Sixers looking for player who can contribute right away with 24th pick

The goal for the 76ers is to find the right complementary guy.

They want to use the 24th pick in the NBA draft on someone who can fit in with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, two soon-to-be free agents they hope to re-sign.

“That’s hopefully somebody that can come in and contribute right away,” Vince Rozman, the Sixers’ senior director or scouting, said on Monday.

Someone who can stretch the floor, bring a defensive mindset, play hard, and has a maturity that enables him to fit and know his role.

General manager Elton Brand has said that he might target older players in the draft. Rozman, asked whether the Sixers preferred older, more-experienced players over one-and-done college players, said they are looking for “definitely a player with more of a mature game than a ‘project.’ But I don’t know if that’s necessarily driven by age."

That’s a good thing for Lu Dort, a former guard at Arizona State, and former LSU center Naz Reid, who recently completed their freshman seasons and were the headliners at Monday’s pre-draft workout at the Sixers’ practice facility. It was the first of five workouts the team will conduct this week.

Dort, 20, and Reid, 19, likely will get chosen late in the first round or in the second round of the NBA draft on June 20 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. In addition to their first-round pick, the Sixers have four second-round selections (Nos. 33, 34, 42, and 54).

Dort and Reid were joined by Terence Davis (Ole Miss), Zach Hankins (Xavier), Garrison Mathews (Lipscomb), and Terry Harris (North Carolina A&T). Terry is a younger brother of Tobias Harris.

Reid showed his solid three-point shooting, but his workout was cut short when he sprained his right ankle after making a layup in a scrimmage. The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder appeared to be fine, but he did not speak to the media because he was getting treatment.

Rozman said it was “a really good group.”

“Terence seemed to make all of his shots,” Rozman said. “That’s always helpful. … With Lu and Naz, those are really skilled freshmen that can potentially be the guy ... that can come in and help right away.

“Garrison is a 6-6 guy that can jump and shoot. So that’s fun to watch, too.”

Rozman considered it “pretty cool” that Terry Harris worked out. Tyler Harris, another brother, participated in the team’s free-agent workouts on Friday and Saturday.

The executive knows it is unique to have a family full of players deserving of an opportunity to play in the NBA.

“One, they look a lot a like. That’s also interesting,” Rozman said. “But [Terry] is 6-6. He can shoot. He defends. It’s got to be a proud moment for the family and Tobias and everybody.”

Tobias Harris called Terry Harris on Monday morning to wish him the best and urge him to go hard and show the Sixers want he can do.

Terry Harris, who will play on the wing professionally, was an undersized power forward last season as a fifth-year senior. He averaged 8.1 points and 20.6 minutes, as the Aggies used a 12-man rotation. No player averaged more than 9.1 points due to having 10 players averaging at least 11.3 minutes.

“I shot the ball at [41.1] percent from three this season,” Harris said. “So, I feel like my goal is to show teams I can shoot the ball just as well at the NBA three-point line, so I can help stretch the floor out and bring my shooting abilities to any team.”

However, he would be elated to play alongside Tobias. They last played together on the Half Hollow Hills West High School team (New York) in 2010, when Tobias was a senior and Terry was an eighth-grader on the varsity.

“If that could happen ever again, that would be a blessing,” Terry said.

The Sixers are very familiar with Dort, a Montreal native with Haitian-born parents. Rozman said they’ve seen a bunch of his prep games at Athlete Institute in Mono, Ontario. The 6-4, 220-pounder is athletic, strong and can defend multiple positions.

“He’s improving as a shooter,” Rozman said. "He’s an extremely aggressive kid, coming down high, making plays for teammates. There’s a lot to be intrigued about.”

Dort said he was eager to show the Sixers his improved shot. Dort, who posted a 38-inch vertical leap at the NBA draft combine, was known more for being a great athlete than a refined basketball player at Arizona State.

The PAC-12 freshman of the year is working to be more consistent with his shooting and decision-making.

“I’d fit pretty well," he said of the Sixers. “Just the way they play. They play really fast. They play the half court. They move the ball really, really well. I feel like [I can] pretty well, too.”