With the 2023 NBA draft right around the corner, it’s time to continue looking at some potentially undrafted players who the Philadelphia 76ers could look into to add to the roster.
The Sixers do not have a draft pick in the draft on June 22. They traded their first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that brought James Harden to the City of Brotherly Love at the 2022 deadline, and they were docked second-round picks in 2023 and 2024 by the NBA for tampering.
However, that doesn’t mean the Sixers will or should be inactive around the draft process. There will be a number of talented players who go undrafted, meaning the Sixers should be able to add a young player who could potentially become a rotation piece.
Next up in this series is USC forward Drew Peterson who has an NBA future with the proper work he can put in.
Strengths
Peterson has good size at 6-foot-8 and he can shoot the ball. He shot 41.2% from deep in the 2021-22 season at USC, and while that number dropped to 35.8% in the 2022-23 season, that was on 4.1 attempts per game. His ability to shoot at a high volume combined with his length and ability to put the ball on the floor should make teams attracted to him after the June 22 draft.
He’s a decent shooter who can also put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. That kind of versatility is what comes in handy at the NBA level. He is somebody that the Sixers could eventually turn into a nice role player off the bench.
Weaknesses
Peterson does need to add weight which leads to issues on the defensive end. As he continues to move forward with his basketball career, he has to be able to understand that he will need to give something on the defensive end in order to be a legitimate player in the NBA. He also does struggle to score in traffic despite his ability to put the ball on the floor. All of that can be fixed in due time, however.
Mock draft projection
In the latest Rookie Wire mock draft projections, Peterson does not get drafted.
Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire
