After all of the losses from the Philadelphia 76ers‘ 2024-2025 season, they were blessed by the lottery gods (Adam Silver) to keep their first-round pick. Despite an error in the commentary where, for a few seconds, Sixers fans lost all hope, the team did not send their first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Not only did they keep it, but they also jumped up in the draft to pick third overall, where they will have quite a few options moving forward. That being said, the Sixers should absolutely not trade out of this pick and should instead take whichever guy is at the top of their board with the third pick in the draft.
Now, the allure of trading the pick is real. Big-name players could be on the move this offseason. With rumors swirling about the Phoenix Suns’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, as well as the rumors that Giannis Antetokounmpo may be available after 12 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, it appears that there are some big fish available for trade. The Sixers should not be lured into giving up this pick here.
In all reality, the Sixers are not going to be able to outbid teams for Giannis. He’s 30 years old, a multi-time MVP, and a former NBA Champion. Everyone would want him. The San Antonio Spurs have far more draft capital and players than the Sixers to get the Bucks interested. The Houston Rockets have young players, draft picks, and role players they can dangle in front of Milwaukee.
The Oklahoma City Thunder can offer more draft picks than we’ve ever seen in a single trade before and still come out of any deal holding more draft picks than most teams in the league. The Sixers, unless Giannis says specifically that he wants to play in Philadelphia, probably wouldn’t have the firepower to get him.
This would turn the Sixers’ sights to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. First on the shopping list would be Devin Booker. At only 28, he would be nearly as coveted by teams as Giannis. He’s an incredible scorer and has slowly grown to be an average defender as well. Teams would be lining up to give up assets for him, and that’s assuming that the Phoenix Suns would even consider taking offers on him. As the Suns’ all-time leading scorer who has helped lead them to a NBA Finals appearance, it seems that the chances of Phoenix moving on from him are slim to none.
This leaves just Kevin Durant as the only realistic option for the Sixers to try and get. Durant, who will be 37 years old by the time the next season starts, is still an incredible player. He just came off a season where he averaged 26.6 points per game. He is one of the most iconic players of his generation and deserves his flowers.
That being said, trading for Durant at this point would be a mistake for the Sixers. Not only would this primarily tie their championship window to an aging core, but it would strip the Sixers of the bright future they have also cultivated. While Durant would absolutely raise their ceiling for this upcoming season, giving up such a stroke of luck as the third overall pick in the draft, along with other assets, for a player who hasn’t lasted more than three seasons with a team since he was in Oklahoma City would be a mistake.
The Sixers have found themselves on a lucky path that allows them to build for the future and the present simultaneously. Joel Embiid (31) and Paul George (35) are members of the win-now timeline. Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes, Justin Edwards, Adem Bona, and the third pick are members of the build-for-the-future timeline. The beauty of this is that these two timelines are not exclusive to each other.
Tyrese Maxey was the Sixers’ most valuable player last season. Jared McCain was running away with the Rookie of the Year award last season before his injury. Grimes, Edwards, and Bona all showed that they are ready to contribute immediately at the NBA level. Add a young, top-three pick with incredible potential, and it’s clear that the Sixers are set up for both present and future success.
It would be an absolute waste for the Sixers to push all their picks in at this time for a player who isn’t likely to solve all of their issues when the Sixers would arguably be just as good in the short term keeping the pick and their depth.
