An interesting scenario could develop after the NBA draft lottery that could spark some trades.
What if the Sixers fail to win the draft lottery and land at the no.2 spot, would they be willing to trade Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor to the lottery winner (possibly the Lakers, Celtics or Pelicans) to move up in the draft?
Ben Simmons of LSU is the consensus no.1 pick in the draft. ESPN draft guru Chad Ford had his latest Mock Draft (Insider required) and Ben Simmons was the no.1 pick again. Ford comments that it's not even close.
Landing Simmons will make all of the Sixers past woes "worth it" according to Ford, and reiterated that none of the Sixers draftees, Noel, Okafor or even Joel Embiid, has Simmons' "superstar potential. "
Described as "a point guard in the body of an uber-athletic power forward," his presence will have "the Sixers suddenly become a much more interesting and dangerous team."
With this in mind, the Sixers site Liberty Ballers discussed the possibility of their team not getting the 1st overall pick. If the Sixers finish with the worst record, they are assured of at least the no.4 pick. Considering the drop-off in talent, should they trade Okafor or Noel to the lottery winner?
This was suggested by user 'RockytheRock' who mentioned that he would make that trade, even if it's the no.2 pick. For example, if the Lakers win the lottery and the Sixers are at no.2, the Sixers would send Jahlil Okafor to the Lakers along with no.2 pick (Skal Labissiere of Kentucky in Ford's mock) in exchange for the no.1 pick (Ben Simmons, of course).
Would the Sixers do this? Probably, as the next three projected picks are big men (Labissiere, Brandon Ingram and Dragan Bender) and they already have a logjam of that. Also to be considered, Dario Saric, a power forward may arrive next season. Simmons' versatility allows him to play alongside any of these players.
There are also some quarters who think that the winner of the lottery would not trade the no.1 pick for anything. They compare this to the 2012 draft with Anthony Davis. You simply do not trade a player like that. Is Simmons already at that level?
The Lakers would probably not trade the no.1 pick as they are confident that if they win the lottery, they could easily attract free agents with the cap space they have. Also, the "second coming of Magic Johnson" is too much to pass up. Simmons is a superstar in waiting, and the Lakers are built on that.
The Pelicans would also not pass up a union of transcendent players. Besides, Labissiere and Ingram are described as "poor man's Anthony Davis" because of their length and style of play. Why would the Pelicans need that-even if there's Noel or Okafor added?
The Celtics might consider this, though. They do not have a star in their lineup yet (unlike the Pelicans) and they don't see themselves as a free agent destination like the Lakers. Plus, the Celtics have legitimate desire for a big man, like Okafor or Noel. The chance to get two big men for one pick might entice them.
But if Simmons continues to play like he did in his first month, there won't even be a discussion. For now, it's still possible.