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[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers offseason mailbag: Second-round chaos!

Favorites dropped like flies in Game 1 of the second round. How might that impact the Sixers’ offseason plans?

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder have been the consensus championship favorites for basically the entire 2024-25 season. Naturally, all three lost Game 1 of their respective second-round series and have already given home-court advantage to their lower-seeded opponents.

It’s deeply refreshing to watch other teams melt down in the playoffs for a change. But beyond the schadenfreude, the results of this round could have massive offseason implications for the Sixers and the rest of the league.

The Celtics are already hurdling toward the NBA’s first $500 million roster next year. If the defending champions can’t make it out of the second round, will the new ownership group be willing to pay that record luxury-tax bill? ESPN’s Shams Charania recently said the Celtics are expected to explore trade options this offseason because “this iteration is just not going to be sustainable” given the second-apron restrictions from the new CBA.

The Cavaliers are facing a crunch of their own, particularly after Evan Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year and bumped his extension up from 25 percent of next year’s salary cap to 30 percent. The Cavs already have most of their rotation players under contract for next season, but it could become increasingly costly for them to re-sign Ty Jerome, who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting this season.

In other words: The Sixers’ season might be long over, but what’s unfolding now in the playoffs could have ripple effects for them in the offseason. Monday’s draft lottery could very well decide their offseason direction, too.

With all of that in mind, it’s time for another one of our weekly offseason mailbags. So, what questions do you have ahead of the lottery? Drop them in the comments or send them to me on Bluesky (@btoporek.bsky.social) and I’ll answer as many as I can tomorrow.

In the meantime… let’s go Knicks?

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/5/7/24424936/sixers-offseason-mailbag-second-round-chaos

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Report: Kelly Oubre Jr, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon all expected to pick up player options

Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images

The first Sixers’ slop of the offseason comes as no surprise.

Nothing shocking here, but the offseason planning is officially underway.

As the lottery and subsequent draft come closer, we got our first bit of free agency news courtesy of Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line substack.

They have reported that the Sixers expect Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon to pick up their player options to return to Philadelphia next season. This was also basically confirmed by Daryl Morey on his recent appearance on the Rights to Ricky Sanchez podcast.

“They’re all likely to come back,” he said when addressing roster continuity. “I think they’ve said that themselves publicly.”

Both the Stein report and Morey’s interview also gave some insight on the two most crucial free agents this summer in Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele. Stein and Fischer have reported that the team is “expressing confidence” they will be able to retain both.

Hearing Morey talk through this was pretty interesting. His tone seemed more hopeful on keeping Grimes than Yabu, but that could be reading into it too much. He got pretty in depth on Grimes’ long-term fit next to Tyrese Maxey, but only said he hopes to re-sign Yabusele.

Liberty Ballers’ resident cap guru Bryan Toporek helped me break down Philadelphia’s cap space situation with all three of those options picked up. Under the safe assumption the core of this team remains intact, the Sixers will be $15.2 million dollars over the cap with Gordon, Oubre and Drummond coming back.

That gives them $18.1 million dollars to operate before they hit the luxury tax and $26.1 million dollars before the dreaded first apron. That basically means the Sixers will only have the $5.7 million dollar tax payer exception available to them, unless Grimes gets paid way less than anyone is expecting.

The trio of Oubre, Drummond and Gordon make $8, $5, and $3.4 million dollars respectively — all three of those are fairly moveable contracts if the Sixers feel crunched. After the seasons those guys had though, it feels likely they’ll be back in Philadelphia next season.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...-gordon-player-options-sixers-nba-free-agency

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

How the No. 3 overall pick affects the Sixers’ financial outlook this offseason

Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images

Winning the No. 3 overall pick is a huge boon to the Sixers, but it could hamper their chances of re-signing Guerschon Yabusele in free agency.

The Sixers were one of the biggest winners of the 2025 NBA draft lottery. They were in grave danger of sending their first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the ping-pong balls bounced in their favor and gifted them the No. 3 overall pick.

The Sixers likely won’t have a shot at Duke forward Cooper Flagg or Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, but they’ll have their pick of the litter from there. Regardless of whom they choose, that prospect will instantly become the Sixers’ fourth-highest-paid player heading into free agency.

That could put the Sixers in a tricky spot when it comes to re-signing Guerschon Yabusele.

The NBA’s rookie scale predetermines each first-round pick’s salary throughout their rookie contracts. Teams are allowed to offer as little as 80 percent or as much as 120 percent of the scale amount, although it’s conventional to offer the full 120 percent. The scale amount for the No. 3 overall pick this year is $9,257,400, which means whomever the Sixers select will likely cost $11,108,880 in 2025-26.

Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain alone will cost nearly $149.1 million next season. Adding the No. 3 pick at 120 percent of the scale amount will put the Sixers at nearly $160.2 million, or roughly $5.5 million above the projected $154.6 million salary cap, with only five players under contract.

With three players on max contracts, the Sixers were never going to have cap space this offseason. The bigger concern is their proximity to the $187.9 million luxury-tax threshold, the $195.9 million first apron and the $207.8 million second apron. They’d be only $27.7 million below the tax line, $35.8 million below the first apron and $47.6 million below the second apron with just those five players on their books.

Teams that go above the first apron aren’t allowed to take back more salary than they send out in a trade, can’t receive players via sign-and-trade, only have access to the taxpayer mid-level exception (projected to be $5.7 million next season) rather than the larger non-taxpayer MLE ($14.1 million) and lose access to the bi-annual exception ($5.1 million). Teams that go above the second apron lose access to any mid-level exception and can’t aggregate two smaller contracts in a trade for a bigger salary.

If Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.4 million), Andre Drummond ($5.0 million) and Eric Gordon ($3.5 million) all pick up their player options as expected, the Sixers would have roughly $177.0 million in salary on their books. That would put them only $10.9 million below the tax line, $18.9 million below the first apron and $30.8 million below the second apron with only eight players under contract. If the Sixers pick up their team options on Adem Bona ($2.0 million) and Justin Edwards ($2.0 million), they’d be up to $180.9 million committed to 10 players, which would put them less than $7 million below the tax line, $15.0 million below the first apron and $26.9 million below the second apron.

Re-signing Quentin Grimes alone might push them above the first apron, which would eliminate the non-taxpayer MLE as an avenue to retain Yabusele. If they wanted to maintain access to the non-taxpayer MLE, they’d have to dump significant salary elsewhere or not re-sign Grimes. Depending how much Grimes receives in free agency, it might even be tough for the Sixers to stay far enough below the second apron to maintain access to the taxpayer MLE.

Luckily, the lottery was the last major variable for the Sixers heading into the offseason. They now know exactly how much money they have to allocate for their pick—or that they’re keeping their pick at all—which allows them to map out the rest of their offseason plans accordingly.

Granted, there’s no guarantee that the Sixers stay at No. 3. Flagg and Harper seem like they would have been no-brainer choices at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, but the Sixers have an array of options at No. 3, including Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe and Rutgers’ Ace Bailey. If they don’t see much of a difference between the prospects in that tier, it might behoove them to trade down to pick up additional assets.

