Bryan

Colangelo

“It hasn’t been in any realistic conversation,” Colangelo said. “There’s been a few people that have inquired. As I’ve said before, you never say never in this business. But I would still say it’s highly unlikely that the pick is in play in a deal, given the nature of this draft. I’ve always said you never say never, but I can’t imagine a deal coming forward that would stop us from making that selection.” While the No. 1 pick appears to be off the table, Colangelo did say that the 24th and 26th picks could be moved in the right deal.

The 76ers will go with Ben Simmons No. 1 overall, but they would also reportedly like to bring in a point guard (likely Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray) with another high lottery selection. The 76ers are reportedly willing to throw in Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor to make this deal happen, and their talks with Boston remain ongoing.

“We are not going to make a bad deal in terms of overpaying for something in that range,” Colangelo said. “But I believe something in a top eight or so would work for us as an organization.” The 76ers want another lottery selection to go with their No. 1 pick (likely Ben Simmons), and recent reports have them going after the No. 3 overall selection by offering either Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel to Boston. If the 76ers can get that deal done, they’ll likely target Kris Dunn.

In addition to having the third overall pick, the Sixers have four second-rounders - Nos. 36, 39, 46, and 50. Philly simply does not have enough room on its roster to add five rookies, especially considering they would like to use their cap space to sign quality free agents in July. Even after the Sixers trade away a pick, expect them to draft a stashable foreign player or two as well.

Not exactly trusting the process here. Pearson was with the 76ers for four years, so he likely had a hand in the Sam Hinkie moves. While the Colangelos look for a steadier approach, they could be making a few changes to their analytics department in their basketball operations.

The waiting game begins. The 76ers should have all the information they need to decide if it’s worth the price of the No. 3 pick, the 2018 Lakers pick, and possibly a protected 2021 pick to acquire the top pick on Thursday. The 76ers really could use a point guard capable of playing on and off the ball, so Markelle Fultz fits the bill there. The ball appears to be in Boston’s court.

“I think that should we move or if there’s a transaction that comes out that gives us a chance to perhaps increase what impact No. 3 can have in terms of its return, I think we will look at it,” Colangelo said of a potential trade. “There’s some discussions that have been fairly interesting.” Assuming Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are off the board, the Sixers will have a difficult decision to make at No. 3. There are a handful of tantalizing, high-upside prospects, but moving down would net Philly additional assets, while possibly still allowing them to remain in the top 10.

Aldridge adds that the 76ers are trying to package two second round picks (36 and 39) to move up, but there’s no mention of any players involved. The 76ers will only have a few open roster spots if they bring back T.J. McConnell and Gerald Henderson, and since they are hoping to be major players in free agency, this move would make a lot of sense for Philly. If they keep the second round picks, it’s likely that they will draft and stash overseas.

Eversley will serve as VP of Player Personnel while leading the Sixers’ scouting department, Cohen will be an Associate VP and Chief of Staff, and Williams will be the VP of Basketball Administration in charge of player development. It’s a substantial shake-up orchestrated by team president Bryan Colangelo, who is beefing up his front office in anticipation of a crucial offseason for the franchise.

Sam Hinkie is gone and 76ers managing general partner Josh Harris said Hinkie’s work put the 76ers in “a very strong position to take advantage of numerous opportunities.” Colangelo is the son of Jerry Colangelo, who moved into a front office role with the 76ers in December. Bryan is also a two-time NBA Executive of the Year. He’ll have a 27.8 percent chance for the top pick in the 2016 draft, a 44.2 percent chance to get the Lakers’ pick at 4-5, and two other first-round picks this year.