Finally, Hinkie signals the Sixers' tanking days are over

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Anyone who has followed my sports cartoons knows how skeptical I've been of Sam Hinkie's tanking strategy over the past two seasons. Here's a sampling:

It's not the idea of a rebuilding process that rankled me, but the way he's gone about it - putting together teams intended to lose to maximize the odds of a high lottery pick, all while acquiring "assets" that will somehow come together at some undetermined future date.

Well, for the first time since missing out on drafting Andrew Wiggins, I have a bit of optimism about the Sixers' future, thanks to two recent moves the Sixers have made.

First, drafting Duke big man Jahlil Okafor was a surprisingly predictable move for Hinkie, but the correct one. Despite rumors that Okafor didn't want to come to Philadelphia (including some deceptive gif-editing posted on Deadspin), so far reports indicate he's impressing coaches on and off the court in his first week on the team.

Then, less than 24 hours into free agency, Hinkie pulled a Houdini by swindling the salary-dumping Kings out of shooter Nik Stauskas, a Top-10 protected pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2016 and 2017.

Desperate teams looking to make deals like this are the reason Hinkie stashed away nearly $40 million in cap space. It doesn't even matter if Jason Thompson and Carl Landry end up on the Sixers roster. If Stauskas can overcome a terrible rookie season and regain some of his Michigan magic, he can give the Sixers a knockdown three-point shooter as they play inside-out with Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and hopefully a healthy Joel Embiid.

Interestingly, Hinkie tried to trade up with the Kings to select Stauskas last year, drama captured by Grantland (skip to 6:35):

In the end, Hinkie ended up using the 10th pick to draft Elfrid Payton, whom he swiftly traded to the Orlando Magic for Dario Saric and a 2017 first-round pick in a move columnist Bob Ford described at the time as a "robbery."

They also netted Orlando's second round pick in the 2015 draft, which the Sixers used to draft and trade away Spanish center Guillermo Hernangomez to the Knicks for two future 2nd round picks. I know, it's exhausting trying to keep up with Hinkie's deals, but it shows his ability to acquire future assets (in 2016 alone, the Sixers could have up to four first-round picks).

Acquiring assets was never my beef with Hinkie, it was the seemingly-shifting finish line that marked the end of tankapoloza and the start of actually building a competitive team.

The opportunity to swap first-round picks with the Kings during the next two drafts is the key. It signals that Hinkie is somewhat optimistic about the Sixers chances for improvement over the next two seasons, a welcome change from building a team intended to lose.

And in the dismal Eastern Conference, anything is possible if you're at least trying to win games. Even if Isaiah Canaan is your starting point guard.