Trade up for Dylan Harper? Pick Ace Bailey? Sixers will have options in 2025 NBA draft
The Philadelphia 76ers will have plenty of options in the , which begins Wednesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The Sixers moved up two spots during the lottery and netted the No. 3 overall pick, but they might look to move up or trade back before or during the draft.
Here's what to know before the 2025 NBA draft.
Could the Sixers trade up in the 2025 NBA draft?
Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey is no stranger to making trades. He's made several high-profile trades throughout his time in Philadelphia, including one on draft night in 2022 that landed guard De'Anthony Melton.
Morey has never drafted as high as No. 3, but could he try to move up one spot and make a deal with the San Antonio Spurs?
According to multiple reports by HoopsHype and Yahoo Sports, the about trading up to No. 2 overall, which would likely be for Rutgers University guard Dylan Harper.
that the Sixers will most likely stay at No. 3 overall, but they're still trying to trade with the Spurs to take Harper. Stein added the Spurs are expected to stay put at No. 2, but things could change by draft night.
Harper is ranked by draft analysts as the No. 2 prospect in the class behind Duke's Cooper Flagg. After those two, there's a drop-off with the rest of the prospects. Harper is the son of Ron Harper, who played 15 seasons in the NBA and won five championships.
Sixers could just stay put at No. 3 overall
Entering the draft, Morey said the Sixers would pick the best player available, and that's exactly what they could do by staying put at No. 3 overall.
The Sixers don't need to trade up to get a talented prospect at No. 3 overall if Flagg and Harper go off the board with the first two selections as expected.
The Sixers should have options like Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, Duke forward Kon Knueppel, Texas guard Tre Johnson and more on the board at No. 3 overall.
The Sixers reportedly brought Edgecombe in for a workout and visit before the draft, and that he had a virtual meeting scheduled with the Sixers. Bailey was scheduled to work out for the Sixers last week, but .
They've "zeroed in" on four prospects, , so it could make sense for one of them to fall to Philly at No. 3 overall and take the best player left on their board.
Will the Sixers trade back in the 2025 NBA draft?
The Sixers trading back in the 2025 NBA draft doesn't seem likely, but nothing should be off the table as Morey and the team work to become contenders for next season.
One team the Sixers could make a deal with to trade back is the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7 overall.
In a , one scenario had the Sixers trading back with the Pelicans for the No. 7 pick, Herb Jones, and a 2026 first-round pick in exchange for Kelly Oubre and the third overall pick. The Sixers then selected Duke center Khaman Maluach at No. 7 overall.
The deal would give the Sixers some much-needed defense on the wing with Jones, who was named first-team All-Defense in the 2023-24 NBA season.
A earlier this month had the Sixers making two trades to move back with the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards to the No. 6 overall pick to select Knueppel. The mock draft had the Sixers picking up the No. 18 and No. 33 overall picks in the trades and getting off the Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon contracts.
