Tag: mma betting

2024 NBA free agency: Sixers interested in signing Marcus Morris nba,free,agency,sixers,interested,in,signing,marcus,morris,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

On: By: admin


As NBA free agency continues, with various role players still up for grabs, the Sixers are looking to improve their forward depth. They’ve already had discussions with two Heat free agents in Caleb Martin and former Sixer Haywood Highsmith, and now another former Sixer has entered the mix.

As Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported, the Sixers have expressed interest in signing Marcus Morris.

According to Pompey, the Pistons, Hornets, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Heat, and Timberwolves have also expressed some interest in Morris.

Morris spent 37 games with the Sixers last season, before being sent to San Antonio as part of the Buddy Hield trade. Morris was waived soon after and went on to sign with the Cavs for the rest of the season. During his short stretch in Philadelphia, Morris averaged 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds with a 40 percent stroke from three in 17.2 minutes per game.

For a team that still needs help at the 4 and could benefit from having some extra size and shooting there, the 6-foot-8 Morris makes a little sense. He’s shot 40.3 percent from three over the last five years on solid volume, and could bring a touch of rebounding. But the positives pretty much run out there. At nearly 35 years of age, Morris is slowing down even more and was clearly an issue on defense with the Sixers already last season. He struggled to keep in front of anyone with much pace and failed to stay engaged and be in the right spots off the ball too often.

If Morris is just an end-of-bench piece for the regular season as a shooter with size, fine. He shouldn’t cost more than a minimum deal either. But if he’s being considered as a notable rotation piece or a candidate to play in the playoffs, the Sixers should look elsewhere at this point.

Both Martin and Highsmith are much better targets, with the latter having the ability to help play more at the 4. In terms of talent and general two-way reliability, there’s no doubt those two should be targeted over Morris.

Report: Warriors in ‘serious talks’ to acquire Sixers’ Buddy Hield via sign-and-trade report,warriors,in,serious,talks,to,acquire,sixers,buddy,hield,via,sign,and,trade,liberty,ballers,front-page

On: By: admin


The Sixers are still basking in the afterglow of having signed Paul George. But doing so — offering the 34 year-old small forward out of Fresno, a $212M four-year contract, has left them in a bit of a cap crunch. They were able to lock up Tyrese Maxey on a $204M deal of his own, one that the first-time All-Star deserved.

But the reason the team was able to sign PG in the first place was because they didn’t take on any long-term salary either last offseason, or around the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline.

Our Paul Hudrick wrote about the guts it took Daryl Morey to thread the needle there, doing what it took to help the team last season, without costing themselves the chance to pursue bigger fish last week.

One “needle-thread” move they did make, however, was when they acquired former Kings, and Pacers guard, Buddy Hield last February. Hield had his moments in a Sixers’ uni, but once Joel Embiid went down with a torn meniscus, he didn’t really deliver what coach Nick Nurse was hoping for.

And now it appears as if the Bahama Mamba may be departing for the Golden State Warriors.

Per Shams Charania, of The Athletic and FanDuelTV:

We’ve yet to get more details, but you can be sure that Philadelphia would love to recoup any type of asset, even if it were merely a future second-round pick or a trade exception.

We won’t expect miracles here but anything like that would be better than letting Hield, acquired for a couple of second-round picks, (while also parting ways with Marcus Morris, Sr. and Furkan Korkmaz in a three team trade that also included the San Antonio Spurs) walk for nothing return.

The Golden State Warriors recently bid fairwell to future Hall of Famer, Klay Thompson, a four-time champion with The Dubs, so apparently their newish front office wanted to bolster the shooters that Steph Curry can work with.

Earlier on Tuesday, current Warrior, Draymond Green shared his thoughts on the Warriors push to land Paul George that fell apart when the Clippers didn’t want to play ball with a Conference rival. That was just one of the things Daryl Morey and the Sixers needed to go their way.

Philly still has a few first-rounders and some cap space to work with. There was recently a report from Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto that Philadelphia could be interested in acquiring Brooklyn Nets’ wing Dorian Finney-Smith, or potentially Warriors’ Lester Quinones.

So we’ll see if LQ might not be exchanged for Hield. The Sixers have already had sad goodbyes with De’Anthony Melton (a Warrior) and Nico Batum (a Clipper once again). Now it sounds as if Buddy could be bound for the Warriors, joining Melton.