The Sixers have financial incentive to trade down as well. The rookie-scale cap hits plummet precipitously outside of the top few picks, so the Sixers could carve out a few extra million dollars in financial flexibility by trading down. For instance, the No. 8 overall pick would cost them only $6.9 million next season instead of $11.1 million.

Now that the lottery gods smiled upon the Sixers, we’ll inevitably spend the next six weeks debating all of their options with the No. 3 pick. But if they stand pat rather than trading down, it will be even more difficult for them to stay far enough under the first apron to maintain access to the non-taxpayer MLE. If they’re serious about re-signing Yabusele, they’ll have to hope that other teams balk at offering him more than the taxpayer MLE.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...rs-financial-outlook-offseason-2025-nba-draft

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers fans can celebrate something going their way for a change

The Sixers might select the best player available or explore trades. Either way, Monday night’s lottery results were a sigh of relief and perhaps a breath of fresh air.

After a season from hell, Sixers fans were forced to suffer just a little longer during Monday night’s NBA Draft lottery.

First was the waiting ... because everyone desperately needed to hear Kendrick Perkins’ thoughts for 15 minutes before the picks were actually revealed. Then, ESPN personality and Philly native Kevin Negandhi made an enormous blunder, erroneously stating the Sixers’ pick would fall outside the top six and would therefore convey to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Negandhi quickly corrected his error as a sigh of relief washed over the Delaware Valley.

In the end, Jared McCain’s outstanding vibes were good enough to land the Sixers the third overall selection, a pick they will keep (at least for now). While the Sixers likely won’t be able to land Duke’s Cooper Flagg or Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, this is a tremendous result, especially given the alternative of the team losing the pick entirely.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first — not only were the Sixers able to keep their pick after a successful late-season tank job, but they received the third pick with the fifth-best lottery odds going in. Does it stink that the Dallas Mavericks were rewarded with the first pick after trading Luka Doncic? It sure does. That doesn’t mean what happened to the Sixers should be met negatively.

While there might be a consensus with the first two picks, it feels like the third selection is where the draft could get interesting. No, there isn’t a no-brainer selection to be made like Flagg or Harper, but there are plenty of intriguing prospects to dive into. As Daryl Morey has stated repeatedly, he will take the best player available. With that said, who the best player available is will very much be in the eye of the beholder.

Throughout the draft cycle, Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe and Rutgers’ Ace Bailey have largely been considered the choices for pick Nos. 3 and 4, with folks differing on which player should go in which slot. Both players possess rare traits but come with flaws. The biggest shared flaw for both prospects is a lack of creation ability.

There are two schools of thought there. The Sixers likely have enough advantage creators in Joel Embiid (fingers crossed), Paul George (toes crossed), Tyrese Maxey, McCain and (likely) Quentin Grimes. Perhaps Edgecombe or Bailey fit in as super role players while developing the rest of their skillsets. Then again, picking this high, shot creation is a trait you might like the guy you take to possess.

It’s important to note that Bailey won’t turn 19 until August, while Edgecombe will turn 20 in July. Yes, the Sixers would love if the player they select third overall contributes immediately, but when you’re drafting this high, you have to pick the player you believe to be the better long-term prospect. Just last year, Morey selected McCain out of Duke with Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht still on the board. Knecht’s size and age suggested he was the better immediate fit for the Sixers. They took McCain because of his upside instead. With respect to Knecht, it appears they made the right choice.

With all that said, Edgecombe and Bailey won’t be the only players under consideration. If the team is looking for the best shooter in the draft, Texas’ Tre Johnson (a personal favorite of this writer) and Duke’s Kon Knueppel would fit that bill. If they want the best big in the draft, Duke’s Khaman Maluach and Maryland’s Derik Queen have intriguing tools to back up Embiid before eventually replacing him.

Of course, it’s possible those players could be available in a trade-back scenario. Perhaps a team like the Brooklyn Nets, who hold picks No. 8, 19, 26 and 27 plus more future draft capital, could covet Bailey or Edgecombe. If Morey is comfortable selecting whichever player slides amongst the aforementioned group, he could add more young talent or future draft picks for trade ammo.

It’s the type of optionality Morey disciple Sam Hinkie dreamed of once upon a time.

Morey’s stated goal has been to make the Sixers younger and more dynamic around Embiid and George. The trade deadline helped. Monday’s results were a massive step in that direction.

There will be plenty of things to worry about moving forward, but for one night, Sixers fans can celebrate a little bit of luck breaking their way.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...e-bailey-tre-johnson-kon-knueppel-derik-queen

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Keeping this year’s first-rounder also has positive residual impact on future drafts for Sixers

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Aside from the obvious benefits in this year’s draft to selecting in the top six, life now gets easier for Philadelphia in future first rounds.

The Sixers still owe a first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder. That obligation did not extinguish because the lottery was kind to the Sixers on Monday night and awarded Philadelphia the third overall selection in next month’s draft. The protection now drops on the pick and it will become a top-four protected selection in 2026 and 2027. In the extremely minuscule possibility that Philadelphia lands in the top four in both of those drafts, the Sixers will send the Thunder a 2027 second-round pick.

For purposes of discussion, everyone should assume the Sixers are now sending next year’s first-rounder to the Thunder. I’m not a doctor, and I don’t think even the best doctors in the world can be certain of the level Joel Embiid and Paul George are going to perform at in 2025-26. But I do feel pretty confident in assuming that even the worst version of the 2025-26 Sixers is not 24-58 the way the 2024-25 Sixers were.

Even if there is no improvement in the availability and performances of Embiid and George, the Sixers still went the final three quarters of 2024-25 without Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey missed 30 games last season. A healthier backcourt, coupled with what’s likely to be a full season of Quentin Grimes, plus perhaps some improvements from young players like Justin Edwards and Adem Bona who both showed promise last year should already do enough for Philly to win more games next season. Then throw in whatever you do get from two of your max players, and I’m putting the floor on next season at making the play-in tournament with the ceiling being returning to title contention.

While everyone would love for the Sixers to be playing playoff basketball at this time next year, to further illustrate our point, we’re going to remain focused on the floor for next season that we’ve now established is the play-in tournament. Let’s say Philadelphia is one of the two teams that does not make it out of the play-in tournament in the East. That would put the Sixers towards the end of the lottery next year with a very high probability of sending the Thunder a pick in the 11-14 range. Even if that were to happen, that’s still a better outcome than sending Oklahoma City the seventh overall selection in this year’s draft.

So now let’s fast forward a year. The Sixers went 37-45, lost in the play-in tournament and paid off the debt to Oklahoma City by sending them the 12th pick in the 2026 draft. The health of Embiid and George is not drastically improving and both players are one year older. Daryl Morey and Nick Nurse may also be fired at that point, but regardless of who’s in charge, those people will probably all realize a championship is not happening with Embiid and George. The degree with which the Sixers need to rebuild at that point might still be a little bit unclear because there are some younger players on this roster that are worth being excited about and the Sixers will add two more players to that mix with picks 3 and 35 next month. But, the organization’s priority will be on the future and not the present and they will transition out of win-now mode in this hypothetical scenario and focus on continuing to infuse the roster with youth.

