With the 2024 NBA draft approaching quickly–Round 1 of the draft is set for June 26–now is the time to look back at some of the previous draft picks the Philadelphia 76ers have made in recent years.
The Sixers entered the 2017 draft on a high note. Joel Embiid was finally able to play in the 2016-17 season and showed off the immense talent and potential that the team was banking on and Ben Simmons was ready to make his debut after missing the entire season.
The Sixers then traded up from No. 3 to No. 1 in a deal with the Boston Celtics to select Markelle Fultz out of Washington. He averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 41.3% from deep as a freshman with the Huskies.
The Fultz era in Philadelphia was strange, to say the least. He suffered through a bizarre shoulder injury and was later diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome which limited him to just 33 games across two seasons with the Sixers. Injuries limited him to just 14 games as a rookie and averaged 7.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.1 rebounds.
Fultz was traded to the Orlando Magic at the 2019 deadline and has since been able to get it together when he is healthy. He’s averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 48% from the floor during his time with the Magic. Hardly numbers worthy of a No. 1 pick, but he has shown he can be a starting point guard in this league.
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