Four years ago this week, on the unusual late November draft night in COVID-impacted 2020, brand new Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey traded Al Horford to the Oklahoma City Thunder in what was mostly a salary dump. A number of players were involved, but the prime asset was the 2025 top-six protected first-round pick sent to OKC.
As the NBA moves through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, that outstanding draft pick has led a growing conversation within the league: Six weeks into the 2024-25 season, there are a couple of teams performing worse than expected.