For just the fifth time in the since 1994, the team with the best chance at landing the number one overall pick got it. During Tuesday’s Draft Lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers, who had a 27% chance to win, received the first overall selection in the 2016 draft.
The 76ers exited the 2015-16 season with a league-worst 10-72 record.
Following the Sixers were the Lakers at number two, and the Celtics at number three via Brooklyn when they traded for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett back in 2013.
The Suns, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Nuggets, Kings, Raptors, and Bucks rounded out the top-10, with Toronto sliding up to number nine by way of the New York Knicks. Wrapping up the lottery were the Magic, Jazz, Suns for a second time, and the Chicago Bulls.
As for who Philadelphia selects, it’s six of one, half-a-dozen of the other with Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram. The City of Brotherly Love boasts a ton of forwards on their roster, including Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid, but Simmons possess a skill set that is so seldom seen for a player of his size and it’s going to be incredibly hard to pass on it. Ingram would fit better in their system by being a perimeter threat, and he’s a better defender than Simmons is.
As for the Lakers, they’ll just pick up the second of the two mentioned above. It gets fascinating with the Celtics, however. They have the option of selecting someone like Kris Dunn, Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray, or Dragan Bender, or they could try to execute a deal that brings a superstar over to Boston. Someone like Jimmy Butler or DeMarcus Cousins could be targeted in a package that contains their pick.
