First-round assets will pay off, Brown says
Trained for years at making quick basketball decisions, Brett Brown Thursday was thrust into a long-term NBA Draft dilemma. He did not hesitate. In his temporary role as the Sixers’ general manager, Brown traded his No. 10 overall draft pick, Mikal Bridges of Villanova, and came away with No. 16 overall pick Zhaire Smith and an unprotected 2021 first-round draft choice.
Smith is a 6-foot-4 combo guard from Texas Tech whose potential is said to be greater than his one season of college basketball achievement. And Brown insists the additional pick, which will arrive from Phoenix via Miami, can have understated value.
“We talk about it all the time,” Brown said. “It always comes back to, ‘How do you get a star?’ You need assets. We understand that. And when you go into a trade, you have to ask, ‘What do we have to give us a better chance to attract the stars that are out there?’”
Brown has stressed since the end of the Sixers’ 52-win season that he needs another star-level player to become a championship-level team. Without saying it Thursday, his implication was that the 2021 pick he secured in the Bridges-for-Smith exchange has some measure of appeal to an organization that may be looking to trade a star.
The Spurs, who may be willing to move Kawhi Leonard, would be in that category.
“We are star-hunting,” Brown said. “We are stardeveloping. That’s how you win a championship. We did what was best for the organization.”
That, Brown did, to some level of disappointment. For on his board, Bridges was ranked higher than Smith. A close friend of Villanova coach Jay Wright, Brown was convinced Bridges would be a strong asset.
But when Phoenix offered Smith and the pick, Brown was forced to act more as a general manager than a coach.
“I live in this city,” he said. “I watch Villanova. I love Mikal’s mom. I love his college coach. There is a human side that is hard to explain.”
Brown explained it by announcing that Bridges was “No. 1A” on his board, while Smith was “No. 1B,” thus smoothing the decision.
“Phoenix came in and offered a 2021 unprotected plus our ‘1B’ in Zhaire, who we valued very highly,” Brown said. “And in our position on the clock, we really had a decision to make. What always rules our day is a few things: What is best for the organization? How to win a championship? And how to acquire things that attract stars or develop stars?”
As for Smith, he is unlikely to make an immediate difference after averaging 11.3 points and taking just 40 three-point shots in his season at Texas Tech.
“We will put Zhaire in our development system,” Brown said, “and polish all those things.”
With their second firstround pick, No. 26 overall, the Sixers selected Wichita State point guard Landry Shamet. With Smith, and with Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and T.J. McConnell still under contract, there will a training-camp backcourt crowd.
“I feel confident that I can come in and contribute early,” Shamet said. “We talked about being able to utilize me as a lead guard that can play off the ball with Ben, and be a threepoint shooting threat and guard both guard spots. I feel like I can come in and be a contributor.”
Smith has a similar attitude.
“It’s a blessing to end up with the Sixers,” Smith said. “I worked out twice, so I knew they were really interested and I knew he (Brown) liked me.”
Smith said Brown told him he reminded him of Leonard. Leonard, however, is 6-7, while Smith is 6-4.
“We believe entirely that in time, he has the ability to be incredibly unique,” Brown said, “and maybe even great.”
In the second round, the Sixers officially selected Creighton’s Khyri Thomas at No. 38, but traded him to Detroit for a pair of secondround picks. The Sixers would again trade down later in the round.
Then, with the 60th and final pick, the Sixers took the University of Dayton’s Kostas Antetokounmpo.