Philly Front Office

“I want my picks back, and I want Willy Hernan-goddamn-gomez, just because I feel like it.” – Sam Hinkie, probably

On August 10, 2012 the Philadelphia 76ers made a decision to try to “move the needle.” Unfortunately, by trading for Andrew Bynum, they moved the needle the wrong way. You could write books about this disastrous trade (and I am), but I want to focus on the draft picks that moved that day. In exchange for receiving Andre Igoudala from the Sixers, the Denver Nuggets sent a 2014 1st round pick to Orlando. Philly also sent a 2018 1st round pick to Orlando in the trade. Fast forward 1 year and Bynum flamed out spectacularly leaving the Sixers destitute. The team and its new GM Sam Hinkie famously pivoted to asset collection to restock its bare cupboard. He placed a note in his pocket.

Monday, October 27th, 2025 at 7:00p – Orlando Magic at Sixers

XFinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA

Before we get to the 2014 NBA draft, we have to talk about the trade that kicked off the Process. On draft day 2013, Jrue Holiday was traded for Nerlens Noel and a future 1st round pick. The trade hasn’t exactly aged well, but at the time it set the team in the direction that would be much maligned but accepted and copied by the rest of the league (including the current NBA champs). That future 1st round pick got the Sixers a second bite of the apple in 2014.

The 2014 NBA draft will go down as one of the strangest ever considering its top player wasn’t picked until the 2nd round. It was widely assumed that Andrew Wiggins was going 1st overall and Jabari Parker was locked into #2 overall to the Bucks. The Sixers, picking 3rd, were apparently trying to move up to #1 to get Wiggins (I’m assuming because ownership talked with Hinkie before the Draft at some kind of amusement park), dangling their #10 overall pick to the Cavs in the –giggle–process. Cleveland didn’t bite. The Sixers chose Joel Embiid instead despite the recent announcement that he needed surgery on his foot and missing the NCAA tournament due to a back injury. People went nuts. Sam Hinkie didn’t care though.

The Magic were picking #4 and #12 overall. After selecting Aaron Gordon first, seemingly everyone in the NBA world knew their next target was Elfrid Payton, a point guard out of Louisiana. They scouted him extensively and they desperately needed a point guard. A team that didn’t need a point guard considering they had the reigning rookie of the year playing the position at the time (Michael Carter-Williams), was the Sixers. Despite this, at #10 they took Payton anyway.

To say Orlando was confused and devastated is probably an understatement. As a crazy coincidence was unfolding on the draft broadcast (special draft correspondent MCW interviewed his newest teammate and possible replacement Payton) the Magic called up the Sixers and started negotiating for the pick Hinkie was now holding hostage.

No one knows how the negotiation went down, but to see the results is pretty funny. Obviously, the Magic’s #12 pick had to be in any deal since it represented similar value to #10. Had this been any other situation, it’s possible that a later 1st or a couple of 2nds could have made the trade work, but Hinkie had other ideas. See, the Magic still owned that future Sixers pick from the Bynum trade. Despite not having any real leverage, Hinkie wanted his picks back just like Sonny Weaver yelling at the pancake eater in Draft Day. That wasn’t enough though. In what is just as funny as Kevin Costner demanding a kick returner in the movie trade, Hinkie also demanded a future 2nd round pick from the Magic (Willy Hernangomez¹). The Magic were so desperate that they had to say yes. Did Hinkie claim the deal was off without the 2nd rounder? Was he really prepared to walk? Absolutely not, but the Magic were too scared to take that chance. In the end, Payton goes to Orlando and the Sixers get the #12 pick that they would use on Dario Saric, their own 2018 pick back that they would use on Landry Shamet (who was then traded to LA as part of the Tobias Harris trade), plus the pick that would become Hernangomez just for good measure, all for dropping 2 picks because they took a guy they didn’t want and didn’t need.

People have their own opinions about the Sam Hinkie era, but it was a hell of a ride. The guy not only won trades but knew exactly where to push and what he could get. Draft night and the trade deadline were appointment viewing for Sixers fans.

Joel Embiid No Matter What

1. There’s some irony here in that Hernangomez never played for the Sixers as he was involved in his own trade the following year. That’s not the ironic part. Willy’s brother Juancho also played in the league but made his acting debut in the movie Hustle where he is discovered by a Sixers scout. Despite having the talent, the Sixers pass on him. ↩︎