Sixers host Cameron Johnson for private workout day before the draft
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the 76ers hosted potential first-round pick, Cameron Johnson, for a private pre-draft workout Wednesday afternoon; the day before the NBA draft. Johnson, a wing out of the University of North Carolina, is viewed as one of the best three point shooter in this draft class. He’s a serious option for the Sixers at #24 and with this workout, seems to be the front runner going into the draft.
Johnson doesn’t have the most diverse offensive skill package, but he does the one thing everybody in the NBA wants; shoot three pointers. Although his lack of athleticism could hinder his defense at the next level, he has good three-and-D potential. He’d be a great fit alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on both ends of the court and could contribute right away.
While Johnson seems like a no-brainer, he does have some serious red flags. Most notably, he has a long history with injuries. He missed most of his freshman season at Pitt due to injuries before transferring to UNC. While with the Tar Heels, he needed surgery on a torn meniscus as well as his hip. For a player who is already at an advanced age going into the NBA, this is a serious concern.
There’s a good chance the Sixers could be among a number of teams who have their eyes on Johnson. He may not do a lot, but what he does well is very valuable. Among the teams the Sixers could be competing with, the Celtics, Thunder, and Grizzles all seem like potential landing spots for Johnson in the early twenties. The Sixers could potentially use one of their early second round picks as trade bait to move up and get Johnson, but that seems like a stretch for a player with his injury history.
This workout is a major development leading into the draft. Prior to this, there had been hardly any signs pointing to who the Sixers might be targeting in the first round. Johnson seems like the obvious favorite right now, but for all we know this could be an elaborate smoke screen. We’ll just have to wait until 7 PM.
