2020 NBA Mock Draft: 76ers Snag TCU's Desmond Bane at 21

With the 2019-2020 NBA season in the rearview, the 2020 NBA Draft is next on the schedule for the Philadelphia 76ers. This season, the Sixers won't select with their own first-round pick, but the organization benefitted from a surprisingly successful season from the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder.

Since the Thunder found themselves ranked outside of the top 20 this year, the Sixers ended up in a best-case scenario and possessed the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft with a handful of second-round selections as well.

Recently, The Athletic's Sam Vecenie constructed the eighth installment of his 2020 mock draft. Before, the 76ers were frequently linked to Stanford's Tyrell Terry at pick 21. But in the latest version, Terry falls out of favor in the first round -- and Philly grabs TCU guard Desmond Bane with their first-round selection.

21. Desmond Bane, TCU

"Sources around the league have begun noting that they’d be surprised if he got out of the first round right now, simply because almost every team at the bottom of the first round could make a reasonable case for selecting him.

No team could use shooting more than Philadelphia, who desperately needs to surround Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid with more floor-spacing. In his four years at TCU, Bane made 43.3 percent of his near-600 3-point attempts.

He also improved a lot this year as an option with the ball in his hands. The big concern here is that he’s 6-foot-6 with a negative wingspan that hinders him when contesting shooters both on-ball and when closing out. However, he has good strength and knows where to be defensively."

Before NBA teams officially started the pre-draft process, Bane wasn't necessarily a popular name among NBA franchises and the media. Now that he's begun interviewing with teams, the perception surrounding Bane is beginning to change a bit.

Last year, the Sixers went into the NBA Draft with the mindset of looking for a player with multiple years of experience at the college level. This year, Sixers General Manager Elton Brand mentioned that years of experience isn't a dealbreaker. Still, Bane's four seasons at TCU could give him an advantage over others when it comes to Philly.

In four seasons with the Horned Frogs, Bane averaged 12.7 points-per-game in 30 minutes of action. By his sophomore season, the TCU guard found himself in the starting lineup and has started 114 out of 141 games in his college career. While the Sixers desperately need shooters, they also desire willing defenders. Fortunately for Philly, Bane checks both boxes.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_