Liberty Ballers - 2014 NBA Draft Trade Series: Should Sixers Move Around Picks 3 and 10?Honestly have no idea what we’re arguing about anymore.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50717/lb-fav.png2014-06-08T09:00:04-04:00http://www.libertyballers.com/rss/stream/55355472014-06-08T09:00:04-04:002014-06-08T09:00:04-04:00Should the Sixers Trade Up From #10?
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<figcaption>Graham Denholm</figcaption>
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<p>"It depends" is a total cop out. Still, it's usually the right answer. Here, a missive on the reasons for asset collection, the obstacles of moving up, and a hypothetical where moving up becomes a very enticing option.</p> <p>Moving up from 10 hasn't been the most popular thing to do. The insistence that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a> could still have a top-ranked player fall to them, along with the general idea that trading extra things is bad, have somewhat quelled this talk. But drafting <span>Gary Harris</span> in the LB mock draft may have some people reconsider, as people were obviously hoping for more. It's a real possibility, and one that should be considered under the right circumstances, but only then.</p>
<p>Trading up goes somewhat against what the Sixers have done in the past year/ The Sixers adopted an asset collection philosophy once Sam Hinkie was announced as the president and general manager of the team. Every deal made since has centered on the assets the Sixers would receive in return for any player traded away.</p>
<p><span>Jrue Holiday</span> netted the 6th overall pick in his draft and another draft pick (this one here, even). All the trade deadline deals for players the Sixers decided to trade were aimed at collecting draft picks. So was the <span>Royce White</span> thing that happened. And Byron Mullens and Eric Maynor. All were aimed at giving the Sixers enough chips to take gambles, and here might be an opportunity to come over the top.</p>
<p>Seemingly every year, a top prospect falls further down in the draft than expected, saddled by either a lack of fit or curious decision-making. Usually a smart team will take advantage. For instance, when the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> selected <span>Jan Vesely</span> at number 6 a few years back, it set off a chain of events that resulted in the highly touted <span>Kawhi Leonard</span> falling all the way to 15. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a> then traded <span>George Hill</span> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a> for the pick and swiped him for cheap.</p>
<p>These things will happen every year. Predicting who will fall is a tougher exercise, but it will be some highly regarded prospect. And at 10, the Sixers are in prime position to take advantage of that, whether that be through sitting on the pick or, as the topic of this article asks, through moving up.</p>
<p>The Sixers have 7 draft picks this year. <span>Phil Jackson</span> might be an idiot when it comes to his job responsibilities, but he's not wrong that the Sixers will move at least one of their second rounders. As unsavory as it sounds, especially after a season with flirting with the salary floor, the Sixers could feasibly move a pick for cash. But more importantly, Hinkie can move picks to ensure he gets his targeted players.</p>
<p>Now, the problems with this aren't the assets the Sixers have (which they have a lot). It takes a good amount to move up in the top 10, but we have that covered. 5 second rounders, yo. The problems lie in that the teams directly ahead of the Sixers - Charlotte and Sacramento - are trying to shed their picks for veterans. Moving up from 10 to 8 or 9 is much easier when teams are looking for more younger players. But when the trade targets are looking for veterans in return, and a franchise looking to make a deal has traded all but two of them (I haven't forgotten you, <span>Jason Richardson</span>!), then there may not be a trade opportunity.</p>
<p>It's more difficult to dangle more pieces when, in order to move up, the deals are more likely to start at 6 or 7. 10 and 32 won't be enough to move up those 3 spots, and <span>Thaddeus Young</span> holds little value to either team. The trades are more costly and have to be analyzed more thoroughly, because trading so many of the hard-earned assets could ultimately be a waste.</p>
<p>Oh, hi there, <span>Andrew Bynum</span>! There still an ATM in every city?</p>
<p>Still, that should not dissuade Hinkie from moving up if he has a target in mind that he wants above all others. Using a hypothetical, let's say Dante Exum slips past the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Magic</a> at 4 (they pick <span>Marcus Smart</span>) and Utah (they pick <span>Noah Vonleh</span>). This appears to be unlikely, but not impossible. Boston at 6 has a point guard they're committed to and wants to make a move. They think they can snag <span>Aaron Gordon</span> at 10 and want to pick up some draft picks they could use in a bigger deal.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Hinkie just adores Exum and almost took him third. In that scenario, getting the desired talent is largely the reason why the team hoarded second round picks in the first place. Moving two or three of them for what you think is a potential franchise player is the point of collecting them in the first place, whether you draft them or use them otherwise! We won't miss those three second round picks if Dante Exum is the NBA's next big thing.</p>
<p>Assets are meant to be cashed in at the right time. Moving up from 10, or really any trade scenario, is just an extension of that philosophy.</p>
https://www.libertyballers.com/2014/6/8/5789166/2014-nba-draft-trade-series-should-the-sixers-trade-up-from-10Sean O'Connor2014-06-06T09:00:11-04:002014-06-06T09:00:11-04:00Should The Sixers Move Down From Ten?