With the first-round obligation paid off to the Thunder, that goal of continuing to get younger will get much easier at this time next year. The Sixers would then have their own 2027 first-round pick without any conditions on it. In 2028, the Sixers would owe a top-eight protected first-rounder to Brooklyn to complete the Ben Simmons/James Harden trade. This is where Philadelphia retaining its 2025 first-rounder serves the franchise an additional benefit. That future debt to Brooklyn can only be paid off two years after the Sixers send the Thunder a first-round pick, which we now know will be in 2026 and not 2025. So now, the Sixers will only have the Brooklyn obligation hanging over them in just 2028, and not also in 2027.

If the Sixers pick were to land in the top eight in three years, meaning they still have not sent Brooklyn a first-round pick by 2028, they will owe the Nets their 2028 second-round pick and that will close the book on that debt. As of now, the Sixers are still holding a 2028 unprotected first-round pick via the Los Angeles Clippers who are also one of the NBA’s oldest rosters currently, thus making an unprotected first-rounder of theirs very valuable. So, if we reach the point we already described where next season is still a sub-.500 season and comes with a loss in the play-in tournament, the Sixers can then turn the page and focus on the future knowing they have their own first-round pick in 2027, a highly-valuable Clippers first-round pick in 2028 and their own pick top-eight protected in 2028. For a franchise that’s been so focused on winning now, that’s not a bad place to start from an asset management standpoint.

There’s a chance these kinds of conversations are percolating in Philadelphia’s front office quite a bit between now and this year’s draft. If the Sixers do choose to operate as if Embiid and George do not exist and 2025-26 might not come with drastic improvement, they might consider trading back from the third overall selection to acquire more draft capital in the future. After all, the Sixers, and many people outside of the Sixers’ front office, thought they had enough on this year’s roster to contend. So if that belief still exists, why not hedge a little bit on it by adding future draft selections in the event that there are no such bounce backs in health from the two aging stars? Could Philadelphia entertain moving back five slots to eighth overall and re-acquiring its 2028 first-rounder from Brooklyn?

The Nets are armed with a treasure chest of draft picks from the Kevin Durant and Mikal Bridges trades. There might be a deal to be made with Brooklyn that does not include the Sixers getting their first-rounder back in 2028 anyway and allows Philly to add more future assets that previously belonged to other teams that the Nets currently hold. But we did see Morey reacquire this year’s second-rounder at the deadline so a similar deal with Brooklyn involving the team’s own 2028 first-rounder would make sense, especially if Morey feels good about his job security three years from now.

It will be interesting to see what kind of balance between the present and the future Philly attempts to walk this offseason. Are Morey and company confident enough in Embiid and George being healthy and productive to perhaps dangle the highly-coveted 2028 unprotected Clippers first-round pick in trade talks? Or do they look at moving back from the third overall selection and drafting a lesser prospect this year but improving their stock of assets for the future given they soon may be looking towards the next era of Sixers basketball anyway?

If I had to guess, I would say the answer lies in the middle. I do not expect them to part with that future Clippers pick this summer, but I also think the most likely situation that plays out in the first-round is staying at three and selecting the best player available who the Sixers believe has the highest long-term ceiling and can still help them immediately. As you can tell, there are quite a few options for the Sixers now and practically all of these options wouldn’t exist if they sent this year’s first-rounder to Oklahoma City.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...yl-morey-thunder-nets-joel-embiid-paul-george

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers offseason mailbag: The lottery gods smile upon Philadelphia

Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Sixers’ fortunes suddenly look far brighter after what happened Monday.

What a night Monday turned out to be for the Sixers.

We all knew the odds. They entered the 2025 NBA draft lottery with roughly a 64 percent chance of keeping their first-round pick and a 34 percent chance of conveying it to the Oklahoma City Thunder. When the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks both jumped into the top four, the disaster scenario appeared to be unfolding. But when the New Orleans Pelicans were revealed as the team with the No. 7 pick, we got to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The Sixers might not get Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, but landing the No. 3 pick is a massive win in and of itself. We now have six weeks to debate what they should do with it.

Meanwhile, disaster struck the Boston Celtics in their Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks hours after the lottery. Not only are they now one game away from elimination far earlier than anyone outside of the Big Apple would have expected, but Jayson Tatum suffered an Achilles tear that might put his entire 2025-26 campaign in jeopardy. The East suddenly appears far more wide-open moving forward than it did a week ago.

Now that we’ve had a full day to process everything that happened Monday—the Mavericks won the lottery three months after trading Luka Dončić, really?—it’s time for another offseason mailbag. If only we had something to talk about.

What questions do you have coming out of the lottery? Drop them in the comments or send them to me on Bluesky (@btoporek.bsky.social) and I’ll answer as many as I can tomorrow.

In the meantime… I guess it’s finally time to grind some Ace Bailey tape?

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...lbag-the-lottery-gods-smile-upon-philadelphia

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Los Angeles Chargers poke fun at Paul George, ‘Podcast P’ in schedule release video

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Chargers used their 2025-26 season release video to poke fun at Philadelphia 76ers’ Paul George and his podcast.

It’s been a busy few days in the world of sports, from kicking off the week with the NBA Draft Lottery where the Philadelphia 76ers pulled the third overall pick on Monday to the NFL teams releasing their 2025-26 season schedules on Tuesday.

A few of those football franchises made video schedule releases featuring a number of familiar faces for Sixers fans. The Los Angeles Chargers, for example, took the opportunity to poke fun at an L.A. native and former Los Angeles Clipper, Paul George.

should we REALLY make our schedule release video in minecraft?

yes yes yesyes
yesyes yes yes yes
yes yes yes yes yes
yes yesyes yes yes
yes yesye yes yes
yes yes yesyes pic.twitter.com/gxk31Dql5L

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) May 15, 2025​

The Chargers’ video shows a Minecraft scene relating to each of their matchups, with the Eagles portion depicting the team’s recent parade celebrating their Super Bowl LIX victory. If you look closely at the Week 14 contest promo, you can see a big “missing” billboard for “Podcast P”— the podcast name and persona of Paul George.

Chargers having a little fun at Paul George's expense here in their schedule release video pic.twitter.com/dzRbo5pzW0

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) May 15, 2025​

Adding another layer of silliness to the joke is the “FOUND” in big red text over the billboard. This likely references George announcing his planned return to hosting his show in the offseason — an announcement that he went public with just a few days ago. The forward had taken a hiatus from his typically-weekly podcast back towards the end of February to “compete for a championship”. The Sixers were 20-38 at the time and, spoiler alert, they did not compete for a championship.

Then, this Tuesday, just about 15 hours after his team pulled the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft and while other teams are still actively playing in the playoffs, George was a guest on a podcast earnestly discussing his return to his podcast this summer.

Is it a big deal? No, not really. Is the lack of situational awareness funny? Absolutely.

“It was important to start this back up to just give back to the people.”

PG gives insight into the return of Podcast P pic.twitter.com/wlYesMDwzF

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 13, 2025​

So, George really made this one too easy for the Chargers, frankly. Fair play.

In a much different approach with another Philadelphia connection, the Buffalo Bills opted to use AI. Don’t worry, the good AI.

