Five prospects the Philadelphia 76ers might draft with the No. 3 pick

The 76ers tanked the season hoping to get the first overall pick. Unfortunately, that didn't work. They entered Tuesday night's lottery with the third-best chances at the first overall pick, and they ended up in that exact spot by the end of the evening: drafting third.

Now, the Sixers have to think about the players who are the best fits. Here are some:

1. Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Okafor is in consideration for the first overall pick, but he might be an awkward fit in Philadelphia. The Sixers already have two promising, young bigs in Nerlens Noel (who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting this season) and Joel Embiid. Bringing in another big man would likely mean trading one of those two aforementioned up-and-comers, which certainly wouldn't be out of the question considering general manager Sam Hinkie's history. Still, Okafor might not be the best fit next to either of those guys. Noel made a living defensively hanging around the rim. If Okafor were there, he'd push him further away from the basket, where he struggles. Embiid, meanwhile, is a natural center, as is Okafor. Those skill sets don't necessarily pair well.

2. Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Kentucky

Towns is another guy who could be an odd fit next to either of Philly's bigs. Still, this isn't necessarily an issue the Sixers need to worry about. Towns and Okafor are probably the consensus first and second picks. It's supremely possible, if not probable, that neither is around by the time the Sixers pick at three. Still, Towns is a guy who's a supreme athlete, who plays quality defense and who thrives in the pick-and-roll. He's a modern-day big, which has to be a turn-on for an analytics and forward-thinking organization like that 76ers.

3. D'Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State

The Sixers have already been rumored to be interested in Russell, and he could be the best possible fit in Philly considering that the 76ers could already be set at both big man spots. The lefty is a shooter with a nasty handle and above-average distributing abilities. What do the Sixers need more than anything? A point guard. And Russell can play both guards spots while running a legitimate NBA offense. If the Sixers have the chance to grab him third, that might just be exactly what they do.

4. Emmanuel Mudiay, G, China

Here's one of the biggest question marks of this year's draft. Mudiay was supposed to go to SMU to play for Larry Brown last season, but the incoming freshman bailed on his commitment to the university to go play pro in China, instead. Still, all anyone ever says about him is how great of a teammate and kid he has turned into. And man, can he ball. He's already mature enough to run the pick-and-roll as both a scorer and distributor. He's a big-shouldered, lightning-quick guard who has some amount of Russell Westbrook or John Wall already in him. He's got certain defensive potential. He's still working on his shot, but he would've just been a freshman this year. Most kids that age can't shoot yet. He's one of them. But if he can ever develop that skill (which is more than possible), he could turn into one of the better point guards in the NBA.

5. Justise Winslow, SG/SF, Duke

Winslow hit somewhat of a wall midway through his freshman year but recovered seamlessly enough to dominate the end of the year and into the NCAA Tournament, helping his Duke Blue Devils to a national championship. He still has work to do with his handle and his ability to score off the dribble, but he's a wonderful athlete with long arms who already has the ability to defend multiple positions. That plus a nice shooters touch makes him an option in the top five or seven.