Smokescreens and red herrings abound this time of year, so any piece of intel ought to be taken with a grain of salt or three, but never put anything past the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers have plenty of options with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft on June 25, and you can bet they'll explore each one.
While they've long been rumored to be eyeing a sorely needed guard, likely D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, the latest mock draft from ESPN's Chad Ford reports that general manager Sam Hinkie "may actually be leaning toward (Kristaps) Porzingis."
The fit with Porzingis - a relatively unknown 6-foot-11 Latvian forward/center - isn't ideal, given the Sixers are already flush with young bigs. But the equation may have changed in light of the recent setback to last year's No. 3 overall pick, Joel Embiid.
With reports that Embiid's slow-to-heal foot fracture may cause him to miss a second would-be rookie season, the Sixers may be prepared to move ahead, grab the player they deem the best available, and figure out how it all fits later on.
"Or," Ford writes, "as one rival GM opined, this Porzingis intel is all a smoke screen to get Orlando (who loves Porzingis) to trade up to three and give Hinkie another coveted asset."
It's worth mentioning that Russell - whom most mock drafts have been projecting Philadelphia to draft - caused a minor stir last week when he abruptly canceled a scheduled workout with the Sixers.
Though it was reportedly due to an illness, some speculated it may have been the result of a draft promise, which would likely have come from the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 2. The Lakers are also reported to be "locked in" on Jahlil Okafor, as well as entertaining the possibility of dealing their pick, so believe what you want to believe.
