While there’s no consensus, a couple of names continue to pop up as possibilities for the Sixers with the 21st pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft.
Here is our final mock draft roundup:
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Tyrell Terry (Stanford)
Vecenie: “The 76ers need shooters, and Terry is among the best in the class. They need super competitors, and Terry is a very, very competitive kid who wants to win. The 76ers need ball movers and passers who can share point guard duties with Ben Simmons, and Terry does that well, too. This is a very strong fit if you think Terry can play sooner rather than later. His range is seen as somewhere in the immediate post-lottery range down to No. 35 or so. I do think he hears his name called in Round 1, though.”
Rob Schaefer, NBC Sports Chicago
Tyrell Terry (Stanford)
NBA
Schaefer: “Terry’s stock has skyrocketed throughout the pre-draft process and it’s hard to script a better fit than Philadelphia. His shooting versatility and spark plug scoring could be just the antidote for the 76ers’ offensive woes, and, though he competes, Philadelphia's solid defensive infrastructure could cover for him as his frame fills out.”
You’ve likely read about Terry a lot by this point if you’ve been following draft coverage. He worked to gain weight leading into the draft, a smart and necessary focus that should increase his odds of making an impact as a rookie. The 20-year-old quizzed the Sixers about his potential fit, and the answers he says he got are telling.
“During my interview, there’s a section where you’re allowed to ask questions,” Terry said on Sept. 29. “That’s one of the questions I asked them, how do they see me fitting into their system? They had some really positive responses. They love my shooting, the uniqueness of my shooting, and my ability to play lead guard as well as play off the ball."
Desmond Bane (TCU)
O’Donnell: “The Sixers always need shooting and Bane is possibly the best shooter in this class. His ability to attack closeouts and make easy reads as a passer should also pair well with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Philly found an impact rookie in another four-year college player Matisse Thybulle late in the first round last year, and Bane could pay similar dividends this season.”
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
Desmond Bane (TCU)
Wasserman: “Teams have raved about Bane's interviews, but his first-round case is still built around an attractive mix of shooting, passing and defensive IQ. The Sixers are interested, and they may not want to risk seeing if he's there in the second.”
Like Terry, Bane is an impressive shooter who brings more than just marksmanship to the table. He was a bit less efficient in a higher-usage role as a senior but still made 44.2 percent of his three-point shots and dished out a career-best 3.9 assists per game. Bane studies a lot of the Nets’ Joe Harris and is confident he can provide that sort of elite outside shooting in the NBA.
He’s gone from a barely recruited player at a high school with 20-odd students in his graduating class to the verge of a first-round pick.
Cole Anthony (UNC)
Givony: “The Sixers are said to be studying guards who can play both on and off the ball, which makes sense considering their two franchise players, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, are the main focal points of the offense. Anthony, who started the season projected in the top five, is an interesting buy-low candidate with proven scoring credentials and competitiveness.”
The best-case scenario for Anthony is that his inefficiency and 4.0/3.5 assist-to-turnover ratio at UNC won’t be problems when he’s surrounded by better talent and has no pressure to carry the load offensively. He can find his own shot and knock down jumpers off the dribble, skills the Sixers could use.
Josh Green (Arizona)
O’Connor: “The Sixers could really use more wings, and Green stands out as an option because of his versatile defense and complementary offense.”
Green has a relationship with fellow Australian Ben Simmons and thinks the two could excel together.
“I think I would fit in really well with them,” Green told reporters Monday. “Playing with Ben Simmons, being another guard who can rebound, who can also shoot, create his own shot. And not only just create his own shot, but create for others — hitting Ben in transition … or being in the pick-and-roll situations with Joel (Embiid). I really think it would be a good fit there.”
Shooting looks to be a swing skill for Green. He did make 36.1 percent of his threes in his one season at Arizona but there are a few quirks with his form, including a tendency to point his knees together. He’s a high-level athlete and has the tools to help defensively.
Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
Woo: "Multiple league sources have indicated a level of concern about the status of Nesmith’s injured foot, which ended his season at Vanderbilt. It’s unclear how far that may cause him to fall in the draft, and as with any injury, different teams will have different levels of comfort with the situation. His range does begin in the late lottery, and there figures to be a backstop somewhere in the 20s at worst. Nesmith’s pure jump shot provides a relatively safe floor, as well as an intriguing ceiling in a league where tall shooters are thriving. He has a chance to be one of the better marksmen in the league in a best-case scenario, and has enough of a complementary skillset to be more than a pure specialist.
"Noting Daryl Morey’s long-held preference for not actually making first-round picks, plus the organizational urgency to compete for a title, keep in mind this is a pick the Sixers may well decide to trade."
Nesmith falling to the Sixers would be very interesting. He made 52.2 percent of his 8.2 three-point attempts per game before that stress fracture in his foot. Only one of his 14 games as a sophomore was against a conference opponent, but those numbers indicate the talent he has as a shooter.
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