Combo guard Dante Exum might end up benefiting the most from the unfortunate slide by the injured Joel Embiid. ESPN's Chad Ford reports that Exum's workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who own the third overall pick, went very well and that his sources with the Bucks, Magic and Sixers were blown away by his psychological testing.
Dante Exum might have secured his place in the top 3
Australian Dante Exum could jump into the NBA Draft’s top three picks by impressing teams with the results of his psychological testing.
Michael Dodge
Ford believes Exum won't last past the third pick in the NBA Draft. Does drafting Exum make sense for Philly?
Why Exum to the 76ers will work
Though Michael Carter-Williams and Exum are both point guards, the 6'6 Exum could easily play in a dual point guard system alongside Carter-Williams. Considering his size and even that of Carter-Williams, there's reason to believe Philadelphia wouldn't have trouble pairing the two on the defensive end, either. Ford reports in his updated mock that the Sixers are considering trade options regarding Carter-Williams, so this discussion might even not apply in a few days.
NBA Draft
The Sixers all along have favored Andrew Wiggins in this draft, but it's hard to conceive a scenario where he or Jabari Parker is on the board at the third pick. In Ford's mock draft, he reports that the 76ers haven't completely ruled out Joel Embiid, who will be out four to six months after undergoing foot surgery last week, but that's a pretty risky move with the third pick.
Why would the 76ers go with another player?
Philadelphia is still gathering information on Embiid’s foot injury and with more details might decide he’s worth selecting. If the Sixers want to take the player with higher upside, Embiid is their guy even if Exum was “off the charts” in his psychological testing.
Noah Vonleh is also in the discussion, according to Ford, though that would be a surprise move and arguably more controversial than taking the injured Embiid. Exum very well could be the safe pick at this point, but he might not become the best player. The Sixers will have to consider that.
What’s the probability Philly picks Exum?
There are three days for Philadelphia to change its mind, but all indications coming to light on Monday point to Exum being the guy for the 76ers. While Embiid is obviously tempting, Exum’s ceiling is pretty high itself, and many teams could agree that a top-three pick shouldn’t come with much risk. Call it a 7 out of 10 chance of Exum going to Philadelphia.
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