The Sixers have their highest win total since the 2012-13 season. For this reason, you might think they aren't in a good position for the NBA draft lottery on May 16, but they're actually in a better situation than previous years.
Let's take a look at the Sixers' current situation in May's draft lottery.
Sacramento Kings pick swap
Arturas Gudaitis and Luka Mitrovic. Remember those guys?
Nah? Well just think of those two guys with whoever the Sixers select in the 2017 NBA draft if they swap picks with Sacramento.
The Sixers traded the rights of Gudaitis and Mitrovic to the Kings for Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, a future first-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks with Sacramento in the 2016 and 2017 drafts in 2015.
Thanks to the aforementioned trade, the Sixers sit in a comfortable position in the lottery.
The Kings and Sixers are both 27-45 and sit in the sixth and seventh spots in the draft lottery.
NBA
Now, I know what you're thinking -- they don't have a chance of landing in the top three. But this is where the pick swap comes in handy.
With the Kings' pick swap, the Sixers have a 43.9 percent chance of landing in the top three of the draft, according to Tankathon.com, which is just shy of the of the Suns' 46.9 percent of landing in the top three. The Suns have the third-worst record in the NBA.
The Sixers also have a better chance of landing in the top three than the Magic, who have the fourth-worst record in the NBA and a 37.7 percent chance of getting a top three pick.
And the good thing for the Sixers is the Kings keep losing. Sacramento has lost eight of their last 10, including a four-game losing streak.
The Kings are 3-12 since making the DeMarcus Cousins trade during the All-Star break. They're also tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the second strongest remaining schedule in the NBA this season.
Lakers' pick
Now, onto the next NBA draft possibility for the Sixers, the top-three protected Lakers pick.
As of right now, it doesn't look like that pick will convey this year, but the Sixers still have a chance.
The Lakers, who have the second-worst record in the NBA, have a 55.8 percent of chance of keeping their pick, while the Sixers have a 44.2 percent chance of getting the pick. Those odds could very well change because the Lakers are just one game worse than the Suns. A few more Lakers wins and the odds of the pick conveying grows significantly.
The Sixers have a 31.8 percent chance of getting the fourth pick and a 12.4 percent chance of getting the fifth pick.
But, if the pick doesn't convey this season, it's not a huge deal, although it would be nice in this stacked draft class.
The Lakers' pick becomes unprotected in 2018 if it doesn't convey this season. It's unclear whether the Lakers will have one of the worst records in the NBA next season, but they'll probably still be picking somewhere in the lottery in 2018.
Prospect watch
Regardless of where the Sixers land in the lottery, they should be able to select an impact player or possible franchise player.
If the Lakers' pick conveys at fourth or fifth overall, they could land a shooter like Kentucky's Malik Monk or versatile wings like Kansas' Josh Jackson and Duke's Jayson Tatum.
If the Kings continue to burn to the ground, they could raise the Sixers' chances of getting a top three pick. Washington's Markelle Fultz or UCLA's Lonzo Ball would be in play in the top three of the draft.
But, let's say the Lakers' pick doesn't convey, and the Kings somehow end up with a worse pick than the Sixers and they land a pick in the seventh to the ninth overall range.
Monk could slip to the middle of the lottery and be available at seventh overall depending on how the lottery shakes out. Monk's backcourt partner, De'Aaron Fox, should be available in the middle of the lottery.
Fox would provide the Sixers with a slippery quick guard who can run the offense when Ben Simmons is on the bench.
Another option could be Florida State's Jonathan Isaac, a raw stretch four that can guard multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball.
With the Sixers needing help at multiple positions, they can find good value regardless of where they land in the lottery in May.