Post-Process: How the Sixers have picked in the NBA draft since selecting Markelle Fultz in 2017

Thursday could be a quiet draft night for the 76ers, who do not hold a pick after the Brooklyn Nets opted to take this year’s first-round selection as part of the blockbuster James Harden-Ben Simmons trade in February 2022.

It’s quite the about-face from “The Process” years, when compiling and using high picks was the most critical part of the Sixers’ roster-building. That approach, of course, yielded mixed results. Joel Embiid has blossomed into one of the NBA’s most dominant players, capped by winning the Most Valuable Player award this season. But Markelle Fultz and Jahlil Okafor were busts. And although Simmons did become an All-Star, he then turned into one of the most hated athletes in Philly sports history following his messy holdout and exit, which disrupted most of in 2021-22 season.

The Sixers’ more recent draft results have also been varied. That is at least partially because of the greater unpredictability that comes from holding lower picks after the team’s shift from tanking to trying to win.

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Tyrese Maxey was one of the steals of a bizarre 2020 draft, while Paul Reed carved out a rotation role this season. The Sixers used last year’s first-round pick to trade for De’Anthony Melton, who immediately became a key rotation player on both ends of the floor. Yet past drafts also yielded the Mikal Bridges blunder; Matisse Thybulle, who failed to develop offensively; and Jaden Springer’s continued wait for NBA minutes.

Here is a breakdown of each Sixers draft pick since they selected Fultz first overall in 2017.

This draft is best known — or lamented — for when Bridges was stunningly traded minutes after being selected by his hometown Sixers. Since then, he has developed into an excellent three-and-D player for a Phoenix Suns team that made the 2021 NBA Finals, then blossomed as a scorer as the centerpiece of the return package in the huge Kevin Durant trade with the Nets.

The Sixers got Zhaire Smith back in that draft-night deal five years ago, along with a first-round pick. His career never took off because of injury and a bizarre allergic reaction. At 26th overall, the Sixers also took Landry Shamet, who then, along with the pick obtained in the Bridges trade, became part of the trade to obtain Tobias Harris from the Clippers at the 2019 trade desdline. Other notable prospects available in Shamet’s range that year included Robert Williams III (27th), Jalen Brunson (33rd), Mitchell Robinson (36th), Gary Trent Jr. (37th), and Bruce Brown (42nd).

Shake Milton, who developed from two-way player to part-time rotation contributor in his five seasons with the Sixers, was technically drafted by the Dallas Mavericks but then traded to the Sixers.

The Sixers also technically drafted these players who were selected in the second round and later traded: Kyrhi Thomas (Detroit Pistons), Isaac Bonga (Los Angeles Lakers), Ray Spalding (Dallas), and Kostas Antetokounmpo (Dallas).

This is when the Sixers landed Thybulle, who was technically drafted by the Boston Celtics before being traded to the Sixers.

Thybulle twice made the NBA’s All-Defensive second team, thanks to quick hands and athleticism that sparked impressive steals and blocks. But he did not become a consistent enough three-point shooter or overall scoring threat, leading opponents to leave him wide open during the playoffs. His decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 — which barred him from traveling to Canada for the 2022 playoff games against the Raptors — also put his rotation spot in flux. The Sixers traded the restricted free-agent-to-be to the Portland Trail Blazers at the 2023 deadline as part of a deal that brought Jalen McDaniels to Philly.

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Other notable prospects who were available in Thybulle’s range that year included Brandon Clarke (21st), Grant Williams (22nd), Jordan Poole (28th), and Nic Claxton (31st).

In the second round, the Sixers drafted Marial Shayok, who received a two-way contract before getting waived after one season.

The team also technically drafted these players before trading them: Ty Jerome (Celtics, then Suns), Carsen Edwards (Celtics), Bruno Fernando (Atlanta Hawks), and Admiral Schofield (Washington Wizards).

This is where the Sixers’ most prominent recent draft success stories appear.

Following a strange pre-draft process during the stay-at-home portion of the pandemic, Maxey was still available for the Sixers to take with the 21st pick. In a redraft, he would almost surely be a top-five pick among the group of Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, LaMelo Ball, and Desmond Bane. Maxey has All-Star potential — and could elevate to the Sixers’ second option if Harden opts to leave in free agency — after ranking fifth in the NBA in three-point percentage (43.4%) and scoring a career-best 20.3 points per game this season.

Reed, a fan favorite who was taken in the second round, also solidified his spot as Embiid’s backup in the second half of this season. Sharpshooter Isaiah Joe was also a second-round pick, and found an ideal landing spot with the Thunder after the Sixers released him just before the start of this season.

The Sixers also technically drafted and traded these players: Theo Maledon (Oklahoma City) and Tyler Bey (Dallas).

Springer, one of the youngest players in this draft, was selected 28th overall. The tenacious defender has spent the bulk of his first two professional seasons with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats, primarily to develop his offensive game. He starred in the Blue Coats’ run to the G League championship, averaging 34 points per game in the series win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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Charles Bassey, meanwhile, was a second-round selection. The reserve center also primarily played for Delaware his rookie season in 2021-22 before the Sixers released him just before the start of this season. Bassey went on to play in 35 games for the San Antonio Spurs in 2022-23, averaging 5.7 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Filip Petrusev was another second-round pick, but he remains a draft-and-stash player overseas. The Serbian big man was part of the Sixers’ 2021 and 2022 Summer League teams.

The Sixers technically took David Roddy in the first round but traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the deal that brought back Melton.

Melton filled all kinds of roles in his first season with the Sixers, in part because injuries to Harden and Maxey along with a stint when a recovering Maxey came off the bench. Melton averaged 10.1 points per game while shooting 39% on a career-high 5.2 three-point attempts per game, and added a career-high 1.6 steals, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.