With the NBA draft right around the corner, now is the time to look at some past drafts and see what the Philadelphia 76ers have done in their history. The Sixers have selected some big-time players in the past who have become an important part of the fabric of the franchise’s history.
Entering the 2016 NBA draft, the Sixers were coming off a tough 10-72 season which earned them the No. 1 pick in the draft. The lottery luck earned them the right to land LSU star Ben Simmons to add to Joel Embiid as Philadelphia continued to grow its young core.
While Embiid was able to finally play in the 2016-17 season after missing two seasons, Simmons missed the entirety of his rookie season. He made his debut in the 2017-18 season and averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks on his way to winning Rookie of the Year and guiding the Sixers to the playoffs.
Simmons then became a 3-time All-Star and was named to the All-Defensive Team twice while also being named an All-NBA Team member in 2020. He was absolutely phenomenal during his time with the Sixers outside of not developing a jumper.
Unfortunately, things went sour after the 2021 playoffs. Simmons and the Sixers were eliminated in Game 7 of the semifinals by the Atlanta Hawks and he asked for a trade. After a long first half of the season where he didn’t play at all, littered with drama and a ton of headaches for him and the franchise, Simmons was sent to the Brooklyn Nets in the big James Harden deal at the 2022 deadline. He then dealt with a ton of back injuries and spent the 2024-25 season with both the Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers before taking on a career in professional fishing.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Philadelphia 76ers draft history: Selecting Ben Simmons No. 1 in 2016
