Tag: Zhaire Smith

Doc Rivers, Zhaire Smith react to Sixers selection of Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers and guard Zhaire Smith react to the Tyrese Maxey selection.

The Philadelphia 76ers appeared to have found themselves a steal on Wednesday night as they were able to land Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey at number 21 overall. Philadelphia now gets themselves a talented wing who can contribute on both ends of the floor.

Maxey is a guy who was not expected to be there at 21 so the Sixers are ecstatic that the young man was there. He did not shoot the ball all that well at Kentucky, but he is a guy who is a good shooting stroke and the team believes in him.

After the pick was made, new Sixers coach Doc Rivers appeared on ESPN and he had this to say about the addition of Maxey:

I’m very happy. Attitude. Tough. When you have a guy like Ben who has the ball, you don’t need a pure point guard, you need guards, you need players, and I think Tyrese fits that mold.

Maxey hails from Garland, Texas which is where third-year guard Zhaire Smith is from. Smith gave a shoutout to Maxey on Twitter when the pick was made.

Ben Simmons then added to the celebration and he sent a welcome tweet to Maxey.

It is going to be interesting to see where Rivers will plug Maxey into the lineup whether he starts or comes off the bench. He will provide a lot for Philadelphia on either end of the floor and he gives the team a big boost in their talent and fit department. [lawrence-related id=39230,39222,39204]

Former Suns GM explains how Zhaire Smith trade happened with Sixers

Former Phoenix Suns GM Ryan McDonough explains what went down with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Zhaire Smith deal.

The Philadelphia 76ers were in an interesting spot when they entered the 2018 NBA Draft. They were just coming off their first playoff appearance in six years and they were looking to build off the momentum and goodwill they just created within the fan base.

The team held the 10th pick in the draft and they had selected a local favorite in Villanova’s Mikal Bridges. It seemed like a perfect fit. His skillset would work out well next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and on top of that, his mom worked for the team. It was a great fit all-around.

However, the Phoenix Suns really wanted Bridges on their roster, and their general manager, Ryan McDonough, worked out a trade with the Sixers to send the 16th pick and a future pick to Philadelphia for Bridges. That pick turned out to be Zhaire Smith who has played a grand total of 13 games in two seasons.

McDonough joined The Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast to explain just what went down on draft night in 2018:

So we were looking to get up and we had a couple guys targeted, Mikal Bridges was one of them. So I called the Sixers and said hey, are you guys interested in trading the pick? They said no no no it basically and didn’t say no, they said, Wait, which teams do. They want to see who’s available because if their guy’s not there, they’re more likely to trade off this guy that they like. So I called the Sixers when I think the ninth pick had just been announced. I said okay you guys open they said no there’s a guy we’d like we you know we’re gonna take him. I said okay, who is it? They said Mikal Bridges from Villanova. I said well, it makes sense.

McDonough then dropped a key piece of information about the future pick that the Sixers had also acquired from Phoenix:

Now we’re gonna act like we’re picking 16, but call us back as we get closer to 16. If you want to do a deal or discuss a deal. We’ll give you something good to get Bridges and you can have the 16th pick. So sure enough it was probably around 15. The phone rings we don’t know who it is, obviously, but Zhaire Smith was still on the board. So pick 15 comes and goes. And like even on the clock is being negotiated pick 16, and I give him credit they drove up, you know, a hard line. This is not you know any reporting guys this is just my interpretation. I think they really wanted what they got the 2021 unprotected Miami first round pick to then try to repackage that for Kawhi Leonard, I think that was the play.

Looking back at the trade, the Sixers should have kept Bridges as he has had a solid career for the Suns, but the 2021 pick was too valuable of an asset at the time. Unfortunately, the Sixers could not turn that pick into a potential Leonard trade, but that is the way the business goes sometimes. [lawrence-related id=38468,38459,38456]

Another trade suggestion to get Chris Paul from Thunder to Sixers

There is a new trade suggestion that has the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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The Philadelphia 76ers are still trying to find a new head coach after firing Brett Brown way back on August 24. However, it doesn’t mean that they can’t begin thinking about making additions to a roster that clearly needs an upgrade.

One option that has consistently popped up is Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder as it appears the Thunder are looking to enter a rebuild. The Sixers have been debating about whether to pursue Paul or not, but he would be the right addition that this team needs to get back on track.

Bleacher Report has come up with a trade scenario that would bring Paul to Philadelphia in exchange for Al Horford, Matisse Thybulle, Zhaire Smith, and a 2022 top 10 protected pick.

B/R on the deal for the Sixers:

Enter CP3. The Point God would scratch several of this squad’s biggest itches and answer some of its half-court questions that have plagued recent playoff runs.

