Nothing has gone according to plan for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, and that includes the player they took No. 3 overall in the June NBA Draft.
The Sixers wanted to draft D’Angelo Russell, according to report
Instead the team was forced to “settle” on Jahlil Okfaor.
Entering the evening, management's hope was that Ohio State point D'Angelo Russell would fall past the Timberwolves and Lakers, according to NBA.com's David Aldridge. Instead, Los Angeles nabbed Russell with the No. 2 pick and the Sixers were forced to "settle" on Duke big man Jahlil Okafor, according to Aldridge.
Many assumed that Russell was indeed the player Philadelphia was targeting leading up to the draft. The Sixers already had Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid on the roster and was in desperate need of a point guard. In April the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a report stating as much. That Russell cancelled his workout with the Sixers in June -- he said it was because he was sick -- seemingly didn't bother general manager Sam Hinkie. The Sixers repeatedly denied they were pursuing Russell, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe says.
However, if Aldridge’s report is accurate -- and it certainly makes sense -- this would be yet another blow to the Sixers’ grand plan. They had hoped to enter the 2015-16 season with Russell at the point and Noel and Embiid manning the paint. Instead they have very little talent at point guard while Embiid is scheduled to miss the entire year.
See More:
