Landry Shamet became just the first Wichita State player selected in first round of the NBA draft in the last 33 years when the Philadelphia 76ers selected the Kansas City native with the No. 26 overall pick in Thursday's draft in New York.
Shamet, who declared for the draft following his redshirt sophomore season with WSU, averaged 14.9 points and 5.2 assists per game with 44-percent 3-point shooting to lead the Shockers. He is the first WSU draft pick since 2014 when the New York Knicks took Cleanthony Early in the second round and the first first-round pick since the Seattle SuperSonics picked Xavier McDaniel No. 4 overall in 1985.
Shamet joins a 76ers team that is coming off a 24-win improvement and a 52-30 season that ended in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He worked out for the Sixers on Monday. While unofficial, Shamet's guaranteed contract is estimated to be worth around $1.3 million for a season.
With starting shooting guard J.J. Redick a free agent, Shamet could compete for minutes right away at the shooting-guard position alongside Ben Simmons.
After billing himself as the best available shooter, that kind of sharpshooting by Shamet was the obvious draw for the 76ers. In the 2017-18 season, Shamet made 54 percent of his spot-up looks from three and 51.9 percent of his catch-and-shoot opportunities from three.
While Shamet played point guard at WSU, those numbers indicate he could potentially play off the ball as a shooting guard. That versatility could make Shamet a valuable second-unit piece for Philadelphia.
Shamet's first time wearing a 76ers jersey will come in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League. His first game is July 6 when the 76ers play the Boston Celtics, which will be broadcast on ESPN at 6:30 p.m.
Shamet is the fourth player Gregg Marshall has sent to the NBA from WSU in the last four seasons, joining Early, Fred VanVleet (Toronto Raptors), and Ron Baker (Knicks).
Before the night got underway, VanVleet had a tweet for his former teammate.
"Regardless of where you land, it's only the beginning of the journey! Bright future ahead," VanVleet tweeted at Shamet.
