, and would be great value if he slips towards the second round.

Bane is an elite three-point shooter when spotting up, running off screens, coming off movement, and when firing off the bounce. His high IQ stands out at both ends of the floor, too. He’s a smart, effective passer who can make some fairly advanced kick-outs off drives and skip passes to the weak-side corner. Meanwhile, he consistently displays a lot effort on defense. Even though he lacks top-end quickness and length, which is one of the main criticisms for him, he competes with his intensity, strength, footwork, and alert rotations.

While Bane’s shooting is his best skill, he’s far more than just a shooter. With his passing, significantly improved pick-and-roll play as a complementary ball handler, and sharp, physical defense, he’s an intelligent, well-rounded player who could help right away.

I won’t go any further here as I interviewed Bane for a story in April, which goes into far more detail about his game, his training, the NBA players he studies, and more.

The Sixers have also interviewed point guard Tyrell Terry, an impressive shooter and creator who is well worth their interest.