11-05-2025
Sixers draft history: Keith Van Horn selected, then traded in 1997
With the NBA draft right around the corner, now is the time to look at some past drafts and see what the Philadelphia 76ers have done in their history. The Sixers have selected some big-time players in the past who have become an important part of the fabric of the franchise's history.
This next edition focuses on the 1997 NBA draft. After a 22-60 season, the Sixers ended up getting the No. 2 pick in the draft. With that selection, they took Utah's Keith Van Horn before flipping the versatile forward to the then-New Jersey Nets in exchange for Anthony Parker, Jim Jackson, Eric Montross, and Todd MacCulloch.
Advertisement
The Sixers ended up getting Van Horn back in the summer of 2002 in a trade with the Nets that sent Dikembe Mutombo to New Jersey. In his lone season with the Sixers in 2002-03, he averaged 15.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Philadelphia then sent him to the New York Knicks in the 2003 offseason as part a 4-team deal in which Philadelphia acquired Glenn Robinson and Marc Jackson.
Van Horn would go on to play for five teams total in his nine seasons in the league. He played for the Dallas Mavericks when they reached the finals in 2006 before leaving the NBA.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers draft history: Keith Van Horn selected, then traded in 1997
