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For months now the Philadelphia 76ers have been linked to Ohio State‘s D’Angelo Russell in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft, but that may no longer be the case.
Scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia on Friday, Russell was set to meet with representatives of the 76ers, who currently hold the No. 3 overall pick. However, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Russell will no longer be meeting with the 76ers as he decided to cancel on the team. While no specific details have been made public yet, there are a few reasons for why Russell may have cancelled this meeting.
D’Angelo Russell canceled this weekend’s visit and workout for the #Sixers, according to multiple sources.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) June 12, 2015
The first reason is simply just logistics. It is quite possible that something came up on Russell’s schedule and he was no longer able to make it to Philadelphia on Friday. Just because it has been made public that he cancelled his meeting with the 76ers does not mean that Russell has not rescheduled or tried to reschedule this meeting for a later date.
Another possible reason for this is that he feels the 76ers may no longer be interested in him. Over the course of the past week, multiple reports have surfaced that the front office of the 76ers – especially general manager Sam Hinkie – is “intrigued” by the other top point guard in this year’s draft class, Emmanuel Mudiay, who will visit with the team on June 16.
The final reason for why Russell may have cancelled his meeting with the 76ers could – as surprising as it sounds – be the most likely. Each year during the build-up to the NBA Draft, a small number of prospects receive “promises” from teams that they will draft them should they still be on the board when it is their time to pick. This could just be the case for Russell, as although both have been linked to the top big men in this year’s class, he may have surprisingly received a promise from either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Los Angeles Lakers – the two teams picking ahead of the 76ers.
Leading up to the draft, Russell seemed like the most logical choice for the 76ers. Not only would he fill a need for the team at the guard position, but he also possesses the ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter – something the 76ers desperately need. If Russell is not the guy, then there are a number of possibilities for who the 76ers could take. They could still fill their need at the guard position and take Mudiay, or they could add to their already talented frontcourt and take whichever of the top two big men fall to them. Of course, they could also shock everyone and select the 7-footer from Latvia, Kristaps Porzingis, who they are also reportedly extremely high on.
Right now it is unclear as to who the 76ers will select on June 25. However, with Russell now cancelling his meeting with the 76ers, the draft has now become all the more intriguing for a team that is in the midst of a prolonged rebuilding process.
Greg Sacidor is a Feature Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.
