With the Tenth Pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select…

The NBA draft is Thursday night but worry not, Double G has you covered with coverage whether you root for the Knicks, the Nets, or the 76ers. This series of articles will focus on the available options tri-state area teams. In part one, we covered the New York Knicks. Today, we tackle the 76ers.

Best-Case Scenario

If the Sixers keep this pick, their best case scenario would be to grab a falling player. With multiple starting positions already locked down, the 76ers will need a real contributor with this pick. They can afford to wait on a project to develop since they will not need much from their rookies in order to succeed as Markelle Fultz demonstrated. Could Trae Young fall? What about Kevin Knox or Michael Porter? If so, expect the 76ers to snatch them up.

The more intriguing scenario is to package this pick. If Kawhi Leonard becomes available, the 76ers can offer more than anyone besides the Celtics. Leonard doubles as a perfect fit on this team. Imagine Leonard on the floor with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, J.J. Redick, and Dario Saric or Robert Covington. More likely than not, Saric or Covington would be involved in the trade but few teams could match the pure talent of that starting five. Leonard thrived as a second option in San Antonio and has familiarity with Brett Brown. A Simmons-Leonard-Embiid nucleus would put the Warriors on notice.

Worst-Case Scenario

The nightmare scenario for the 76ers is that the wings are off the board and Trae young goes early. In that case, the 76ers have to choose between a big man like Wendell Carter or a lesser shooting point guard like Collin Sexton or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Would the 76ers hold onto the pick in that situation?

That could force Philadelphia to look into trading down or even reaching for prospect whose ceiling might top out as a reserve. In that situation, the 76ers could be stuck without an immediate contributor or a high ceiling player, which would be a major disappointment, especially for the Sam Hinkie truthers.

How It Will Play Out

With San Antonio hesitant to entertain offers, the 76ers probably will not be able to put together a deal before the draft, especially without a GM. That means the Sixers are probably going to have to make a pick. The player who seems destined to go to the 76ers is Villanova stud Mikal Bridges.

Bridges would fit the mold of the modern NBA and could add to the cadre of wings on the Philly roster. He is a local kid who grew up in Pennsylvania before starring at Villanova. He could also give them another versatile defender to help give the 76ers lineup flexibility. Imagining a lineup with him, Embiid, Covington, Simmons, and Redick could be unstoppable on offense and a nightmare on defense.

Final Verdict

With the tenth pick in the 2018 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Mikal Bridges.