2024 NBA free agency: After landing Paul George, Sixers’ surge to second overall in 2025 title odds nba,free,agency,after,landing,paul,george,sixers,surge,to,second,overall,in,title,odds,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,draftkings,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

On: By: admin


In the wee hours of the night here on the East Coast, the Philadelphia 76ers were making it rain. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped the bombshell scoop that Paul George is signing a four-year $212M deal, with a player option for the 2027-2028 season, with the Philadelphia 76ers. Not long after that we learned that All-Star Tyrese Maxey was receiving a max extension and the team was also retaining last season’s stellar minimum level acquisition wing Kelly Oubre, Jr. on a new team-friendly deal. Big Penguin Andre Drummond is back on board, and Morey lands another one of his favorite former Rockets in Eric Gordon too.

Having utilized cap space for the nine-time All-Star George, Philadelphia still has the No. 16 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, sniper Jared McCain, the No. 41 overall pick, Adem Bona, an absolute freak athlete which he proved at the NBA pre-draft combine, plus the 76ers still possess four more future first-round picks to work with, and swaps.

We owe so much of it to our beloved Tyrese:

Tobias Harris is finally gone, landing big money to play for the Detroit Pistons (addition by subtraction?)

And they’ll look to round out the rest of the roster with a bit of remaining cap space before exceeding the cap by fleshing out the rest of the roster with veteran’s minimum deals for ring-chasing stars who can expect a fair amount of playing time — on such a now top-heavy roster.

Per Woj:

“George and his agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA, met in Los Angeles with a 76ers contingent that included owner Josh Harris, president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand and Sixers legend Julius Erving, sources said. The Sixers even brought a front office executive, Peter Dinwiddie, who is a familiar face and friend of George’s from their years together with the Indiana Pacers, sources said.

The meeting came on the heels of months of unsuccessful negotiations between George and the LA Clippers on a deal to stay in his Southern California home.”

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and the gangs’ odds on Draft Kings were around +1000 back when we thought there was a chance they might sign George.

Then their odds dropped precipitously to +1400 when Shams Charania reported the Sixers’ interest in the six-time All-NBA teamer had “significantly waned.”

It also didn’t help the Sixers’ cause when the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, and were soon able to retain OG Anunoby.

But by the time many of us woke up Monday morning, odds makers’ opinions of the current NBA hierarchy had shifted dramatically. Daryl Morey’s group has now peaked at +800, pushing the Knicks’ down from +800 to +950, following their loss of Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Boston Celtics have re-signed Derrick White, and even though Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss significant time as he rehabs from surgery, the reigning champs are still given a massive edge, +295.

The Celtics’ implied odds to win the 2024-2025 title are now around 25 percent. Philadelphia’s are near 11 percent. As many of you might remember, Morey said that if you have about a five percent chance it makes sense to cash in your future picks to go for it. Well, if that’s still the case, possessing an implied 11 percent should certainly entice him to keep looking to add firepower.

We’ll see how this plays out because it’s gotta be relatively unprecedented for a team that basically only has a handful of players (e.g. Embiid, Maxey, George, Drummond, Gordon, Oubre, Jr. McCain, Bona) in tow to be favored so heavily. So we’ll pay close attention to what happens with the final few roster spots. One name to watch could be veteran guard Reggie Bullock (pronounced Bull-LOCK which likely helps him lock up opposing guards).

The former Knick and Maverick is meeting with the Sixers and head coach Nick Nurse should be able to sell some helpful connective vets by offering a key role on a now true title contender.

2024 NBA free agency: Report: Nicolas Batum will not return to Sixers nba,free,agency,report,nicolas,batum,will,not,return,to,sixers,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-news,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

On: By: admin


Update, July 1, 2:42 p.m.: Former Sixer Nicolas Batum will reportedly sign with the LA Clippers, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

It sounds like forward Nico Batum will not be returning to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Athletic’s Houston Rockets’ Insider, Kelly Iko, broke the scoop at the start of free agency. Philadelphia is in a holding pattern as they’re set to meet with Clippers’ unrestricted free agent Paul George. If they’re able to land PG on a $212M max, it would mean the belt starts to get very tight. So does that mean there simply isn’t enough money left over to retain the ideal role player? Are the Rockets swooping in to pay Batum more than the Sixers believe they’ll be able to afford?

