ONE OF the more intriguing teams heading into the 2025 NBA Draft in Chicago last month, the Philadelphia 76ers left the intake with a key piece for the future thanks to their top-three result at the draft lottery.

Despite being tipped as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference heading into last season, the Sixers were thwarted by injuries, with the star trio of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all spending significant time on the sidelines, and this bad luck even extended to impressive rookie Jared McCain.

Instead of contending as many expected, the Sixers missed the playoffs, but jumped into the top three at the draft lottery. There were several players in consideration for this selection in what was one of the biggest storylines at the draft, but Philadelphia certainly added a strong fit for the team moving forward, as well as a development piece later in the intake.

Philadelphia 76ers

Drafted Players

VJ Edgecombe (pick three), Johni Broome (pick 32)

The Sixers entered the draft with the chance to potentially add a franchise player for the future, and may have done exactly that with the way they went about their selection in the first round, acquiring one of the most talented prospects in the pool.

Despite the much-discussed potential of selecting Ace Bailey, the Sixers chose Edgecombe with the third overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, and it makes sense given the latter is the far safer choice and will likely be an All-Star in the coming years.

The wing is a readymade NBA prospect, thanks to his impressive motor, eye-catching athleticism and valuable spot-up shooting, and his addition was made even more vital given the recent news of George undergoing surgery, meaning Edgecombe will be getting hefty minutes early in his NBA career.

His athleticism will likely result in many highlights in years to come, likely in the form of impressive blocks or high-flying dunks, while the recent development of his jumpshot at such a high rate suggests this area of his game will continue to improve in the first few years of his career.

Although he could be more damaging when it comes to his shooting off the dribble, he will be a solid piece next to Maxey and McCain in the next generation of hoops for the Sixers, while potentially contending with the team this season if they can get a clean bill of health.

He even kicked off his campaign in the NBA Summer League in perfect fashion with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, but unfortunately suffered a thumb sprain and has not seen the court since. However, it was still an extremely positive sign for the Sixers draftee.

In the second round, Philadelphia added big man Broome with their last selection of the 2025 NBA Draft, and it is another pick that makes sense given Embiid had had serious injury troubles throughout his career, and the draftee is a prospect who can play minutes right away.

With impressive inside scoring, a solid impact on the defensive end and strong playmaking for his position, Broome has the tools to play big minutes early in his career given he was a super senior in the NCAA last year, and may be called upon to do so for Philadelphia.

The Sixers ended up with a great result all things considered, and are now well-placed to compete now and in the future if they can get rid of some of the injury concerns that have held them back in recent years.