The Philadelphia 76ers, just like the rest of the league, are now rapidly approaching the 2026 NBA Draft. As holders of the 22nd overall pick in the first round, the front office will soon be making a critical choice that could very well set the tone for how their offseason will look like from here on out.
The new-look front office most likely has an extensive list of prospects they are looking at, but the most concerning thing is the fact that so far, it appears that the 76ers have not had a single workout with a natural center. According to Hoops Hype's draft prospect workout tracker, Philly has only conducted workouts with six different players, none of whom play the center position at large.
So far, the following prospects have reportedly gone through the 76ers facility for a workout –– Houston's Chris Cenac, Santa Clara's Allen Graves, Texas' Dailyn Swain, Arizona's Koa Peat, Duke's Isaiah Evans, and St. John's Zuby Ejiofor. All of those players are either natural small forwards or power forwards, which makes the lack of a center prospect worrying.
The 76ers have not worked out with a center prospect before the 2026 NBA Draft
It is no secret that the 76ers will be looking to shore up the center position this offseason with Joel Embiid still on a highly conservative preservation plan. The draft will be the most straightforward and easiest way to bring in another big man into the fold, but it seems like the front office is not looking to get external help through the rookie pool in order to address that gaping hole.
Well, right from the get go, that already figures to be a huge mistake. The 76ers do not have the luxury of being a major spender in free agency, so the ideal way for them to fill in their needs is to pick a young prospect who can contribute right away. Their priorities are varied right now, and it is apparent that the backup center spot is not on the forefront.
Cenac and Ejiofor can probably play the 5 in spurts, but they are natural power forwards and it would be asking for too much to expect them to bang with more proven big men down low. The 76ers have already selected either undersized or outmatched big men in the last two drafts, and they can no longer afford to repeat that mistake.
Hopefully, drafting a center is still in the cards for the 76ers. After all, for such a perennial issue, they cannot viably turn a blind eye on it when there is a more direct pathway to address the same through the draft.
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