Our 2025 schedule powered by AI.@AllenIverson | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/ohmuEVsJWm

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) May 15, 2025​

Excellent. I wish the Philadelphia Eagles had thought of it first, but still excellent.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...-nba-philadelphia-sixers-nfl-schedule-release

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

From broadcasting to boxing, Michael Carter-Williams has found life after basketball

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Michael Carter-Williams, once thought to be a building block for the Process Sixers, is finding his place in life without basketball.

Michael Carter-Williams was here and gone in an instant. Long enough to be named Rookie of the Year. Long enough to pique our interest, to wonder what he might become. But not long enough to fully define himself as a basketball player.

As it turned out, injuries never really afforded him that opportunity across an NBA career that saw him suit up for nine seasons and play for five other teams besides the Sixers. He came and went before anyone could fully grasp who and what he was, something that took a toll on his mental health, as he wrote for the The Players’ Tribune in May 2024. And for the past several years he has sought to redefine himself — first and foremost as a person and a parent, as he emphasized in that piece.

Professionally, he has delved into broadcasting. And just to keep the competitive juices flowing, he is dabbling in boxing. He will face Sam Khatib in a three-round amateur bout May 29 at the Leman Ballroom in New York City, with all proceeds going to charity. Carter-Williams, a wiry 6-5, 190-pound point guard in his NBA days, will fight as a heavyweight.

He knows not where the sweet science will take him beyond that. He’s 33, so a professional career is probably out of the question. But he’s always been drawn to combat sports, and said in a recent phone interview that he’s keeping his options open.

“I’m kind of taking it and seeing where it leads me,” he said from his home in Winter Park, Fla. “I don’t know if the professional level is in the cards for me, but right now there are so many different avenues you can take with boxing, so I’m definitely going to keep working and explore all options.”

When he was growing up outside Boston, he and his stepfather, Zach Zegarowski, would take in UFC events. Zegarowski also said in a phone interview that Michael developed an interest in the career of Muhammad Ali.

“Muhammad Ali,” Zegarowski said, “is kind of like his idol.”

Not a surprise, considering Ali’s life and times.

“It’s who he was as a person, inside the ring and outside the ring,” MCW said. “The things he did outside the ring were unbelievable — how he brought people together, what he stood up for. And then obviously in the ring, just his career — how it went and the obstacles he overcame. Just his whole fighting style and of course his charisma.”

So he consumed every bit of fight footage, every interview. He found Ali’s use of the language “super entertaining,” his flair second to none.

“He’s an inspirational figure,” Carter-Williams said.

Midway through his NBA career, he began participating in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to keep himself in shape in the offseason, and when he was done playing in 2023, he gravitated back to that discipline.

“I was working out, just trying to run and lift, and I was like, eh — I wasn’t really scratching that itch, per se,” he said.

A friend suggested he participate in the May 29 event, and he has been training with an Orlando-based middleweight, Jeovanny Estela, for the last several weeks.

“The difference between being in shape and fighting shape is totally different,” Carter-Williams said. “And then some of the footwork is also different. So just kind of adapting to those two things has probably been the biggest challenge so far.”

But he feels he will be ready for his amateur debut, feels this is a worthwhile pursuit.

“He just needs something competitive,” Zegarowski said. “Basketball’s all done with, and he’s like, ‘I need to be competitive. I need something I can strive for.’”

Carter-Williams displayed a varied skillset (and unreliable jumper) at Syracuse. The Sixers made him the 11th pick of the 2013 draft, and his very first pro game was likely his best — a 22-point, 12-assist, nine-steal, seven-rebound performance as the Sixers, headed for a 19-63 finish, shocked LeBron James and the defending-champion Miami Heat, 114-110.

Carter-Williams also fashioned a triple-double against Orlando in his 15th game and generated a career-high 33 points in his 24th, against Cleveland. By season’s end his averages were 16.7 points and 6.2 rebounds, which would remain career bests, as well as 6.3 assists. His shooting splits — .405/.264/.703 — weren’t great, but he easily outdistanced Orlando’s Victor Oladipo in Rookie of the year voting, and appeared to be one of the building blocks for a team that was, well, Processing.

MCW came to believe that, too. As he told podcaster Ariel Helwani in 2023, general manager Sam Hinkie and coach Brett Brown included him in personnel discussions. Surely he was destined for a long stay in Philadelphia. Surely he would be around when the team rose back to prominence.

Only he wasn’t. The Sixers sent him to Milwaukee before the trade deadline his second season, in a three-team deal that also included Phoenix. The Sixers’ haul? A 2018 first-round pick that became (wait for it) Mikal Bridges.

Carter-Williams called the trade “a genuine shock” in his Players’ Tribune piece, and went further in the interview with Helwani.

“I definitely did feel betrayed,” he said.

In the recent phone interview, he said that he rued rushing back from shoulder surgery his second season.

“I don’t think I was in the best shape,” he said. “I was playing through some pain. … I wish I took a little bit more time to come back.”

Ill health would plague him the rest of his career. He underwent hip surgery in March 2016, another shoulder surgery in March 2018, and ankle surgery in August 2021 (as well as a follow-up procedure six months later). He also suffered a wrist injury and had knee problems so severe that he required plasma-rich platelet injections in both of them.

The last five years of his NBA career he appeared in just 108 of a possible 410 games, missing the entire ‘21-22 season and all but four games the following year. By then he was with Orlando, after stays not only in Philadelphia and Milwaukee but Chicago, Charlotte and Houston. His play never approached his first season, and as he put it in The Players’ Tribune piece, he reached “the lowest point in (his) life” in 2019, when he split with his then-fiancee Tia Shah, who fled with the couple’s daughter, Charleigh, to California.

While he declined to reveal the specifics behind the split, he wrote the following: “I betrayed my best friend. Seeing the hurt I caused my family hurt me so bad. Everything that happened next, I deserved.”

Soon after that the Rockets traded him to Chicago, and he was immediately cut. As a result he went into what he described as “deep depression,” something that was especially concerning, he wrote, since mental-health issues run in his family. (He noted that a grandmother committed suicide.) He would move to California in an attempt to reunite with Tia, only to begin suffering anxiety attacks.

In March 2019 he signed with the Magic, and began seeing a therapist. He also reconciled with his fiancee, and eventually they married and had a son, Rede.

In the piece he described his mental health as being “like a puzzle (he) had to piece together to unlock a better life.” And in the recent phone interview he said that he is “definitely in a better space mentally.”

“I’ve grown a lot in that aspect,” he added. “I’m definitely in a better place and continue to work on myself, and just continue to try to be better.”

Certainly writing the piece was therapeutic in and of itself.

“It was tough (to do),” he said, “but I really wanted to be authentic. I wanted it to be real. I wanted to inspire others to tell their story and kind of give a real glimpse of what it’s like being an athlete.”

Out of the game since a brief dalliance with a team in Mexico City in the fall of 2023, he has gravitated to broadcasting, latching on with the ACC Network as a studio host and game analyst in January of this year and doing some radio work for the Magic as well.

He’s not sure where that might lead, though he seems optimistic that something good is in the offing.

