The Philadelphia 76ers stirred up controversy on draft night with their decision to trade Mikal Bridges for Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-round pick. Bridges looks the part of a solid prospect and has put together better statistical performances in Summer League, only increasing the anguish on one side of the debate.
But Smith has flashed upside that Bridges simply doesn’t have — both with his athleticism and his skill set, though future refinement is still needed. It’s also worth noting that Zhaire is 19 years old. Bridges is 21. The latter has had two more years of development.