Who Do The Philadelphia 76ers Really Want In The 2015 NBA Draft?

The Philadelphia 76ers finally know who they want in the upcoming NBA Draft…or do they?

Who really knows at this point?

Yet another opinion on the matter has been offered from an anonymous NBA league executive, in regards to Ohio State’s freshman combo guard D’Angelo Russell, per Keith Pompey of Philly.com:

"“The thought around the NBA is that the 76ers hope to select D’Angelo Russell in the NBA draft, according to a league executive.”“He’s the guy they want,” the executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Saturday. “That’s the word around the league. You know the Sixers. They won’t come out and say it, but he’s the guy they want.”"

If this were to be true, it would come as news that should bring relief and excitement to the City of Brotherly Love, as Philly is in dire need of an elite-caliber guard with plenty of upside that can facilitate and score from every level of the floor. This seamlessly describes the 19-year-old First Team All-American.

In February, five Sixers executives, including general manager Sam Hinkie, were in attendance when Russell recorded his first and only collegiate triple-double with 23 points, 11 dimes and 11 boards on the road against No. 16 Maryland. On the season, Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

This all sounds like the recipe for an addition to the Sixers’ roster that could be paired with the injured rookie Joel Embiid next season, along with Rookie of the Year candidate, Nerlens Noel, to potentially ensure the days of bottom-feeding and contending for a No. 1 overall pick are behind Philly.

But it’s far to soon to get excited about any reports, especially those from an anonymous source two months before the draft.

Only last month, some buzz came about after ESPN’s Chad Ford relayed the insight that the Sixers had serious interest in the explosive point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who elected to forgo college and play professionally in China for a season:

Both Mudiay and Russell are still very plausible options for the Sixers, who would ideally walk away from draft night with their floor general of the future, but it serves as two conflicting reports from trustworthy outlets in ESPN and The Philadelphia Inquirer, nonetheless.

Something else to consider is the recent comments made by the 76ers’ CEO Scott O’Neil during a sit down with CSN Philly after he was asked if he would be drafting by need or best player available when draft night finally arrives:

"“Best player. Best player, best player, best player every time; twice on Sunday.”"

If the Sixers were to land one of the first two picks in the draft, this comment could imply that their guy may be Duke’s center Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky’s center Karl-Anthony Towns, who are considered to be the consensus two most coveted and talented players available.

Whether or not Okafor or Towns would be the best player available in the eyes of the Sixers management remains to be seen, but last year served as a prime example of this method, as Philly drafted Embiid, a center, while already having a center in Noel with an extremely skilled power forward still available in Julius Randle.

That strategy looks like it may pay off in a big way with Noel learning to play power forward as he works on developing a midrange jumper, but drafting a big this year would seemingly mean Noel or Embiid are on their way out, especially with so many needs on the perimeter.

In reality, I’m not sure anyone is 100 percent certain on whom the Sixers intend to walk away with on draft night, not even the Sixers. The draft order is yet to be determined, which will play a huge factor in the direction Philly decides to go. There are still pre-draft workouts and interviews to be held and there’s always the possibility of injuries, which can shake up the draft order as it did last year with Embiid.

But it is worth noting that all the noise surrounding the Sixers’ draft desires recently have only specifically named Russell and Mudiay. The Sixers desperately need an elite guard and there’s two with the potential that could fall right into Philly’s lap, but there’s really no telling what decision will be made when once the Sam Hinkie is on the clock.

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