While it was clear the Philadelphia 76ers had to part ways with Daryl Morey as the President of Basketball Operations after his sixth year with the organization, there was one factor that made fans nervous about that decision.
How well would the Sixers draft in his absence? Discovering talent in the draft has been a strong suit for Philadelphia since Morey took over. There was a lot of pressure placed on Mike Gansey when he took over since the 2026 NBA Draft was his first order of business as the new President of Basketball Operations.
It’s way too early to tell whether Gansey knocked it out of the park or not, but the early returns are certainly positive.
With NBA Summer League winding down, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz graded out every team’s rookie class so far.
Mike Gansey aces the early test
The Sixers earned themselves an “A-“ after the NBA world saw the rookie Labaron Philon Jr. go to work this past week.
Swartz noted that the Sixers “may have struck gold.” There’s only one critique for the former Alabama guard so far.
“Finishing inside is his only real weak spot to this point, as the former Alabama star is shooting just 34.6 percent from inside the arc during summer league,” Swartz explained.
Before struggling in the Wednesday, July 15 matchup, Philon was putting together quite a strong campaign. At the time of the grades, he posted averages of 21.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Philon knocked down 40.0% of his shots from beyond the arc.
During the fourth outing against the Orlando Magic, Philon posted 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
The rookie first-rounder has been one of the brightest stars out in Las Vegas, which is a great sign for the Sixers, who picked him up well outside of the lottery.
The draft game remains strong
Again, the Sixers haven’t seen Philon in any actual game action outside of Summer League just yet, so it’s too early to say that Gansey aced the test. But the signs are positive.
Since 2020, the Sixers have selected and kept five first-round selections, including Philon. Tyrese Maxey was selected in the same range, and turned out to be a two-time All-Star and is still getting better as the 76ers add more to his plate.
Jaden Springer was a late first-round pick in 2021. The Sixers knew he would be a project, but they weren’t willing to keep him on board throughout the duration of his rookie deal.
Jared McCain was a mid-round pick, and has had a strong two-season campaign so far, despite injuries. The 76ers infamously traded him away during the 2025-2026 season (to get the pick for Philon).
In 2025, the Sixers’ previous tank job allowed them to win the No. 3 pick in the lottery to snag the Baylor star, VJ Edgecombe. After becoming a full-time starter in season one, Edgecombe has established himself as a rising star in the league already.
Now, the ball is in Philon’s court to keep the draft game strong for Philly.
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