All eyes are on the playoffs, and the Philadelphia 76ers are one of the remaining 16 teams still on the limelight. Having said that, the team managed to tally a huge win just recently despite people not even paying attention to it. As reported, Philly won the tiebreaker for their first-round pick this year, which was originally owned by Houston.
Now, the 76ers are now slated to have the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The team acquired the selection from the Thunder in the highly divisive Jared McCain trade, which remains a baffling decision on the part of Philly's brain trust. Nevertheless, getting a first-round pick in this year's draft specifically is highly important.
Just like last year's draft where the 76ers were able to snag VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor with the third overall pick, the 2026 draft class is widely believed to feature a deep and talented pool of prospects. As such, Philly should be able to get another highly touted rookie even though their selection (via Houston) will be in the low 20s.
The 76ers just tallied a major win in the draft order
The 76ers will not have a lottery pick, but if there is one good thing the 76ers front office has done in recent years, it is nailing their selections outside the Top 14. They were able to draft Tyrese Maxey, a bona fide All-NBA caliber guy, with the 21st overall pick in 2020. Just a couple of years ago, they managed to scoop Jared McCain up with the No. 16 pick, and he ended up becoming the frontrunner for the top rookie plum before his untimely injury.
This year, the decision-makers come draft night will have an opportunity they should savor to bolster the team's present and future. Drafting a big man would allow them to shore up their vulnerable frontcourt, although they could also look into adding a sharpshooter at No. 22 given their ills from beyond the arc., which the Celtics badly exploited in Game 1.
Anyhow, the 76ers should remain grateful that they will have the opportunity to select a prospect in the first round. If anything, their roster still needs more infusion of young talent, and the draft will allow them to do exactly that.
Hopefully, Daryl Morey and his cohorts can nail this pick, although it would take some luck and extensive scouting just to get the job done.
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