Sixers could draft Khaman Maluach
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Sixers could draft Khaman Maluach
The Philadelphia 76ers head into the 2025 NBA Draft armed with the third overall pick. Rumors have swirled regarding the Sixers’ intentions, with some believing Daryl Morey will look to strike a trade.
Assuming the Sixers opt to use the pick themselves, The Athletic’s Zach Harper has projected the franchise will select Khaman Maluach in his latest mock draft.
“Yes, Maluach is a center, and Joel Embiid is a center, and you’re not going to employ two franchise centers at the same time,” Harper wrote. “That is, if you believe Maluach has the potential to become a franchise center. But we know Embiid is 31, his body simply doesn’t hold up, and the Sixers have to start wondering how much longer they can afford to roll with this process. Bringing in Maluach gives some clarity on what that succession plan looks like, and hopefully, he learns heavily from Embiid on a daily basis.”
Mulach is a high-motor big who could provide energy, size and physicality off the bench. He would also get a first-class education in being an elite big man from being around Embiid day in and day out. Furthermore, he would give Nick Nurse’s frontcourt rotation a significant boost.
Sixers Could Trade Down for Maluach
During a recent episode of the “Kevin O’Connor Show” for Yahoo Sports, the NBA analyst noted that the Sixers could trade down to get Maluach, rather than taking him with the third pick.
”I’m not the biggest Ace Bailey guy. Personally, if I’m Philadelphia, I’d be very, very open to trading down. I’ve heard the Pelicans at number seven like Ace Bailey. Joe Dumars there — sounds like he really likes Ace Bailey. Could try to trade up to number three to Philly or number four with Charlotte. That to me is the best-case scenario for the Sixers — you trade down from three to seven, New Orleans gets their guy, and you can probably still get Maluach. I don’t know if Trey Johnson would be there at seven, but Maluach — I don’t see it at four or five.”
If the Sixers can get their primary draft target and add additional assets, then that would be an ideal scenario. However, the risk with trading down is that Maluach could be off the board if another team likes his projected fit and upside.
Sixers Unlikely to Trade “Too Far Back”
Should the Sixers opt to lean into a trade down in the draft, Marc Stein has reported that the franchise wouldn’t move “too far back” in the selection process.
“League sources maintain that the Sixers are determined to add a dynamic young talent to their core after the tremendous fortune they enjoyed in the May 12 draft lottery,” Stein reported. “Such players are usually found by drafting (or in this case staying) as high as possible in the lottery.”
Morey clearly has a wealth of options available to him. How he chooses to approach draft night will be interesting to watch unfold. After all, he’s in the unusual position of trying to re-tool a contending-level roster while being armed with a top-three draft pick. He can’t afford to fumble in his approach.