The 2020 NBA draft is rapidly approaching and that means the Philadelphia 76ers are doing their final preparations for draft night. For a team like the Sixers, they are in an interesting position as they try and improve their team for the future.
New president Daryl Morey is not a guy who is timid when it comes to making any bold moves or trades so there is no guarantee that they even make the pick at 21 on Wednesday. The Sixers are also in a position where a winnow guy is a bigger need rather than a rookie who needs some development right now.
Due to these facts and Morey’s tendency to pull the trigger on big deals, it is no surprise to hear of anything involving the Sixers and the word “trade”. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer has put out his latest mock draft and he reports that the Sixers have expressed interest in acquiring Patty Mills from the San Antonio Spurs.
O’Connor reports:
The Spurs are up to something. League sources say they’re shopping point guard Patty Mills, with teams such as the Bucks and Sixers expressing interest. A deal with Philadelphia would probably bring back Josh Richardson, league sources say.
Mills is coming off a productive season in San Antonio where he averaged 11.6 points and 1.8 assists while shooting 38.2% from deep on 6.1 attempts. That means he puts up enough threes while also knocking down enough to space the floor and make defenses worry about him.
While Richardson is probably a better player than Mills right now, this is all about fit. Richardson is more of a glue guy who will do it all, but he is not the knockdown shooter that this team needs at the moment. Not to say Mills is JJ Redick or anything, but he is an upgrade in the shooting department to that point. [lawrence-related id=39028,39005,39002]