The Philadelphia 76ers held the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and were looking to add another impactful player to help move the rebuild forward. The Sixers were ready to add Joel Embiid to the mix plus the top pick from this draft.
With that No. 1 selection, the Sixers selected do-it-all LSU star Ben Simmons. Philadelphia was getting the obvious pick from that draft and despite missing the entire 2016-17 season due to an injury, Simmons ended up winning Rookie of the Year the following season and was named an All-Star three times and named All-NBA Third Team in 2020.
Obviously, the Simmons era took a wrong turn. He was unable to expand his game with the addition of a jumper and things went sour in the 2021 offseason. He was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in the big James Harden trade at the 2022 deadline.
In a redraft done by HoopsHype, the Sixers are selecting Domantas Sabonis at No. 1 overall rather than Simmons:
One of the best centers in the NBA today, Domantas Sabonis is modernized enough to thrive thanks to his face-up skills and playmaking ability. That has helped the former Gonzaga Bulldog to not go the way of other dinousar-type, paint-bound big men. His defense is lacking but on offense and on the glass, he’s a star-level big man.
A tandem of Sabonis and Embiid is a tantalizing one to think about. For his career, Sabonis averages 15.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. He averaged 8.2 assists for the Sacramento Kings in the 2023-24 season and his passing ability next to Embiid would certainly be interesting to see.
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