The Philadelphia 76ers currently do not have a draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They traded their first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that brought James Harden to Brotherly Love City at the 2022 deadline and were eliminated in the second round in 2023 and 2024 due to manipulation fee.
However, this does not mean that the Six will be or should be inactive around the draft process. There will be a lot of talented players that will slip through the cracks in the draft and that is when they should be able to add a young player to their roster who has the potential to become a major league player in this league.
One should not ignore any uncertified players. The Miami Heat is a perfect example of investing in young talent and giving them time to develop. In the case of the Sixers, here are five keepers who can go nowhere and can help in the long run:
Kendrick Davis, Memphis
Standing at just 5-foot-11, Davis was a sophomore at Memphis and averaged 21.9 points and 5.4 assists while shooting 34.6% from depth. He was named the 2022 AAC Player of the Year while at SMU. Davis has a tight handle and can reach the basket due to his elite sport. He is great at conversion due to his play-making ability and his ball-handling ability allows him to operate catches and dribbling efficiently.
Mike Miles Jr., Memphis
Miles Jr. is not as athletic as someone like Davis, for example, but he is strong and very tough when he gets to the basket. He is able to cut through defenders and has allowed him to average 17.9 points on 49.7% shooting. He can break defenders away from dribbling and his strength allows him to be effective on the offensive end of the ground. He needs to be more consistent as a 3-point shooter, but that can come with time.
Jarkel Joiner, North Carolina State
The Joiner is a competitive two-way player who can get a defender off the dribble to the basket while also using a stingy defense on the other end of the floor. He was named All-ACC Second Team after averaging 17 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 35.4% of depth. He finished fourth in the conference in scoring and fifth in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.25).
Carpenter Chat with Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire What stands out:
I’m trying not to say I’m better than everyone else, but I’m different. I am very competitive. I caught the ball 94 feet. I play on both ends of the field, so I try to stand out in different ways.
Isaiah Wong, Miami (FL)
As a senior, Wong led the Hurricanes to their first Final Four appearance in program history and was named the ACC Most Valuable Player in 2023. He averaged 16.2 points and shot 38.4% from deep during the season. In the NCAA Tournament, he had a miserable game against Drake in the opening game (five points on 1-for-10), but rebounded well with 27 points in the Round of 32 against Indiana. Overall, he averaged 16.2 points and shot 38.6% tournament depth.
Emoni Bates, Eastern Michigan
The Sixers have it Already met with Bates Hopefully he will go undrafted, but there is a big chance he will go in the second round of the draft on June 22nd. The 6-foot-9 guard averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 40.5% in the 2022-23 season for the Eagles and has been bringing size and athleticism to the position. The upside for him is high because he has the potential to be a solid two-way player in the NBA. If Philadelphia can swoop in and grab him, it would be a good idea to start stockpiling the young talent.