7 prospects the Sixers could target at 16 — if they keep the pick

It’s a little sad that we’re already discussing the draft, but with the lottery now in the books and the Sixers with a top-20 pick, we move.

There’s a decent chance the Sixers will trade pick 16 in the 2024 NBA Draft. Armed with cap space and the ability to move up to five first-round picks on draft night (including No. 16), Daryl Morey and company will have valuable assets to acquire win-now talent. Timing is the only thing that could complicate that as the draft will occur (June 26) before free agency unofficially begins (June 30) with the Sixers having one player on a guaranteed contract.

With that said, if there is no trade available that night, the Sixers could make a pick. And since we here at LB love draft content, here are seven players the team could target if they keep their pick.

(We’ll have plenty of draft profiles going forward — including players that could make sense at pick 41 — once we get a little closer!)

Devin Carter, G, Providence

Though Morey specifically said he wouldn’t be looking for a plug-and-play player in this draft, the 22-year-old Carter might be the best choice in that regard. The son of former NBA player Anthony Carter, Devin should be capable of playing NBA defense from Day One. He’s 6-foot-3, but he’s long, moves his feet well and thrives on being an absolute pest. He’s impactful off ball, averaging 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks. He’s an outstanding rebounder for his size thanks to his elite athleticism, pulling down 8.7 rebounds per game last season.

His offensive skillset is still developing, but he showed marked improvement as a junior. His three-point volume and efficiency saw a huge uptick this past season where he hit 37.7% of his 6.8 threes per game. Even his two-point percentage rose to an impressive 56.3% as he averaged 19.7 points a game. Carter is more of an undersized two than a point guard, but he can add a little playmaking (3.6 assists). He doesn’t have a ton off the bounce, but again, it’s another area of his game that’s grown a bit.

Carter is what you’d simply call a winning basketball player. He brings a ton of energy and impacts the game on both ends. There’s a little De’Anthony Melton to his game. The “Mr. Do Something” moniker would be a fair one to put on Carter. An aside: his play style and fiery personality would make him a fan favorite in Philly instantly.

(SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell listed Carter as one of his early winners from the NBA Draft Combine after Carter tested as one of the most athletic players there.)

Jared McCain, G, Duke

Full disclosure: Carter and McCain are my two favorite prospects for the Sixers. That’s why they’re the first two listed.

McCain might be the best pure shooter in this draft. He buried 41.4% of his 5.8 triples per game in his lone season at Duke. He seemed comfortable shooting from anywhere on the floor, both off the dribble and off the catch. He might benefit from a slightly quicker release, but his mechanics are great. He also plays with great poise. He stays under control on overaggressive closeouts and punished teams with midrange jumpers or crafty drives to the basket. He’s not the biggest (6-foot-3) or most explosive athlete, but he makes up for it with a high basketball IQ.

Because of his size and lack of elite athleticism, chances are McCain will never be an All-NBA defender. Still, he worked hard on that end of the floor. He has decent off-ball instincts and plays sound team defense. He might get eaten up on screens from time to time, but he’s going to be a pesky point-of-attack defender and he’s going to fight.

McCain just turned 20 this year so he is on the younger side entering the NBA. He’ll likely have to add a bit more functional strength, but his shooting, smarts and effort will get him on an NBA court in due time.

Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado

Da Silva is another player that could fit the plug-and-play mold. The 23-year-old is coming off a four-year college career with the Buffaloes. The 6-foot-8 forward from Munich, Germany, showed off a versatile skillset that would seem to translate quite well to the modern NBA.

Da Silva saw his volume and efficiency increase from three in each of his four seasons. He hit 39.5% from deep on 4.8 attempts in his senior season. He has a smooth release and should be able to shoot over most defenders. Overall, there is a smoothness and poise to his game for a player his size. Though not a guy you’d want leading your offense, he did show some playmaking ability with 2.4 assists a game.

The key to his defense is his size. Though he’d get beaten off drives by smaller players, he was never out of plays because of his length. He also flashed as a good help and off-ball defender with decent instincts. He’s a bit of a tweener/combo forward. He might need to add a little functional strength to deal with bigger threes and fours at the next level.

Though there doesn’t appear to be star potential with Da Silva, he absolutely looks like he could be a star role player. He has good feel in DHOs and as a cutter. He looks like a player that could seamlessly fit any team.

