Tag: Draft

Sixers 2024 NBA Draft grades roundup: Rating the Jared McCain and Adem Bona picks sixers,nba,draft,grades,roundup,rating,the,jared,mccain,and,adem,bona,picks,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Well, after plenty of build-up and speculation over who the Sixers could draft or what trades they could make, the 2024 NBA Draft is in the books. The Sixers kept both their picks in the end, opting to select 6-foot-2 sharpshooting guard Jared McCain from Duke with their 16th overall pick, and the super athletic UCLA big man Adem Bona at 41 in the second round.

As the draft came to a close, the Sixers didn’t wait around on the undrafted market either. They quickly agreed to a two-way deal with Philly native Justin Edwards, a 6-foot-8 wing with a smooth shooting stroke who’s well worth taking a shot on. They’ve also agreed to sign Memphis wing David Jones on a two-way deal, and big man Max Fiedler to an Exhibit-10 deal, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.

There’s a lot to like about the skills and upside the Sixers’ two picks are bringing to the team, so let’s see what different draft experts think of McCain and Bona, and how they grade the Sixers’ draft.

(Spoiler alert: it’s very good.)

ESPN

Grade: A-

We’ll start things off on a high note, with ESPN’s Kevin Pelton’s A- for the Sixers’ draft overall. Pelton even had McCain ranked as his eighth-best prospect, making the sharpshooter a bit of a steal at 16:

The stat-minded Sixers landing McCain, my eighth-ranked prospect, at No. 16 is no surprise. McCain’s shooting (41% on nearly six 3-point attempts per game) should fit well on a team that needs to space the floor for Joel Embiid. I do wonder how much McCain (6-2 barefoot) will be able to play alongside 6-2 Philadelphia starter Tyrese Maxey. However, getting value is more important in the long term than questions of fit.

Bona wasn’t quite as strong by my projections, but there’s a lot to like about his defensive potential after he blocked 2.7 shots and came up with 1.7 steals per 40 minutes as a sophomore. Compare those with Sixers backup Paul Reed, who averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per 40 when he was a sophomore at DePaul.

SB Nation

Grade: B+ for first round, A for second round

Here at SB Nation, Ricky O’Donnell’s first round analysis made a fair comment regarding McCain’s smaller build and limited athleticism, but had high praise for the shooting skillset he brings:

McCain lacks ideal NBA size and athleticism for a guard, but he makes up for it with shooting. He has a deep range and fantastic accuracy as a three-point shooter, which should be a good fit around Tyrese Maxey’s drives to the rim and Joel Embiid’s interior creation. I worry that McCain might be a too small to be a long-term backcourt partner for Maxey, but his shooting is so good that this is a perfectly fine selection.

As for O’Donnell’s second round grades, he was even higher on Philly picking up Bona:

Bona was one of my favorite second round bets as a long, strong, and explosive center. Bona crushed the glass and hammered dunks throughout his sophomore year at UCLA, and showed off his physical gifts by jumping 40-inches at the combine. He’s short for a center and doesn’t have much perimeter skill, but Bona is a freak athlete and that’s worth betting on.

Sporting News

Grade: A

Kyle Irving at Sporting News was a big fan of both of the Sixers’ selections:

The 76ers addressed two needs with their two picks: McCain provides backcourt depth as a playmaking combo guard who can shoot the 3 and disrupt opposing ball-handlers on defense while Bona gives Philadelphia a much-needed physical interior presence behind Joel Embiid. The Sixers went 2-for-2 in this draft.

The Ringer

Grade: B for first round, B- for second round

Danny Chau, grading the Sixers’ 16th overall pick, said Jared McCain has shades of somewhere between Steph and Seth Curry, which certainly isn’t a bad spot to fall on for a scale of undersized yet highly talented shooters.

