NBA Mock Draft: Dallas Mavericks Acquire #20 In Three-Team Deal

NBA Mock Draft Pick #20, Clint Cappella, Forward, Europe

SB Nation's 76ers blog Liberty Ballers explains their involvement in a three-team trade that sees the Dallas Mavericks acquire pick #20:

MAVS ACQUIRE: Pick 20, Jason Terry, Arnett Moultrie
RAPTORS ACQUIRE: Thaddeus Young
SIXERS ACQUIRE: John Salmons, Ricky Ledo, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington, 2015 Dallas Unprotected 1st, 2017 NYK 2nd rounder

Another really easy trade for us to make. Thaddeus Young is a wonderful player and human being, and all I want for him is to play for a good team. He'll do well in Toronto, and I'm glad the Sixers get to see him four times a year to check in on how he's doing, if he's eating enough, and what new music he's discovered north of the border.

But if the Sixers don't trade him (probably on draft night), he's going to opt out after this season and become a free agent and they'll be left with nothing but more cap space. Best to get value for him now and keep moving.

That value, by the way, is real solid. Salmons, a former Sixer, will be bought out for $1M before he can see if his old place is for sale. Larkin and Ledo are solid backup options with upside in their own right, and we like the idea of Ellington (a Philly native) parking himself on the foul line extended and just hoisting threes off kickouts. And he can run a bit too.

The big haul is the Dallas pick, though. The Sixers technically owe two first rounders to Boston and Orlando, but the Boston pick becomes two second-rounders if/when they don't make the playoffs this year. So it was absolutely a goal for us to get a 2015 1st rounder this draft to hedge our bets in case the pick is surrendered, and just to get another asset that, at the moment, is being undervalued. Our prognosticators don't see Dallas making the playoffs next year, so as it's unprotected, we could be looking around the 13th pick. If that's the case, and the Sixers don't make the playoffs as projected, that would be six lottery picks in three years.

And we love taking on the 2017 Knicks second-rounder because they're the Knicks and it's fun to hang that over their heads. In Philadelphia, we use second round picks as fossil fuel substitute.

We also get to move Jason Terry before he has a chance to find shelter in Philly, as promised, and rid ourselves of the absolutely worthless (but definitely just in need of a change of scenery) Arnett Moultrie. With J-Rich, Thad, and Moultrie gone, Doug Collins' influence on this team has been eradicated.

Also, this trade makes Nerlens Noel, he of the zero NBA games played, the longest tenured Sixer.

More: Full NBA Draft Coverage

1 Cleveland Cavaliers: ANDREW WIGGINS 
2 Milwaukee Bucks JABARI PARKER
3 Philadelphia 76ers DANTE EXUM
4 Orlando Magic JULIUS RANDLE
5 Utah Jazz JOEL EMBIID
6 Minnesota Timberwolves (Via Celtics) AARON GORDON
7 Los Angeles Lakers NOAH VONLEH
8 Philadelphia 76ers (via Kings) DARIO SARIC
9 Charlotte Hornets DOUG MCDERMOTT
10 Chicago Bulls (via 76ers) MARCUS SMART
11 Denver Nuggets ZACH LAVINE 
12 Orlando Magic TYLER ENNIS
13 Phoenix Suns (via Timberwolves) ADREIAN PAYNE
14 Phoenix Suns NIK STAUSKAS
15 Atlanta Hawks GARY HARRIS
16 Sacramento Kings (via Chicago Bulls) ELFRID PAYTON
17 Orlando Magic (via Boston Celtics) JUSUF NURKIC
18 Minnesota Timberwolves (via Phoenix Suns) KYLE ANDERSON
19 Philadelphia 76ers (via Chicago Bulls) JAMES YOUNG
20 Dallas Mavericks (via Toronto Raptors) CLINT CAPELA
21 Oklahoma City Thunder
22 Memphis Grizzlies
23 Utah Jazz
24 Charlotte Hornets
25 Houston Rockets
26 Miami Heat
27 Phoenix Suns
28 Los Angeles Clippers
29 Oklahoma City Thunder
30 San Antonio Spurs