If you thought Bryan Colangelo would speed up the Sixers' rebuild, it turns out he isn't

Fear not, faithful followers of Sam Hinkie. Optionality is alive and well in the 76ers' kingdom, and now being practiced by current president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo.

After a workout at the team's practice facility by six draft-hopeful players, second-rounders at best, Colangelo was unsurprisingly evasive as to what the team might do with the third pick on June 22, but forthcoming in revealing his choices might be plentiful.

Perhaps the team stands pat and gets what could be a really good professional basketball player, sans "fit." Maybe the team will trade up to secure a coveted target or move back to collect an added selection. Wing man, point guard, shooting guard, it could be any of those. There were no hints relayed by Colangelo during his 20-minute talk with the gathered media.

But what was gleaned, if you carefully read between the lines, is that The Process, in the eyes of the organization, is still in its infancy, which brings a knowing smile from most Sixers fans, and aggravation to others.

Yes, the president did speak about all he could do with where he sits now, almost with an "it's good to be the king" tone. That's not said in a bad way, more saying that Colangelo seems comfortable moving forward now with all that has been left to him by the previous regime. And it is good to be the king, with a bevy of young talent, a full arsenal of draft ammunition in the coming years, and a king's ransom with which to spend in free agency.

Monday's chat just gave the feeling that there is no pressing need to dash to the goal of championship contender. After all, Ben Simmons hasn't played a game. Joel Embiid is barely ahead of him with all of 31 games played in three seasons. Dario Saric, in my opinion, has just scratched the surface of all the talent he can bring to the NBA after his initial season.

The third pick, or whatever that and possible other things are parlayed to bringing something or some things else, probably isn't going to take this team from 28 wins to a top-half playoff seeding. And while the progression of the organization is exciting, it doesn't seem as if it has to enter warp speed in the eyes of the head of the organization.

"I've had a lot of questions asked about No. 3," Colangelo said. "We're asking a lot of questions about picks in and around where we are and what we might do with it. You're trying to ascertain as much information as possible at this stage.

"Sitting at three, we're in a really good position to add a very talented player that's going to help this organization both short- and long-term. Should we move or if there's a transaction that comes up and gives us a chance to perhaps increase what impact No. 3 can have in terms of its return, we will look at it. There are some discussions that have been fairly interesting and it's not that we're motivated to move it — it's this is that time of year where you find out exactly what you have and you explore options, all options, as you look to improve your team.

"Three is a good spot. We have a choice of multiple wings that would address things with our team that we have said that we would like to address. There are some guards that you have to look at that would dramatically improve our guard play. Across the board, you have six or seven guys that we're still looking at and considering for three. It's just that what happens at one and two is going to determine exactly how that list gets reduced."

Most likely, the pick won't be an organization-changing one; instead, it will be another young piece to add with the intriguing – though not fully known – skill sets of Embiid and Simmons and Saric. If it is used as a tool in some type of trade, you get the feeling it won't be to bring in a veteran presence to hasten the progression of this organization. Whatever decision is made with that pick, it looks as if it will be done with the future in mind more so than any feeling of immediacy in moving this rebuild forward.

"I almost feel like at No. 3 with the group of players that we're talking about with various levels of talent, it's hard to go wrong at No. 3," Colangelo said. "It's just there are varying degrees of perhaps it's the timing of the success. It could be a few years out when you get that immediate impact versus someone that could step in and play right away. Ultimately, this is such a diverse group and a talented group at the top. Those six or seven prospects, we might be talking about someone that is picked at six or seven that's the best of them all when it's all said and done. Again, projecting the draft and modeling the draft is something that we spend a tremendous amount of time on. I've been doing it most of my lifetime, but there's no science to it. Sometimes that player jumps out and gets in the right situation and that situation, whether it's the team or the coach or whatever, it has an impact on it. This group is talented enough to say that there are very few wrong decisions. It's just which one is the best decision. It's really an unknown, and that's for everyone, one through 10 right now."

There are endless options as to which way Colangelo might go and there is little doubt that the future is bright. That future just might be a little less immediate than some had hoped.