A team with the gravity that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey command will always need release valves on the perimeter. That’s the value that McCain brings. He was one of the best 3-point marksmen in college basketball as a freshman at Duke. He is elite on catch-and-shoot attempts and has great energy transfer in his mechanics pulling up in transition. The Sixers may look to develop his ability to shoot off movement because McCain’s apparent lack of burst will put a strain on the kind of playmaking he was able to accomplish at the NCAA level…

As for picking Bona in round two, Chau was slightly cooler on the selection, giving the Sixers a B-, partly due to need concerns. But there’s still no denying how impressive Bona’s explosiveness, speed and lateral quickness are. He’s one of the very best athletes in the draft with serious defensive talent, even if Chau questions the Sixers’ need for this kind of player:

Though a bit undersized at the 5, Bona’s remarkable 7-foot-4 wingspan and seamless ability to change direction laterally make him one of the easier projections as a switch big. Outside of the occasional P.J. Brown–esque midrange jumper, Bona’s offensive game is mostly limited to explosive rim runs, but a pathway to success in the modern NBA has been paved for a player of that archetype. Bona is a real defensive talent, but it’s fair to wonder how much Philadelphia needed this type of player specifically.

However, as Daryl Morey continues to make clear, he’s going to take the best player available, regardless of fit. And if the Sixers aren’t happy with Paul Reed at backup 5 long term or if he gets moved at some point, having Bona onboard for his athleticism, versatile defense, energy and simple yet effective finishing gives them another interesting option.

Bona is still only 21 years old and started basketball late too, which bodes well for how quickly he’s developed already and could continue to do so. For instance, with skills like the face-up ability he’s flashed thanks to his speed, quick elevation, and length to rise up and finish over/past opponents.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor is even higher on not just Bona’s ability, but his potential to fit in different lineups for the Sixers.

CBS Sports

Grade: B+ for first round, A- for second round

Apart from knocking the Sixers’ first-round grade slightly as star Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht was still on the board (and ultimately went to the Lakers next at 17), Kyle Boone and Adam Finkelstein at CBS Sports were still high on the team’s picks overall:

If Dalton Knecht weren’t on the board, I’d bump this up a grade. But I love what McCain brings as a shooter and scorer and personality. Defensively, he and Tyrese Maxey may not be ideal as two smaller guards who focus on offense. But there’s a lot to like, and adding shooting around Joel Embiid makes sense. And his competitive spirit is worth betting on.

As for their thoughts on Bona, they understandably highlighted the rookie’s energy, massive wingspan, and presence he can offer as a finisher and rim protector:

Philly has been trying for years to find viable frontcourt support next to Joel Embiid, and it might have stumbled into something here. Bona’s a high-flier with relentless energy as a big who brings a 7-4 wingspan and can be impactful around the rim on both ends.

Yahoo! Sports

Grade: A

Short and sweet analysis from Yahoo! Sports’ Krysten Peek, but yet another top grade for Philadelphia’s picks:

The 3-point shooting from McCain (42% from deep at Duke) and the physical presence of Bona (6-8, 245 pounds) will pair nicely with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

Well, B’s and A’s across the board is a rather good result!

Now, it’s a time to dig into more analysis of the Sixers’ new rookies. We’ve already got you covered here at Liberty Ballers, with articles like Sean Kennedy’s look at Jared McCain’s fit with the Sixers, with comments from McCain himself and Daryl Morey. Plus Josh Grieb’s piece on how ready McCain is for anything that comes his way in Philadelphia.

Report: Sixers to sign Max Fiedler to Exhibit 10 deal after NBA Draft report,sixers,to,sign,max,fiedler,to,exhibit,deal,after,nba,draft,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

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As we’ve learned in recent years, the conclusion of the second round of the NBA draft often begins a flurry of activity among undrafted free agents. Many player agents now prefer to tell teams not to draft players, preferring to have their clients enter the open market and steer them to a place with a preferred situation or path to playing time. Following the conclusion of Thursday’s second round (during which the Sixers selected big man Adem Bona with the 41st overall pick), Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia front office reached two-way contract agreements with Justin Edwards and David Jones.

