Jaden Hardy thinks he would be a ‘great’ fit for the Sixers and their No. 23 draft pick
Hardy served as the headliner of a workout at the Sixers' practice facility. He showed his shooting ability in front of Joel Embiid, Daryl Morey, Elton Brand and Doc Rivers.
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Jaden Hardy said the energy inside the 76ers practice facility stood out to him during Monday’s predraft workout.
“Also, Joel Embiid was in there, watching us play,” the G League Ignite guard said. “So it was just a lot of energy to me.”
It’s a good thing that Hardy enjoyed the energetic six-player workout that also featured former Neumann Goretti and St. Joseph’s forward Jordan Hall, Delaware guard Kevin Anderson, Alabama guard Keon Ellis, Baylor wing Kendall Brown, and UNLV shooting guard Bryce Hamilton.
» READ MORE: Sixers work out G League Ignite guard Jaden Hardy ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft
Hardy was the headliner of the workout played in front of Embiid, Sixers president Daryl Morey, general manager Elton Brand, and coach Doc Rivers, among others.
The Sixers have the No. 23 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, which will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Hardy could become a late first-round pick after being projected as a top-10 selection before the season. His stock dropped after an erratic campaign in the G League. Now, he’s projected to be selected in the 15-to-25 range.
“They talked to me abut my experience with the Ignite and I asked them a couple of questions,” Hardy said. “And then they just asked me how I would see myself fitting with that team.”
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard, who turns 20 on July 5, believes he would suit the Sixers’ roster.
“Being able to play alongside James Harden and Tyrese Maxey and being able to learn from those guys, I feel like I will fit great,” he said, “I feel like with my game, what it brings.”
Hardy is known for his ability to create off the dribble and score buckets. He’s also a solid shooter and displayed that shooting touch during his Sixers workout, according to sources.
Coming out of high school, he was recognized by ESPN as the No. 2 overall player in the Class of 2021. Hardy opted to play in the G League over scholarship offers from Kentucky, UCLA and others.
In addition to the Sixers, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City were among some of the teams who have worked out Hardy.
“Going into those workouts, I felt like I was the best player in every workout,” Hardy said. “That’s what I was aiming towards and I feel like in the workouts I was.”
» READ MORE: Four years later, the Sixers’ draft-day trade of Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith looks worse than ever
But there’s no guarantee the Sixers will keep the player they draft. They could agree to a trade before the draft and select a prospect on behalf of another team. In that scenario, the Sixers would swap the draftee, along with a veteran or two, in exchange for an established player who can help right away as a fifth starter or key reserve.
If available, Blake Wesley is another potential option for the Sixers.
Wesley is a 6-5 combination guard out of Notre Dame, who averaged 14.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals and is rated as a mid- to late-first-round selection. He said Tuesday that he had not worked out for or spoken directly to the Sixers during the predraft process. Wesley said that some of his representatives spoke with the team.
The 19-year-old said San Antonio, Denver, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, and Washington were among the 11 teams he worked out for in recent weeks.