Philadelphia 76ers: Nik Stauskas And The Evolving Process

As the Philadelphia 76ers’ rebuild continues to progress, it’s very possible that it leaves some of their more unsure players like Nik Stauskas on the outside looking in.

No matter what you may believe, The Process is still alive and well for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Sam Hinkie, the mind behind the team’s polarizing methods, may have departed under controversial circumstances just before the end of last season. However, the 76ers are now starting to bear the fruit of their labor from over the last three years.

With big man Joel Embiid seeing his first NBA action and European sensation Dario Saric joining the team after playing overseas, the Sixers’ future doesn’t seem as far away as it looked mere months ago.

That by no means that they’ll suddenly turn to winning ways, but with more potential mainstays on the roster and even more likely high draft picks coming, the 76ers’ present has many fans and followers excited for what’s in store this season and beyond. But as the 76ers’ rebuild starts to truly get off the ground, they now start to face an interesting dilemma regarding their roster.

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There’s already been plenty of intrigue with what they do with their former high draft picks and key players that have been through much, if not all of the last three years. We all know players like Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel have been the subject of many trade rumors for months now, due to the team’s crowded frontcourt situation.

However, those questions extend far deeper than the players that may face a logjam for minutes. Inevitably, it will include players who have yet to prove themselves in the NBA.

If that last part applies to anyone on the 76ers, it has to be Nik Stauskas.

Despite only entering the league two years ago, Stauskas’ NBA career has been without much success.

Originally drafted ninth overall by the Sacramento Kings, Stauskas has struggled to reach his potential as a knockdown shooter and three-point threat, shooting a combined 32.4 percent from beyond the arc in his first two seasons.

Of course, Stauskas made his way to Philadelphia after his one season with the Kings as part of the magnificently short-sighted deal in which Sacramento and Philadelphia exchanged rights to swap picks (which goes into effect in 2019 as an unprotected first-rounder for the 76ers).

While that move has given the team yet another valuable asset in the team’s stockpile of draft picks, Stauskas’ struggles have left the 76ers with a player with more question marks than when he first arrived to the team.