There aren’t many teams who would give up multiple assets to get Paul, since he’s a 35-year-old with $85.6 million headed his way over the next two seasons. But if he’s the missing piece of the Sixers’ championship puzzle, the trade and the contract all become small prices to pay.

Paul is exactly what the Sixers were missing in the 2019-20 season. They were missing a guy who could put the ball on the floor and create for himself and others while also missing a closer–paging Jimmy Butler. Paul was a huge reason why the Thunder were able to win as many close games as they did. He would take control of the offense in the fourth quarter and he would throw the team on his back. Philadelphia needs something like that in the worst way possible and the pick-and-roll game with Ben Simmons would be great to watch. [lawrence-related id=38009,38003,38000]

Finding a Tobias Harris or Al Horford trade will be a struggle for Sixers

Trying to find a Tobias Harris or Al Horford trade will be a struggle for the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason.

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The Philadelphia 76ers crash and burned in the 2019-20 season as they came up extremely short of the high expectations the team had for itself after making huge moves in the 2019 offseason.

A season such as this one brings inevitable change as coach Brett Brown was the first domino to fall in an offseason of changes for the team. There are expected to be changes within the front office and changes to a roster that was clunky on offense all season.

This does not include Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid as the team looks to move forward with them. The focus then turns to Tobias Harris and Al Horford as they are the two highest-paid players on the team and they both came up small in the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. The logical decision would be to try and move at least one of the two to try and get out of their bloated contracts–Horford is set to make $27.5 million next season and Harris is at $34.4 million.

However, how exactly will that be done? In order to move deals such as those, assets must be attached. That means attaching picks to sweeten deals or possibly even attach a young player with potential i.e. Matisse Thybulle.

At the moment, Philadelphia’s stable of assets is a little bare. The only pieces they can truly turn to are guys like Josh Richardson, Thybulle, Zhaire Smith, and the draft picks. The only one who would really stand out is Thybulle and maybe Richardson.

Bleacher Report put it this way:

Josh Richardson alone doesn’t cut it after the season he just had, and his $11.6 million salary cannot be readily worked into deals headlined by a $27.5 million or $34.4 million player. Zhaire Smith’s value peaked on draft night 2018. The No. 21 pick probably isn’t enough to spice up the pot on its own.

Future firsts and Matisse Thybulle project as the most powerful sweeteners. Thybulle proved himself a not just pesky but omnipresent defender during his rookie campaign.

General manager Elton Brand will probably have to bite the bullet and hope that a new coach can get the most out of this roster. Harris and Horford are still good players who can help this team win, but the new coach will have to find the fit and make it all work. A point guard would definitely help unless the team continues to roll with young Shake Milton there and continue to develop him on the floor. [lawrence-related id=37812,37808,37804]

Draft Rewind: Sixers make a trade to acquire Zhaire Smith in 2018

We take a look back at the Zhaire Smith pick for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 NBA Draft.

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The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2018 NBA Draft looking to continue to complement the star duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid after the stars led the Sixers to their first playoff appearance since 2012.

The vibes around the franchise were good as they had just reached the semifinals as a young group and they had the 10th pick in the draft. They then selected Villanova prospect Mikal Bridges with the pick before trading him to the Phoenix Suns for a bouncy athlete in Zhaire Smith who was selected 16th.

There was hope that Smith would provide some good wing play off the bench, however, he suffered a Jones fracture before the season even began and he then had an allergic reaction in December of his rookie season and it limited him to only six games. It is amazing he even played in his rookie season due to the effect the reaction had on his body.

He averaged 6.7 points in his rookie season and he did show off an ability to defend at an adept level out on the perimeter. He showed off some of the hope that the team had in him when they made the trade to acquire him.

However, the Sixers then selected Matisse Thybulle in the 2019 draft, and his quick rise pushed Smith down to the G League and he spent the majority of his second season with the Delaware Blue Coats. He only played in seven games in the 2019-20 season averaging 1.1 points and he then suffered another injury right before the season restart in Orlando that caused him to miss the time in the bubble.

As for Bridges, he has turned into a legitimate 3-and-D player for the Suns and he shot 36.1% from deep while averaging 9.1 points and playing 82 games as a rookie and 73 as a sophomore. At the time, the trade looked like it could pay dividends for Philadelphia, but hindsight is always 20-20 and the trade continues to look more and more like a mistake. [lawrence-related id=37703,37700,37697]

Philadelphia 76ers 2019-20 season in review: Zhaire Smith

We now take a look back at the 2019-20 season tailored by Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith.

