NBA Mock Draft Roundup: Sixers at 21st overall

The Philadelphia 76ers are slated to pick at 21st overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, which will be held Wednesday evening. With a new President of Basketball Operations in town in Daryl Morey, the Sixers feel a bit unpredictable going into draft night. Philly has a clear need for a perimeter scoring threat who can handle the ball and there could be quite a few options who theoretically fit that mold at pick no. 21. Below we’ve rounded up a handful of mock drafts from around the interwebs to see what prognosticators expect from Philly Philadelphia New Philadelphia in the Draft’s first round Wednesday evening.

The Athletic

John Hollinger

Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina

Despite Daryl Morey’s analytics renown, his draft history doesn’t really reveal a “type.” But I know what the Sixers need, and that helps winnow down the possibilities. I’m guessing it won’t be any of the 800 centers and non-shooters that will be on “next best available” lists when this pick comes up.

Anthony’s stock is definitely sinking, but at this point in the draft it might be an overreaction. He can create shots and is a pretty decent shooter from distance, two things that are in extremely short supply in Philly. The Sixers are in win-now mode, and Anthony might be able to give them bench scoring immediately. Also, analytics models that weigh AAU production would likely show Anthony as undervalued at this point.

This pick is also very much for sale if it returns the right player, but even if it moves I could see another team grabbing the value proposition on Anthony at 21.

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Sam Vecenie

Desmond Bane, G, TCU

In his four years at TCU, Bane made 43.3 percent of his near-600 3-point attempts. He also improved a lot this year as an option with the ball in his hands. The big concern here is that he’s 6-foot-6 with a negative wingspan that hinders him when contesting shooters both on-ball and when closing out. However, he has good strength and knows where to be defensively. He should turn into a solid role-playing floor-spacer at the next level, and I have a late first-round grade on him. He’s been a riser throughout the pre-draft process for a lot of the reasons mentioned above. He’s gone into interviews and has been impressive with his understanding of how he’s going to operate at the next level. The name Joe Harris has come up a lot from front offices.

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Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wasserman)

Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford

The Sixers could use another ball-handler and shooter, which makes Terry a potential target. Though not athletic or strong, he compensates with special touch, deep range, sharp ball skills and finishing instincts.

CBS Sports

Kyle Boone

Desmond Bane, G, TCU

First-rounders aren’t often spent on 22-year-old wings, but Desmond Bane should be a rare exception to that rule. He shot 43.3% from 3-point range on 575 attempts in college and rated in the 91st percentile, according to Synergy, as a spot-up scorer last season. With Philly in need of a reliable off-ball shooter who can drill deep bombs with regularity, he fits the bill of someone who, despite his age, should be worth buying into.

Gary Parrish

Theo Maledon, G, France

The Sixers are no longer committed to playing Ben Simmons at point guard. That makes Theo Maledon a sensible option because he’s a skilled primary ball-handler with plenty of room to grow.

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Liberty Ballers (Daniel Olinger)

Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State

The bad thing about Jackson and I doing this is that we both value off-the-dribble shot makers more than a lot of other archetypes, which made guys like Riller, Terry and Bane unavailable at this spot. Malachi is the next best in this role, which makes him the pick. He’s a masterful pick and roll orchestrator who can hit 3s when a team drops or simply create them off step backs, and while not a great passer, he is more than acceptable in that area. Defensively he’s small and not explosive, but makes great rotations and clearly competes every second he’s out there. A mature guy who led one of the best teams in college basketball last year at SDSU, Flynn is a very safe bet to contribute positively to a team’s offense in the NBA.

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The Ringer (Kevin O’Connor)

Theo Maledon, G, France

The Sixers are interested in Spurs guard Patty Mills, as mentioned above. But even if they acquire the 32-year-old Mills, having a younger guard like Maledon in the pipeline would pave a succession plan. Maledon brings shooting and feel for the game.

SB Nation (Ricky O’Donnell)

Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford

Terry entered Stanford as the No. 88 overall recruit in the incoming freshman class before emerging as a surprising one-and-done following a standout season. Terry is a 6’3 guard whose shooting ability will serve as the foundation of his game. He made nearly 41 percent of his three-pointers on almost five attempts per game, and showed some ability to shoot off movement. He also performed well as a pick-and-roll handler (77th percentile), but his lack of burst and inability to get to the foul line means he’s likely more of an off-ball player in the league. Philly needs all the shooting it can get, and Terry provides that with the hope of more untapped upside yet to come.

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