LAS VEGAS – On Friday night, Zhaire Smith will provide a glimpse of why the 76ers traded up their 10th overall pick to snag him at 16 and 2021 first-round pick in last month’s NBA draft.
The Sixers will face the Boston Celtics in a 7:30 p.m. NBA Summer League opener at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Smith’s debut will also mark the first time that he’ll exclusively play as a perimeter player. Despite standing 6-foot-2 ¾ without shoes, the 19-year-old was primarily a power forward during his lone season at Texas Tech. And before that, Smith used his 42-inch vertical to excel as a center at Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Tex, a suburb outside Dallas.