“I may have some other things that pop up on the horizon that I’m just waiting on,” he said. “But we’ll see.”

When he reflects on his playing career, he remembers his debut, which he called “unreal” and “the experience of a lifetime.” And overall he looks past the disappointments and the injuries and feels a sense of fulfillment.

“I feel blessed that I was able to play in the NBA for 10 years,” he said. “It’s helped me travel the world, meet so many different people, build so many different relationships. I feel blessed about it. I feel happy about it. There’s a dream that I was chasing since I was a kid, and I was able to fulfill that.”

He expressed a similar sentiment at the end of The Players’ Tribune piece, saying that his story had reached a happy ending. But really, it appears it is only beginning — that there are new chapters to be written, new tales to be told. And only then can we really define Michael Carter-Williams, once and for all.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ter-williams-sixers-boxing-match-broadcasting

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Ranking the 5 best options for the Sixers at No. 3

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

From V.J. Edgecombe to Ace Bailey to Tre Johnson to a trade, the Sixers will have plenty of optionality when it comes to pick No. 3 in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The Sixers will have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25.

Thank goodness we don’t have to consider the possibility of Al Horford’s ghost continuing to haunt the Sixers. Instead, the Oklahoma City Thunder are likely to receive the Sixers’ 2026 first-rounder to close the book on the Horford deal.

While most draft experts believe Duke’s Cooper Flagg will go No. 1 and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper No. 2, there is no such consensus for No. 3 overall. With over a month to break down prospects and trade ideas, we figured we’d take a stab at the best five options for the Sixers.

1. Draft Tre Johnson​

Yeah, I know you all know I love Tre Johnson. The Texas guard/wing might be the best shooter in the draft with plenty of untapped potential. He boasts a 6-foot-10 wingspan and is setting the NBA Draft Combine athletic testing drills ablaze.

Tre Johnson's 10.49 pro lane drill time would have tied for first at last year's combine with KJ Simpson. Tre off to a good start today with his jumps, lateral speed/change of direction times.

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 13, 2025​

Early verticals at the combine

Flagg: 29.0 standing, 35.5 max

Harper: 30.5 standing, 32.0 max

Edgecombe: 30.0 standing, 38.5 max

Tre Johnson: 32.0 standing, 37.5

Ace: 27.5 standing, 34.5 max

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 13, 2025​

Johnson has his flaws. There’s a reason he’s not the consensus No. 3 pick. But his flaws could be correctable and are also slightly overblown.

People point to Johnson’s playmaking and propensity to get tunnel vision. He averaged 2.7 assists per game as a freshman, good for second on his team (Texas’ leader was Julian Larry at 2.9 per game). For the record, Johnson still managed to lead the SEC in scoring and finished third in the conference in points produced per game despite a poor offensive ecosystem where he received little help from his head coach (who was fired) and supporting cast.

There are a couple possibilities. Either Johnson will have more success as a playmaker with NBA spacing, coaching and teammates, or maybe he’s simply not a high-usage, on-ball player. What’s nice from the Sixers’ perspective in either case is that there’s no hurry for Johnson to develop into an on-ball player. He can come right in as a movement shooter, something he couldn’t really do while trying to carry the Longhorns’ offense. Johnson can ideally contribute right away while still possessing potential to grow.

Another concern is defense. There are reasons to be positive about his growth there as well. First of all, there was effort. He wasn’t particularly impactful and was prone to mental lapses, but he seemed to actually care about defense. That’s half the battle. The other reasons for optimism are that 6-foot-10 wingspan and the athletic testing numbers. There is zero reason physically that Johnson can’t develop into at least a passable defender at the next level.

The other weakness folks might point to is Johnson’s lack of physical strength at 190 pounds. Outside of the aforementioned shortfalls of the offense he was in, Johnson struggled to get shots at the rim in part because he could stand to add some functional strength. That could also go a long way in helping his defense.

All that said, if it were me, as we sit here on May 15, I would take Johnson at third overall.

2. Draft V.J. Edgecombe​

There’s no consensus at No. 3, but Edgecombe’s name has been talked about in that range the entire draft cycle. It’s easy to see why.

Edgecombe is a dynamite athlete, arguably the best in the class. He has an explosive first step and is nearly unstoppable in transition. He’s also a strong on-ball defender and disruptive off-ball. Imagine Edgecombe playing with Tyrese Maxey while the two of them rack up steals and turn them into blurry baskets the other way.

Much like Johnson, Edgecombe has a path to helping this team right away while developing his skillset and reducing his flaws over time. Edgecombe can play a De’Anthony Melton with a turbo button role while refining his handle and improving his ability as a pull-up jump shooter. The fit isn’t perfect with the Sixers’ loaded backcourt, but if the team believes Edgecombe is the best player available, they should simply take him.

The only reason I like Johnson over Edgecombe is the jumper. Edgecombe’s is far from broken, but Johnson has the best stroke in the class in this writer’s humble opinion. Still, it’s easy to see why the Sixers’ front office might think differently. They want to get younger, more dynamic and try to get more easy opportunities in transition. Edgecombe fits that bill to a T. He’d be a great pick.

3. Trade back​

When people asked me during mailbags if trading back made sense, I pushed back a bit, not seeing a clear team that would be interested in a trade up. With the Sixers having the third pick and a team like the Brooklyn Nets having the eighth pick, my stance has softened considerably.

Brooklyn has pick Nos. 8, 19, 26 and 27 plus a bunch of future draft capital (including the Sixers’ 2028 first-rounder from the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade). While the Sixers can snag a really talented young player at No. 3 — a move I’d fully be on board with — there is certainly an argument to be made that the Nets need to find star power much more.

It would be a pretty great spot for the Sixers if they’re not dead set on a prospect. If they moved down to eight, one of Johnson, Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Derik Queen, Khaman Maluach or Kon Knueppel will be available. So they can add more assets while still getting a very talented young player.

With the way the Sixers are currently constructed, with an eye on winning now and another looking towards the future, they’re in an advantageous spot. If they view all the prospects in the 3-8 range similarly (as I do), this seems like a great avenue to explore.

4. Draft Derik Queen or Khaman Maluach​

When assessing the bigs of this draft, the top two guys definitely fall into the eye-of-the-beholder category.

Derik Queen is a terrific shot creator with great touch and feel. While there were only flashes of it at Maryland, it’s easy to see how Queen could become an offensive hub at the next level, similar to Alperen Sengun in Houston. There are concerns about his defense, but it’s encouraging that Queen has dropped weight and worked on his body since high school.

Khaman Maluach possesses insane size yet is remarkably agile. The South Sudan native looks like he could have DPOY potential. His offensive game is still raw, but he’s worked on his shot and hit 76.6% of his free throws at Duke. He’d have an obvious mentor in Joel Embiid.

We can debate whether center is a need, but these are two special talents. I’m not sure who the better big will ultimately be, but I can see the vision for both guys becoming excellent starting centers in the NBA. The Sixers, whether at No. 3 or in a trade-back scenario, could pick who they believe is the best center in the draft.

