The drama of the NBA Draft every year makes it one of the premier events on the basketball calendar. The buildup to the (now) two-day event is full of rumors, mock drafts and projections on where the top prospects will be playing next season.
Last summer’s draft had drama at the top because, leading to draft night, it was unclear who the Atlanta Hawks would take with the No. 1 pick. Ultimately, Atlanta passed on Alex Sarr to select Zaccharie Risacher. There will be no drama on who will be the No. 1 pick later this month because Duke’s Cooper Flagg has occupied that slot since he reclassified up to play college basketball a season early in 2023.
Rutgers star Dylan Harper is the consensus No. 2 player behind Flagg. Despite the Spurs already having De’Aaron Fox on their roster, Harper is expected to be the pick.
After that pick, the draft will be wide open.
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The fun on draft night — unless San Antonio trades the second pick to another team (including a reported possible trade with the Sixers) — will start with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the No. 3 pick. The 76ers are coming off a disappointing season in the first year of the Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George pairing and need a win-now kind of player to maximize their contention window.
Philadelphia will have plenty of options on what to do with their pick. Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe (-125) is the betting favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook. Behind Edgecombe is Rutgers star Ace Bailey (+230), Texas’ Tre Johnson (+460) followed by Duke stars Kon Knueppel (+1400) and Khaman Maluach (+1500) to be selected third.
So, who should the 76ers take with the No. 3 pick? Here are five best options for Philadelphia.
1. Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Odds to go No. 3 overall: +230
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Bailey is the most polarizing prospect in the draft. Some think he has the chance to be one of the best pure scorers from his class, while others are concerned about his shot diet displayed during his lone season at Rutgers.
Bailey’s upside is among the best in the class. He’s a skilled shotmaker capable of making uncontested attempts from 20 feet or hitting a turnaround fadeaway near the basket with multiple defenders surrounding him. A team with multiple All-Stars on the roster, like Philadelphia, rarely picks at the top of the draft, but that’s exactly what happened.
Bailey going to the 76ers would be an ideal fit to contribute to winning immediately. He won’t feel the pressure to score in bunches like he had to do at Rutgers. There is a chance he doesn’t even crack the starting lineup on opening night. The 76ers can go in multiple directions, but this could be the perfect marriage. It makes sense why Bailey is the betting favorite to be the pick here.
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2. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
Odds to go No. 3 overall: -125
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Edgecombe is one of my favorite players in this class. His skill set as an off-ball guard who can play high-level defense and knock down open 3-pointers makes him a fit for almost any team. Edgecombe has two-way upside and is one of the most athletic players in this class.
The 76ers’ backcourt duties will be going to Maxey and Jared McCain — one of the best rookies from the 2024 class before he missed the remainder of the season due to injury. Still, Edgecombe would fill a need as someone who could play off-ball next to those two players in stretches. As I’ve said before, the perfect fit for Edgecombe would be the Charlotte Hornets, who hold the No. 4 overall pick. Edgecombe would be in an ideal situation if he landed in Philly.
3. Tre Johnson, Texas
Odds to go No. 3 overall: +460
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Johnson is a skilled shotmaker who was one of the best scorers in college basketball — regardless of class — last season. Johnson to the 76ers has been a popular landing spot in recent mock drafts. Johnson’s overall draft stock has improved since the turn of the calendar year, and there’s a real chance he will end up going in the top five later this month.
Why would the 76ers draft Johnson? Well, he would add another scoring punch to a lineup with one of the best scoring guards in the league (Maxey) and a rising second-year player (McCain), who finished as one of the best 3-point shooters in his class. Johnson is an underrated playmaker. He isn’t just a scorer. In a draft with a wide range of outcomes after the second pick, taking Johnson might be viewed as risky. But the long-term upside/investment is worth the swing.
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4. Khaman Maluach, Duke
Odds to go No. 3 overall: +1500
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Maluach isn’t as polarizing a prospect as Bailey, but he is an interesting evaluation. During his lone season at Duke, he was an imposing presence in the paint and was a fantastic finisher around the rim. He impacted the game defensively despite only averaging 1.3 blocks per game.
Maluach still needs time to develop, so going to a situation where he can be the backup would be big for his long-term growth as a player. As it’s been well documented, Embiid’s availability is concerning in the short and long term. Embiid has proven that there aren’t many centers better when he’s available to play. I still like the idea of Maluach going to a team like Philadelphia or San Antonio, where he would be a backup during his first season with a chance to get more minutes as the season progresses.
5. Kon Knueppel, Duke
Odds to go No. 3 overall: +1400
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Knueppel would probably be viewed as a reach here, but when looking at the fit and the pressure on the 76ers to add a win-now piece, the Duke star fits the bill as well as anyone. If he wasn’t on a team with two other potential top-five picks, the perception of Knueppel might be different.
Knueppel is a knockdown 3-point shooter who can plug into an NBA team’s rotation and contribute immediately. Knueppel might not be the best on-ball defender in the class, but he competes on that end of the floor and showed flashes of what he can do as the first option on offense. When Flagg went down with an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament, Knueppel took over and helped Duke stay on track. Knueppel could also be the 76ers’ pick in a potential trade-down scenario.
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