Sixers Hit the Lottery

The Philadelphia 76ers were awarded the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft as a result of the 32nd annual edition of the NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm, held tonight in New York. The Sixers have selected first overall twice in team history (1996, Allen Iverson; 1973, Doug Collins). Entering the lottery, the Sixers had a 26.9% chance of landing the first selection.

The first overall pick has produced some of the most iconic players in NBA history, including Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal (1992), David Robinson (1987), Hakeem Olajuwon (1984), Magic Johnson (1979), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969) and Oscar Robertson (1960). Recent top picks include Anthony Davis (2012), Kyrie Irving (2011), Blake Griffin (2009), Derrick Rose (2008), Dwight Howard (2004) and LeBron James (2003).

The Sixers also own the 24th and 26th picks heading into the upcoming draft. Philadelphia acquired the 24th pick on August 23, 2014 in a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. The pick was initially owned by the Miami Heat and traded to Cleveland on July 10, 2010. The 26th pick was obtained from the Denver Nuggets in a trade deadline deal on February 19, 2015. The pick originally belonged to the Oklahoma City Thunder which traded it to the Cavaliers on January 5, 2015. Two days later, the Cavaliers flipped the pick to the Nuggets.

Other results from tonight’s lottery include the Los Angeles Lakers landing the second overall pick. Had the Lakers pick fallen outside the top-three, it would have been conveyed to the Sixers as part of a prior trade; that pick remains top-three protected for next year’s draft.

In addition, Philadelphia has the right to swap its 2017 first round pick for Sacramento’s 2017 first round pick, protected for selections 11-30. If the Sacramento pick falls within its protected range, then Philadelphia’s swap right and Sacramento’s obligation to Philadelphia will be extinguished.

The 2016 NBA Draft presented by State Farm will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 23 at 7 p.m.