76ers Trade Rumors: No. 28 Pick Being Shopped; Philly Eyeing Vets or Future Assets

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The Philadelphia 76ers are looking to trade the No. 28 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, according to the PhillyVoice‘s Kyle Neubeck.

Neubeck reported “all signs point to Philadelphia moving No. 28 somewhere else.” The front office is hopeful of flipping the pick for a proven veteran or future assets.

The Sixers are looking to win a title, so it’s unlikely a prospect at the back end of the first round would immediately help them achieve that goal.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Philly to land VCU guard Nah’Shon Hyland in his most recent mock draft. Hyland averaged 19.5 points per game and shot 44.7 percent from the field in 2020-21.

Head coach Doc Rivers wasn’t afraid to lean on Tyrese Maxey this past season. Maxey averaged 15.3 minutes per game in the regular season and appeared in all 12 of the team’s playoff games.

However, Neubeck cited Maxey and the young players already on the roster, explaining there may not be a ton of minutes available for another emerging talent to work on their development.

Philadelphia would probably struggle to land a difference-maker for a late first-round pick, but the selection could be leveraged to add depth behind Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Playmaking is an obvious area of concern after the Sixers struggled in that area in the business end of the season. Aside from Simmons, the team labored to find a floor general in the postseason, with Tobias Harris and Embiid finishing second and third on the team in assists.

Depending on what happens with Danny Green, who’s an unrestricted free agent, Philly could also flip its first-round pick for a vet who fits the three-and-D mold.