5. Draft Ace Bailey​

A few weeks ago, I might’ve said take Edgecombe or Bailey at No. 3 and call it a day. Yes, I’ve soured a bit on Bailey, but that’s not to say selecting him third would be a poor decision.

Bailey is flawed and it appears he is a bit smaller than his listed height of 6-foot-10, but it’s not hard to see the potential. He routinely made difficult shots at Rutgers, in part a product of Rutgers’ lack of talent outside of Bailey and Harper. His potential as a versatile defender and impactful weakside shot blocker is intriguing.

One of the loftier comps for Bailey going around now is Jayson Tatum. The size is nearly identical and the difficult shot-making component is there. I just don’t think Bailey is nearly the prospect Tatum was as a ball-handler and creator. Again, Tatum was in a much better offensive ecosystem at Duke than Bailey was at Rutgers, but in watching both guys I don’t quite see it.

The Michael Porter Jr. with a fully functional back comp might be the one I’m more comfortable making. And that’s not a knock! Bailey becoming a similar player with maybe a bit more defensive upside would be a tremendous outcome.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic is the best at this, in my humble opinion. He has the Sixers taking Bailey at three. I thought this was an interesting tidbit:

It’s worth noting that Rutgers was a catastrophe when Bailey wasn’t on the court. Even in Big Ten play, they lost Bailey’s minutes by only three points per 100 possessions. When he was off the court, they lost those minutes by 23 points per 100, per CBB Analytics. His presence was clearly helpful, and I think that’s what tracks most for me. Bailey is enormous, he’s long, he is a real shooter, and he showed some defensive moments that were very positive in switch situations.

The good news for the Sixers is that these are all pretty damn good options. With the way Daryl Morey and company have evaluated the talent in the draft during his tenure, there should be more confidence they’ll make the right choice than with most other roster decisions.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ecombe-tre-johnson-derik-queen-khaman-maluach

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers offseason mailbag: What should they do with the No. 3 overall pick?

Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images

We answer questions about the Sixers’ options with the No. 3 overall pick and some backcourt trade possibilities if they take a guard.

If the responses to this week’s mailbag are any indication, Sixers fans appear to be more excited than they have been since the calendar flipped to 2025. A healthy dose of draft-lottery luck will do that to you, I guess.

After the Sixers won the No. 3 overall pick on Monday night, it should come as little surprise that most questions this week pertained to their options in the draft. However, some fans have already begun to think about trickle-down effects of that pick if they stand pat at No. 3 and take a guard, further crowding their already loaded backcourt.

With that in mind, let’s dive right into this week’s mailbag.

Carson Wentz's ACL
I'll start off by saying that I don't follow college basketball too much, so take this with a grain of salt.
With Harper and Bailey, why was Rutgers not good this year? Wouldn't a team with two top-5 draft talents at least be able to finish above .500?
Both the Sixers (Maxey, McCain) and Eagles (Devonta, UGA defense) have done extremely well in recent drafts by picking good talent from top-tier schools. Am I alone in my hesitation in taking Bailey? Over/under-thinking something?

api/external-media?url=https://i.imgflip.com/9tz3gu.jpg&siteID=25aa26de-4d9b-4718-8cbe-3f02a19fbf46&commentID=dca9e374-17d2-4da4-9d79-c18b1a1299f4

I’ve wondered the same thing about Rutgers. I’m getting some major Ben Simmons/LSU déjà vu.

Harper did miss a handful of games, which didn’t help matters. But a high-major assistant who faced Rutgers this season shed some light on why the Scarlet Knights were such a massive disappointment back in January.

“Those two are incredibly talented young men with very bright futures in the NBA, but they don’t try hard defensively,” the assistant told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. “In college, any time any team is built around two freshmen and those freshmen don’t necessarily have the maturity or intangibles of what goes into winning yet, it’s going to impact your team. That’s not saying they’re bad young men, they just don’t have what it takes to win yet.”

Not great, Bob! It gets worse.

“I’m not shocked by them not being great — at all,” the assistant added. “… You don’t have to guard everyone else. From a technical preparation standpoint, you don’t have to overly defend everyone else. The game plan is: How do you stop those two guys? They average a combined five assists. They pass out of necessity.”

A coach who faced Rutgers told Norlander that Dylan Harper is “about as good as it gets” both in terms of “draft potential and college impact.” He wasn’t as sold on Bailey, though.

“Bailey is inconsistent,” the coach said. “He’s an unwilling passer and a disinterested defender, and his shot selection is so bad that if he isn’t making ridiculous shots, they are in trouble. They don’t have enough shooting around those guys. And the guys that can shoot are bad defenders. The guys that do defend can’t shoot.”

Bailey also came in shorter than expected at the NBA draft combine (6’7½” without shoes rather than his listed height of 6’10”). I don’t think he’s a lock at No. 3 by any means, although I can see why the Sixers might be swayed by his shot-making ability.

witherspork
We seem to suddenly have a plethora of combo/shooting guards (Maxey, McCain, Grimes) but no true distributor/PG. And it doesn't look like Dylan Harper will be an option at three.
Would you trade Maxey and the 3 for LaMelo and the 4? LaMelo certainly has injury concerns. But he's also a more natural PG. And there are plenty of guard/wing options at number 4 in the draft. Which team is more likely to say no to this deal?
Let's say we stay put at 3 and Edgecomb is the pick. We have 4 guards with similar skill sets and no "true" PG. I think LaMelo would be a better fit than trying to force a non-traditional PG to play the position.

I understand why you’re thinking along these lines, but I would not do this deal. LaMelo has played in only 105 of a possible 246 games over the past three seasons. The last thing the Sixers need is another player with major availability concerns.

LaMelo is undeniably a better playmaker than Maxey, and his size might make him an easier fit alongside Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes, but I also don’t know that the Sixers need a traditional point guard who has the ball in his hands every possession. McCain and Grimes both showed playmaking chops this past season, which should help get Maxey more off-ball reps next year, and the offense still figures to flow through Joel Embiid and Paul George as well.

During a recent interview with Mike Gill of 97.3 ESPN, head coach Nick Nurse discussed the Maxey-McCain pairing and how their overlapping skill sets could actually be an asset.

“We know we need to get Tyrese off the ball some just to let him display the shooting aspect of his game that he can do, and get him just some rest off the ball, really,” Nurse said. “Jared, we tried to put him on the ball to see what kind of point guard he was. And obviously, he played a lot of point guard in his younger years. And I really think they kinda coexist as both the 1 and 2, just kinda sharing both positions. I think they have assets at both of them, and I think it’s necessary that we have them both play each position.”

It’s fair to wonder how the Maxey-McCain pairing can hold up defensively, although Maxey made strides on that end of the floor this past season. Meanwhile, LaMelo has largely been an abomination on defense since entering the league.

I hate to sound like a total boomer, but the Sixers also need to think hard about the off-court impacts of moving Maxey if they do decide to trade him. People throughout the organization have been effusive about the impact that his relentless positivity makes on the rest of the team. I’m not quite as sold on LaMelo’s off-court demeanor, to say the least.

If the Sixers do take a guard at No. 3, I do think they’ll eventually have to move off one of Maxey, McCain or Grimes. I just wouldn’t do it for LaMelo.

