Draft Night for the 76ers started out with a bang! A few hours before the draft kicked off, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand started making moves. The Sixers traded Al Horford, 2025 1^st round draft pick, 2020 2^nd round draft pick (34^th overall), and the rights to European PG Vasilije Micic to the Oklahoma City Thunder for SG Danny Green and SG Terrance Ferguson. I know Twitter sang the song of many who rejoiced in Horford trade. Horford isn’t a bad NBA player; he just didn’t fit with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Those guys need spacing and he just didn’t provide that. This trade wasn’t just about fit but it was about financial flexibility for the future. The Sixers already had three max contracts on the books with Simmons, Embiid, and Harris. Horford was owed 80 million dollars over the next three years and that put the Sixers in a salary cap bind for a team that was not working. Green and Ferguson’s combined salary is only 19 million and could come off the books next year. Green is a veteran with championship experience, who can stretch the floor for the team. Morey worked his magic to not only save money on the books but get some shooting around Philly’s two young cornerstones.

Tyrese Maxey picked with the 21^st overall pick

Watching the first round unfold, it began to look like the Sixers would get “their” guy. Almost all the guys they had on their draft board were available when they were on the clock. The Sixers selected 6’3 SG Tyrese Maxey from the University of Kentucky. When writing my preview, I didn’t have Maxey on my shortlist because I thought he would be drafted within the Top-15 picks. Historically Kentucky has produced great guards under Head Coach John Calipari and Maxey has a chance to live up to those expectations. Maxey averaged 14 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 3.2 apg during his only season with the Wildcats. He is a 3-level scorer with a high defensive motor. His 3-point percentage could use some improvement (29.2%) but he can get a bucket. He is a shot creator/ball handler that the Sixers can grow into something special.  He also needs to improve his shot selection, which was partially due to the role Coach Calipari had him in. Having guys like Ben and Joel creating open looks for him will help increase his 3-point percentage. He will have a chance to carve out a role right away as a scorer. Check out some of his highlights below:

Seth Curry Traded to the Sixers for Josh Richardson

During the second round of the NBA Draft, Daryl Morey and Elton Brand made another move to help surround its young stars with more shooting. The Sixers traded SG Josh Richardson and the 36^th pick in the draft to the Dallas Mavericks for SG Seth Curry. Some may say the team paid “too much” for Curry, but you can’t overpay for better fit and shooting. Josh Richardson never really got his footing here. He was often injured and didn’t really provide the offensive spark we thought he would. Defensively, he lived up to expectations but just wasn’t consistent enough. Seth Curry will be brining the shooting the team lacked when JJ Reddick departed for New Orleans. Curry is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter and connected on 45 percent of his attempts last season with the Mavericks (3^rd in the NBA). Curry also is a good on ball defender and won’t get abused on defense. Side Note: Seth Curry will be playing for his Father-In-Law Doc Rivers in Philadelphia.

Sixers select Isaiah Joe 49^th overall

Leading up to the draft, there had been rumors that the Sixers promised a player they would draft them with the 21^st or 34^th overall pick. As things began to uncover, it was confirmed that Isaiah Joe from Arkansas was the player they promised to take. After trading their early second round picks, they were still able to get Joe 49^th overall. The 76ers were very high on Joe as a shooter as he had range in college. Joe’s shooting numbers dipped his senior year, but he still has a lot of upside as a shooter. He put up 9.1 3-pointers a game his last two seasons, which is a high volume of shots. Joe’s stature has caused some concerns for NBA teams. He’s 6’5 and weighs 175 pounds. That puts him at a disadvantage on defense when he first joins the league. If he continues to fill out his frame and can maintain reliability as a spot up shooter, he will carve out a role in Philadelphia.

Sixers Select Paul Reed 58^th overall

With their final pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the 76ers selected DePaul PF Paul Reed. He’s a crafty offensive forward who can finish well at the rim. He has some upside as a shooter but that isn’t necessarily his strong suit. He is also a versatile defender who can switch on to guard in the pick and roll. This late in the draft, the team decided to take a flier on the potential of Reed. He will more than likely be a 2-way guy, spending time with the Delaware Blue Coats in the GLeague.

Overall, it was a great night for Morey, Brand, and the 76ers. They began reshaping the roster to really make life easier for their two young stars. They also were able to get Al Horford’s contract off the books and gain some financial flexibility immediately and in the future. I’m interested to see what other moves they make when free agency begins Friday evening at 6PM.