The Sixers avoided the disappointment of losing their 2025 first-round pick entirely and ended up at No. 3 in Monday night’s NBA draft lottery.
So, now what?
Here’s a roundup of post-lottery mock drafts:
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SIGN UP HERE Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Vecenie: “I expect the Sixers to look into scenarios that involve moving this selection, especially now that they’ve moved up without getting inside the top-two picks. …Bailey’s range starts at No. 3 now that the Sixers officially have the pick. They certainly could use a bigger wing to pair with Paul George. However, Bailey’s range extends a bit further down than this into even the middle portion of the lottery. …”
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo
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Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Woo: “Bailey has been more polarizing for scouts than a typical top-five pick, displaying flashes of scoring upside at Rutgers while still at an early stage of his development in other key areas. Lottery teams are eager to get a feel for him in the pre-draft process, including interviews, to understand how far away he is from contributing positively on an NBA floor.
“Wings with Bailey's combination of size, physical skill and shooting prowess are rare. That coveted archetype has kept his stock largely steady despite his inconsistencies as a decision-maker, ball handler and defender. Some teams are concerned with the risk attached in those areas, but his scoring talent has tantalizing appeal for front offices in search of star power.”
To the point on Bailey’s size: He measured at 6-foot-7 and 1/2 inches without shoes and 203 pounds at the NBA draft combine. Bailey’s skilled at squeezing off and making difficult jumpers, but he presumably won’t be able to shoot over anyone he wants in the NBA.
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Mann: “I’ve had Tre Johnson earmarked for Philly for a while because he could be a great plug-and-play fit, but Bailey does a lot of similar things (albeit not quite as efficiently in the movement shooting from 3), while also having more size and defensive upside. Bailey doesn’t have to become a superstar to make an impact in the NBA. His something-from-nothing shotmaking, even without taking a single dribble, will be a helpful option when possessions go south. And once some easy offense comes into his life after he trudged through possessions at Rutgers, it’s highly possible that his strengths will pop even more than they did in college.
“There will be more hands on the cook line in Philly to throw easy buckets his way, and lord knows he’s hungry for them. Add in some glimpses of big-time help defense, and it’s clear that he can fit into what the Sixers are doing in the short term as his more fantastic, long-term possibilities threaten to materialize.”
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
O’Connor: “Drafting Bailey would raise serious questions about the direction of the franchise. On one hand, he is a ridiculous shot-making machine, capable of splashing contested jumpers from every spot on the floor and with the swagger of a throwback bucket-getter. At his size, he fits next to Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain in the years to come.
“But can the Sixers afford to wait when the clock is ticking on the Joel Embiid era? Bailey’s shooting consistency, plus his raw edges as a shot creator and defender, need sanding down to turn him into a full-on star. It would not be a shocker if the Sixers look to trade down (or out) with a team badly hoping to land Bailey.”
At 18 years old, Bailey is clearly not close to a finished product. He was productive and impressive in his one college season — 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game — but Rutgers went 15-17 even with two marquee prospects in Bailey and Dylan Harper. We’ll see just how much better Bailey can get and how quickly he develops.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
Wasserman: “Every team's tier behind (Cooper) Flagg and Harper will include VJ Edgecombe. Front offices that value his 100th percentile explosiveness, shotmaking and defensive quickness could slot him at No. 3, particularly if they question Ace Bailey's handle and tunnel vision, Tre Johnson's lack of rim pressure and Jeremiah Fears' shooting.
“The draft process should only help illuminate his incredible athletic ability and improving shooting stroke.”
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
Kalbrosky: “The Big 12 Freshman of the Year joined Flagg as the only first-year collegiate players with at least 30 dunks and 3-pointers recorded, per Bart Torvik.
“For a team to draft Edgecombe this high, they will hope that his jumper eventually becomes more consistent once he has found his groove in the NBA.”
Victor Oladipo is a popular, natural comparison for Edgecombe, who enjoys using his speed and big-time leaping ability on defense.
Edgecombe averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals for Baylor. He measured at 6-foot-4 without shoes and 193 pounds.
Kon Knueppel, Duke
O’Donnell: “Knueppel didn’t seem like an obvious one-and-done at first blush with limited length and explosiveness for an NBA wing, but his toughness, shooting, and secondary creation skills started building his top-10 hype from the moment he entered Duke. Knueppel is the type of perimeter player who fills in all the cracks in a lineup construction.
“He’s arguably the best shooting bet in this class after canning 40.6 percent of his threes on 207 attempts and 91.4 percent of his free throws. Knueppel can also run pick-and-roll in a pinch, and proved he can throw a killer lob to the roll man during his season with (Khaman) Maluach.”
Could the Sixers draft a Duke shooter two years in a row after going with McCain at No. 16 last year? Like McCain, Knueppel’s jumper is pure and he’s got savvy counters to tight defense.