Boots22
Hypothetically who has move value in a trade with everything such as contract and injury considered?
Maxey or McCain?

My gut instinct says Maxey has more trade value than McCain. After all, we’re only one year removed from him averaging nearly 26 points and six assists per game en route to his first All-Star nod and the Most Improved Player award. Even though his efficiency dropped this past season, he still averaged a career-high 26.3 points per game and showed increasing comfort as the No. 1 option in the absence of Embiid and George as the year went on.

Maxey isn’t likely ever to be the best player on a championship team, but the same goes for McCain. He showed promising flashes amidst the Sixers’ injury-riddled start to the season, but he has only 23 regular-season games of NBA experience under his belt and is now recovering from a torn meniscus. There’s no reason to think that injury should affect him moving forward, but Embiid is living proof of how recovery from a meniscus tear is not always linear.

McCain being on a rookie-scale contract rather than a 25 percent max deal like Maxey is the only thing that makes this conversation close for now. Then again, that also complicates McCain’s trade value, as it’d be hard to swing a 1-for-1 swap that netted the Sixers equivalent value. He’d almost have to be included as part of a bigger package, whereas Maxey’s larger contract makes it somewhat easier to trade him.

Unless some team is in love with a prospect in this year’s draft not named Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, I’d guess Maxey is the Sixers’ most valuable trade asset right now.

Philly_Berlin
Please rank the following trades, and do you think these are reasonable value for Philly or should we be looking for more or expecting less in a potential deal if we trade down?...
Trade #1: Sixers send #3, Gordon and Drummond to Houston for #10, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, and a 2027 First (PHX unprotected)
Trade #2: Sixers send #3 and Drummond to Houston for #10, Tari Eason and a 2027 First (PHX unprotected)
Trade #3: Sixers send #3 and #35 to Brooklyn for #8, #27, and getting back our 2028 First (top-8 protected)
Trade #4: Sixers send #3, Gordon & Drummond to Washington for #6 and #18

I won’t lie. I’d be tempted to do all four of these deals. But if I had to rank them, I’d lean toward going 1, 2, 4 and 3 in that order.

That 2027 unprotected Suns first-round pick is worth its weight in gold right now. Bradley Beal is under contract for them through 2026-27 and has the ability to veto any trade. While this year might have felt like rock bottom for the Suns, there’s a chance that the floor hasn’t fully fallen out on them yet.

So, the difference between the two Rockets trades comes down to what you value most: flipping Gordon and Drummond for Jabari Smith Jr. and Cam Whitmore or Drummond for Tari Eason. Although I’m a founding member of the Tari Eason Fan Club, I’d prefer taking two fliers on young guys who still might have untapped upside. Smith and Eason are extension-eligible this offseason, so there’s no real difference from that perspective.

With that said, I’d be shocked if the Rockets agreed to either of these deals. They already couldn’t find enough minutes for Reed Sheppard last season. Unless they’re that sold on Ace Bailey being the NBA’s next big thing, I’m guessing that they’ll hoard their assets for a swing on an established, win-now star, not another high-upside rookie.

The proposed Nets and Wizards trades seem more balanced. I’d slightly prefer the Wizards one, although I’d be fine with either. I lean toward the Wizards package because at least two of Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Khaman Maluach, Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel would be guaranteed to be available at No. 6, whereas all five could be gone by No. 8. Given the Sixers’ hit rate in the draft in recent years, I’d also love to see them get another swing at a mid-first-round pick.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line did report that “teams are already mentioning Brooklyn as a team to monitor” when it comes to trading up, so they might be the Sixers’ likeliest trade partner if the Sixers decide to trade down. They own the Nos. 19, 26 and 27 picks in this year’s draft, so they could further sweeten their offer if this framework wasn’t enough for the Sixers.

Regaining control of the 2028 first-rounder would be huge, although the Sixers likely expect that to be a mid-to-late first-round pick barring another catastrophic wave of injuries. (It turns into a 2028 second-round pick if the first-rounder doesn’t convey in 2028.) That pick being top-eight-protected also protects the Sixers against true disaster scenarios, such as when the Los Angeles Clippers wound up handing the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011.

Daryl Morey is already posturing that the Sixers aren’t interested in trading the pick, which is exactly what you’d say if you’re looking to stave off lowball offers for said pick. But knowing how he operates, I’d fully expect him to explore any and all options, whether that’s trading up, trading down or trading out of the draft entirely.

what would be the cap implications of rostering two first-round picks (say 8 and 26) as opposed to roster the third overall pick?

— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@avi-wa.bsky.social) 2025-05-13T19:01:19.074Z

I’ve been driving the Trade Down Train for a while (even before the lottery), so I love this question.

As we covered earlier this week, the salary for each first-round pick is predetermined by the NBA’s rookie scale. Teams can offer each pick anywhere between 80 and 120 percent of the scale amount, although it’s rare for teams to offer anything other than the full 120 percent. In fact, their cap hit before signing their rookie contract is 120 percent of the scale amount, which is designed to prevent teams from exploiting any loopholes in that regard.

The scale amount for the No. 3 pick this year is $9,257,400, so his first-year salary will likely be $11,108,880. In this hypothetical, where the Sixers trade the No. 3 pick to the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 8 and No. 26 picks—I’d push for the Sixers’ own 2028 first-round pick back as well—the scale amount is $5,741,000 for the No. 8 pick and $2,403,800 for the No. 26 pick. If the Sixers gave the full 120 percent of the scale amount to both picks—$6,889,200 and $2,884,560, respectively—that would be $9,773,760 in total. That would amount to roughly $1.3 million in savings from just the No. 3 pick alone.

That might not sound like a lot, but every dollar matters when you’re dealing with the aprons, particularly if you’ve triggered a hard cap. They’d also be filling two roster spots instead of one, so you’d have to take those savings into account as well. A minimum deal for anyone with two or more years of NBA experience is projected to cost nearly $2.3 million next season. So, combine that with the scale amount of the No. 3 overall pick compared to Nos. 8 and 26, and you’re now up to roughly $3.6 million in savings with the latter route.

As always, a huge thank you to everyone for the questions! We’ll be back at the same time, same place next week. In the meantime... please, Knicks, finish the job.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Salary Swish and salary-cap information via RealGM.

Follow Bryan on Bluesky.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ason-mailbag-no-3-overall-pick-2025-nba-draft

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers seem to be positioning to stick and pick at third overall

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While calls will undoubtedly be coming in about Philadelphia’s third overall pick, early comments from the Sixers make it appear they will be holding tight with the selection.

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, and everyone around the Philadelphia 76ers went through the emotional ringer, all the way up to President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey.

Daryl Morey's reaction pic.twitter.com/aOV3ybpc3l

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) May 12, 2025​

However, the disaster scenario was averted and the Sixers were able to keep their pick, landing at third overall. Now, the question becomes, what does Philadelphia do with it?

Logically, a strong argument can be made for trading down. The consensus around this draft class is that Cooper Flagg is the no-brainer, generational pick at No. 1, with Dylan Harper a clear choice at second overall. Then, there’s a wide tier where you can make the case for any number of players. So if someone like New Orleans at No. 7 or Brooklyn at No. 8 wanted to move up, and the Sixers could acquire additional draft capital while still remaining in that same tier with their first selection, it could be a very smart move.

