Sixers Trade With Knicks, Get Future Second-Round Picks

Stop us if you've heard this before.

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie talks about the team's decision to draft Duke center Jahlil Okafor during an NBA basketball news conference, Friday, June 26, 2015, in Philadelphia. (Ben Mikesell/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie talks about the team’s decision to draft Duke center Jahlil Okafor during an NBA basketball news conference, Friday, June 26, 2015, in Philadelphia. (Ben Mikesell/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Last night the Philadelphia 76ers traded away the 35th pick in the draft, their first of five selections in the second round, to the New York Knicks. The Knicks used the pick to select Spanish big man Guillermo Hernangomez.

In exchange, the Sixers got two future second-round picks in return. A league source has informed PhillyMag that the picks the Sixers will receive are the Knicks own second round picks in 2020 and 2021.

The Knicks had already traded away their own 2nd round picks through 2019, including two, 2018 and 2019, which were already (potentially) destined to Philadelphia.(For the 2018 pick, the Sixers will get either the Knicks second-round pick or the the Clippers second-round pick that year, whichever is more favorable to the Sixers). Besides their own 2020 and 2021 2nd round picks, the Knicks also had two second-round picks from the Rockets (2017 and 2019), and a 2019 2nd round pick from Cleveland, available to trade.

As it stands, the Sixers could have the Knicks second-round pick in four consecutive years: 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

The trade was a tough one for Sixers fans to swallow. On its surface, the value was fair. While a lot can happen over the next 5 years the Knicks recent history suggests that it’s at least a possibility the Sixers traded the 35th pick for two picks that have the potential to be at a similar place in the draft.

In practice, however, delaying the gratification on a high second-round pick, even in what was thought to be a relatively weak 2nd round, for five or six years is tough for many fans to reconcile with.

Here is a list of draft picks the Sixers will have in future drafts:
2016

  • 1st round pick – 76ers
  • 1st round pick – Lakers (unless it falls in the top 3)
  • 1st round pick – Heat (unless it falls in the top 10)
  • 1st round pick – Thunder (unless it falls in top 15)
  • 2nd round pick – Nuggets

2017

  • 1st round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – 76ers

2018

  • 1st round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – Nets or Cavs (whichever is better)
  • 2nd round pick – Clippers or Knicks (whichever is better)

2019

  • 1st round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – Bucks or Kings (whichever is better)
  • 2nd round pick – Knicks

2020

  • 1st round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – Nets
  • 2nd round pick – Knicks

2021

  • 1st round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – 76ers
  • 2nd round pick – Knicks