The Sixers will own the Lakers pick this year if it falls outside the top five because of the Michael Carter-Williams trade. If the Sixers land the pick this year, Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link) believes the team received good value for the former rookie of the year. The Lakers currently sit in fourth place of our Reverse Standings, meaning Philadelphia would only receive the pick if two or three teams jump ahead of Los Angeles in the lottery.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Andrew Wiggins playing for the Raptors isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, but he has hinted privately that he wouldn’t mind returning to play in his home country of Canada one day, according to Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun. The forward will be a restricted free agent following the 2017/18 season, if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.
- Nerlens Noel deserves consideration for the Rookie of the Year award, opines Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The big man leads all rookies with 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors has Noel in third place on his Rookie of the Year award rankings in his latest mailbag.
- Two years ago, the Knicks were on the verge of clinching the Atlantic Division title, but the roster has changed dramatically since then, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Carmelo Anthony is the only remaining member from the 2012/13 team.