The 2022 NBA draft is now two days away and the Philadelphia 76ers will have the No. 23 pick in this draft. The thought process here with the Sixers is that they are likely to trade the pick in order to acquire a win-now player, but in the case that they do keep the pick, there are some solid options.
At No. 23, the Sixers will be looking for somebody who can provide some depth on the wings and give the bench unit a spark in terms of scoring as well. One player who fits that mold is Jaden Hardy of G League Ignite who the Sixers actually brought in for a workout.
A mock draft put together by Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire has the Sixers selecting Hardy with the No. 23 pick in this draft on Thursday:
With the Sixers on the clock after the Nets deferred their pick to next year, they appear open to a trade that would upgrade the roster. In fact, Philly has been rumored to want to trade just about everyone not named Joel Embiid. Should the front office keep this pick, Hardy projects to be a good addition to the backcourt. He emerged as a strong scorer and really came on toward the end of the season, scoring in double figures in each of his last eight games, including a season-high 31 points and nine assists on Jan. 28. The Sixers are a team to watch on draft night: They could be active in trade discussions.
Hardy will certainly need development, and that’s why the Sixers will be looking to trade the pick for somebody who doesn’t need that development, but if he does stick in Philadelphia, he would being a lot of excitement and a spark to the bench unit.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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