Things are still a mystery because I think most Sixers fans expected the team to come to an agreement with Batum, who Joel Embiid specifically, has stated on numerous occasions he loves playing with.

Batum became almost indispensable the moment he joined the Sixers via the James Harden trade. The French native was perhaps the smartest player to ever play alongside Embiid. Batum’s ability to throw entry passes alone was invaluable, not to mention his three-point shooting, hyper versatile defense and ability to get his hands on tons of loose balls. He became a super glue guy for a team that desperately needed one.

We even got a Nico Batum Game in the Sixers’ first ever Play-In Game.

If there was one person who surely pushed for the team to re-sign Batum, it was Embiid. The two had lockers next to each other and there appeared to be an instant bond. Remember, Embiid is fluent in French and also possesses French citizenship.

While Batum was speaking with reporters after the team’s Game 6 loss, Embiid made sure to let the 35-year-old he had to come back for the 2024-25 season. There was some speculation though that Batum could retire after his run with the French national team at the Paris Olympics this summer.

It appears — despite Philly’s best efforts — Batum felt it was the right time to walk away or simply saw a better opportunity elsewhere.

“I could feel the passion of this city for sports, for the Sixers, and I fit right away,” Batum said after the Sixers’ final game. “Those fans … when you get booed, I said, ‘OK, get right. It’s tough right now, so you’ve got to play better.’ Like I said, this city’s not for everybody. They’re happy, I think. I tried my best. … It was fun. I’m sorry, guys, that we couldn’t have a better playoff run. You guys showed up and that was amazing tonight. The support was great.”

The Sixers will have serious work to do to replace Batum’s production on the court — with a player they hope Embiid will be equally as happy to have on board. If the Sixers whiff on George, there would have been ample spend to retain Batum. So maybe this is a sign that something big is about to happen. Or maybe another team was just quick enough to sneak in before Nico was willing to wait on Philadelphia’s potential offer.

2024 NBA free agency: Report: Nicolas Batum will not return to Sixers nba,free,agency,report,nicolas,batum,will,not,return,to,sixers,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-news,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

On: By: admin


It sounds like forward Nico Batum will not be returning to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Athletic’s Houston Rockets’ Insider, Kelly Iko, broke the scoop at the start of free agency. Philadelphia is in a holding pattern as they’re set to meet with Clippers’ unrestricted free agent Paul George. If they’re able to land PG on a $212M max, it would mean the belt starts to get very tight. So does that mean there simply isn’t enough money left over to retain the ideal role player? Are the Rockets swooping in to pay Batum more than the Sixers believe they’ll be able to afford?

Things are still a mystery because I think most Sixers fans expected the team to come to an agreement with Batum, who Joel Embiid specifically, has stated on numerous occasions he loves playing with.

Batum became almost indispensable the moment he joined the Sixers via the James Harden trade. The French native was perhaps the smartest player to ever play alongside Embiid. Batum’s ability to throw entry passes alone was invaluable, not to mention his three-point shooting, hyper versatile defense and ability to get his hands on tons of loose balls. He became a super glue guy for a team that desperately needed one.

We even got a Nico Batum Game in the Sixers’ first ever Play-In Game.

If there was one person who surely pushed for the team to re-sign Batum, it was Embiid. The two had lockers next to each other and there appeared to be an instant bond. Remember, Embiid is fluent in French and also possesses French citizenship.

While Batum was speaking with reporters after the team’s Game 6 loss, Embiid made sure to let the 35-year-old he had to come back for the 2024-25 season. There was some speculation though that Batum could retire after his run with the French national team at the Paris Olympics this summer.

It appears — despite Philly’s best efforts — Batum felt it was the right time to walk away or simply saw a better opportunity elsewhere.

“I could feel the passion of this city for sports, for the Sixers, and I fit right away,” Batum said after the Sixers’ final game. “Those fans … when you get booed, I said, ‘OK, get right. It’s tough right now, so you’ve got to play better.’ Like I said, this city’s not for everybody. They’re happy, I think. I tried my best. … It was fun. I’m sorry, guys, that we couldn’t have a better playoff run. You guys showed up and that was amazing tonight. The support was great.”