With Philadelphia’s third and final two-way slot occupied by Terquavion Smith, the organization used another method of incentivizing undrafted free agents to join the fold in bringing in Rice’s Max Fiedler.

As your obligatory reminder on Exhibit 10 deals, they are non-guaranteed but carry the option for teams to convert them to two-way contracts, with players receiving a bonus if they are waived and report to the team’s G League affiliate. Teams can utilize up to six active Exhibit 10 contracts at once.

Fiedler averaged 9.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals last year as a fifth-year senior. As Jon Chepkevich notes in his tweet reporting the signing, Fiedler is extremely adept as a distributor from the nail, interesting in that Joel Embiid often occupies a similar role within the Sixers’ offense. However, shooting range to the three-point line is not a part of Fiedler’s game, nor is a strong degree of rim protection. He is a solid rebounder, though, which has definitely been an area of weakness for the Sixers.

With Paul Reed’s status with the Sixers still undetermined, and the team using a second-round pick on Bona, Fiedler has a narrow path to working his way up with the big club. We’ll see what he can do in Summer League play, and if he can usurp one of the two-way slots (either outplaying one of the other UDFA signings or if Terq earns himself a full NBA contract). Likelier, Fiedler may end up a fixture with the Delaware Blue Coats this season.

Sixers roster, salaries, cap space, available draft picks and more sixers,roster,salaries,cap,space,available,draft,picks,and,more,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-roster,nba-rosters-salaries-cap-space-draft-picks

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The Sixers are heading into a kind of important offseason, in case you haven’t heard.

Joel Embiid is the Sixers’ only player under guaranteed contract beyond the 2023-24 season. Tyrese Maxey will join him soon enough, but Paul Reed’s $7.7 million salary for next season is now non-guaranteed since the Sixers didn’t win a playoff series. Ricky Council IV, whom the Sixers signed to a four-year, $7.4 million deal at the end of the regular season, is fully non-guaranteed for next season, while the Sixers have a team option on Jeff Dowtin Jr.

So, where does that leave the Sixers heading into the offseason? We’re partnering with SalarySwish to use their data and help answer every question you have about the Sixers’ financial situation and what it might mean in free agency.

We’ll make updates here as the offseason rolls along, so bookmark this page to keep up on the latest changes moving forward.

Sixers Roster, Salaries, Draft Picks, Cap Space and More

Here’s a table with all of the Sixers’ salary information, courtesy of our friends at SalarySwish:

That’s a lot of information to sift through, so let’s dive into a few key notes.

FAQ

Let’s start with the one on everyone’s mind.

How much salary cap space can the Sixers have this offseason?

The Sixers can generate up to nearly $65 million in cap room this summer. To do so, they’d have to waive Reed and Council, decline their option on Dowtin, trade No. 16 overall pick Jared McCain without taking any salary back and renounce every free agent they have, including Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, Nic Batum and Tobias Harris. (Sixers fans will surely be devastated about the last name there.)

Barring a surprise trade, it seems like the Sixers plan to keep McCain. There’s no reason to waive Council, either, as his salary ($1.9 million) isn’t much more expensive than an incomplete roster charge ($1.2 million). If the Sixers do keep both McCain and Council, they can still create up to $61.3 million in cap space this summer.

They could also operate as an over-the-cap team by keeping their free agents’ cap holds on their books until they re-sign in Philly or head elsewhere. That could give them access to the $12.9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception and $4.7 million bi-annual exception, but using either one would subject them to a $178.7 million hard cap for the rest of the season.

The Sixers figure to split the difference by opening some cap space but retaining a few of their free agents along with Maxey. It’s unclear which players they’ll prioritize or how much they’ll be willing to spend on each of them, but they’ll have plenty of external options to pursue as well.

That isn’t just limited to free agency, either. In fact, cap space could be more valuable than usual this summer if some teams decide to shed quality players for financial reasons. We’ve already begun to see that with the likes of Davion Mitchell, Wendell Moore Jr. and AJ Griffin.

How much will the Sixers pay in luxury taxes this year?

