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Sixers Top 3 NBA Draft Targets: Wing Edition
By Sean Barnard
Published:
The countdown to the NBA Draft is on, and rumors are in full swing. With the first round set to take place on June 23rd, this will mark the first major decision making from the new-look Sixers front office.
Drafting has been a strong suit in recent years. Even with Bob Myers and Mike Gansey now officially calling the shots, plenty of the scouting and front office staff remains in place. This is a particularly pivotal draft for the Sixers as they begin to determine the best path forward as an organization. Whether that involves completely turning the page to an era built around Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe, or attempting to give it another shot with Joel Embiid, getting talent on cost-controlled contracts is essential. Especially given the depth of this year’s draft class, the Sixers have a valuable chance to do so with the 22nd pick.
There are a variety of directions the Sixers can go with this decision. Given the 21 players that will come off the board ahead of their pick, some of the logic and game plan will be based on allowing the board to play out in front of the team. Taking the best player available should be the mindset, given the uncertain future, and here are a few targets at the wing position that should be viewed as realistic options.
1. Koa Peat
While not my personal favorite selection, this would be my prediction for who the Sixers select at 22 if you made me call the shot. Standing 6-foot-7 with a bulldog mentality, Koa Peat is coming off a one-and-done season at Arizona in which he posted averages of 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He has an NBA-ready body and a more advanced feel for the game than is oftentimes the case for a player of his archetype. But the jump shot is borderline non-existent and a clear hurdle that will prevent him from reaching his peak as a basketball player. Across his lone year in college, Peat shot 7-for-20 (35.0%) from beyond the three-point arc and unveiled some inconsistent shot form in these opportunities. The 19-year-old attempted to calm the nerves of NBA scouts at the combine and his Klutch Sports Pro Day, but these concerns were only heightened with the tape not looking pretty for the new-look jumper. Peat also shot just 62.3% at the free-throw line this season.
There has been some significant smoke connecting the Sixers to Peat. He’s repped by the same agency as Tyrese Maxey and has reportedly gone through an in-person workout in Philadelphia. If he finds a reliable jump shot, there is a pathway to Peat being an All-Star at the NBA level. But it should be made clear that this is a legitimate “if” and far from a certainty. You can still talk yourself into Peat being a hard-nosed, physical front-court piece even without being much of a threat from the perimeter. But Peat is not as impactful defensively as you would expect for his frame either. To give him the benefit of the doubt, this could have just been due to the number of high-level defenders that surrounded him at Arizona, and the team was still strong collectively when he was on the floor. But it’s tough to articulate the immediate “NBA skill” that will earn him a chance on the floor in the short-term, even if the overall talent still pops.
2. Cameron Carr
When the pre-draft process kicked off, Cameron Carr was right near the top of my list for my favorite Sixers targets. But he has picked up some serious traction from teams around the league to the point where it feels unlikely he will reach the 22nd pick. Standing 6-foot-5 with a wingspan of over 7-feet, Carr posted averages of 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.4% from beyond the three-point arc. He spent the previous two seasons at Tennessee, where he struggled to get much playing time and left under some frustrating circumstances. But if the 21 year old was coming off a one-and-done season with the production he just put on display rather than the path he took, Carr would almost certainly be a lock to be one of the first names off the board in the entire draft. He produces some eye-popping highlights and will be one of the best athletes, even by NBA standards. When he is playing his best, it feels as if Carr is a future star hiding in plain sight. Carr is a bit smaller than would ideally be the case, but has the wingspan to functionally serve as a wing. The Sixers had great success drafting a Baylor guard in the first round last year, and head coach Scott Drew had some similar praise for Carr as well.
3. Allen Graves
In contrast to the pair of names above, Allen Graves has more of a nuanced game and a lower ceiling. However, there is also a clearer path toward the Santa Clara product playing a more immediate complementary role at the NBA level. Standing 6-foot-8 with a wingspan above 7-feet, Graves played at both the wing and big man spots in college, but likely projects as the three-and-D style of wing at the NBA level. He came off the bench for Santa Clara across his one-and-done season, but still posted averages of 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals while shooting 41.3% from beyond the three-point arc. There are legitimate questions about his lack of experience against the top level of talent due to playing in the West Coast Conference, and he ended up in foul trouble at a frequent rate, which contributed to his limited role. But the 19-year-old is an extremely high-IQ player who has a nice knack for contributing to winning, and may have some upside that has not been tapped into just yet. He has become a bit of an analytical darling amongst this draft class with plenty of the underlying metrics looking extremely encouraging. Graves has also been reported to have worked out for the Sixers, and the 22nd pick is right around his expected range. This would be less of a home run swing, but if Graves can successfully translate as an impact wing that can step in and play immediate minutes, that should be viewed as a major success for this stage of the draft.
Honorable Mentions:
Dailyn Swain: We will dive deeper into Dailyn Swain in the guard portion of this article series, as he is a bit of a tweener positionally. Standing 6-foot-6.5 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, he showed two very different identities across his three years of college basketball. During his first two seasons at Xavier, Swain was largely viewed as a defensive-minded talent with little offensive responsibility. He transferred to Texas last season and produced 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 34.4% from beyond the three-point arc. There is a lot to like about Swain on the ball, and a lot not to like about his decisions off-ball on both sides of the floor. Where his basketball identity lies is somewhere in the middle of what he showed at the two college locations, but there are flashes of stardom that he puts on display. Swain attended a pre-draft workout with the Sixers leading up to the decision.
Isaiah Evans: A knockdown shooter who flourished in his second season at Duke, Isaiah Evans posted averages of 15.0 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 36.1% from beyond the three-point arc on a monster 7.4 three-point attempts per game. Standing 6-foot-5.5, Evans has a quick release on his jump shot and range that expands well beyond the three-point arc. The 20-year-old is more limited athletically than is ideal and can be overpowered when in the wrong defensive matchup. He is rail thin and will need to add some weight at the NBA level. But Evans has good instincts moving off-ball, and shooting is at more of a premium than ever before in the league. Evans has a lower ceiling than just about every other name mentioned on here, but also a clear path to what he can be at the NBA level as a day-one rotation player. He also worked out with the Sixers already,
Karim López: A bit of a wildcard from a draft range perspective, Karim Lopez is not hard to fall in love with as a prospect. Likely to be the top international prospect off the board, Lopez is a fluid athlete with a relatively full frame. Standing 6-foot-8 with athleticism and a workmate that pops, the 19-year-old was born in Mexico and most recently spent the last two seasons playing with the New Zealand Breakers int he NBL. He posted averages of 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds this season in just 25.8 minutes per game. Lopez will need to show some improvement as a shooter, as he connected on 30 of his 92 (32.6%) three-point attempts this season. But the raw tools are there, and he is impressive in the way he attacks the rim with the ball in his hands. He also should be capable of defending multiple positions at the NBA level and will not be bothered by the physicality. It feels likely Lopez will hear his name called a few slots ahead of the 22nd pick, but this is a name that should be on the radar of Sixers fans more than has seemed to be the case.
Sean Barnard has covered the Philadelphia 76ers and general Philly Sports for over six years in a variety of roles and for multiple outlets. Currently works as a Content Writer for DraftKings Network, Sixers/NBA Insider for Philadelphia's Fox Sports the Gambler, and co-host of Sixers & Phillies Digest on Youtube. Forever Trusting the Process.