The Philadelphia 76ers are limping to the 2019-20 regular season finish line. Ben Simmons is out indefinitely and Joel Embiid is dealing with an ankle injury.
Without their two superstars in a less than ideal state, the Sixers have dropped their last three contests and will remain the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Now, why does this matter to the Nets? (Well, it has nothing to do with this season.)
Brooklyn fans may remember the Nets acquired Philly’s top-14 protected 2020 pick when they sent their 2019 first-round pick (No. 27) — which wound up being Mfiondu Kabengele — to the Los Angeles Clippers.
So, the Sixers’ 2019-20 standing has an impact on one of Brooklyn’s better trade pieces.
And because Philly has gone 3-4 in the bubble, the Nets-owned Sixers pick’s stock has improved, as Brian Lewis of the New York Post pointed out on Wednesday.
Instead of the pick being slotted at No. 20, as it was entering the bubble, it’s now guaranteed to be No. 19 at the highest and could bump up to No. 18 (depending on what happens with the Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns game on Thursday).