The 76ers went from potentially losing their first-round pick all the way to drafting No. 3 overall coming out of the draft lottery. Philadelphia owed the Thunder a first-round pick, but it was top-6 protected, so the lottery balls bounced perfectly for the Sixers.

Porzingis has real value when he is able to take the court, and his viral malady was as rare of an issue as his ankle injury from the 2024 playoffs.

It was as if the 1986 Boston Celtics lost Larry Bird. It was as if the 1968 Los Angeles lost Elgin Baylor. It was Jayson Tatum’s torn Achillies, a devastating injury that might derail the Boston Celtics for years to come.