Yves Missi, C, Baylor

Who better to back up Joel Embiid than a fellow Cameroonian? Missi is even from the same part of the country in Yaounde.

In all seriousness, if the Sixers are looking to sure up the backup center role in this draft, Missi is a strong prospect. The Baylor product fits the mold of modern NBA rim-running big. He measured at 6-foot-10 at the combine with a 7-2 wingspan. He also recorded a 38.5-inch vertical, one of the highest marks of any big. He didn’t take a single three and is not likely to stretch the floor. He does flash ability as a driver from the elbows and nail, though he’ll need to add strength to finish against NBA bigs. He’ll function just fine as a screener and roller early on. He’s also a strong offensive rebounder.

It appears Missi was mostly asked to play drop coverage, likely because of his ability as a rim protector. He recorded 3.9 blocks per 100 possessions during his lone college season. He would seem to fit what Nick Nurse likes as a long, athletic defender.

There is no replicating what a healthy Embiid does defensively, but with Missi you could at least deploy a similar scheme.

Kyshawn George, G/Wing, Miami

Size and shooting rule in the modern NBA. That’s likely why George, a native of Switzerland, is getting plenty of first-round buzz after one season with the Hurricanes.

At 6-foot-8, George shot 40.8% on 4.2 threes a game. To give you an indication of his volume, he only took 6.1 field goals in 23.0 minutes per game. He took a staggering 10.4 triples per 100 possessions during his lone collegiate season. That also means he didn’t flash a versatile offensive skillset, though he did at times show off the ability to attack aggressive closeouts or even operate as a pick-and-roll ball handler.

Adding functional strength will be critical for the 20-year-old. He’s skinny and not an above-average athlete, so he relied on his length almost exclusively on defense. He recovers well against smaller players, but also gets beaten often.

George looks like a player still growing into his body. Though he doesn’t necessarily look like a player Morey would target for a win-now team, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations has made it clear that won’t sway him. With the way the league is going, players like George could be at a premium — which could serve the Sixers well as a developmental prospect or as a trade chip.

Isaiah Collier, G, USC

The Sixers just watched a smaller point guard that’s built like a tank tear their defense to shreds. Maybe they could look to add one.

Though his teammate Bronny James garnered all the headlines, Collier was the standout freshman for USC this season. Collier is what the kids would call a bucket. He averaged 16.3 points a game for the Trojans, scoring in a variety of ways. He’s strong, crafty and shows off an impressive handle and midrange game. The three-ball has room to improve (33.8%), but there’s enough there to believe he can shoot at the next level. His footwork isn’t to Jalen Brunson’s level, but his craftiness and feel are impressive for a 19-year-old. He was able to playmake for others enough where he could be more than just a scorer.

Like Brunson, he’s not the biggest or most explosive. That’s likely going to be an issue for him defensively at the next level. There were off-ball flashes and moments where he got into ball handlers that show he could overcome those shortcomings. Overall, he seems like the type of player that just finds the basketball.

Like George, he is on the younger side and would likely be viewed as an investment. Morey has shown he will take the best player available, regardless of position or skillset. There’s a decent chance Collier would be the best player on the board if he slips to 16.

Tidjane Salaun, F, Cholet (France)

More full disclosure: my knowledge on international hoops is limited, but Salaun is a player most experts believe will go in this range of the draft.

While we don’t have official measurements on Salaun as his team in France is currently in the playoffs, he is freakish. He’s listed at 6-foot-9 with long arms and smooth movements. In the limited capacity I’ve watched him, he does not look out of place as an 18-year-old playing in a grown man’s professional league. The shooting numbers aren’t where you’d like them to be, but there’s a good foundation there. He also looks very willing to fire away and even appears to hunt threes. He shows really impressive feel and poise for such a young player. Though he’s not a creator, he does flash potential as a slasher with a good burst and uses his length to shield the ball from defenders.

It seems like he fights on the defensive end, despite being on the slender side. It appears he has experience playing in complex defensive schemes, forcing him to understand help defense and making him adept at scrambling. He takes some gambles, but he has quick hands and looks like he has the potential to be a disruptive defensive player.

He’s the youngest player on the list, but there are a bunch of traits to like here. If he can translate his defensive skills to the next level, he seems like the type of player Nurse would love to have.