This week marked the fourth anniversary of the 76ers’ unfortunate decision to trade Great Valley High School graduate Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith on the night of the NBA draft, writes Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Sixers selected Bridges, who played collegiately and won a pair of national championships at Villanova, with the No. 10 pick. However, just 38 minutes later, they traded him to the Phoenix Suns for Zhaire Smith, the 16th pick.
Smith’s fate with the Sixers was sealed shortly after he arrived in Philadelphia. In part due to an injury, he ended up playing in only 13 games before being traded to the Detroit Pistons at the end of 2020.
Meanwhile, Bridges has become a star, having signed a four-year, $90 million contract extension last year.
He was runner-up for NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season, and he received the second-highest number of votes for the All-Defensive team.
Read more about the 76ers and Mikal Bridges in the Philadelphia Inquirer.