Despite fears of missing out on having a draft pick this year, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to make the most of their lofty lottery odds, snagging the third overall pick in the highly anticipated 2025 NBA Draft. The franchise dodged a major bullet, as landing outside the top-six would have sent their own selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After a wildly disappointing campaign, Daryl Morey and company should be slated to pick an elite prospect to bolster both their short and long term ceiling as a ball club. After all, the 2025 draft class is widely reckoned as a highly talented and deep cast of incoming freshmen, giving the 76ers a lot of flexibility in the way they go about things to build and improve the roster this offseason.
Having said that, nothing seems to be set in stone at this juncture for Philly. Given their resounding win-now stance, the front office has a slew of options to maximize their draft luck — something they will certainly try to leverage in the face of their current situation, one that involves being restricted financially, unlike last year.
Still, Morey and his crew needs to avoid a particular scenario — yet the signs point to the longtime executive falling into that same, exact trap.
The 76ers could be doomed by Daryl Morey’s familiar plan after the draft lottery
The 76ers may have evaded a pretty fascinating development, that is, the bending of the lottery odds by virtue of the Mavericks and Spurs this year, but it seems like there is also a strong chance that the team passes up on the prospect of rearing a rookie next season.
Following the lottery, Morey was asked about his initial plans with the No. 3 pick, to which he positively affirmed that the front office intends to keep it and make the selection next month.
Having said that, Morey was just quoted as recently as last week that he and his staff will explore trade options if they get anything other than the first overall pick, which is presumed to be Cooper Flagg.
Daryl Morey mentioned that Philadelphia could explore trade options if it didn't get the first overall pick last week. https://t.co/lz7rHAOawq
— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) May 13, 2025
If Morey follows through on a trade venture involving the third overall pick, he would be making a huge mistake. The 76ers are already gutted by a lack of a firm plan for a life after Joel Embiid, and stripping themselves of an opportunity to solidify that with a high selection in a draft class teeming with talent will only rhyme with the franchise’s head-scratching devotion to being shortsighted.
Also, the 76ers have shown an ability to scout and draft well in recent years, and passing up on the draft altogether for an established win-now star is way too defeatist of a stance in constructing the roster. Hopefully, they do away with this disposition and start building for the future as much as the present.