With the Sixers' regular season winding down, we continue our series on storylines to watch during the stretch run.
Friday, we touched on the schedule. Today, we break down the Sixers' potential number of first-round picks.
Mark the date May 19 on your calendar. That is the night of the NBA draft lottery.
The Sixers' own lottery pick will be just the start of things.
They have the Lakers' top-five protected first-round pick, which they acquired from the Phoenix Suns in the three-team deal that sent Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks. As of today, the Lakers have the fourth-worst record in the league. Ping-pong balls and luck will impact that pick slipping to six, where it would then belong to the Sixers.
The Sixers also hold the Heat's top-10 protected first-round pick, which they landed from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the three-team deal that sent Thad Young to Minnesota. The pick was actually originally owned by the Sixers before they shipped it to Miami for Arnett Moultrie on draft night 2012.
Entering Saturday, Miami was just outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture. However, the Heat hold the same record as the eight-seeded Indiana Pacers and are just a half game back of the seventh-seeded Charlotte Hornets.
NBA
The Sixers will keep the pick if the Heat make the playoffs. But even if Miami slips into the lottery, the odds are still in the Sixers' favor to collect the pick.
The Sixers' final potential first-rounder is a top-18 protected selection from the Oklahoma City Thunder, which they acquired in the trade with the Denver Nuggets that netted JaVale McGee deal (remember him?). As recently as Wednesday, OKC and Washington were tied for that No. 18 spot.
Washington's recent demise is working in the Sixers' favor. The Sixers face the Wizards twice in April. They have split the first two meetings.
It will be interesting to see if beating Washington at that time impacts the OKC pick, but also seeing if winning impacts the Sixers' own allotment of ping-pong balls.