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For Sixers, Randle may be a good consolation prize

CHICAGO – Ending up with Julius Randle might not be bad for the 76ers if they drop below the top three spots in Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery.

CHICAGO – Ending up with Julius Randle might not be bad for the 76ers if they drop below the top three spots in Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery.

The former Kentucky power forward is one of the headliners of the June 26 draft. The 6-foot-9, 250-pounder is being compared to Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph.

Randle finishes well around the rim and has a solid face-up game. Randle is also effective in pick-and-rolls and on pick-and-pops. The Texas native averaged 15 points and 10.4 rebounds and was an Associated Press all-American third-teamer as a freshman last season.

He interviewed with the Sixers on Thursday, during the two-day NBA Draft Combine at Quest Multisport.

If the Sixers draft Randle, he would get to play alongside friend and center Nerlens Noel. Noel was the sixth overall pick in the 2013 draft, after his freshman season at Kentucky.

"We would have a lot of similarities," Randle said of Noel. "He would be able to, since he has a year under his belt, teach me a lot even though he didn't play" last season.

"But it definitely would be something fun to play with a Kentucky alum."

The Sixers are expected to draft swingmen Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) or Jabari Parker (Duke) if they get a top-three pick. Wiggins and Parker are expected to be off the board after the first three picks.