It may not have been the homerun move that Sixers fans were hoping for, but the Sixers improved by adding Jaden Springer with the 28th overall pick. The 18-year-old shows some bright long-term potential and is a 6’4 combo guard with an impressive 6’8 wingspan. The Tennesse product averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.2 steals in his 25.9 minutes per game this season. Springer has a ton of long-term potential and could prove to be an effective backcourt partner to Tyrese Maxey, but may not be the immediate impact the Sixers were in search of.
It may be a tad disappointing that the Sixers passed on guys like Jared Butler and Sharife Cooper, but they both remained on the board through the early stages of the second round. On top of that, Springer is a better off-ball fit than these two. He shot an impressive 43.5% from beyond the arc, but only attempted 1.8 threes per game. Springer had somewhat of a disappointing season as he was highly regarded as a recruit, but was outplayed by his lower-ranked teammate Keon Johnson.
While there is nothing that Springer specifically excels in, he also does not have any major holes in his game. He still has a ton of growth to do as he is a full year younger than guys like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs. This could be a potential steal as he seemingly has more to show based on his high school tape, but I am hesitant to beat this drum as loudly as I did last year for Tyrese Maxey.
Adding depth at the guard position is never a bad thing, and if the Sixers are able to find a trade partner for Ben Simmons it could result in Springer becoming a part of the future backcourt. His lack of assertiveness and questionable ability as a primary ball-handler is somewhat concerning, but he is likely someone pegged as a good fit alongside Maxey. Expect Springer to compete with Shake Milton for minutes.
The addition of Springer almost certainly means that George Hill will be traded at some point this season. He is one of the few tradeable contracts on the roster and was rumored to be packaged for another veteran prior to the draft. Jaden Springer will likely be looked to fill these soon-to-be-vacant bench minutes at guard and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the Sixers draft falls in place.
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