With the NBA draft right around the corner, now is the time to look at some past drafts and see what the Philadelphia 76ers have done in their history. The Sixers have selected some big-time players in the past who have become an important part of the fabric of the franchise’s history.

This edition now turns to the 2018 draft as the Sixers were looking to build off the momentum built during the 2017-18 season. At the time, Philadelphia was led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and a tough Round 2 loss to the Boston Celtics. They held the No. 10 pick in the draft and selected Villanova product Mikal Bridges which seemed like a slam dunk pick, but the Sixers had other plans.

Philadelphia sent Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 16 pick which they then used to select Texas Tech product Zhaire Smith. While Bridges was making an impact for the Suns, Smith dealt with an unfortunate allergic reaction in his rookie season and was limited to just six games in 2018-19 before playing only seven games in 2019-20. He played a total of 13 games for Philadelphia in two seasons and averaged 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds.

The Sixers then traded Smith to the Detroit Pistons in the 2020 offseason. He was then released and has since been working hard to get back in the league. He has signed Exhibit 10 deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and has toiled in the G League. He averaged 20.9 points for the Texas Legends in the 2024-25 G League season.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers draft history: Zhaire Smith acquired from the Suns back in 2018