Jake Fischer Latest: The NBA Draft, in many ways, starts at No. 3

We've got the latest Intel on what Philadelphia is planning with the third overall pick ... plus updates on Phoenix and Boston

There's an argument to be made that this June's NBA Draft truly starts at pick No. 3, where the Philadelphia 76ers are poised to sift through plenty of optionality between now and Daryl Morey's turn on the clock.

The whole basketball world knows Cooper Flagg is headed to Dallas after the Mavericks shockingly landed the No. 1 pick in last week's lottery drawing. At No. 2, after San Antonio improbably leapt into its own lottery luck, Victor Wembanyama's Spurs certainly don't appear to be a hand-in-glove fit for Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper, but I haven’t spoken to a single NBA figure who projects Harper as anything other than the second player off the board — no matter which team is making the selection.

To this point, furthermore, numerous rival teams continue to believe that the Spurs will ultimately hold onto their pick and welcome Harper into their backcourt alongside De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.

Which brings us to Philly ...