ASSOCIATED PRESSArmed with three top-34 picks heading into the 2019 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers had a golden opportunity to add cheap, young depth to complement their Big Four. In the days leading up to the draft, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic noted teams around the league believed the Sixers may have promised to select Thybulle. Simmons had only $1 million of his $5.7 million salary for 2019-20 guaranteed, so the Sixers essentially dumped a mid-second-round pick for $1 million in salary-cap space. Even this year's Golden State Warriors found themselves on the wrong end of a battle of attrition against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals because they haven't hit on many draft picks in recent years. By largely punting on that route Thursday, the Sixers appear destined to repeat the mistakes of previous star-centric team-building models.

Source: Forbes June 21, 2019 05:37 UTC