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<figcaption>Ed Zurga</figcaption>
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<p>TRADE DOWN FOR WHAT? More assets.</p> <p><a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2014-nba-draft-prospects-andrew-wiggins-julius-randle/2014/5/27/5753542/2014-nba-mock-draft-sixers-picks-first-round" target="_blank">Mock drafts</a> should not be taken for more than what they are: fun conversation starters. The way Sam Hinkie and the Sixers organization operate, employing the sort of sneakiness like a dessert cake that goes straight to your thighs, nobody really knows who the Sixers might entertain with the 10th pick. The refrain remains the same for the most part, a trio of two guards and a Croatian big man seem seem to be the most common names selected at number ten.</p>
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<p>Frankly, I dislike them all at that spot. James Young isn't more than a standstill shooter who probably isn't quick enough to guard other two guards. <span>Gary Harris</span> might as well be Gary Coleman as the Sixers are concerned, as a (generous) 6' 4.5" guard with a 6' 6.75" wingspan really does not fit Philadelphia's mold. <span>Nik Stauskas</span> can't score from within the three point line and <a target="_blank" href="https://vine.co/v/MZmwQn02lDu">plays defense like this little lady</a>. Saric is probably the best of this group but his hesitance to come over immediately scares me.</p>
<p>Simply put, I would still be looking for someone to fill a starting role on this team with where the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thebirdwrites.com/">Pelicans</a> pick sits, and the talent expected to be there does not show me that type of potential. Look at it how you will, but outside the top eight or so there is a definitive drop off in talent. Sam Hinkie is a collector and not a seller, so I can't see him selling the farm to move up two or three slots from #10.</p>
<p>The move is to slide down a bit, steal away picks or young talent from a team who may be infatuated with <span>James Young's</span> dreadlocks. Chicago wants to offer you 16 and 21 to hop in the lottery? Be my guest. The talent drop off from seven to ten is severe. The fall from ten to fifteen or sixteen is not. Phoenix wants to move up and secure that they'll be able to take a scorer like <span>Kyle Anderson</span>? The cost is picks 14 and 27, sirs.</p>
<p>Michigan State's Adreian Payne is a guy you could plug in as your starting power forward immediately (<a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2014-nba-draft-prospects-andrew-wiggins-julius-randle/2014/6/5/5781108/2014-nba-draft-prospect-adreian-payne-mock-draft" target="_blank">as Brandon wrote yesterday</a>), a perfect complimentary player to <span>Nerlens Noel</span>. P.J. Hairston's a knockdown shooter who has shown the potential for growth defensively. Hell, <span>Rodney Hood</span> probably isn't going before 13, and I could rave about him for days.</p>
<p>There is no requirement that the Sixers pick at 10, and if a player like <span>Aaron Gordon</span> or <span>Doug McDermott</span> are scooped up before Philadelphia is on the clock, then it is worth moving down and adding whatever assets you can.</p>
<p>It's the Hinkie way.</p>
https://www.libertyballers.com/2014-nba-draft-prospects-andrew-wiggins-julius-randle/2014/6/6/5773588/2014-nba-draft-sixers-trade-pelicans-pickJakePavorsky2014-06-04T09:02:06-04:002014-06-04T09:02:06-04:00Should The Sixers Trade Up From #3?
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<figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Many have suggested trading up. Here we consider the ramifications of such a move.</p> <p>A few weeks ago, the Sixers made it to the all-coveted commercial break of the NBA Draft Lottery. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGxjZTNN59Q&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">We celebrated</a>. We got <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoHnpiqIQAE-ERp.jpg" target="_blank">one mean mug from Dr. J</a> and precious few seconds to absorb the possibility that the Sixers actually drew the top pick... before their logo was withdrawn at #3, followed by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Bucks</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a>. And immediately, the idea of moving up, down, and all around permeated the conversation.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2014-nba-draft-prospects-andrew-wiggins-julius-randle/2014/6/2/5771092/sixers-nba-draft-2014-trade-jabari-parker" target="_blank">Matt Carey explored the possibility of trading down from #3 on Monday</a>, concluding, rightly, that this is the Sixers' best opportunity to pull a franchise player, and to our sorta trained eyes, those top four picks have the best chance to be such a player. Trading down means getting out of that exciting bracket of players, and for my part, the assets coming this way would have to be rich indeed for me to move out of there.</p>
<p>Here, I'll consider the flip side.</p>
<p>The move from #3 to #1 all depends on what the Cavs want to do and how much they value trying to salvage their past mistakes. It would certainly be costly. It could fetch #10, <span>Thaddeus Young</span>, any number of second rounders, etc.</p>
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<p>But in the NBA, the best players win championships. A two-pick bump from #3 to #1 isn't much in a vacuum, but if that's the difference between <span>Ben Gordon</span> and <span>Dwight Howard</span> or <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> and <span>LeBron James</span> or <span>Mike Dunleavy</span> and Yao Ming, it's enormous. But obviously, we don't yet know which of the presumed top four will become <span>Hasheem Thabeet</span> and which will be <span>Blake Griffin</span>.</p>
<p>For my part, <span>Andrew Wiggins</span> and <span>Joel Embiid</span> are the two best prospects in the draft. I like both Dante Exum and <span>Jabari Parker</span> quite a lot, and I'd honestly be thrilled with any one of the four. You may feel differently. The only opinion that matters is Sam Hinkie's.</p>
<p>If he believes there's one guy that is an absolute guarantee -- a generationally defining talent that would shape the Sixers franchise in a way none of the other prospects can -- then you make the move. Whatever move. It doesn't matter. The Sixers have seven picks in the draft, and I'd give 'em all up for a legit superstar at the top of this draft. That's what matters. Everything else is immaterial unless you get The Guy. Doesn't matter how nice your silverware is, if you don't get that bird, you ain't eating.</p>
<p>Personally, I think Sam can get his turkey at #3. I think <a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2014/5/27/5755326/chad-ford-suggests-andrew-wiggins-could-be-there-at-3-for-sixers-joel-embiid-jabari-parker" target="_blank">Wiggins will fall</a> and he's the best fit with the only two players currently on the Sixers who remotely matter and I don't wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat worrying about his back for the next fifteen years.</p>
<p>But if Hinkie doesn't think he can hold on until #3 for Wiggins or Embiid or Blark, or he doesn't want to risk it? Trade almost everything to get him. Not worth <span>Gary Harris</span> or <span>Nik Stauskas</span> or <span>James Young</span> to end up with MKG instead of <span>Anthony Davis</span>.</p>
<p>Every draft is different. Cherrypicking specific selections as I have doesn't really prove a point yet -- but when we look back at this draft in 5, 10, 20 years and see who blew up and who busted, it'll be pretty damn obvious who should have gone where. A year of Thad Young or a late lottery pick or a small island of second rounders shouldn't get in the way of a franchise maker. And it won't.</p>
<p>So I guess what I'm trying to say is... <a href="http://www.td4wbutton.com/" target="_blank">Trade Up For What</a>, exactly?</p>
https://www.libertyballers.com/2014-nba-draft-prospects-andrew-wiggins-julius-randle/2014/6/4/5773874/sixers-nba-draft-2014-cavs-trade-andrew-wiggins-joel-embiidMichael Levin2014-06-02T09:03:07-04:002014-06-02T09:03:07-04:00Should The Sixers Trade Down From #3?
