Philadelphia 76ers
Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia 76ers moved up in the draft lottery, landing the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. With that selection, Philadelphia appears to be giving serious consideration to going in an unexpected direction on draft night.
An unnamed NBA executive told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer that teams are doing ‘heavy research’ on the possibility of moving up to the third overall pick. It’s another sign of Philadelphia’s seemingly growing interest in trading down.
Related: Insider reveals 76ers’ top offseason goal, impact on NBA Draft
When Philadelphia moved up in the NBA Draft lottery, some originally thought the team would package the third overall pick with Paul George to move off the All-Star forward’s contract. Once that option was ruled out, there was speculation about the 76ers trading the pick for a win-now player.
Instead, reports this offseason have made it clear that Philadelphia wants to surround George and Joel Embiid with more young, high-end talent. While the team has reportedly not been tied to Ace Bailey, the consensus No. 3 prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft, there are a few other top prospects on their radar.
Related: 2025 NBA Draft order, Philadelphia 76ers draft picks 2025
If Philadelphia moves down, the expectation is that it would only be by a handful of picks. That would open the door to teams like the Utah Jazz (fifth overall pick), Washington Wizards (sixth overall pick) and maybe the New Orleans Pelicans (seventh overall pick).
It would mean the 76ers take themselves out of the range to draft Bailey or Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe. However, the club has been tied heavily to Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson, who would likely be available at the sixth or seventh overall pick.