Coming off their tank-off against the Utah Jazz, the Philadelphia 76ers faced another opponent who strives for the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft in the Toronto Raptors. In a contest where neither team had more than 10 players available, Toronto bested Philadelphia 118-105. Not only did this loss knock the 76ers down into the 13th seed of the Eastern Conference, but it also allowed them to embrace tanking fully.
What do the 76ers' chances draft lottery chances look like?
As of Thursday afternoon, Philadelphia holds the sixth-best odds to win the 2025 NBA draft lottery and is just 0.5 games behind the Brooklyn Nets for the fifth. The 76ers have a 37.2% chance to land a top-four pick and a 9% chance to receive the first overall pick.
Philadelphia must maximize its lottery odds by losing as many of its last 17 games of the regular season because its 2025 first-round pick is protected from selections one through six. If the pick falls anywhere outside of that range, it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 76ers traded this pick to the Thunder in the 2020 offseason in what essentially was a move to get Al Horford’s contract off the books.
To complicate matters further, Philadelphia has the sixth easiest remaining schedule in the NBA as its last 17 opponents have a combined win percentage of .471. Only three of the 76ers’ upcoming opponents have recorded more than 40 wins this season and they’ll face the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans – two teams with less than 20 wins – a combined three times.
While Philadelphia finishing this season without another win is highly unlikely, its unthinkable amount of injuries will almost certainly prevent it from re-entering the seeding range for the Play-In Tournament. The Chicago Bulls hold the 10th seed and the 76ers are 5.5 games behind them and without a large portion of their top-end talent, the draft lottery seems inevitable.
Paul George and Tyrese Maxey's fate
Joel Embiid last played in Philadelphia’s 105-103 loss to the Nets on February 22nd and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season. Since then, the 76ers have gone 2-6 as this season is rapidly becoming a lost cause, it seems that Paul George is on track to have a similar fate as the 2023 Most Valuable Player.
George has missed five of Philadelphia’s last six games due to left groin soreness and Philadelphia appears to be in no rush to get him back on the floor. George is consulting with doctors on potential treatment options regarding injuries to his groin and knee and a decision is expected to be made sometime next week, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
George sustained two bone bruises in his left knee earlier in this season, which could be the possible origin of his current knee injury. The nine-time All-Star has appeared in just 41 of Philadelphia’s 65 games this season and has performed below his usual all-star caliber standards. George is averaging 16.2 points per game this year, which is his lowest mark since the 2014-15 season.
Philadelphia’s injury bug also bit Tyrese Maxey, who missed the 76ers’ last five games because of a lower back sprain and a finger sprain. While those two injuries likely wouldn’t rule Maxey out for the rest of the season, the 76ers should allow him all the recovery time he needs, especially since tanking appears to be their goal. The 2023 all-star has already been ruled out of the 76ers’ contest against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, March 14th.
Philadelphia plays its last game of the regular season exactly one month from now – April 13th against Chicago. In this time frame, the 76ers must shut down George for the rest of the season and delay Maxey’s return as much as possible to maximize their chances in the upcoming draft lottery.