Philadelphia 76ers: 5 options for pick No. 24 in 2019 NBA Draft

1. Carsen Edwards

Various NBA mocks have Carsen Edwards pegged as a second round prospect, but he’s a talent the Sixers need to be open-minded with over the next month, and for good reason.

Edwards was the best scorer in this year’s NCAA Tournament, and was named the South Regional’s Most Outstanding Player unanimously. The junior floor general averaged 34.8 points through four games during Purdue’s Elite Eight spell. Still only 20 years old, Edwards will enter the NBA as one of the most polished young point guards in the 2019 class.

Though his size at 6’1″ and 200 pounds leaves a trace of concern, he carries an offensive craft that is welcomed in the City of Brotherly Love. He’s got a hard-nosed nature, a la Allen Iverson.

The Sixers need scoring. That much is clear. If Edwards can survive until the end of the first round, consider it a blessing for Brett Brown and co.

A failed project of Markelle Fultz is long gone, and it’s possible the team could miss out on retaining Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick during free agency in July. But here lies a shot at redemption for past blunders.

The organization needs an urgent backup point guard to relieve Ben Simmons. T.J. McConnell, who has been the sporadic No. 2 ball-handler since 2015, is also an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there’s no guarantee he’ll return. Nonetheless, Edwards may be the better fit outright.