If the Philadelphia 76ers land the No. 1 pick of the 2015 NBA draft, the Sixers could draft Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor and then trade him to the highest bidder. Another option for Philadelphia, according to multiple reports, is to draft Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell.
Philadelphia (12-41) doesn't hold the worst record in the league, but they're in the running for the No. 1 lottery pick as the league's third-worst team. Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie is known as a collector as assets, and if he lands the first-overall pick of the draft, he'd likely consider selecting Okafor - Philadelphia already has big men Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel on the roster - only to trade him later.
"I know (drafting Okafor) sounds crazy, but Sam Hinkie is basically just stockpiling attractive assets at this point so he may just take the best player available in Okafor," Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy wrote Wednesday. "It's what he did with Joel Embiid even though he already had Nerlens Noel, and it's possible he could make a similar decision this year. Having too many talented big men with star potential is an excellent problem to have, so it's possible Philly would pick Okafor even though their roster would suggest they have other needs."
Kennedy also didn't rule out the possibility of Hinkie trading down or choosing Russell, whose draft stock has skyrocketed over the past month. The 6-foot-5 Buckeyes point guard is averaging 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, proof he can be an effective combo guard.
ESPN has also been riding high on Russell. Chad Ford called Russell a "very tempting" target for Philadelphia and put him at No. 3 in his Top 100 list, Fran Fraschilla called the 18-year-old "the most skilled player" in the 2015 draft class and Kevin Pelton has Russell at No. 1 in his WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player) projections.
While Russell is creeping up the draft board, Okafor is still viewed as the consensus No. 1 pick. The Duke center's size and athleticism make him a unique player, and his footwork already looks sharp for being just 19 years old. He's been the engine for the Blue Devils so far this season, averaging 18. 0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
Either player would also fill key holes in the rosters of the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks, both of whom are currently the worst and the fourth-worst teams in the league, respectively.
The NBA draft is on June 25, with the lottery likely taking place toward the end of May.
