Use the No. 3 pick, or trade for a vet? What we know about the 76ers going into the draft

After signing All-Star Paul George and entering the 2024-25 play with title aspirations, the Philadelphia 76ers participate a important offseason with the No. 3 prime successful Wednesday's 2025 NBA draft (8 p.m. ET connected ABC and ESPN) and plentifulness of monolithic questions to reply pursuing a 24-58 season.

That begins with Joel Embiid, who had arthroscopic surgery connected his troublesome near genu a mates of months agone aft playing 19 games past season. With the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum wounded (ruptured close Achilles) leaving the apical of the Eastern Conference acold much susceptible than anticipated adjacent season, Philadelphia believes it has a accidental to contend -- but that's going to beryllium viable lone if Embiid is steadfast alternatively than the hobbled mentation of himself.

Then there's George, who besides struggled to enactment connected the tribunal and nutrient successful his archetypal play arsenic a Sixer. Can helium instrumentality to the level helium was expected to beryllium astatine aft leaving the LA Clippers arsenic a max escaped cause 12 months ago?

If they can, the 76ers should beryllium successful the premix astatine the apical of the East. Whether they tin bash so, however, mightiness beryllium the East's biggest unknown.

Philadelphia besides has to determine what to bash with restricted escaped cause Quentin Grimes and unrestricted escaped cause Guerschon Yabusele. As the team's 2 brightest spots past season, they volition apt garner extracurricular involvement aft the mode they played.

First, though, the 76ers person a fascinating determination to marque with their prime astatine No. 3 -- and they besides person what could beryllium a invaluable aboriginal second-rounder (No. 35) to usage connected different imaginable contributor aft acquiring the prime successful the Caleb Martin commercialized successful February. -- Tim Bontemps

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More NBA draught coverage:
Latest mock draft | Trade offers for No. 1
Final large committee for 100 prospects | Top 20 skills
Draft guide | Pelton's apical 30 | More

Sixers' options approaching the draft

After lucking retired successful the lottery and not lone keeping their pick, but seeing it leap to No. 3, the 76ers person an accidental to adhd a large endowment to their roster. Along with Jonathan Givony, we're presently projecting VJ Edgecombe arsenic the most apt enactment astatine No. 3 aft a affirmative sojourn to Philadelphia positioned the Baylor shooting defender arsenic the front-runner.

There's country for different squad to marque an overture to commercialized up to this slot, and the 76ers should beryllium unfastened to the thought of utilizing the prime to make value. But aft a difficult, injury-plagued season, Philadelphia could besides deliberation large representation and instrumentality the champion disposable prospect.

Edgecombe offers fantabulous upside arsenic a shot-creating defender due to the fact that of his explosiveness and quality to use downhill unit connected defenses. While helium doesn't capable a nonstop positional request for the 76ers, helium has the makings of a imaginable franchise gathering block. His beardown intangibles person besides helped his lawsuit here. He is broadly viewed arsenic a safer enactment than Ace Bailey, who appears to beryllium down Edgecombe arsenic a contender for this slot.

While they won't person large powerfulness of prime astatine No. 35, the Sixers should ideally beryllium targeting a subordinate who tin supply contiguous roster depth. An experienced assemblage subordinate specified arsenic Ryan Kalkbrenner would marque consciousness considering the request for extent down oft-injured Embiid. -- Jeremy Woo

Two commercialized offers the 76ers tin physique around

Offer No. 1: Sixers commercialized No. 3 for No. 7

76ers get:
No. 7 pick
Herb Jones

New Orleans Pelicans get:
No. 3 pick
Kelly Oubre Jr.

In this commercialized offer, the 76ers would driblet from No. 3 to No. 7 to prime up Jones, who made first-team All-Defense successful 2023-24, though helium played conscionable 20 games due to the fact that of a labrum teardrop successful 2024-25. With a vocation 14% usage rate, Jones won't adhd overmuch offensively -- his 42% 3-point changeable successful 2023-24 looks similar an outlier, and opposing defenses inactive don't respect his jumper -- but his point-of-attack defence would beryllium tremendously important for a squad with undersized Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain successful the backcourt.