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<img alt="Jabari thinks he's #1. Does Sam Hinkie agree?" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NXOWcMc77Ek4m0IW3RfET5aVGyM=/0x163:4000x2830/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33794171/479928631.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jabari thinks he's #1. Does Sam Hinkie agree? | Streeter Lecka</figcaption>
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<p>Many have suggested trading down. Here we consider the ramifications of such a move.</p> <p>Since Sam Hinkie took over as Sixers President, General Manager, and Lead Guitarist 13 months ago, the phrase "collecting assets" has been bandied about substantially more than it was in previous regimes, when it was called "finding winners." In a few months, Hinkie turned a team with very few real assets (<span>Jrue Holiday</span> and a leftover case of "Thump & Bump" t-shirts an intern found when they cleaned out the Spectrum) into a team with a plethora of assets, both in the form of draft picks and real life basketball players.</p>
<p>He did this by making trade after trade, signing after signing, turning over every stone he could to try and find an asset with even the slightest value to the Sixers long-term future. As a result, he's quickly developed a reputation as a man who always has his finger on the trigger, ready to strike whenever the next trade or signing becomes possible.</p>
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<p>Within minutes of the Sixers receiving the 3rd pick, people from every corner of the basketball intelligentsia were looking for the next big trade the Sixers were going to make, and most of them centered around the idea that Utah would trade up to select <span>Jabari Parker</span> because Parker is a Mormon, and thus a natural fit for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Utah Jazz</a> and their large Mormon fan base.</p>
<p>Now, I know what you're thinking. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.td4wbutton.com/">TRADE DOWN FOR WHAT?!</a></p>
<p>In a vacuum, it's not a terrible idea. Accumulating even more assets at the cost of moving from #3 to #5 sounds exactly like something Commander Hinkie would do. What complicates matters is how that relates to the Sixers draft board.</p>
<p>You have a better chance of getting Hinkie to give you his Minecraft password than you do of getting him to share his draft plans. But any trade the Sixers make would speak volumes about how they feel about the current draft crop.</p>
<p>When the Sixers made it clear they were "rebuilding" this season, many complained about the feasibility of a plan to tank even though they'd only have, at best, a 25% chance at the top overall pick. The counterpoint to that was that the Sixers weren't tanking for one particular player (let's just call him Shmandrew Schwiggins), but rather for a guaranteed shot at one of the top handful of players in a draft class that was projected to be very deep. That was the Sixers thinking, according to a source within the organization I spoke to early in the season, who said that the team felt there were at least five potential stars at the top of the 2014 NBA Draft class.</p>
<p>That was then, though, and this is now. If the Sixers still feel like there are five potential stars in the draft, then a Utah trade would make some sense. Add more value, and still get a guy you think can you can build the franchise around. Easy, right?</p>
<p>Here's something to consider though. This is your franchise player. There are three ways to acquire a star player in the NBA -- trade for them, sign them as a free agent, or draft them. (The fourth way, kidnapping them at gunpoint, was banned after the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> acquired <span>Pau Gasol</span>.) The reason teams accumulate assets to trade for a star is because they very rarely get the chance to draft high enough to get a good shot at one. Going back to Hinkie's roots in Houston, since the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> drafted Yao Ming first overall in 2002, they haven't had a lottery position better than 8th, and have been 14th position or in the playoffs in all but one year. As such, they've accumulated assets to trade for players like <span>Tracy McGrady</span> and James Harden. Well-run teams don't often see the better half of the lottery.</p>
<div class="pullquote">This is the Sixers biggest and best chance to acquire a star. It's unlikely they'll look at the board at #3 and not see anyone they want.</div>
<p>So I pose this question -- do you really want to play games with the guy that could be your franchise player in order to improve on the margins? I'm the first to admit that if somebody wants to absolutely blow the Sixers away with an offer, like Utah offering multiple unprotected firsts and a lifetime pass to the Utah Olympic Oval, by all means, don't reject the idea of trading down entirely. In lieu of that, however, this is the Sixers biggest and best chance to acquire a star. It's unlikely they'll look at the board at #3 and not see anyone they want.</p>
<p>In general, when it comes to drafts, I'm a big proponent of picking "your guy" with high picks, especially in basketball. If Hinkie wants a third first round pick this year, chances are he can get it without touching the two firsts in his breast pocket. This isn't the time to settle for your fourth or fifth choice because <span>Enes Kanter</span> likes soft pretzels.</p>
<p>Caveat: Sam Hinkie is my superior, and if he does in fact trade down, I will be convinced he had a good reason for doing so immediately. So just pencil me in for a post praising the trade a month from now. That said, if I were him, I wouldn't seek to make my life more difficult. Stay at #3. Pick a star. Roll with him. Trade down for what.</p>
https://www.libertyballers.com/2014-nba-draft-prospects-andrew-wiggins-julius-randle/2014/6/2/5771092/sixers-nba-draft-2014-trade-jabari-parkerMatt Carey