As of now, nothing. The Sixers did everything in their power to keep it that way, too.

After signing Darius Bazley, Kai Jones and DJ Wilson to 10-day contracts worth roughly $116,000 each, Dowtin to a rest-of-season contract for $127,000 and Council for an extra $864,000 this year, the Sixers were projected to finish roughly $755,000 below the $165.3 million tax line at the end of the regular season.

The problem from the Sixers’ perspective was the $1.1 million in unlikely-to-be-earned incentives in Hield’s contract. If he achieved all of those—one of them was making it to the NBA Finals this year, for what it’s worth—the Sixers could have finished a little too close to the tax line for comfort. That’s why the Sixers staggered their signings to ensure that they were at no risk of going back into tax territory.

One silver lining of the Sixers’ first-round exit is that they will officially stay below the tax this year, which means they’ll reset the clock on the repeater tax. They now can’t be subject to it until 2027-28 at the earliest, which should give the new-look core that they assemble this offseason a 3-4 year window.

What draft picks can the Sixers trade?

The Sixers can currently trade first-round picks in the following drafts:

  • 2026 (their own, protected 5-30, or the OKC/LAC/HOU pick)
  • 2028 (their own, protected 9-30, or an unprotected LAC pick)
  • 2029 OR 2030 (not both)
  • 2031 (if they don’t trade 2030)

The Sixers owe a top-six-protected pick to the San Antonio Spurs in 2025 and a top-eight-protected pick to the Brooklyn Nets in 2027. The Stepien Rule, which prohibits teams from going back-to-back drafts without a first-round pick, limits what other picks they can trade.

They also have the right to swap first-round picks with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2029 (top-three protected). Considering that all three of the Clippers’ stars are in their mid-30s and two of them are set to become free agents after a disappointing first-round exit, those could wind up being valuable swap rights.

Additionally, the Sixers can currently trade the following second-round draft picks:

  • 2027 Bucks pick
  • 2028 Pistons pick (top-55 protected)
  • 2029 Sixers pick
  • 2030 Sixers pick

They can’t trade their 2027 or 2028 second-round picks for now because they’re tied up conditionally in the first-round picks that they owe to the Spurs and Nets. If their 2025 first-round pick conveys to the Spurs next summer, they will be able to trade their 2027 second-round pick afterward. The same goes for their 2028 second-round pick if their 2027 or 2028 first-rounder conveys to the Nets.

If you found this page useful, please bookmark it and/or share, and if you have any questions or information you’d like to see included, let us know in the comments below!

2024: NBA Draft: Sixers reportedly agree with Memphis’ David Jones on two-way deal nba,draft,sixers,reportedly,agree,with,memphis,david,jones,on,two,way,deal,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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The Sixers made out well in the 2024 NBA Draft, selecting Duke’s Jared McCain 16th overall and UCLA big man Adem Bona 41st. They also moved quickly to sign Philly native and Kentucky product Justin Edwards to a two-way deal.

Daryl Morey and company aren’t quite done yet. The Sixers are reportedly signing Memphis wing David Jones to a two-way deal. The news was first reported by Keith Pompey of The Inquirer.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Jones moved to the United States to attend high school in West Virginia and play basketball. He spent parts of two seasons at DePaul before transferring to St. John’s, but his final season playing for the Tigers was his best collegiate season.

In 2023-24, Jones averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He also averaged 2.2 steals per game. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well at the start of his college career, but hit 38.0% on over six attempts per game from three last season. His free throw percentage went up each year, meaning the improvement could be real.

After taking an undersized guard in McCain and a big in Bona, Morey scooped up two wings on the open market. It’s surely a coincidence, but Jones is a lefty like Edwards. Jones is an interesting prospect with his shot improvement plus his rebounding and steal numbers on the wing.

The Summer Sixers should have a fun roster with the players that have been added over the past couple days in addition to Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith.

