Sixers Not Ruling Out Trading No. 3 Pick

The Sixers don’t appear to be locked in on a specific player with the No. 3 overall pick in this month’s draft, with president Bryan Colangelo suggesting earlier today that there are “six or seven” players on the team’s radar for that selection. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Colangelo also hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trading that pick.

“I think that should we move or if there’s a transaction that comes out that gives us a chance to perhaps increase what impact No. 3 can have in terms of its return, I think we will look at it,” Colangelo said. “There’s some discussions that have been fairly interesting.”

Assuming Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are the first two players off the board, as expected, there’s no consensus choice for that third overall spot. De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, and Malik Monk are among the candidates to be drafted there, and if the Sixers like several of those players, they could attempt to move back a few spots and still grab one. Moving up in the draft or trading the No. 3 pick in a package for a star are also possibilities, though they’re probably less likely.

Trades for top-five picks have been somewhat rare in recent years, so there’s a good chance the Sixers simply keep and make their selection. Still, given Colangelo’s suggestion that there have been some “interesting” talks regarding the pick, it’s a situation worth monitoring as the draft approaches.

View Comments (23)