The Philadelphia 76ers managed to win the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Since then, rumors have swirled around what the front office plans to do. Will they trade it for a veteran star, trade back for more picks, or just simply stick and pick? Insider Marc Stein addressed the rumors and reiterated what he's been saying all along.
Stein claims that despite the ongoing rumors, the 76ers are not likely to trade the No. 3 pick for a veteran star. He does claim that Philly could opt to trade back, albeit it won't be very far. Overall, the organization's goal is to acquire a young talent to add to the core of the roster. So, sticking and picking may be the favorable outcome.
“If there is a trade in Philadelphia's future involving the No. 3 pick in the draft, don't expect the 76ers to move down very far on the 2025 draft board. 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.
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“Such players are usually found by drafting (or in this case, staying) as high as possible in the lottery. Which is why, when I appeared last Monday on the PHNX Suns podcast, I relayed to my colleagues that recent reports suggesting that Philly might use the pick in trade packages to try to acquire an established NBA vet — like Phoenix's Kevin Durant — had been ‘strongly debunked' when I checked them out.”
Cooper Flagg is largely expected to be the first prospect taken off the board by the Dallas Mavericks. The other two prospects that round out the Top 3 include Rutgers stars Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. The 76ers are in line to select one of those two for sure, depending on what the San Antonio Spurs do with the No. 2 pick overall.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Benedetto Vitale has nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, with expertise in covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and UFC. The Oregon alumni resides in Corvallis, Oregon, and has previous bylines at BroBible and Athlon Sports.