The Sixers will have serious work to do to replace Batum’s production on the court — with a player they hope Embiid will be equally as happy to have on board. If the Sixers whiff on George, there would have been ample spend to retain Batum. So maybe this is a sign that something big is about to happen. Or maybe another team was just quick enough to sneak in before Nico was willing to wait on Philadelphia’s potential offer.

Source: Sixers do not extend qualifying offer to guard Terquavion Smith, making him an unrestricted free agent source,sixers,do,not,extend,qualifying,offer,to,guard,terquavion,smith,making,him,an,unrestricted,free,agent,liberty,ballers,front-page,76ers-news

On: By: admin


The Sixers will not extend a qualifying offer to Terquavion Smith, a source tells Liberty Ballers. That means the two-way guard becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Signed as an undrafted free agent out of NC State last year, Smith did show flashes with his high-volume shooting and microwave scoring. In 22 games for the Delaware Blue Coats last season, Smith averaged 23.1 points in 31.1 minutes per game while shooting 37.1% from three on a preposterous 10.5 attempts per game.

With the Sixers decimated by injuries, Smith did get a cup of coffee with the big club. Across 16 NBA games, Smith shot 37.1% from deep on 14.9(!) attempts per 36 minutes.

While we did get a few “Terq Time” moments and flashes, there were obvious concerns about Smith’s frame and how he’d hold up getting NBA minutes. Still, this move feels like it’s more about flexibility than any sort of referendum on Smith.

With the Sixers moving quickly to sign UDFA wings Justin Edwards and David Jones to two-way deals, it feels like that third two-way spot will eventually go to second-round pick, Adem Bona. And with first-rounder Jared McCain in the fold as undersized off guard that’s a high-volume three-point shooter, Smith might be redundant.

It was reported by The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey Saturday that the team will also decline point guard Jeff Dowtin, Jr.’s team option, making him an unrestricted free agent as well. Dowtin was a solid depth ball handler last season. We can’t rule out a possible return, but Daryl Morey is clearly choosing to keep all options open amid the team’s pursuit of Paul George.

NBA free agency kicks off at 6 p.m. Sunday when teams are allowed to contact free agents.

Paul George-Sixers free agency rumor tracker: Where will the nine-time All-Star end up? paul,george,sixers,free,agency,rumor,tracker,where,will,the,nine,time,all,star,end,up,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-free-agency,76ers-analysis,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news,nba-rumors-news

On: By: admin


Buckle up Sixers’ fans.

Paul George has opted out of his $48.7M player option and is set to take some meetings this weekend. What the SoCal native decides to ultimately do next will begin a chain of dominoes around the NBA. Reports indicate he will meet with the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers sometime after 6 p.m. Sunday once rival teams can make their pitches to UFAs.

Teams like the Sixers and Magic can offer George up to $212M on a four-year deal. Because of the NBA’s over 38 rule, the Clippers can only offer him up to a max salary beginning in the same range, although L.A. — possessing PG’s Bird Rights — can offer 8 percent raises increasing the total to $221M. But they don’t seem to have any interest in even offering him a fourth year so far. Whether or not that’s a bluff and they’ll cave to his demands is yet to be determined.

Players like Klay Thompson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, DeMar DeRozan and a handful of multi-billion dollar franchises’ fates hang in the balance of what’s the 2024 summer version of “The Decision.”

George was rumored to be considering an extension with the Clippers at multiple points during this season and offseason. More recently, we also learned that he was considering opting in and seeking a trade. Well, neither of those materialized, and perhaps Daryl Morey and the Sixers’ $60M in cap space might have appeal, along with stars in place like Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Here we’ll track some of the latest rumors before he makes his big decision.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, appearing on Sports Center:

Per Woj:

“Paul George has had a year to negotiate a deal with the Clippers that he wants to take and they’ve gone back and forth, certainly in the last several months…. He wants that fourth year on his contract, the Clippers have not offered it. And certainly he’s looking at that Clipper roster and asking himself too ‘are we a championship contender?’ All other factors. I think being in Southern California and being part of the Clippers as they go into the new Intuit Dome, I think those are things that are still very appealing to him but Philadelphia out in the marketplace, Orlando to an extent out in the marketplace for him, can offer him that fourth year. And Philadelphia certainly. Is there a clear path in the Eastern Conference to try to win? Although you still have to be able to go through Boston and Philly sees Paul George as a player that can help them get through the Celtics.”

