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Philadelphia 76ers Add Draft Picks; Deal Michael Carter-Williams, K.J. McDaniels

ByCody Daniel|
Dec 5, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) leads guard K.J. McDaniels (14) and forward Nerlens Noel (4) and center Henry Sims (35) back to the court after a timeout against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. The Thunder defeated the 76ers 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams (1) leads guard K.J. McDaniels (14) and forward Nerlens Noel (4) and center Henry Sims (35) back to the court after a timeout against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Wells Fargo Center. The Thunder defeated the 76ers 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

It was to be expected that the asset-seeking Philadelphia 76ers and their draft pick-crazed general manager Sam Hinkie would toss their name into the mix at some point before Thursday’s trade deadline. What wasn’t as predictable were the cards that would be shuffled when Hinkie finally played his hand, headlined by the Sixers’ Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams, being dealt for the reward of a future lottery pick.

Isaiah Thomas was reportedly set to become a Sixer once news of the trade first broke, but various sources soon clarified that the only return for the Sixers guard was a protected future pick from Los Angeles.

The pick Philadelphia acquired in the MCW trade will be top-three protected in 2016 and 2017 and unprotected in 2018.

Although the Carter-Williams departure served as the main course of the trade deadline festivities for Philadelphia, Hinkie made sure to continue in stockpiling assets and unwanted contracts by being awarded the gift of a future first round pick from Denver for simply taking JaVale McGee’s $12 million contract off the Nuggets’ hands.

The pick that came along with McGee to Philly is from Denver’s first round pick from Oklahoma City, which is top-18 protected. If the pick isn’t conveyed in the 2015 draft, it will be top-15 protected in 2016 and 2017. Philadelphia also obtained the rights to Chu Chu Maduabum in the McGee trade – who will likely never suit up for the Sixers. Philly’s only loss was the rights to 2005 draftee Cent Akyol.

And what trade deadline in Philadelphia could be complete without the inheritance of a second round pick, which Hinkie added to his plethora of future draft picks in a trade that sent the Sixers’ explosive rookie swingman K.J. McDaniels to the Houston Rockets for Isaiah Canaan?

The only logical explanation behind this trade is Hinkie must have not been willing to pay the price that was expected to be looming around McDaniels in the offseason, who is a restricted rookie free agent and could have pushed the Sixers to match a hefty offer in free agency. Rather, Hinkie can just hope that Houston’s second round pick can produce a draft steal with the same talent level of McDaniels.

After Thursday’s action in the trade market, the 76ers will get back on the hardwood without their longest tenured player and starting point guard, without their most explosive option on the perimeter and a very hopeful heart set on the upcoming draft.

It would seem with the latest moves that Philadelphia’s draft attention would now turn towards finding their next star-caliber point guard. How does D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay sound? If the Sixers are fortunate enough, they’ll be able to pair a point guard in the draft with a No. 6 or 7 pick from the Lakers, but as it stands, there’s even more questions surrounding the extended rebuild in Philadelphia than ever.

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