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When the Philadelphia 76ers made a draft-night trade in 2018 sending Mikal Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for a young athlete in Zhaire Smith, it was met with a lot of confusion. Bridges was more NBA ready and he was a good fit for the team. Why make that move?

Two years in, the trade still looks very confusing as Smith has played a grand total of 13 games through two seasons. In the 2019-20 season, he played only seven games due to the fact that rookie Matisse Thybulle passed him in the rotation and he was ticketed to the G League. Then, he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee just before the restart and he did not play in Orlando.

2019-20 season averages

1.1 points

0.3 rebounds

0.3 assists

27.3% overall percentage

As mentioned, the presence and the rise of Thybulle forced Smith into time with the Delaware Blue Coats where he played well. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists as he showed off a lot of athleticism and the potential to be a hard-nosed defender in the NBA.

In his seven games with the Sixers, his best night came on January 28 against the Golden State Warriors where he had three points, a steal, and a rebound. It is clear that he is still recovering from the allergic reaction he suffered through in his rookie season as he had to rebuild his entire game again.

Smith is still only 21-years old and he has NBA level athleticism. If he can continue to get his strength back and continue to develop his skills, he can eventually be in an NBA rotation. Will that be with the Sixers? That remains to be seen, but he can be a player in this league if he continues to work hard. [lawrence-related id=37576,37573,37567]

Sixers’ Zhaire Smith has bone bruise in left knee, won’t travel to Orlando

Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith will not travel to Orlando due to a knee injury.

The Philadelphia 76ers are beginning preparations to head to Orlando to resume the 2019-20 season, but one young prospect will not be joining them.

Second-year guard Zhaire Smith, who had a solid finish to the G League season with the Delaware Blue Coats, will not be traveling to Orlando after suffering a bone bruise in his left knee. According to The Athletic’s Derek Bodner, the young swingman began experiencing pain prior to the team beginning voluntary workouts and he is expected to make a full recovery.

This is a tough blow for Smith who has had a lot of trouble finding his footing at the NBA level after going through a nightmare of a rookie season. The experience of being around his veteran teammates for this stretch run and then the playoffs would have been great for him to learn from.

Smith was not very likely to factor into the team’s playoff rotation, but it is tough to see him go down with another injury such as this one. [lawrence-related id=33782,33770,33762]

Is it too early for the Sixers to give up on young prospect Zhaire Smith?

Is it too early for the Philadelphia 76ers to give up on Zhaire Smith?

The Philadelphia 76ers made a draft night trade in 2018 to acquire Zhaire Smith from the Phoenix Suns hoping that he would make an immediate impact on the defensive end with his athletic ability.

Unfortunately, injuries and an allergic reaction robbed him of his rookie season and he was then relegated to the G League in his second season as Philadelphia drafted Matisse Thybulle in 2019 who plays the same position and role. Combine Thybulle’s emergence with the presence of Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson and there seems to be no room for Smith.

That leaves Philadelphia in a position where they could move Smith for some immediate help, but is it too early to move him? He is only 21-years old and he finished up a solid season in Delaware shooting 37.6% from deep on 4.2 attempts per game and that is all while continuing to adjust a brand new position after playing the power forward spot in college.

Smith said on The Bell Ringer Podcast:

“At Tech, I was playing the 4 and when I decided to enter my name in the draft and stay in the draft, I immediately got on my ball-handling real quick,” he explained. “The G League helped with that. I got tons of reps in and I just feel like I’m continuing to progress and getting better at it playing only two years of guard.”

It just would not make much basketball sense to give up on a 21-year old kid who has been working hard on his game. It is not easy going from college big man to NBA guard and Smith has made improvements, especially in his shot where he made the improvement from 20% from deep as a rookie in Delaware up to 37.6% in his second season. The shooting number is something that should interest the Sixers especially with Thybulle so up-and-down from deep.

The plan before the league was suspended was to have Smith join the Sixers for the stretch run and into the playoffs after the Blue Coats season ends. That type of experience and being around the veterans would be helpful for him. One can assume that he will rejoin the team when the season resumes in Orlando.

Another thing to consider, Richardson has an $11.6 million player option for the 2021-22 season so there is a chance that the Sixers move him before he has the chance to accept that option. In that case, Philadelphia could bring in Smith and slide him into the rotation and give him a shot. It would behoove general manager Elton Brand to see what Smith can do at the NBA level. [lawrence-related id=33365,33359,33349]

Examining 3 most valuable Philadelphia 76ers trade assets for 2020

We are taking a look at the trade assets that the Philadelphia 76ers possess.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently in limbo as they wait to see what will be made of the 2019-20 season, but it is also worth looking ahead to the offseason a bit. The Sixers won’t have too much money to play with in the free agency market in 2020, but they could be active in the trade market.

