The Philadelphia 76ers put a stop on all the speculations running amok surrounding their 2025 NBA Draft selection, ultimately going with Baylor standout VJ Edgecombe to kickstart their offseason and bring in a high-caliber rookie into the fold.
The night may be over, but the draft is not over just yet. The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft will continue tomorrow, and the 76ers still have the 35th overall pick to exercise. So far, there has been no movement regarding that pick, and given the team’s financial constraints, it would be more sensible for the front office to bring in another prospect on a cheaper deal.
Fortunately for Philly, there remains an ample selection of prospects available for them in the second round thanks to this draft class’ sheer depth when it comes to quality talent. Now, the question is who the 76ers should pick at pick No. 35?
The 76ers have a crystal clear choice for the 35th overall pick
As things currently stand, the 76ers still have a slew of pressing roster needs to address, one of which is the big man position, which remains a major point of concern due to a myriad of reasons, primarily the injury issues of Joel Embiid and the lack of stability from Andre Drummond. There is also the lack of size and reliable three-point shooting, which subsist as areas to focus on.
In that case, Philadelphia should take a hard look at big man Maxime Raynaud out of Stanford. The 7’1” Frenchman, who is more versatile than most players of his stature, should be the priority for the 76ers given their actual needs.
Raynaud is a finesse player who can play both power forward and center. He is a smooth operator as a roll man who is even better as a pick-and-pop option thanks to his solid perimeter game. Those qualities make him a great change of pace player as a big man.
In addition, he is a heady defender who knows how to get into position to make opposing bigs uncomfortable. But even more importantly, he is a very skilled passer who should be able to bring a new dimension to the team’s frontcourt MO.
The Philadelphia 76ers have to nail their second-round pick, and the writing is now on the wall for them to take Maxime Raynaud, who is quite easily one of, if not the best player still available on the board.