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Sixers can't afford to pass on emerging stars in draft

They’ve done it before. In 2013 they drafted Michael Carter-Williams instead of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Dennis Schroder.

One would assume that the 76ers will have a difficult draft-day decision to make on June 22.

The Sixers are slated to make the third overall pick, and among those expected to be on the board are Kansas swingman Josh Jackson, Kentucky point guard De'Aaron Fox, Duke small forward Jayson Tatum, Kentucky shooting guard Malik Monk, Florida State forward Jonathan Isaac, and North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith Jr.

Tough choice, especially if they pass on a player who becomes a star.

"Things can be pretty easy," said Bryan Colangelo, the Sixers' president of basketball operations. "We're going to be successful with a pick at some point. It's just a matter of what degree of success."

Colangelo is aware, however, that he could pass on a prospect who turns out to be the best player in the draft.

That scenario unfolded a couple of times for the Sixers under former president/general manager Sam Hinkie.

In 2013, the Sixers selected point guard Michael Carter-Williams with the 11th overall pick. The Milwaukee Bucks selected an athletic but raw player in Giannis Antetokounmpo four picks later.

Carter-Williams had a better first season, becoming the rookie of the year. However, the Sixers didn't believe he was a good long-term fit and traded him to the Bucks in February 2015. He and Antetokounmpo were teammates until Milwaukee traded him to the Chicago Bulls last October.

Carter-Williams, who underachieved in Milwaukee and Chicago, will become a restricted free agent this summer.

Antetokounmpo has blossomed into one of the league's best players. He was a starter the NBA All-Star Game in February and was named second-team all-NBA last week. The 22-year-old forward is also a finalist for the league's most improved player award.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder, whom the Sixers later sought in a trade, is another notable player the team passed on to select Carter-Williams. Schroder was drafted 17th in 2013.

The Sixers also passed on two standouts in the 2015 draft.

They selected center Jahlil Okafor third even though they already had two starting-caliber centers in Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. With the next pick, the New York Knicks selected power forward Kristaps Porzingis. The 7-foot-3 Porzingis is developing into one of the league's best young attractions while the Sixers are looking to trade Okafor. Some point to Porzingis' refusal to work out for the Sixers as the reason they didn't draft him. But Okafor, Noel, and Embiid did not go though predraft workouts with the Sixers, either.

Devin Booker ended up being the steal of the 2015 draft at No. 13 to the Phoenix Suns. The shooting guard is averaging 18 points through two seasons. He scored 70 in a loss at Boston on March 24. Booker joined Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, and Kobe Bryant as the only players in NBA history to score at least 70 points in a game.

One of the league's top young talents, Booker would have been a welcome addition to the Sixers, who need perimeter help.

Folks may end up thinking the same about one or two other players the team passes on in this draft.

"There's a couple of players out there that could be those great pieces that you look back and say, 'Wow, that's a great piece,' " Colangelo said. "And it's not so much that you miss on them. But has he developed into a player that really fits that team, that style of play, that situation?

"We feel we're going to get a very good pick at No. 3, and we're confident in our ability to do that."

kpompey@phillynews.com

@PompeyOnSixers

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