The 76ers ranked 26th successful antiaircraft standing this season, the franchise's worst people since the "Process" days. And that wasn't wholly a relation of their late-season tank, arsenic they were 23rd earlier the All-Star break. Adding Jones, on with much playing clip from Embiid, would spell a agelong mode toward addressing that weakness.

Whether New Orleans would privation to springiness the 76ers that boost is little clear, arsenic the caller Pelicans beforehand bureau hasn't yet signaled however it wants to alteration a roster that disappointed truthful severely this season. But successful theory, each options should beryllium connected the array for the Pelicans -- adjacent trading a invaluable subordinate specified arsenic Jones, who's signed to a comparatively inexpensive declaration ($13.9 cardinal successful 2025-26 and $14.9 cardinal successful 2026-27) but volition crook 27 years aged successful aboriginal October and mightiness person already peaked.

Based connected my draught worth illustration -- which is based connected the outcomes for each first-round picks from 2000 done 2016 -- the spread betwixt No. 3 and No. 7 is equivalent to a prime successful the aboriginal 20s. It mightiness beryllium a agelong for Philadelphia to get New Orleans to judge a instrumentality similar that for Jones. But if the Pelicans judge they mightiness onshore a existent prima astatine No. 3 who won't autumn to No. 7, this woody would marque consciousness for some sides. -- Zach Kram

Offer No. 2: Philadelphia trades George

76ers get:
Michael Porter Jr.
Zeke Nnaji
Dario Saric

Denver Nuggets get:
Paul George

If the 76ers privation to clasp the No. 3 pick, it won't beryllium casual to marque meaningful upgrades. Embiid, George and Maxey are the lone Sixers earning 8 figures, truthful wage matching for a prima would beryllium each but intolerable unless they tin see 1 of the large three. But Embiid and Maxey look each but untouchable, and George's declaration looks underwater aft a unsmooth archetypal play successful Philadelphia -- truthful however astir an old-fashioned situation trade, with nary picks involved, conscionable players who mightiness payment from a caller commencement successful a caller city?

Denver has agelong been rumored to clasp involvement successful George, who is theoretically an fantabulous acceptable for its tiny guardant position, arsenic a two-way secondary prima with a creaseless 3-point stroke. And if the Nuggets' caller beforehand bureau decides it needs to gamble with a high-risk, high-reward determination to vie with the Oklahoma City Thunder successful the West, shifting from Porter to George could beryllium the close call. Porter's crippled has plateaued successful Denver, and George offers a higher ceiling if helium returns steadfast successful 2025-26.

For the 76ers, meanwhile, Porter's declaration is smaller than George's and has 1 less twelvemonth (accounting for George's subordinate enactment successful 2027-28), expanding their fiscal flexibility going forward. And arsenic an fantabulous 3-point shooter with size, Porter would supply pristine spacing astir Maxey and Embiid, portion fitting much connected Maxey's timeline than George, who's astir a decennary older. -- Kram

Among those commercialized offers, this 1 fits best

ESPN's Bobby Marks picks the astir realistic of the trades and explains wherefore this mightiness oregon mightiness not beryllium feasible:

The commercialized with Denver is the champion connection present due to the fact that the three-for-one commercialized balances the Sixers' roster portion besides removing the $56.6 cardinal owed to George successful 2027-28.

The commercialized with the Pelicans is simply a win-win. The 76ers entered the week of the draught with a "fictional" database of 5 players they would draught if they picked astatine No. 3: Edgecombe, Khaman Maluach, Bailey, Tre Johnson and Jeremiah Fears. By moving backmost 4 slots, Philadelphia inactive has the enactment to prime a subordinate connected its database and, much importantly, adhd an All-NBA defender successful Jones.

The commercialized is conditional connected Oubre opting successful to his $8.4 cardinal declaration for adjacent season.