2024 NBA Draft: In the second round, Sixers select UCLA big man Adem Bona at pick 41 nba,draft,in,the,second,round,sixers,select,ucla,big,man,adem,bona,at,pick,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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In the first day two of NBA Draft history Thursday, the Sixers took UCLA big man Adem Bona with the 41st overall pick.

He averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for the Bruins last season. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.

In Bona, the Sixers acquire arguably the best athlete in the draft. He had the highest standing vertical of any player at the NBA Draft Combine. He also has legitimate NBA size at 6-foot-8 (without shoes) and a freakish 7-4 wingspan. He’s a strong rim protector, but also possesses the ability to switch on the perimeter.

Bona is a native of Nigeria, but moved to Turkey at the age of 13 to pursue basketball. He moved to the U.S. to play high school basketball at Prolific Prep in California. He was a five-star recruit and committed to UCLA, where he spent two seasons.

He’s raw, but Bona is one of the most physically gifted players in the draft class. As Daryl Morey has made clear, he’s going to take the best player available, regardless of fit or age.

A side note: this is the pick the Sixers acquired in the deal that sent Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics at the trade deadline.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers selected Duke’s Jared McCain 16th overall. While there are still plenty of moving parts ahead of the start free agency Sunday, we might have some roster clarity. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will be here. For now, so are McCain and Bona.

2024 NBA Draft: Sixers sign Philly native, UDFA Justin Edwards to two-way deal nba,draft,sixers,sign,philly,native,udfa,justin,edwards,to,two,way,deal,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Now that the 2024 NBA Draft is complete, the Sixers turn their attention to the undrafted free agent market.

The team moved quickly, agreeing to a two-way deal with Philly native and Kentucky product Justin Edwards, a source confirmed to Liberty Ballers. Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report the news.

Edwards was named Pennsylvania’s Mr. Basketball in 2023 after leading Imhotep to a second straight state championship. Joined by Camden’s D.J. Wagner, he was part of yet another impressive recruiting class for Kentucky. The 6-foot-8 wing was a consensus five-star recruit with multiple outlets considering him a top-three player in the country.

Though Edwards came to college with much fanfare, he had an inconsistent one-and-done year with the Wildcats. In his lone season in Lexington, the 20-year-old Edwards averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with 48.6/36.5/77.6 shooting splits. He was overshadowed by fifth-year senior Antonio Reeves and a pair of top-10 picks in Reed Sheppard (No. 3 overall, Houston Rockets) and Rob Dillingham (No. 8 overall, Minnesota Timberwolves (via trade)).

In Edwards, the Sixers get a long wing with a smooth lefty shooting strike. He’ll have to refine the rest of his game, but he’s absolutely the type of player worthy of a two-way spot. At this time last year, Daryl Morey and the front office landed Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith as undrafted free agents. Council earned minutes as a rookie and Smith shined in the G League for the Delaware Blue Coats.

This should add even more intrigue to the team’s Summer League team. Expect Council and Smith to join the newly-acquired Edwards, Jared McCain and Adem Bona in Vegas and Utah.

2024 NBA Draft: 5 prospects the Sixers could target in the second round nba,draft,prospects,the,sixers,could,target,in,the,second,round,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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We’ve made it to the first ever second day of the NBA Draft.

On Wednesday night, the Sixers somewhat surprisingly stood pat at 16 and took Duke’s Jared McCain. McCain is an intriguing prospect with a great story that should fit well.

On Thursday, Daryl Morey and company hold the 41st pick. While the 2024 draft doesn’t feature much in the way of star power, there are a lot of intriguing role players — even in round two.

Let’s look at five prospects that could make sense for the Sixers.

KJ Simpson

With the Sixers taking an undersized guard in the first round, would they take another in the second? Much like McCain, the only true knock on Simpson is his size. He was awesome for Colorado last season, averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Like McCain he was lethal three-point shooter (43.4%) on high volume (4.9 attempts).

What he lacks in size Simpson makes up for by being an absolute dog on the defensive end of the floor. Unlike McCain, Simpson is a floor general, capable of setting up the offense and facilitating at a high level. He has that bulldog mentality that Nick Nurse seems to covet in his point guards. After getting some late first-round buzz pre-draft, Simpson would be a steal at 41.

