Grades for Each of the 76ers Draft Picks, and the Moves That Surrounded Them

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Andy Lyons, Getty Images

Tyrese Maxey while at Kentucky.

Jackson McCrae '23, Writer

The 2020 NBA Draft was held on November 18, a day during which hopeful young prospects waited to hear what team would call their name. Out of the 60 who were drafted, five of those were drafted to be 76ers, though due to trades, only three remained with the team. These three have both strengths and weaknesses, but the big question is, do they have what it takes to contribute to an NBA team, and will the 76ers end up regretting trading those they did?

 

Pick 21: Tyrese Maxey, Guard, Kentucky

This is a fantastic pick. Maxey was predicted by nearly every single professional mock draft to have no chance of falling to the Sixers, and some had him as a top 10 pick. However, the teams ahead of the Sixers passed on the 6’3”, 198-pound freshman out of Kentucky, and so the Sixers snagged him at 21. Maxey was ranked the 13th best player in his high school class and received offers from just about every college basketball powerhouse in the nation. He averaged fourteen points per game for the Wildcats during his one year of college and shot an astounding 83% from the free throw line. Maxey is a great player for the Sixers, and one who can blossom into a star.

 

Pick 34: Theo Maledon, Guard, France (traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder)

With the 34th pick the 76ers selected Theo Maledon, a 6’5”, 174-pound guard out of France. However, the pick was previously traded along with Al Horford and a 2025 first round pick, in exchange for guards Terrence Ferguson and Danny Green, and center Vincent Poirier. While this move is controversial, from a front office perspective the move is understandable. The front office was under a lot of pressure to move Al Horford and his contract, and they probably jumped at the first chance to ship him out. Also, removing Al Horford freed up a little more than eight million dollars in cap room. Danny Green is a fantastic 3 & D player and was a member of the championship Lakers last year. Terrence Ferguson is also a great asset, as he is a great defending guard, who reminds me of Matisse Thybulle. The one piece in the trade that doesn’t make sense is Vincent Poirer, especially since the Sixers just traded Zhaire Smith for Tony Bradley (a horrific trade), so Poirer doesn’t really have a spot in Philly. As much as keeping Maledon would have been great, the move makes sense from a salary standpoint.

 

Pick 36: Tyler Bey, Forward, Colorado (traded to the Dallas Mavericks)

Tyler Bey is a 6’7”, 215-pound forward out of Colorado. He was traded along with Josh Richardson in exchange for Seth Curry, in what can only be described as a mind-boggling move. While the move frees up more cap space, the players involved are just not comparable. Richardson is a much better defender, finisher, and passer, while all Curry has over Richardson is shooting and the fact that he shares blood with Stephen Curry. Add in Tyler Bey, who won a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award, and the move makes no sense. Bey would have been a fantastic fit, and if this trade had never happened, the 76ers would have had the undisputed best defense in the NBA.

 

Pick 49: Isaiah Joe, Guard, Arkansas

Isaiah Joe is a 6’4”, 170-pound sophomore guard from Arkansas. He’s a versatile player and a former Gatorade High School Player of the Year from Arkansas. He averaged 16.9 PPG, playing 36 minutes a game. He’s a solid defender, averaging 1.4 steals per game, and 1.8 personal fouls per game, which is ridiculous for a Division I basketball player. He’s also a great shooter with 89% from the free throw line, and he is a not afraid to let it fly from three, with an astounding 76.4% of his shots being three pointers. While he is a strong prospect, Joe is the type of player whose mistakes will likely outweigh his strengths, as he is inefficient from the field and isn’t a great facilitator. His role within the team will become more evident as time goes on, but chances are he won’t contribute much.

 

Pick 58: Paul Reed, Forward, DePaul

Paul Reed is a 6’9”, 220-pound junior forward from DePaul. While he wasn’t considered a top prospect coming out high school, he landed a scholarship to DePaul. While his freshman year was uneventful, in his sophomore year he exploded, and won the Big East Most Improved Player award. He trended upward again in his junior year and earned All-Big East 2nd Team Honors. Reed is a force to be reckoned with in the paint as he averaged 15.9 PPG and 10.7 RPG his junior year. He also dominates on the defensive end, averaging 2.6 BPG and 1.9 SPG, both of which would normally make someone a first-round pick. Reed is speedy, with great bounce, and is most effective when around the rim (which makes him fantastic target for lobs). Reed may not be the most developed prospect, but if he spends some time really working on his game, he can be a player teams are going to regret passing up on.