According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, there is more than a bit of room for optimism here.

Per Pompey:

“Sources believe Philly is the frontrunner to acquire the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder. However, the Orlando Magic, another potential destination, cleared up available cap space to offer the max. And you have to wonder if he’ll remain in Los Angeles if the Clippers give into his demands for a fourth year….If he comes to Philly, sources believe George will help recruit solid role players for the Sixers’ pursuit of an NBA championship-caliber roster.”

If the Sixers whiff on PG, they may continue to look at names above like KCP and Klay as free agents, although Thompson has now been connected with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Pompey adds that Brandon Ingram is another possibility via trade:

“But the Pelicans are “unlikely” to offer a maximum salary and will look to trade him if no deal is reached. However, their asking price has been steep.”

The problem there is that Ingram isn’t as good as George, and would cost them significant draft capital to acquire. What more they can add with those picks should PG sign into Philly’s cap space will definitely be part of Daryl Morey’s pitch to George this weekend.

Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report thinks the Sixers are a legitimate threat in this race.

Monte Poole with NBCS, who covers the Golden State Warriors, believes the Clippers still have the inside track here.

With this much interest around the NBA, I can’t help but wonder if the Clippers don’t find SOME number in between their current three-year bid and the four-year max Philly and Orlando will likely offer — ultimately retaining PG.

Heck, the Clippers could always sign him and then turn around and try to trade him before February’s 2025 NBA Trade Deadline in exchange for some draft picks and maybe a young player or an expiring contract at least then, right? That all seems better than nothing. But then again, maybe PG would remember what happened once to Blake Griffin (signing a max then quickly getting shipped off to Detroit) and worry he’d later land somewhere far less preferable than Philadelphia and their live title aspirations.

If I were PG, weather, and family aside, I’d head to the Sixers. He’s already considered one of the best to ever do it. A championship ring on his finger would vault him way up that all-time ladder, and since Morey would still have up to four first-round picks to play around with, this would be his best chance to get there, in our biased opinion.

Game on.

We will continue to update this post as news develops over what’s set to become a landmark weekend for the Joel Embiid era.

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

On: By: admin


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.

Report: ‘Jimmy Butler plans to be back with the Miami Heat’ even if no extension this offseason report,jimmy,butler,plans,to,be,back,with,the,miami,heat,even,if,no,extension,this,offseason,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-trade-rumors,76ers-free-agency-rumors-news

On: By: admin


It appears the options are flying off the board for the Sixers in a hurry.

Former Sixer Jimmy Butler will reportedly not seek a trade this offseason despite not yet coming to an agreement on a max extension with the Miami Heat. ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst discussed Butler’s situation on The Pat McAfee show Wednesday.

As Windy notes, Butler has a player option for the 2025-26 season, so he will be in a similar spot to James Harden last summer and Paul George right now. If he leads Miami on another deep playoff run, he could very well still cash in another big payday at age 35.

It’s also been reported that All-Star Bam Adebayo is planning to sign a three-year maximum extension with the Heat, locking in Butler’s primary running mate.

Butler never totally seemed like a realistic option, but with more clarity there, along with the increasing likelihood George doesn’t leave the West Coast, the options are getting slimmer for the Sixers.

The Sixers’ top trade candidate after the Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Nets Tuesday night is likely the Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram. Several reports have mentioned New Orleans shopping the one-time All-Star and he has been linked to the Sixers. Beyond that, it feels like the Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen is a pipe dream — though there was no real sense Bridges would get moved either.

In free agency, it seems like OG Anunoby could still be in play despite reports suggesting that the Knicks would like to keep him, even after the Bridges trade. The Sixers have also been linked to the Nuggets’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Could Daryl Morey look to add Anunoby and KCP to give head coach Nick Nurse elite tools for his defensive schemes?

The are still lots of possibilities for the Sixers ahead of the NBA draft and the start of free agency, but it appears a Jimmy Butler reunion is not one of them.

Sixers NBA mock draft roundup: Could Rob Dillingham fall? What about Jared McCain? sixers,nba,mock,draft,roundup,could,rob,dillingham,fall,what,about,jared,mccain,liberty,ballers,front-page,nba-draft,76ers-draft-rumors-news

On: By: admin


Well, Tuesday’s late-night Woj bomb was certainly a downer. In case you missed it, the New York Knicks gave up a massive draft pick haul to land the Brooklyn Nets’ Mikal Bridges. The price was steep, but man, it makes the team that just eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs even better.