Bobi Klintman

Another player that some thought would go in the first round, size is not an issue for Klintman. The Swedish wing stands at nearly 6-foot-10 and has an intriguing skillset. Though his shooting numbers weren’t elite during his year at Wake Forest or his season spent in the NBL, Klintman has a smooth stroke and can easily fire over the top of defenders with a high release.

He’ll need to refine the rest of his offensive game to survive on the wing, but there are flashes. He’s also not an elite athlete, but his length can make up for a lot of that defensively. He has the makings of a hyper versatile 3-and-D player.

Harrison Ingram

Ingram spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Stanford before transferring to North Carolina. He almost feels like a throwback power forward, measuring at 6-foot-6 and 233 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. Ingram has a multi-faceted offensive game, at times serving as a playmaking hub. He also shot the ball really well last season, hitting 38.5% on 4.6 threes per game.

While he isn’t the most athletic player, his length and strength make him viable in different defensive matchups. He’s also a strong rebounder, pulling down 8.8 boards per game last season. He’s savvy player that could fit on just about any team if the shooting translates.

Pelle Larsson

Larsson is a player we didn’t actually get the chance to profile at LB (sorry, only so much bandwidth!), but that I really enjoyed watching. His shot was sort of inconsistent during his time at Arizona, but he hit 42.6 from deep last season on over three attempts a game. The Swedish guard has a pretty diverse offensive skillset. He’s a legit 6-foot-5 and can dribble, pass, shoot and finish at the rim.

He tested well athletically at the combine and held his own defensively at the collegiate level. He slides his feet well and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in there physically. The biggest thing with Larsson is there aren’t many holes in his game. The only knock is he’s a little older at 23. Frankly, I’m a little surprised he’s not being talked about more.

Jalen Bridges

Bridges started his career at West Virginia before transferring to Baylor. During his redshirt senior year, he emerged as a terrific 3-and-D wing. Standing at 6-foot-7 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, Bridges possesses the size and athleticism to be a terrific NBA wing defender. While his three ball wasn’t great for much of his collegiate career, he knocked down 41.2% on over five shots per game from deep. He’s always been a good free throw shooter, so the improvement seems real.

Like Larsson, one of the knocks on Bridges will be his age. There might not be a ton of upside for him as a playmaker or creator, but 3-and-D wings are hard to come by and he has all the makings of one.

2024 NBA Draft: Jared McCain’s fit with Sixers’ stars a big draw nba,draft,jared,mccain,s,fit,with,sixers,stars,a,big,draw,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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Heading into this year’s NBA draft, one of the bigger questions for the Philadelphia 76ers was whether they would even keep the 16th overall pick, or trade it away for a player perhaps better suited to help the team win immediately. However, with Jared McCain still on the board, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey decided to stay put, holding the belief that the Duke guard would help infuse the franchise with youth while also being able to contribute during the 2024-25 season.

One of the biggest reasons is how McCain’s game will complement Sixers stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, helping make their lives easier. During his press availability, Morey discussed the fit between his newest draftee and those All-Stars, first addressing concerns about a Maxey-McCain backcourt being small:

“I think that’s a valid concern. Obviously your backcourt, in a perfect world, you’d have taller. But I think you have to compensate that with strength. He’s got a strong frame — very strong. Good rebounder. We think he’ll be a solid defender in the league over time. He started off at Duke … he was being targeted at Duke and as the season went on, he became someone that was actually one of their better defenders. He’s got the attitude that Coach Nurse likes to bring, which is just get a little bit better every day. He’s got a 95th percentile approach to the game — teammate, work ethic. We’ve had some good luck taking the kids with a real base of potential and a strong work ethic. We were really happy. I’m excited for Philadelphia to get to know him.”

