So, @Sixers... still open to that pick swap right now? #NBADraftLottery pic.twitter.com/7e3cxund3J
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) May 18, 2016
The Kings and Sixers turned their 2015 trade into one of the lottery’s funniest moments
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Look no further than the exchange on Tuesday night between the Kings and Sixers in case you need further proof that NBA teams are the best sports organizations on Twitter. Shortly after the lottery revealed that Philadelphia would have the No.1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Kings made a valiant attempt at moving up.
The Sixers weren’t having any of it.
.@SacramentoKings New phone who dis
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) May 18, 2016
Here’s how (and why) this happened:
In July of 2015 the Kings made a ludicrously terrible trade to free up cap space. Part of the deal allowed the Sixers to swap picks with the Kings, assuming Sacramento got a top-10 pick. Consider it protection. At the time the Sixers didn’t know they’d be the worst team in the NBA (OK, maybe they did know), but it was a win-win situation if the Kings found a way to be worse than they were.
On Tuesday night Philadelphia had a 25 percent chance of landing the No.1 overall swap, Sacramento had just a 1.9 percent chance. It was unlikely the Kings would get a higher pick, but stranger things have happened. In most sports this would have gone unmentioned -- an unrequited clause built into a year-old trade that nobody would have remembered. The Kings didn’t forget.
It was hardly the most subtle way to broach the topic, but we’re happy this moment occurred. Side note: If you are a Sixers player or employee, you might want to talk to someone when you get to work. It appears they have a new phone.
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