Onto happier things.

The Sixers actually have draft picks this year! They possess a first-rounder (No. 16) and second-rounder (No. 41). While a trade is very much in play for pick 16, Daryl Morey and company could have a few intriguing options fall into their laps.

With that in mind, we rounded up all the latest mock drafts from a few of our trusted sources.

Could Dillingham really slide to 16?

Why do Kentucky guards always slide in the draft? The 2024 version of that appears to be Rob Dillingham. Both Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and the folks over at No Ceilings have the dynamic guard slipping all the way to 16.

Per Vecenie (who is the best in business in this writer’s humble opinion):

“Philadelphia has cleared significant cap space to go star-hunting, so, if the right deal becomes available, this pick could be used to further that goal. … The 76ers will likely take a ‘best player available’ approach under Daryl Morey if they keep the pick.

“Dillingham averaged 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game this past season while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 44.4 percent from 3. He maintains control well despite playing at a fast pace, using a bevy of crossovers and well-timed hesitation moves to maximize his speed. Evaluators are confident he’ll be able to separate from his man in the NBA.”

Analysis: I’ve long held the belief that the Sixers will move this pick one way or another — the most likely option being a trade down to acquire more draft capital. But if a player as special as Dillingham drops, Morey has to consider it. The knocks on Dillingham are his size and his defense (kind of related), but he is an elite shot creator that can also really shoot it. A long-term Maxey-Dillingham backcourt is risky, but my goodness, would it be dynamic offensively.

McCain is an exciting option if he slips

Chances are Dillingham will go before 16, but if he slips at all, it could mean other guards are slipping as well. ESPN and Bleacher Report both have the Sixers snagging Duke sharpshooter Jared McCain at 16.

Per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:

“The Sixers are known to have conducted only a handful of workouts, possibly the fewest of any team drafting in the first round. That info has caused some speculation that this pick could be on the move, depending on which player falls to No. 16.

Regardless of who is picking, McCain has an easy niche he can fill in the NBA with his scoring versatility, basketball instincts, competitiveness and smarts, making him an attractive option for teams drafting in this range.”

Analysis: While McCain might not be in the same category as Dillingham, he’s pretty damn special in his own right. Like Dillingham, size will be the issue — McCain is a 6-foot-2 two guard with a 6-3 wingspan. But as Givony states above, McCain should be able to overcome his disadvantages because he’s an elite shooter with amazing feel. He also fights like hell on defense and is a smart team defender. Again, if he’s there, the Sixers have to consider simply taking him.

Walter is an elite 3-and-D starter kit

If Dillingham and McCain go off the board before 16 — much like they did in the SB Nation community mock draft — Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter could prove to be the best player available. Krysten Peek of Yahoo and Tankathon have the Sixers drafting the high-volume shooting wing.

Per Peek:

“Walter’s game translates better to the NBA than what scouts saw from him in college. He has good size at the guard position and elite shooting mechanics. With the spacing of the NBA game, it’ll free him more as a shooting threat with how well Tyrese Maxey plays with the ball in his hands and how much space Joel Embiid commands in the paint.”

Analysis: If the board falls this way, Morey would have to seriously consider a trade back. Still, Walter is plenty intriguing. He was a five-star recruit joining Baylor and he can really shoot it. He also has the makings of an elite defender. The floor is a high-level 3-and-D dog. He’s still just 19, so there’s a chance he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his ceiling yet.

Da Silva the safe pick

Rounding out our look around the mock draftosphere is Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. KOC has the Sixers taking Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, maybe one of the safest picks in the draft.

Per KOC:

Da Silva is one of the safer bets to find success in the NBA because of his two-way abilities, and the Sixers could use his size and versatility no matter what they end up doing in free agency.

Analysis: Despite his banging on the table for Killian Hayes a couple years back, KOC typically provides good draft analysis. In this instance I couldn’t disagree more. When has Morey ever drafted a “safe” player? He’s always been much more prone to target the best player available and upside. Da Silva at 16 feels like a reach. That’s not even a knock on the player, who I think has excellent glue guy potential. It just doesn’t line up with Morey’s draft record.