NBA Mock Draft: Spurs Trade Out, 76ers Finish Draft With Jarnell Stokes

NBA Mock Draft Pick #30, Jarnell Stokes, Forward, Tennessee

Pounding the Rock traded the Spurs number 30 pick to the Sixers for picks number 32 and 52 in order to avoid the cap hold that accompanies first round picks and have more room to re-sign free agents.

SB Nation's 76ers blog Liberty Ballers explains the pick:

With an excess of second round picks and a newfound surplus of NBA players on the roster, the Sixers can afford to package one of those late 2nd's to move up a few spots. And that's what we did here, slide up two spots to take a guy we were considering with the 19th pick, for little to no cost. Cap holds are no matter to us.

Jarnell Stokes fits wonderfully as the 3rd big behind Noel and Saric. He bangs, he attacks the offensive glass like a sonuvabitch, and he's more skilled than he gets credit for. Not necessarily in the jumpshooting department, but we're not going to ask him to do much offensively outside of shove his forearm into someone's throat and two-hand dunk onto their skull.

Combined with his immovability in the low block on defense, he's the perfect compliment to the thinner finessier games of Nerlens and Dario. Stokes and Henry Sims will do just fine on the second unit of enforcers.

Last year, fitness may have been a concern, but he lost a ton of weight without losing muscle between seasons and he should hold his own in Brown's fast-paced system. We believe -- as do most draft projection models -- that Stokes will be an above-average NBA player and an absolute steal with the final pick in the first round.

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 PJ HAIRSTON
22 Memphis Grizzlies RODNEY HOOD
23 Utah Jazz CLEANTHONY EARLY
24 Golden State Warriors (via Charlotte Hornets) JORDAN ADAMS 
25 Houston Rockets K.J. MCDANIELS
26 Miami Heat SHABAZZ NAPIER
27 Phoenix Suns JORDAN CLARKSON
28 Los Angeles Clippers MITCH MCGARY
29 Oklahoma City Thunder BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC
30 Philadelphia 76ers (via San Antonio Spurs) JARNELL STOKES