Morey also mentioned how McCain’s shooting will benefit the team:

“We really value shooting given the rest of the roster — especially Joel. We just think Joel’s unguardable when he has shooting around him. It doesn’t mean we don’t put tough-nosed guys out there. … I mean, early on, obviously Jared’s not going to be playing with Maxey a whole lot. It’s just hard for a rookie, but that elite shooting from two guys out on the floor is pretty hard to guard, and both of them make it really tough on if you try to guard them tight. I don’t have to sell Tyrese Maxey, but Jared can attack a closeout and make a play.”

During his own press availability in Brooklyn after being selected by Philadelphia, McCain also responded to questions about playing alongside Embiid and Maxey (quotes courtesy of NBA Public Relations).

“During all your career, you have been an excellent scorer, catch-and-shoot off the screen, and now you have the opportunity to play alongside one of the best big men in the league right now. Talk about the chemistry with Joel Embiid.”

“Yeah, I’m just excited to learn from him, learn from both Maxey and him. Obviously they are elite scorers, so I think I can space the floor and create space for them. I’m excited to get to know them and learn as much as possible from them.”

“I wanted to ask you about Maxey. He’s an extremely hard worker and I know how hard you work, too. I know you two are probably going to be fighting to go to the gym together. Talk about that, playing with Maxey, being able to space the floor. And was it a surprise going to Philly? I feel like a lot of people had you going here and felt like this was a great fit. Was it a surprise to you as well, too?”

“Yeah, I’m excited. Obviously Maxey, I’ve heard great things (about) him. Watching him on the court, he’s an elite player. Being able to play alongside him and learn from him. On draft night, there’s surprises everywhere. So I didn’t know where I was going. I tried not to get attached to any teams. So yeah, I guess it is a surprise, but I’m happy to be here.”

McCain seems like an easy guy to root for, and if his 41.4 percent three-point shooting at Duke carries over to the NBA level, he’ll certainly help the Sixers this season. We’ll hopefully get a first look at him in a Sixers uniform within the next couple weeks during Summer League action.

2024 NBA Draft: Sixers select Duke sharpshooter Jared McCain nba,draft,sixers,select,duke,sharpshooter,jared,mccain,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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The Sixers on Wednesday took Duke sharpshooter Jared McCain with the 16th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The board fell in Philly’s favor with McCain and Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht both available. Ultimately the Sixers likely favored McCain’s upside at 20 years old as opposed to the 23-year-old Knecht.

In McCain, the Sixers get a player that shot 41.1% on 5.8 attempts from three in his lone season with the Blue Devils. The California native averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

While he’s undersized for a two guard at 6-foot-2, his scoring savvy, feel and defensive instincts make him an intriguing prospect. He’s also known for his hustle, making winning plays all over the court.

The long-term fit with Tyrese Maxey is questionable, but Daryl Morey and company likely felt McCain was too talented to pass up. Looking back on Morey’s draft record, he’s always been more likely to take the best player available — regardless of age or fit.

While it might be a bit surprising that the Sixers chose to keep the pick, perhaps the opportunities available in trades weren’t as good as simply taking McCain. The Sixers hold pick No. 41 in the second round, which will take place Thursday.

2024 NBA Draft: first round thread nba,draft,first,round,thread,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-news,76ers-discussion-threads,76ers-draft-rumors-news

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It’s that time. The 2024 NBA Draft is upon us and Daryl Morey will be on the clock at pick No. 16.

Will the Sixers make a pick in the 2024 NBA Draft? Check out our full list of prospect profiles here, as our team (Harrison Grimm and Paul Hudrick having led the charge especially) has already put in a ton of homework scouting prospects.

Fans are holding their breath wondering what the heck the Sixers might be planning this offseason. Tonight they could make a selection, trade up or back, trade out of the first round entirely, or even make a pick with a future trade in mind. Nothing feels off the table at this point.

Your chat thread for night one of the draft is here. Game on.

Who: Philadelphia 76ers : pick No. 16, Day two: pick No. 41

When: 8:00 p.m. EST

Where: Barclays Center in New York

Watch: ABC, ESPN

Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

Follow: @LibertyBallers