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Tobias Harris Welcomes Tennessee's Jaden Springer to Sixers

Former Tennessee standout Tobias Harris welcomes Jaden Springer to the Sixers with open arms.
Justin Grasso|
Tobias Harris Welcomes Tennessee's Jaden Springer to Sixers
Tobias Harris Welcomes Tennessee's Jaden Springer to Sixers

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has a history of trading first-round picks in exchange for veteran players that can help a team on day one to avoid banking on the upside and unknowns a rookie draft pick might bring.

Last season, Morey kept Philly's first-round pick and used the selection on Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey. This year, many thought for sure Morey would ship Philly's 28th overall selection elsewhere for a veteran player as the Sixers are ready to build on the roster they believe is capable of becoming a championship contender. 

But once again, the President of Basketball Ops had faith in his scouts and selected Jaden Springer of Tennessee late in the first round. Morey couldn't hold back his excitement following the draft as he believes the 19-year-old guard could quickly become a reliable three-and-D guy in the NBA.

In addition to Morey, 76ers veteran forward Tobias Harris also showed his excitement by welcoming the young guard to the team via Twitter on Friday.

Harris, a former Tennessee Volunteer himself, kept his eyes on the draft Thursday night. As he saw not one but two Tennessee players hear their names get called during the draft, the veteran forward sent his congratulations to Springer and Keon Johnson following the big event. 

Now, he looks forward to playing alongside Springer this upcoming season. Considering Springer enters the NBA after playing just 25 games in the NCAA, he's got a lot to prove before he starts sharing the floor with Harris on game night. Judging based on Morey's reaction to the pick post-draft, though, the Sixers' President believes there's a good chance the Tennessee standout could make an early impact.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_. 

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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