Latest mock draft has Sixers taking Duke point guard Jared McCain at 16

Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain (0) drives against Houston Cougars guard L.J. Cryer (4) during the first half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers have the No. 16 pick as they get set to decide what they plan to do with that selection. Either President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey will find a taker for the pick or there will be a player worth selecting at No. 16.

The Sixers have a few needs. They could use a wing player who can produce on both ends of the floor while also needing another ball-handler to take pressure off Tyrese Maxey.

A mock draft put together by The Athletic has the Sixers selecting Duke point guard Jared McCain with the No. 16 selection:

McCain was seen as a potential one-and-done lottery prospect entering the season before a slow start made evaluators pause. However, over the last two-thirds of the season, McCain was one of the best freshman scorers in high-major college basketball. Starting with Duke’s Dec. 9 game against Charlotte, McCain averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists over his last 28 games. He made 41.6 percent of his 6.4 3-point attempts per game during that span and consistently got into the lane in transition or when driving closeouts. I also thought he improved drastically on defense over his final 15 or so games.

As always, the Sixers could certainly trade out of the draft to acquire a win-now player. Philadelphia is star hunting and has its eyes on winning a title in the short window that Joel Embiid is an elite player in this league. While McCain will help fill a lot of needs, the Sixers will likely trade this pick to help further their title aspirations.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Latest mock draft has Sixers taking Duke point guard Jared McCain at 16