ONE OF the most intriguing results to come out of the NBA Draft lottery was the Philadelphia 76ers storming into the top three after a disappointing campaign from their star-studded roster in a massive win for the organisation.

The 76ers were expected to be one of the contending sides in the Eastern Conference after recruiting star wing Paul George via free agency over the offseason to pair with franchise cornerstones Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and build a big three.

Unfortunately, the 76ers could not continue their contending streak, recording a losing record for the first time since 2017, and missed the playoffs as a result in an underwhelming and injury-plagued campaign, although the emergence of Jared McCain prior to his injury was a massive positive.

Now the Sixers will head to the NBA Draft armed with a top-three selection, which is certainly a surprising result relative to where the team was at 12 months ago, and with the option to add a key piece for the future, could be set up for the next decade.

Philadelphia 76ers

Draft Selections

3, 35

Contracted Players

Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. (player option), Andre Drummond (player option), Jared McCain, Eric Gordon (player option), Ricky Council IV (non-guaranteed), Adem Bona (non-guaranteed), Lonnie Walker IV (team option), Jared Butler (team option), Justin Edwards (team option)

With the big three of Embiid, George and Maxey all on big contracts heading into the 2024/25 season, the Sixers will have limited wiggle room when it comes to adding players over the off-season, but the draft offers a low-cost, high-reward path of doing so.

In a stacked draft class, Philadelphia is well-placed to add a central figure for the future, with the Sixers’ selection set to join Maxey and McCain in being key pieces for the next decade. The interest in the third pick from opposing teams has been evident since the draft, but if they look to keep the selection, it likely comes down to two players.

The first being VJ Edgecombe, who is an excellent wing with an impressive motor that is the safest bet of Philadelphia’s options in this position. With tremendous athleticism and strong spot-up shooting, Edgecombe has all the tools to impact at the top level straight away, and will more than likely be one of the best 10 players to come out of the draft class.

He will be a highlight machine, and his game is versatile enough to slot into any lineup, which will be ideal for Philadelphia given the prominent star power of Maxey and emerging talent of McCain, both of whom will be offensive stars. Given the Sixers will likely be in a transition phase as Embiid and George enter the twilight of their respective careers, Edgecombe could help the team contend now, which may be what they want.

The other option for this spot is Ace Bailey, who has one of the highest ceilings of any player available in the 2025 crop. With shades of Kevin Durant in his game, Bailey could certainly evolve into one of the best scorers in the NBA in the coming years, although he is a slightly bigger risk than Edgecombe, and may take longer to find his feet.

His shooting off the dribble is simply sublime, and he can make the toughest shots look incredibly easy when he has his eye in. Although his shot selection can be costly at times and can result in some wayward attempts, Bailey’s scoring potential is simply too hard to ignore, and if he can translate his shotmaking to the NBA, he could have the highest ceiling of anyone outside of Cooper Flagg.

There are outside chances to be taken here, including Duke Blue Devils sharpshooter Kon Knueppel, but it seems to be a toss up between Edgecombe and Bailey. The latter would be our choice given his immense scoring potential, and although his outgoing personality and confidence may deter teams, the Sixers have drafted players in that ilk in the past.

Both players have their advantages from Philadelphia’s point of view, and it will largely come down to whether the Sixers value Edgecombe’s high floor or Bailey’s immense ceiling. Either way, they will likely leave the 2025 NBA Draft as one of the big winners.