Report: 76ers want D'Angelo Russell in the draft

The Philadelphia 76ers may not end up tasking head coach Brett Brown with making a three-center lineup work, after all.

In year two of a complete tear-down and rebuilding, the Sixers have secured themselves at least one top-six pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. With some lottery luck, they could have as many as three first-round picks, but it's their own selection that's likely to be the highest and the most discussed.

Armed with the No. 3 pick last season, the Sixers went for upside and talent over fit, selecting Joel Embiid despite already having Nerlens Noel on the roster. With 2015's top two prospects both being centers - Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns - it seemed plausible the 76ers could be faced with making the same upside-or-fit decision again.

That may not be the case this time around, as Philadelphia is said to be high on Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell, a consensus top-five prospect but one not often in the discussion for the No. 1 pick.

"He's the guy they want," a league executive told the Inquirer on Saturday. "That's the word around the league. You know the Sixers. They won't come out and say it. But he's the guy they want."

Armed with two blue-chip bigs and little in the way of ball-dominant offensive players, Russell makes plenty of sense with Philadelphia, assuming they don't pick first or are able to trade down if they do. A 6-foot-5 point guard with the ability to carve to the rim, a terrific outside shot and incredible vision - we've taken to calling him Voodoo Russell -  Russell should be a quality guard from the outset.

He's also still 19 years old, and if the Sixers feel Brown's system can get the most out of his considerable frame defensively, there's a real chance Russell can be a star.

ESPN's Chad Ford, the authority on such matters, has the Sixers taking Emmanuel Mudiay at No. 3 in his latest mock draft, suggesting the similarly large point guard who spent the year in China represents exactly the type of risk the organization has been embracing.

The Sixers would be in an interesting situation if they landed the top pick, faced with taking Russell a few spots ahead of where many see him going or potentially trading down and collecting another asset in the process - a move firmly in the repertoire of general manager Sam Hinkie. Should they select lower than No. 1 or No. 2, Russell seems a terrific fit.

Here's a quick look at where the Sixers could pick with their own selection as well as one potentially owed to them by the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat: