Philadelphia 76ers Rumors: Buying or Selling Gossip Ahead of 2015 NBA Draft
Being a Philadelphia 76ers fan comes with an overload of nerves and excitement when figuring out if you should be buying or selling the 2015 NBA draft gossip.
The Sixers are loaded heading into Thursday's event, as they have the No. 3 pick in the first round along with five second-rounders.
The sheer amount of second-round selections is intriguing for a number of reasons. The first and most obvious is that if Philadelphia takes five different people in the final round of the draft, then there's a much better chance of one working out down the line.
Add in the possibility of being able to package multiple picks as part of a potential trade, and it's easy to see why the anticipation for the upcoming draft is high.
We also have to think about the man behind the scenes: Sam Hinkie.
There isn't another general manager who's as ready to pull off a blockbuster type of deal if he believes it's in the best interest of the team.
With all the rumors continuing to swirl as we get closer to draft night, here's a look at which ones we should be buying and which ones we should be selling.
D'Angelo Russell Actually Wants to Play in Philly After All
News broke about D'Angelo Russell canceling his initial workout with the Sixers because of sickness, and any silence left in the City of Brotherly Love turned into an orchestra of sound.
ProBasketballTalk's Kurt Helin was quick to give some of his opinions on why Russell canceled. He saw it going a couple of different ways:
"First, Russell actually is sick. That may have happened. I’m too big a cynic to think it’s the truth, but it certainly is possible.
Second, Russell got a promise from one of the teams with the top two picks. The Lakers have had rumors flying around that they like Russell, although I have heard they will take whichever big man Minnesota passes on. It seems unlikely either of the top teams would make such a promise, they have no reason to even if they wanted Russell.
Third, Russell’s agent is angling to land his client with the Knicks, who have the No. 4 pick. An agent trying to manipulate things to get his client to a major market? That I can see.
"
In the end, it looks like there wasn't anything more to it than his being sick.
Russell ended up working out for the Sixers five days later, and the true tone of his feelings was on full display:
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey wrote an article on Russell and his time in Philadelphia. Pompey reported on a source who had some positive words:
"They have no reason to be concerned, according to a source close to the former Ohio State guard. "He really loves Philly," the source said. ... "He said he killed it," the source said of the workout. "He was talking about how excited he was about Philly."
The 6-foot-5, 193-pound point guard looked excited when he left the practice facility at 4:05 p.m.
He was asked how his workout went as he walked down the steps. "Great," Russell responded.
"
If we are to believe an unnamed source close to Russell, it looks like Sixers fans shouldn't be worried about his feelings toward Philadelphia after all.
There's a giant sign blinking on Philly's logo that is asking for a point guard and playmaker. The need for someone of Russell's talent is obvious, and there's a great chance that he sees the opportunity to make an immediate impact if the Sixers select him.
That alone should make any prospect excited about landing at No. 3 overall.
Verdict: Buy
Joel Embiid's Setback Will Make the Sixers Select Kristaps Porzingis
Reports about Joel Embiid's foot not healing as fast as it should be have sparked a world of speculation on their own.
Is he out only temporarily? Did his between-the-legs dunk while warming up cause the problem? Will he even play at all next year?
Only time will tell on the above; however, the most urgent question is whether Embiid's slow recovery will make Hinkie decide to go with Latvian center Kristaps Porzingis.
His name has been thrown around more than any other prospect over the last three weeks. He started as a relative unknown and has turned into a player who could land as high as No. 1.
It's easy to see why, too.
Few centers are capable of combining great athleticism with a jumper that extends out to the NBA three-point line. He is one of them. If his game isn't enough at first glance, it becomes more impressive when you look at his measurements, as reported by ESPN.com's Chad Ford:
In fact, Ford has heard rumblings about Philadelphia changing its direction and going with Porzingis. There's also talk of it all being a sham, and everything begins to get cloudy:
"But Hinkie has always drafted based on the best player available strategy. He doesn't draft for need. So while the team needs Mudiay or Russell more, if he believes Porzingis is the best player on the board, so be it. Or, as one rival GM opined, this Porzingis intel is all a smoke screen to get Orlando (who loves Porzingis) to trade up to three and give Hinkie another coveted asset. I believe Porzingis's camp would strongly prefer he land in Orlando. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out in the next few weeks.
"
The rumor makes sense.
Embiid missed all of last year, and it's unclear as to if or when he'll be healthy enough to play during the 2015-16 season. A foot problem can be a career-threatening type of injury for a big, so it's possible that Hinkie wants to go for a center in the draft in order to combat any kind of long-term damage caused by Embiid missing time.
It's just not as likely as some might be making it sound.
Russell is clearly the best and most-needed fit for the Sixers. Having a talented post is important, but passing on the opportunity to select a potentially game-changing kind of guard has to take precedence here.
The NBA is moving to small ball, and there is no way that Hinkie is blind to that fact.
Verdict: Sell
76ers Trade All Over the Draft Board for Multiple Picks and Assets
Hinkie has proved time and time again that he isn't comfortable with just one high pick—whether it be trading Jrue Holiday for the New Orleans Pelicans' No. 6 pick (Nerlens Noel) two years back or moving Michael Carter-Williams and receiving the Los Angeles Lakers' top-five protected future first-round pick.
The man clearly loves building through the draft.
If history is any indication, the NBA's king of trades could end up making a move to acquire more first-round selections and potential assets down the line.
A team has already reportedly offered Philadelphia a deal for multiple picks.
The Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner wrote an article highlighting both rumors and events that have taken place across the NBA landscape recently. He also broke the news about the Sixers turning down a trade offer from the Boston Celtics:
"The executives said the Celtics were looking to trade point guard Marcus Smart and the Nos. 16 and 28 picks in the first round to Philadelphia for center/forward Nerlens Noel and the No. 3 pick. But the 76ers, the executives said, weren't interested.
Executives said teams with multiple picks are trying to trade some of them and move up in the draft. The 76ers, for instance, have six draft picks — one in the first round and five in the second round, Nos. 35, 37, 47, 58 and 60 — and may look to package some of those or even sell a few of them.
"
It's nice to see Hinkie reject a trade every now and then, but we shouldn't get too comfortable. There's never a bad time to make a move if it helps the team in Hinkie's eyes.
Add in the fact that Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy has the Sixers being linked to swapping picks with the Portland Trail Blazers, and something could be in the works as these words are being typed:
The wheels in Hinkie's mind will only increase in speed as the draft nears.
Verdict: Buying the entire grocery store on this one
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