In the 2018 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers had the 10th pick after an impressive season that ended in the Eastern Conference semifinals. At the time, they were an up-and-coming squad looking to add to their star duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
With that 10th pick, the Sixers selected Mikal Bridges. He was a perfect fit for Philadelphia. He was a local native who went to Villanova and his 3-and-D capabilities were going to be a welcomed addition to the team.
Of course, the Sixers did not keep Bridges. They traded him to the Phoenix Suns for the 16th pick, which turned out to be Zhaire Smith.
In a 2018 redraft performed by Bleacher Report, the Sixers take Anfernee Simons with that pick instead of Bridges:
After Damian Lillard left the Portland Trail Blazers’ rotation with an abdominal injury, Simons averaged 23.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 threes while shooting 42.3 percent from three. He rose to the role of No. 1 scorer and then some.
The kind of self-creation Simons showed carries a ton of value in today’s NBA.
The fact that he spent much of his first three seasons playing alongside other guards is encouraging, too. His 6’9″ wingspan allows him to play on the wing and up the playmaking quotient in any lineup.
Simons averaged 17.3 points and 3.9 assists and he shot 40.5% from deep in the 2021-22 season. The kid has a lot of potential to be a good player in this league and he would have been a nice addition to the Sixers roster at the time in 2018.
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