The big issue for the Sixers is that they will most likely try and find a taker for their big contract players such as Tobias Harris and Al Horford in an effort to find better fits around Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The big challenge for them is that not a lot of teams will take Harris and Horford straight up so they will need to attach an attractable asset with those big contracts.

So, we are going to take a look at the three biggest assets the Sixers could offer in a trade to move Harris and or Horford.

Josh Richardson

Richardson’s contract potentially expires in 2021–he has an $11.6 million player option for the 2021-22 season–and a team out there would likely be interested in a versatile shooting guard on an expiring deal. He is a guard who can handle the ball and run the pick-and-roll while also being able to play off the ball effectively and play some really solid defense on the other end.

It isn’t that Richardson has been bad in Philadelphia, but he is not what the team needs and that is a legitimate 3-point shooter. He is shooting 32.7% from deep with the Sixers which is down from his career shooting percentage of 36.2% from deep and he is just not JJ Redick, which no one expected him to be, but that’s more on the front office than Richardson himself. The team needs sharpshooters surrounding the two All-Stars.

Matisse Thybulle

Yes, Thybulle will be included in this. Mainly, because they don’t have any other real assets that will catch other team’s eyes to take either of the big contracts. He is on a rookie-scale deal and he is on his way to becoming one of the best perimeter defenders in the league if he is not already.

Thybulle is not very likely to be dealt. There is very little chance the Sixers move the impressive rookie, but they also have shown in the past that they are not afraid to pull a trigger and include a young and promising player–see Shamet, Landry. General manager Elton Brand would have to think twice about including him in any deal, but if it means the team is getting a sharpshooter or two, then he may have to pull the trigger.

Zhaire Smith/2020 first-round pick

The Sixers have a young and promising player down in the G League in the form of Smith, but the big question with him is has he proven enough with the Delaware Blue Coats to warrant any interest? He is still only 20-years old and he has a ton of athleticism so that is something that will draw some attention from teams and teams may like the challenge of developing him.

The 2020 first-round pick–22nd overall–may also interest teams as they look to get something of value in return. The 2020 NBA Draft is a bit of a mystery due to the current state of everything going on, but it is worth any team’s while to have another pick in the first round. The Sixers will most likely have to include one, or more, of these players plus the pick to try and move the big contracts off the books and improve the supporting cast. [lawrence-related id=30930,30914,30906]

Zhaire Smith discusses transition from college big man to NBA guard

Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith explains his adjustment from college power forward to NBA shooting guard.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith has had to battle a lot of adversity through his first two seasons in the NBA. From a tough rookie season where he only played six games due to a Jones fracture and then an allergic reaction followed by a second season where he was jumped in the rotation by rookie Matisse Thybulle and sent to the G League, one can understand why his development has been slow.

One also has to consider the fact that Smith actually played power forward in college with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Yes, the 6-foot-3 jumping jack was battling with the big men down low before having to transition to shooting guard at the NBA level. So, in order to prepare to play the 2-guard spot, he watched a lot of guards to learn how to play the position when he jumped on The Bell Ringer Podcast hosted by Sixers Wire.

“I study film of all players in the NBA. Present and past,” said Smith. “I like watching present highlights so I watch Kobe (Bryant) highlights and just underrated players like John Starks and just old school players.”

This is all so new to him for a kid as young as he is. He had to watch those aforementioned players and have them teach him how to really play the shooting guard position at the highest level of basketball.

“At Tech, I was playing the 4 and when I decided to enter my name in the draft and stay in the draft, I immediately got on my ball-handling real quick,” he explained. “The G League helped with that. I got tons of reps in and I just feel like I’m continuing to progress and getting better at it playing only two years of guard.”

That is why it is taking Smith some time to really claim a spot in the team’s rotation. Not only did he essentially lose a year due to the adversity thrown at him as a rookie, but he also had to learn an entirely new position and that is why he has to grind harder than everybody else.

“First, coming out of Tech, having to transition to a guard, then I got hurt so I had to bounce back, it’s just a lot of adversity,” he added. “But I’m still grinding and continuing to get better so it’s all a matter of time.”

Smith has played seven games with the Sixers in 2019-20 and has played 33 games for the Delaware Blue Coats where he has averaged 13.5 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 37.6% from deep and 53.0% from the floor overall. The grind will never stop for the young 20-year old and he is learning that by watching Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance”.

Smith on what he has learned from watching that: “Just keep grinding by all means necessary.” [lawrence-related id=30295,30301,30286]