Sixers Pick Up Duke Guard in 2024 NBA Mock Draft

With the 2024 NBA trade deadline in the rearview, the Philadelphia 76ers held on to their most prominent pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

While the Sixers still have a chance to move the pick at some point in the future, they would be wise to check out the player pool to see if there’s a possible difference-maker where they might hold a pick. After all, the Sixers found an All-Star in Tyrese Maxey with the 21st selection in 2020,

In a mock draft put together by ESPN this week, the Sixers find themselves with the 20th pick in the predictive scenario. With that pick, draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have the Sixers selecting Duke guard Jared McCain.

The former five-star recruit out of Corona, California, recently turned 20 years old. He’s currently in the midst of his freshman season with the Blue Devils.

So far this season, McCain has appeared in 26 matchups, collecting starts each time. With an average of 30 minutes of playing time, McCain has produced 14 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field. On 5.7 threes per game, he’s knocking down his long-range attempts at a 40 percent clip. The freshman guard has a true shooting percentage of 59, which ranks among the highest for other draft prospects.

While the Sixers haven’t acquired a rookie prospect in the draft over the last two years, Daryl Morey and the front office haven’t shied away from making picks in the past despite their timeline being one that would favor veteran prospects with playoff experience.

As mentioned before, Morey’s first draft pick as the Sixers’ front office frontman was Tyrese Maxey in 2020. The following year, Morey and the Sixers landed Jaden Springer out of Tennessee in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft.

Perhaps the Sixers will find value in the first round again this year.