2015 GBB Community Mock Draft: Philadelphia 76ers explain trade out of #3

GM JLGriz(z) of the Philadelphia 76ers decided to move out of the #3 spot in a huge trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves that saw the rights to #1 overall pick Karl Towns, Zach LaVine, Shabazz Mohammed and a 2016 1st round pick go to Philadelphia for the #3 pick and Joel Embiid.

GM JLGriz(z) offers up his reasoning and analysis:

In Philadelphia, we're trying to build something special. And Karl Anthony-Towns is just that, special. We've done our homework, and we felt we had to jump at the opportunity to bring him here. I know our coaching staff is excited to work with this talented young man. His unique combination of size, versatility, and high IQ will give Brett and his staff a lot of options on both ends of the floor. He has the potential to become a truly great player in this league, a franchise cornerstone. With Karl, we believe we are one step closer to becoming a team that can win at the highest level.

We are also excited to welcome Zach Lavine and Shabazz Muhammad, two young guys who made a lot of progress this past year. Zach just earned All-Rookie 2nd Team honors, and we're looking forward to seeing him round out his game and build on some of his early success. As a rookie, Shabazz had a hard time finding minutes in Minnesota, but this past season, he improved as a shooter and became a more consistent scorer. In Philly, both guys will have opportunities to continue to grow.

As for Joel, I think he has a bright future in this league. His NBA debut is right around the corner now, and we wish him the best in his career.

In addition to adding a lot of young talent to our roster, we are adding yet another draft pick, giving us a total of seventeen picks over the next five years. Without a doubt, our front office still has a lot of work to do in the next few years, and we feel that we are in a great position, with our picks and financial flexibility, to make the moves necessary to build a team that can win at the highest level.

I feel comfortable in telling you all that this will definitely not be the final trade of the 2015 GBB Community Mock Draft.