The Philadelphia 76ers have the third pick in the NBA draft by virtue of a pick swap with the Sacramento Kings. That came as a result of a trade made in 2015 that involved Nik Stauskas moving to Philadelphia.
That trade was completed by Sam Hinkie. Hinkie was fired by the 76ers (he officially resigned) and replaced by the Colangelos after reported pressure by the NBA to move on from his tanking “Process.”
Nevertheless, despite Hinkie no longer being in Philadelphia, 76ers owner Josh Harris felt the need to thank his former general manager:
#Sixers owner Josh Harris: "Thank you Sam Hinkie."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) May 17, 2017
That’s a nice gesture but I’m sure Hinkie would prefer still having his job.
Now, the 76ers will continue their trek into being competitive, following a huge turnaround last season. With Joel Embiid coming back, Ben Simmons finally playing in his first NBA game, and the third overall pick in the draft, the Sixers should be able to put together a very intriguing roster.
They won’t be good enough to get to the playoffs, or really get too close to it, but it’s a big step forward in their rebuild. And it’s all because they trusted the process.
