The Philadelphia 76ers season is effectively over. Season-ending injuries to Paul George and Joel Embiid have ensured Nick Nurse’s team will conclude the campaign without making any significant noise.
While the Sixers’ season has undoubtedly been disappointing, it has provided the franchise an opportunity to retain its first-round pick in the upcoming draft. Philadelphia owes this selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder; however, it’s top-six protected, meaning the Sixers have a strong chance of keeping the pick.
In a March 19 mock draft from The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, the Sixers land Kon Knueppel with the sixth pick in the upcoming draft.
“Knueppel was one of the players who helped himself most in the conference tournament cycle, leading Duke without Flagg,” Vecenie wrote. “In the team’s three ACC tournament games, he averaged 21 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He showed executives he can be both a strong off-ball scorer and a potentially interesting on-ball player who can dribble, pass and shoot. He’s a terrific shooter, having hit 39 percent from 3 on nearly six 3-point attempts per game.”
Knueppel, a 6-foot-7 guard out of Duke, would provide legitimate competition to Quentin Grimes, should the Sixers manage to keep their standout performer beyond his current contract.
Drafting Knueppel Could Lead to a Sixers Rebuild
Both George and Embiid have significant injury histories. As such, the Sixers’ chances of championship success are hard to predict, while the roster is built around the two veterans. In truth, it’s clear that Tyrese Maxey is the future of the franchise. Adding Knueppel could give Philadelphia its back court of the future.
According to former NBA champion Paul Pierce, now is the perfect time for the Sixers to enter a full-scale rebuild.
“What’s going on in Philly right now is a disaster,” Pierce said on the ‘KG Certified’ podcast. “If I’m the owner? Everybody’s gone! I’m talking about all the way down…Over the process. I’m over it. Fresh air for everybody. Embiid needs fresh air. Paul George, Daryl Morey needs some fresh air. Nick Nurse needs some fresh air. [Nick Nurse] is cool, but he needs some fresh air.”
Knueppel would benefit from landing on a rebuilding roster. Without championship expectations, the Sixers could allow him to play through his mistakes. Logically speaking, building around Maxey and a 2025 draft pick could be a smart path forward.
Sixers Could Lose Quentin Grimes
According to Adam Aaronson of the Philadelphia Voice, the Sixers could face competition from the Brooklyn Nets when trying to sign Grimes to a new deal.
“Because Grimes will be a restricted free agent, the Sixers can match any offer he theoretically signs with another team this summer,” Aaronson wrote. “But the Nets currently project to be the only team with significant cap space this summer, meaning if the Nets do not make a run at Grimes, the Sixers will be in prime position to ink him to a team-friendly contract without much of a threatening market out there…$20 million annually is a nice ballpark”
Aaronson continued.
“…It would put the Sixers on the borderline of surpassing the NBA’s punitive second apron if they keep their first-round pick and do not trade any of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey… A four-year offer sheet worth upwards of $80 million might be what it takes for the Sixers to have any reaction other than matching the deal without a second thought.”
Grimes has been a core contributor for the Sixers. In 17 appearances, he’s averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He’s shooting 39.3% from deep, showcasing his ability to stretch the floor for his teammates.
A rotation of Maxey, Grimes and Knueppel would be a good building block for the Sixers. Nevertheless, a lot of work would need to be done to rebuild the front-court rotation. Right now, the Sixers awful season has clouded everyone’s judgment. As such, it will be fascinating to see how things play out in the summer.
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