Following a dreadful campaign, the Philadelphia 76ers hope to bounce back and return to the playoffs next season, but not before doing the prep-work necessary to put the team in a better position to win games and regain their place in general consciousness.
With Daryl Morey still at the helm of things for the franchise, the expectation is that the 76ers will pounce on free agency to address the pressing issues on the roster. However, their strategy will have a big tweak this year, as Philly has the fifth-best odds to land the first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
But of course, the draft will be far from a smooth sailing one for the 76ers. After all, the lottery is obviously an aleatory situation, and while Philly touts lofty chances at nabbing a high selection, their fate is still up in the air.
In fact, there is a nightmare scenario that could outright doom them and their glistening shot at improving the roster this summer — all while enriching the already-rich.
Nightmare draft scenario will leave the 76ers ruined and another team bolstered
As a lot of people know by now, the 76ers only get to keep their first-round pick this year if it lands in the top-six. Otherwise, it will be gifted to the Thunder — the league’s top seed this season which are coming off a dominant first-round sweeap following a 68-14 win-loss card to cap off a historic regular season campaign.
Thanks to the Al Horford salary dump trade in which Philly sent him to OKC, the latter will be able to dip their fingers into the highly anticipated 2025 draft class if Lady Luck smiles at them. Should the 76ers get the seventh overall pick or worse, the Thunder will get another draft pick.
After finishing with the fifth-worst record in the association with a meager 24-58 win-loss card, the 76ers roughly have a 64 percent chance of their pick being in the top-six. That is still a dicey figure, as otherwise stated, there is a 36 percent chance that their selection goes to Oklahoma City.
That would inarguably be the worst-case scenario for Philly, which is banking heavily on the draft to enhance their future. For the Thunder, though, that will add to their embarrassment of riches, although their litany of prospects that could prove to have expensive retainers in the coming years could force them to consolidate assets and pursue a big trade instead.
Hopefully, the basketball gods will reward the Philadelphia 76ers for doing their best to flaunt their on-court incompetence this season. Otherwise, the flak that the franchise will get will never end.