Philly Front Office

The Sixers start this week at a robust +2 in my personal quest for an even keel 41-41. Look, a lot of people like a winner…not me. At least not this year (I’m not trying to be a loser either, but that’s out of my hands at this point in life).

This week we face the Magic, Nets, and Hawks. Strangely, the first thing that came to mind with the Magic and Hawks were franchise changing draft day trades. The Nets have their own notable history with the draft, but I had to go into the archives to find an actual draft day trade to write about. As for the Sixers, we have three to choose from. Apologies to Nerlens Noel and Dario Saric, but we are going with #3.

Tuesday November 25, 2025 at 8pm – Orlando Magic at Sixers
Friday, November 28, 2025 at 7:30pm – Sixers at Brooklyn Nets
Sunday November 30, 2025 at 6pm – Atlanta Hawks at Sixers

1993 NBA Draft: Magic Trade Chris Webber (#1) to Warriors for Penny Hardaway (#3) and 3 First Round Picks

In the 1992-93 season, the Magic barely missed the playoffs. That was Shaq’s rookie season and they had the worst lottery odds. Orlando shocked the world by winning the top pick and the right to draft Michigan Wolverine Chris Webber.   The Sixers selected Shawn Bradley (sigh) with the second pick while the Golden State Warriors selected Penny Hardaway at number 3. There was just one problem, these picks didn’t fit at all.

With Shaq in tow, the Magic didn’t need another center, even if C-Webb’s skill set couldn’t be more different than the Diesel. They were in need of a quality point guard though. The Warriors were just the opposite. They had guards aplenty with a young Latrell Sprewell, Tim Hardaway, and Avery Johnson, but no big men. Sadly, Shawn Bradley wasn’t going anywhere. Within minutes of Hardaway’s selection, they switched hats with 3 future firsts (1996, 1998, 2000) going to Orlando in the deal. Little did anyone know at the time, but Shaq and Penny had just shot the movie Blue Chips together and had becomes friends. So, what happened? Things got weird.

Despite winning Rookie of the Year, Webber didn’t really work out in Golden State. Essentially, the team chose Don Nelson over Webber and moved him the Washington Bullets for Tom Gugliotta and 3 future firsts. Ironically, the Magic had traded 2 of the firsts they received in the draft day trade along with Scott Skiles to Washington in a trade for a second and a first (that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s true). Washington dealt those 2 picks back to Golden State for Webber.

Hardaway and Shaq made a Finals appearance, but Hardaway’s body ended up breaking down and the tandem was broken up after only 4 years with Shaq going to LA in free agency. Webber ended up peaking with is 3rd team, the Sacramento Kings, who ended up losing to Shaq’s Lakers in their best years. Hardaway developed knee problems and went from an MVP candidate early in his career to a bench guy and after thought for the second half of his career.

Are you wondering what happened to those 3 draft picks? The 1996 pick that had switched hands from the Warriors to the Magic to the Bullets and back to the Warriors ended up as…Todd Fuller at #11. Of course, it could have been Jermaine Oneill (#17), Steve Nash (#13), or even Kobe Bryant (#13) but they went with Fuller. The 1998 pick that also went from Golden State to Orlando to Washington and back to Golden State had one more trade left in it. On Draft Day that pick which had landed at #5 was traded for #4 with Antawn Jamison going to Gold State and…Vince Carter going to Toronto. Crazy. The 2000 pick ended up at #5 where the Magic selected Mike Miller. It was a bad draft and Miller was probably the best guy from that one.

Let’s sum up, The Magic got Penny Hardaway along with future #11, #5, and #5 picks that could have been Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter. The Warriors got 1 year out of Webber plus Antawn Jamison. Just bonkers.

2001 NBA Draft: Nets Trade Eddie Griffin (#7) to Rockets for Richard Jefferson (#13), Jason Collins (#18), and Brandon Armstrong (#23)

The story of Eddie Griffin is a sad one. Born in Philadelphia, he won Player of the Year Awards coming out of Roman Catholic High School and went to Seton Hall. He was selected 7th overall by the Nets but was traded to Houston on draft night for 3 first round picks, all to be made later that night. After a rough first two years in Houston, it came out that Griffin suffered from alcoholism and missed all of his 3rd year due to rehab. It didn’t take. At age 25, Griffin took his own life by blowing a railroad crossing gate and striking a moving train.

