With the 2024-25 NBA season slowly coming to its end, the Philadelphia 76ers are starting to see a hard pivot when it comes to their priorities as a team. They are unofficially out of the playoff race thanks to their putrid record, yet they technically still have something big to play for before they end their rather deflating campaign.
Teams at the bottom pit of the standings, where the 76ers currently reside, are in a tight race to get the best odds in the upcoming draft. As of writing, Philly touts the sixth-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick, which would presumptively lead them to this year’s undisputed top prospect, Cooper Flagg.
Having said that, the 76ers stand to benefit wherever they land in the draft — so long as they pick within the top-six. Otherwise, thanks to a residue from an old trade five years ago, Philly would lose its first-round selection this year to Oklahoma City.
However, amid the ongoing and secretive bout with wins, the 76ers may have just snagged a golden opportunity.
76ers may have just lucked into another gem if they play their cards right
The 76ers have reportedly signed Chuma Okeke to a second 10-day deal, keeping the former 16th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft in the fold to make do for the meantime in light of their horrid injury woes.
Okeke has played just two minutes so far for the 76ers, but given the team’s current disposition, it should no take him a long while to crack their makeshift rotation. With the club starting to sit out its players for their disguised tank job, he should be able to get an opportunity to play actual minutes soon enough.
The best thing about this situation is the 76ers possible getting a serviceable player in Okeke. The 26-year-old tweener, after all, fills a position of need for the team while also providing much-needed resistance on defense.
Despite his lack of a reliable niche on offense, Okeke is only a full season removed from being a bona fide rotation player in the league when he was in Orlando. He remains a tenable defensive linchpin at best, and the 76ers would undoubtedly benefit from having players of that archetype for cheap.
At this point, this is a mere audition stretch for Okeke, although the 76ers basically have him as a risk-free addition. Hopefully, the coaching staff gives him more run to see if he can step up offensively and be a potential keeper, especially with the front office not having a lot of options to seek external help in the offseason.