Draft day could not have gone much better for the Philadelphia 76ers, further cementing that the decision to bring on Daryl Morey as team president was the correct one.
In just a few short hours, the former Rockets GM — who has been at the helm in Philadelphia for just a few weeks now — was able to shed some albatrosses of contracts, balance the roster, and get some appealing prospects.
Wednesday started by dealing what was left of Al Horford’s bloated $109 million deal, sending him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Danny Green, Terrance Ferguson, and an $8.6 million trade exception. Philadelphia also had to part with a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and the rights to Vasilje Micic but it was a reasonable price to pay.
Getting Horford’s contract off the books alone was a win, but getting Green addresses a major need for the Sixers, adding a proven, veteran presence that can shoot the ball well from deep while providing top-end defense. Not to mention he’s the only player in the NBA right now that is coming off back-to-back NBA championships, nabbing a title with the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers.
When it came to draft night, the Sixers nabbed a promising, defensively-gifted guard in Tyrese Maxey who is being tabbed as a potential high-production player if his shot continues to develop.
In the second round, they created more waves by sending their No. 36 pick and shooting guard Josh Richardson to the Dallas Mavericks for Seth Curry, a shooting guard who will only improve Philadelphia’s outside shooting. Over the last two seasons, Curry has hit over 45% of his three-point attempts.
The additions of Green and Curry are only going to help Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid flourish, at least according to Morey.
“When Joel and Ben have had [shooting help], it’s actually insane how good those lineups and how good those teams played,” Morey said. “That was the theme for tonight. Getting Seth, you can argue he’s the best shooter in the NBA.”
Now, the Sixers’ potential starting lineup is saturated with shooters and much more well-rounded:
Potential 76ers starting five
PG- Ben Simmons
SG- Seth Curry
SF- Danny Green
PF- Tobias Harris
C- Joel Embiid
With the 49th pick, the Sixers continued to address their need for affluent shooters, adding Isaiah Joe out of Alabama before closing out draft night with DePaul’s Paul Reed. The 6-foot-9 forward adds defensive depth to the Sixers’ depth, bringing an athletic, lengthy talent that could develop into one of the better late-pick steals of the 2020 draft.
