Now that the Philadelphia 76ers‘ season has finally come to an end. Daryl Morey and the Sixers front office staff can begin planning for the upcoming NBA Draft.
The Sixers will likely finish within the top six of the draft lottery. As such, they will keep their upcoming draft pick and will get a shot at one of the top incoming talents from a loaded draft class.
In a recent mock draft by CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish, the Sixers were projected to draft Ace Bailey out of Rutgers. Bailey is a 6-foot-10 forward who has tremendous upside on both ends of the court.
“More evidence that Rutgers should’ve been better than it was is the fact that the Scarlet Knights finished with a losing record despite having two projected top-five picks,” Parrish wrote. “Bailey’s upside is tremendous given that he’s an electric shot-creator and shot-maker. It’s just a matter of being more consistent with everything — and becoming more than just a scorer.”
Bailey ended the collegiate season having averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He enters the NBA as a raw prospect. However, he projects to have an incredibly high ceiling if he can realize his potential.
Multiple Mock Drafts Have Bailey Joining Sixers
In an April 17 mock draft by Derek Parker of the NBA Draft on SI, the Sixers were once again projected to land Bailey. Here’s what Parker had to say about the Rutgers standout’s potential fit in Philadelphia:
“The Sixers have a higher chance of landing a top-three pick than everyone thought coming into the season,” Parker wrote. “And Bailey would fit like an essential glove in their core. The team has play-makers in Embiid, Maxey and even last year’s rookie in Jared McCain, so Bailey would be firing up plenty of shots off-ball.”
Bailey’s stock is high as we get closer to the draft. He will undoubtedly have multiple suitors early in the lottery. If he falls into the Sixers’ lap, and they don’t envision his long-term fit, we could potentially see Morey trade backwards to potentially add more draft capital.
Morey Has a Lot of Work to Do
Regardless of whether the Sixers acquire Bailey or any other young talent in the upcoming draft, it’s clear Morey has a lot of work to do this summer. The Sixers’ roster was clearly imbalanced for the 2024-25 campaign. The lack of high-level depth hindered Nick Nurse’s team as the injuries piled up.
Therefore, we will likely see multiple moves in the coming months. Morey has never been one to wait things out when there are viable trades to make. In a March 2 article for ESPN, Kevin Pelton pinpointed the frontcourt as an area of concern.
“Although depth wasn’t the primary reason for Philadelphia’s failure, it disappointed nonetheless,” Pelton wrote. “Backup centers Andre Drummond and Adem Bona haven’t provided the cover the 76ers expected behind Embiid, and Caleb Martin wasn’t the strong role player Philadelphia expected. As a result, the Sixers have given more than 3,500 minutes to players my metric rates below replacement level this season, the league’s eighth-highest total.”
More will likely attempt to re-sign Guerschon Yabusele. Beyond that, most of the Sixers frontcourt is likely viewed as dispensable. Unfortunately, that means Andre Drummond could be on the move. Nevertheless, the Sixers need to make some changes. Otherwise, history could repeat itself. If that happens, expect a full-scale rebuild this time next year.
Sixers Projected to Draft 6-Foot-10 Forward With ‘Electric’ Scoring Skills