The first round of the NBA draft for the Philadelphia Sixers seems to be set in stone.
The Sixers made their trade official with the Boston Celtics on Monday to send their 2017 third overall pick and a protected 2018 first round pick in exchange for the first overall pick in the draft.
Several media outlets have reported that the Sixers are set on taking Washington point guard Markelle Fultz (23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists) with their top selection.
What isn’t as clear is what the Sixers are planning to do with their four second round selections. The Sixers own the Nos. 36, 39, 46 and 50 selections in Thursday’s draft. It’s likely that Bryan Colangelo will try to package some of the picks to move back into the first round, but if he doesn’t succeed there is plenty of talent to pick from in the second round. Here are four targets the Sixers should consider on draft night.
Wesley Iwundu, SG, Kansas State
Every team in the NBA can use an athletic wing with defensive potential. That’s exactly what Wesley Iwundu is. Iwundu averaged 13 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game for the Wildcats and showed the kind of versatility the Sixers could use off the bench. His 7-foot-1 wingspan can cut off passing lanes in an instance and start the Sixers fast break in transition. He’s still a work in progress, but he’s exactly the type of player that Brett Brown and the coaching staff can mold into the perfect two-way player off the bench.
Tyler Dorsey, SG, Oregon
Dorsey was an instrumental part of Oregon’s Final Four run. He averaged 23.8 points and shot 60.6 percent from 3-point range during the Ducks’ first trip since 1939. He’s an intriguing option for the Sixers who are still thin at the shooting guard position and are looking for more shooters to surround Ben Simmons with.
Josh Hart, SG, Villanova
Hart has already had two separate workouts with the Sixers leading up to the NBA draft and he’s a familiar face to the Philadelphia region, who led the Wildcats to their second NCAA championship in 2016. The question is whether or not the somewhat undersized shooting guard at 6-foot-5 can excel at the NBA level. As a senior, Hart averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists on his way to winning the Big East Player of the Year Award. He also shot 40 percent from the 3-point line. He’s certainly been on the radar for general manager Bryan Colangelo for a while, but the question remains of whether or not he will pull the trigger.
Sindarius Thornwell, SG, South Carolina
Thornwell can flat-out score. He averaged 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on the Gamecocks last season on his way to being named the SEC Player of the Year. He also scored an incredible 30.3 Player Efficiency Rating, among the best in this draft class. But as one of the oldest players in the draft, at nearly 23, his value has significantly decreased in the eyes of experts. He’s currently projected at pick 58 in the second round by Draft Express. The Sixers can afford to take the risk on Thornwell and potentially reap the benefits of his selection. He would add some much needed scoring to the Sixers’ second unit.
