Only more than two weeks remain until the Philadelphia 76ers make a very important selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. Currently in possession of the third overall pick, the front office is in a great spot to give the team a much-needed reinforcement, both for their winning cause next season and their long-term goal to build the team for the future.
For now, the 76ers seem to be zeroing in on a handful of names, but the favorites to land in Philly at No. 3 are Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe. Most mock drafts have them slotted in the 3-4 spots, meaning that Philadelphia will most likely end up with one of them come June 25.
However, it was already reported that the 76ers are keeping their options open with pick No. 3. Prospects like Khaman Maluach and Tre Johnson were recently floated as names the front office is considering even at this juncture, adding some intrigue to the team’s draft strategy and approach, given that those players play varying positions.
Having said that, there is another option for the 76ers — a draft-day trade.
76ers should consider this sneaky draft day trade proposal
A lot of people have expressed their reservations about the 76ers trading their pick, but only to the effect that the squad will move out of the draft entirely. Moving down, however, remains a solid alternative route they can take if the right offer comes.
For Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, that is exactly what the 76ers must do, especially in light of some external developments. According to him, there is one team in particular which they could entice into a trade-down scenario while recouping considerable value in return.
”I’m not the biggest Ace Bailey guy. Personally, if I’m Philadelphia, I’d be very, very open to trading down. I’ve heard the Pelicans at number seven like Ace Bailey. Joe Dumars there — sounds like he really likes Ace Bailey. Could try to trade up to number three to Philly or number four with Charlotte. That to me is the best-case scenario for the Sixers — you trade down from three to seven, New Orleans gets their guy, and you can probably still get Maluach. I don’t know if Trey Johnson would be there at seven, but Maluach — I don’t see it at four or five.”
Obviously, this is a rather dicey proposition, as the 76ers would have to bank on teams not taking their actual targets before they get to the seventh overall pick, although there is, of course, a more workable scenario where Philly evades playing with the fire by taking whoever the Pelicans like at No. 3 and subsequently making a deal.
However, that will still depend on whether New Orleans can actually be in the position to take, say, Maluach or Johnson. Otherwise, the 76ers could take Bailey hastily when they could prefer Edgecombe, who is a more NBA-ready prospect.
This is certainly an enticing hypothetical for the 76ers, only in that they will also have to stomach a huge gamble to maximize their returns. All in all, this will depend on the team’s risk appetite.
The Philadelphia 76ers will most likely err on the side of caution with this one, but if the stars actually align on June 25, do not rule out a huge trade coming from them involving a team like the Pelicans so long as the latter would be willing to pay the price.