NBA draft news: Sixers picks, potential trade options, prospects to watch, Giannis trade details, and more

While the 76ers won't be selecting in the lottery this year, there is a Philly connection at the top of the draft.

Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr., who is expected to be a top-10 pick, has been linked to Allen Iverson, drawing on-court comparisons to the Hall of Famer after winning MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic and putting together a stellar freshman season. He also sports braids like Iverson famously has for the better part of 30 years and signed a deal with Reebok before finishing his one season in college.

And while Acuff doesn't speak to Iverson often, he did receive valuable advice from the Sixers legend.

NEW YORK — Could the Sixers use the draft to continue adding to an explosive young perimeter group already spearheaded by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe?

Dailyn Swain would fit the bill, and is projected to the Sixers at No. 22 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft released Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-6, 211-pound attacking wing from Texas averaged 17.3 points on 54% shooting — primarily as an isolation scorer and finisher — along with 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Swain also has flashed the defensive playmaking that could excel in Sixers coach Nick Nurse’s aggressive scheme.

Swain, who turns 21 next month, also would provide some insurance if the Sixers lose starter Kelly Oubre Jr. or sixth man Quentin Grimes in free agency, which begins June 30.

NEW YORK – After the 'Nova Knicks won the NBA title, could the “Michigan Mavs” be next?

That was a popular topic during Monday’s draft prospect media session, which occurred just after news broke that Michigan coach Dusty May had been hired by the Dallas Mavericks.

After leading the Wolverines to the national championship in March, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara are all projected to go in Tuesday’s first round. When asked about following in the footsteps of former Villanova standouts Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart — who ended the Knicks’ 53-year title drought less than two weeks ago — Lendeborg grinned and laughed.

The 76ers' season ended with a four-game sweep against the eventual champion New York Knicks.

After the two teams had battled in a first-round series two years earlier, the expectation was that the Sixers would give the Knicks a tough test just like the Atlanta Hawks had in this year's postseason.

Not quite. The Sixers looked like they gave all they had to comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the Boston Celtics, and the most obvious sign of that came at the three-point line.

NEW YORK – Who are some sleeper prospects who could be in the range for the Sixers to draft at 22?

That topic was posed to a panel of basketball experts — ESPN’s Jay Bilas and Bobby Marks, and Fran Fraschilla — on Monday afternoon at the Lotte New York Palace hotel.

Marks, the former general manager of the New Jersey Nets, first mentioned Alabama guard Labaron Philon. Marks said he appreciated that, after declaring for last year’s draft, Philon returned to college to use the feedback he had received from teams to become a player who shot 39.9% from three-point range and averaged five assists per game. Bilas and Fraschilla agreed with that choice, but noted Philon may still go off the board in the lottery.

Chris Cenac Jr., center, Houston (The Athletic)

"Cenac has been an exceptionally difficult prospect to find a home for. The consensus seems to be that he’s going to go somewhere in the top 20, and he was among the second batch of players invited to the green room. However, the feedback I get from teams is that he’s more like a late first-rounder. He’s seen as a high-upside swing for teams that can afford to be patient and wait for him to improve his feel for the game.

The 76ers need another big, and Cenac could potentially slide to the four at times if his feel for the game improves. But he is more of a project than some of the other players the 76ers could take. This is a very difficult team to mock right now, as sources around the league are still trying to figure out what new head of basketball operations Mike Gansey’s type will be.

Tyrese Maxey is a prime example of the caliber of player a team could snag in the early 20s of the NBA draft.

But Jameer Nelson, the 76ers’ newly promoted executive vice president of basketball operations, also was quick to note that Maxey is the exception, not the rule.

“We got lucky with the person,” Nelson recently said of Maxey, the All-NBA point guard whom the Sixers drafted 21st in 2020. “We got lucky with the player.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo wants more championships. So do the Miami Heat.

Their interests are officially aligned — and the Heat finally have another superstar.

Ending a marathon watch for the next great Miami get, the Heat landed Antetokounmpo — a two-time NBA MVP and 10-time All-Star — from the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in exchange for a massive haul of players and draft picks.

The NBA draft begins Wednesday, and for the third straight year it will be divided over two days.

The first round of the draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern, while the second round will take place on Thursday beginning at 8 p.m.

For the sixth straight year, fans will have their choice of watching the first round of draft on two different networks — ABC and ESPN.

The Sixers enter Tuesday with the No. 22 pick in Tuesday night's NBA draft, but no second-round pick.

The Washington Wizards have the No. 1 pick, and they're expected to take either BYU forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.

The last time the Wizards has the top pick was 2010, when they took Kentucky's John Wall, whose career was slowed by a series of injuries.