The Nets received the #13, #18, and #23 picks in the 2001 draft. The trade yielded immediate results in NJ as the Nets made consecutive Finals appearances beginning that season. At #13, Richard Jefferson became almost an immediate 20-point scorer in the NBA. He was blessed with almost too much athleticism and suffered from Bobby Abreu Syndrome as a result. To those unfamiliar, this affliction is when greatness looks to be achieved easily giving people the false impression that you aren’t trying. He has also made the 2004 Olympic Team and has never aged. Collins became a rotational player on those Finals teams and played 12 years in the NBA. Famously, Collins became the first active player among the 4 major North American sports to come out. Armstrong played only 3 years in the NBA before trying his hand at pro ball in Europe.

The 2001 draft was a strange one. This was the Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry draft. At #7, other than Pau Gasol, all the other major talent that year was still available including Joe Johnson (#10), Jefferson, Zach Randolph (#19), Tony Parker (#28), and Gilbert Arenas (#31).

2018 NBA Draft: Hawks Trade Luka Doncic (#3) to Mavericks for Trea Young (#5) and a 2019 1st Round Pick

Everyone knew going into the 2018 Draft that the Mavericks were hot after Luka Doncic. Of course, that didn’t stop the Phoenix Suns from drafting Deandre Ayton or the Kings from taking Marvin Bagley, but the Hawks got Dallas’s man at #3. After Jaren Jackson went to the Grizzlies, the Mavs took Trae Young and immediately got on the phone. Basically, the Hawks wanted Young but knew they could hold Doncic hostage over the Mavs. In doing so, they were able to get a Top-5 protected first the following year.

Doncic showed out immediately upon hitting the NBA, winning ROY, leading Dallas to the NBA Finals, and other than his first year never averaging less than 28 points per game. With the Mavericks, Luka finished All-NBA first team 5 consecutive times and never finished lower than 8th in MVP voting (other than as a rookie). For his efforts, the Mavs traded him to the Lakers for Anthony Davis and a first round pick instead of paying him a max contract. Great move guys.

Young has been good but not great in Atlanta. Of course, he made an Eastern Conference Finals appearance because Ben Simmons refused to end his life by dunking on him in the playoffs, but still. He is currently at a contract stalemate himself with the Hawks who also do not want to pay their star point guard max money. It is a little more defensible though since Young only has an All-NBA 3rd team on his resume.

As for that 2019 pick, did it make up the absurd career difference between Young and Doncic? Well, at #10 the next year, the Hawks selected Cam Reddish. So, no, it did not. Reddish underachieved in his first few years in Atlanta before getting traded to NY. Despite potential, it has yet to be unlocked at the pro level and he is currently playing in Lithuania after bouncing around the NBA. Could the Hawks have done better? Well only if you consider Tyler Herro a possibility next to Young. After Zion Williamson and Ja morant at #1 and #2 then Darius Garland at #5, 2019 was a infamously weak draft.

How about 2018? Were Young and Doncic the prizes? Well, we can’t really argue with Luka, but at #11 the Charlotte Hornets made a selection and traded it that night as well. They acquired Miles Bridges and two future seconds for current MVP and World Champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Damn.

Of course, there was one more relevant draft night trade in 2018, right before SGA was picked…

2018 NBA Draft: Sixers Trade Mikal Bridges (#10) to the Phoenix Suns for Zhaire Smith (#16) and a 2021 Miami Heat First Round Pick

The Sixers were operating without a GM at the time thanks to Bryan Colangelo leaking secrets to his wife who was posting them anonymously on the internet through burner Twitter accounts. Still, it seemed like a decent trade at the time, sending likely role player Bridges to the Suns for athletic wunderkind Smith and a future first that could be used in trades. LOL! To say it didn’t work out is an incredible understatement.

Bridges turned out to be a high level 3 and D player who would have been PEFRECT for the Sixers. Of course, there is also the part where Bridges’s mom works for the Sixers and they got her hopes up before trading him, but that’s a different story. Bridges thrived in Phoenix and eventually became the centerpiece of the deal that brought Kevin Durant to the desert.

As for Zhaire Smith, he broke his foot then got food poisoning thanks to a previously unknown sesame seed allergy. He was hospitalized for a month and nearly died, losing 60 pounds. He was never the same again.

The 2021 pick, along with contracts another first and 2 seconds, was eventually used to trade for 27 games of Tobias Harris. The Sixers liked the deal so much that they gave him $180m and we all know how well that turned out!

Let’s please not think about the Sixers drafting SGA instead or just keeping Bridges.