The Philadelphia 76ers hold the No. 3 pick in the 2015 NBA draft, but they might not have a chance to host a top prospect before June 25 arrives.
Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell was supposed to work out for the franchise this weekend, but Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Enquirer reported Russell called it off.
D'Angelo Russell canceled this weekend's visit and workout for the #Sixers, according to multiple sources.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) June 12, 2015
Philadelphia will likely miss out on the Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor sweepstakes, because the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers, presumably, will each grab one of the power forwards.
In May, Pompey said Russell “would love” to join the team, so why did he back out at the last minute?
There’s no official reasoning available at this time, but early speculation leads to a couple potential answers: Russell legitimately had something come up, or he found out the T-Wolves or Lakers will take him at Nos. 1 or 2.
Nevertheless, even if the 76ers aren’t able to reschedule a workout for Russell, history suggests that might not matter on draft night.
FWIW, regarding D'Angelo Russell's canceled workout with #sixers: Sixers didn't work out Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid before drafting them.
— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) June 12, 2015
Philadelphia’s roster contains a decent core on which to build, boasting a pair of former top picks in Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. Consequently, the 76ers need a point guard. Fortunately, the 2015 draft offers a pair of top prospects in Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay.
However, Russell offers a better offensive arsenal than Mudiay, so Philly’s front office should lean toward Russell on draft night.
But from the looks of it, the Sixers will need to rely on game film—not a private workout.
Photo: USA Today Sports