The 2023 NBA draft was held on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and despite no official draft picks, the Philadelphia 76ers came out with new players added to their roster.
The NBA draft is one of the biggest nights of the year for basketball fans, NBA teams and draft picks hoping to make their dreams of going pro come true.
While many NBA teams eagerly awaited the night to see if their top picks would end up on their team, the Sixers were not a part of the main fanfare.
Why did the Sixers not get a draft pick?
The Sixers don’t own a 2023 first-round pick due to the blockbuster trade with the Nets when they acquired James Harden. Since Brooklyn didn’t take Philadelphia’s first-round selection in 2022, it was deferred to the 2023 NBA draft. The Sixers also don’t own any second-round picks in the 2023 and 2024 NBA draft due to tampering violations with free agents P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. last offseason.
During the 2022 NBA draft, the Sixers used the 23rd pick to select Colorado State forward David Roddy before trading his rights and veteran Danny Green to the Memphis Grizzlies for guard De’Anthony Melton.
This marks the first time in 73 years that the Sixers did not make a draft selection.
Which undrafted free agents did the Sixers sign?
Some of the teams that went into Thursday night without any draft picks ended up trading into the second round, but Philadelphia chose not to, opting instead to turn toward the undrafted free-agent market.
The undrafted free-agent market consists of prospects who did not hear their name called by the commissioner or deputy commissioner on Thursday night but still have a chance to sign onto NBA teams as a free agent.
The Sixers have acquired three undrafted free agents so far, according to USA Today, including:
Terquavion Smith
A 20-year-old, 6-foot-3 shooting guard from North Carolina State in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Ricky Council IV
A 21-year-old, 6-foot-6 shooting guard from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Azuolas Tubelis
A 21-year-old, 6-foot-11 power forward from the University of Arizona in Tuscon, Arizona.
Each free agent has a two-way contract with the Sixers, allowing the team to move the players between the NBA team and its G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, throughout the season.
This allows NBA teams to keep undrafted players on retainer without the signing of a full-time contract.
Anthony DiMattia and Albert Bainbridge IV contributed to this report.
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