The Philadelphia 76ers have a ton to look forward to in the upcoming offseason. After one of the most disappointing single-season performances by a team in recent memory, the franchise will look to bounce back, which starts with making the right personnel decisions ahead of the following campaign.
Having said that, the front office will face a unique challenge in that unlike last year, where they enjoyed having the widest leeway to spend in free agency thanks to their boatload of cap space, the 76ers will have to get more creative this time around, meaning that roster-building could prove to be a much more tedious task.
Still, there is a cost-effective route that is readily available for Philly — the draft. Thanks to what has been a wildly underwhelming campaign, the team has managed to be in the position to land a high lottery pick, currently being tied with the Nets for the fifth-highest odds to land the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — widely reckoned to banner an elite class of prospects.
Ace Bailey would be the perfect young prospect for the 76ers
It is imperative that the 76ers land a high lottery pick, specifically in the top-six. Otherwise, they would lose their selection to Oklahoma City thaks to a salary dump trade five years ago.
Luckily, at this rate, it’s far more likely that the 76ers would be able to keep their pick. Realistically, though, the first overall pick is a tad unlikely, although the Hawks pulled off a huge warping of the odds just last year.
Cooper Flagg is the consensus top pick this year, but the 76ers should already have their sights on someone who is more fo a realistic get for them — Ace Bailey. The Rutgers star has been turning heads for quite some time now, being the most anticipated prospect out of high school aside from Flagg.
Standing at 6’10”, Bailey touts amazing size for his position as a wing who can play both forward positions as well. His shooting is already above average at this point in his early career, although his shot creation could use some more work.
Still, Bailey has a ton of promise going for him. Players of his archetype have seen a lot of success recently, and with the 76ers, he would have Paul George on his ears, someone who best embodies the all-around, athletic forward template that has dominated the league for years.
Bailey’s draft projections have him in the second to fourth range, meaning that the 76ers would have to be in the top-four to have a realistic shot at drafting him. Hopefully, the basketball gods give them a favor just this once.