In the 2017 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers had the 25th pick. They selected Anzejs Pasecniks and stashed him overseas. He eventually played 28 games in the NBA for the Washington Wizards in the 2019-20 season and the 2020-21 season.
Five picks later, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Villanova standout Josh Hart. Now with the New York Knicks, Hart is making a big impact for the No. 2 seed in the East. He is averaging 21.5 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 8-for-15 from deep.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Hart revealed he was hoping he would be selected by the Sixers in 2017, but it didn’t happen.
The Sixers passed on all the Villanova champions in the draft. Josh Hart said today he was "bummed" they didn't take him with the 25th pick (he went 30th to the Lakers):
"I wanted to go here. They were at 25. They did a draft-and-stash, some European guy that I can’t pronounce…
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) April 25, 2024
It makes sense why Philadelphia didn’t select Hart in 2017. The Sixers had a budding Robert Covington who played the same position. One could argue that Hart would have been a nice fit next to Joel Embiid to build around.
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