In parsing the post-lottery comments from the Sixers brass, though, it doesn’t seem like a trade down is in the cards. We look to be in store for what they term in NFL circles a stick and pick. Now, I acknowledge this could all be posturing for leverage. No one wants the Sixers to pull from the Elton Brand School of Telegraphing Your Intentions so the Celtics can Steal a Draft Pick. Still, these are pretty clear remarks.

Daryl Morey said during his post-lottery availability that, at this moment, the plan is for the Sixers to keep their No. 3 overall pick. "We think this draft is different. We really think this draft is really strong at the top, especially in the top 3, and we’re very excited."

— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell.bsky.social) 2025-05-13T00:24:10.252Z

"Yeah, we won't take that into account. If the best player is a guard, we'll take a guard there."

- Daryl Morey told Kincade & Salciunas that, regardless of need, the Sixers will take the best player available.

-Bill Streicher-Imagn Images pic.twitter.com/tz22Cqv6Jv

— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 13, 2025​

“[Everyone knows] who’s going number one, and then we got one team that can pick one of the two other guys that we want—so we have a couple [players available to choose from] and we’re in good shape.”

- Nick Nurse on @MikeGillShow (via @nearnshawradio)

— Philly Sixers Galaxy (@sixers_galaxy) May 13, 2025​

There’s no mention of “It’s terrific to be as high as possible because that presents you with even more opportunities” or “We’re in a really advantageous position and I’m sure calls will be coming in” from Morey and company. The Nurse comment is particularly intriguing because it seems like the Sixers already have a guy in mind for No. 3. You can imagine Harper falls into the “two other guys that we want” category if the San Antonio Spurs were to unexpectedly go in a different direction. But the other person on the Sixers’ list remains a mystery. The most commonly discussed candidates are V.J. Edgecombe, Ace Bailey and Tre Johnson, but we don’t really know for sure at this point.

Regardless, drafting has been the area where Daryl Morey has really shined during his Sixers tenure. If stick and pick is the decision, we should trust the scouting department’s evaluation. Now that Morey has premium draft capital to work with, we can be really excited at what the future might hold.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...all-philadelphia-76ers-2025-nba-draft-lottery

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Editor-in-chief mailbag: The Sixers have the third overall pick. Now what?

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Now that we know the Sixers have the No. 3 pick, it’s time to ponder what they’ll do in the 2025 NBA Draft.

With the lottery taking place last week, I decided to hold my mailbag until we knew for sure where/if the Sixers would pick.

The Sixers will have the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Considering the alternatives, keeping their first-rounder and jumping up two spots in the lottery is a strong outcome — but it does lead to a lot of uncertainty.

If they landed the No. 1, the pick would’ve been Duke’s Cooper Flagg. No. 2 would’ve been Rutgers’ Dylan Harper. At No. 3, the options are plentiful. Do they simply take Rutgers’ Ace Bailey or Baylor’s V.J. Edgecombe? Do they have their eye on a different player or a trade-down scenario? Without a consensus No. 3 player, it seems most things are on the table.

Hit me your questions and let me know what you think in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer as many as I can.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...lbag-sixers-third-overall-pick-2025-nba-draft

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Paul George said he played through torn adductor on latest podcast

Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images

Everyone knew Paul George was playing through a lot this past season, just not to this extent.

Well, that explains the reported pain injections.

Now that the offseason is in full-swing, Paul George has brought back the return of his show, Podcast P, and it’s just as informative as ever.

In his interview with local celebrity Gillie in which they discuss what Philadelphia sports fans are like and what it’s like to play in front of them, George detailed the several injuries he went through in his first season with the Sixers and how frustrating it was to fight through them.

As he’s said before, the hyperextended knee he suffered in the preseason started the ball rolling and from there it just never stopped. The large brace itself he had to wear bothered him, and he revealed the brace also caused him some issues with his quad.

On top of that, George went into some detail on the groin injury that also played a big part in his season ending prematurely. He revealed the injury — one that took him some time to discover— was a torn adductor.

“Then I had an injury that I didn’t even know, and this was the original [reason] of why I was feeling like something was off,” George said, “come to find out I had a torn adductor.” This clip here has a condensed part of that conversation — they get to those full details around the 56 minute mark.

PG opens up about the struggles in his 1st year with the Sixers and positive outlook ahead. pic.twitter.com/hg0Rrw5e2k

— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 19, 2025​

George was frustrated by the injuries, and said he pushed through them because he didn’t want to leave the fanbase hanging. The poor start the team got off to only added to that motivation.

As the season wore on, it was very clear that George (and several others) were so hurt that their presence on the court was doing more harm than good. A quick Google search shows that it typically takes several months for a torn adductor to heal. George was seemingly trying to play through it with almost no recovery time at all.

There are a lot of lessons the Sixers need to learn from their 2024-25 season. One of the biggest ones is some injuries are not worth playing through.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025/5/19/24433444/sixers-paul-george-torn-adductor-latest-podcast-p

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

What should the Sixers look for in a trade for the No. 3 overall pick?

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

It appears like there is a pretty clear consensus on who the first two picks will be in next month’s draft. So where does that leave the Sixers?

Make no mistake, last week’s Draft Lottery was a good outcome for the Sixers. Sure, it could have been better, but any result that had Philadelphia retain its top-six protected pick would have been a good result.

For us at Liberty Ballers, and everyone else that covers the team, the third overall pick was probably the BEST result. The content that comes from having the third overall pick in this draft seems to be endless. The folks at ESPN seem to agree as they released a post-combine mock draft on Monday morning and noted that the draft gets particularly interesting at three.

With Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper widely regarded as the top two picks in draft, the third overall selection is where a new tier of prospects seems to begin. Some talent evaluators will say there is no prospect with a superstar ceiling after Flagg and Harper. Others might believe in the ceiling of one of the remaining prospects, but won’t agree on who that prospect is. Additionally, with the Sixers being the team that landed this pick, arguments can be made about the value of the pick in trades given the urge for Philadelphia to return to contention next season.

If you want my two cents, there aren’t many trades involving this pick that I’m interested in. I understand the NBA readiness of each prospect can vary, but I find it hard to believe that if the Sixers stick and pick, they’re going to end up with a prospect drafted at third overall who does not contribute at all as a rookie. In other words, they’re still making themselves better by selecting a player at No. 3. The crux of the debate is how much better can the Sixers make themselves by trading the pick and acquiring an established NBA player and if you can be confident enough in the health of Joel Embiid and Paul George next season to make that trade a worthwhile venture.

I’m not there when it comes to Embiid and George being significantly more available next season and performing at the levels we all expected they would prior to the start of last season. Therefore, picking a player that still helps the team next season, but also allows you to get younger and brightens the future is the route I would go. But, for the trade machine crowd, here’s what I would look for if the third overall pick is being sent out.

A player still in his 20s​

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name is buzzing in trades left and right with all but four NBA teams now into the offseason. I think the Sixers would probably have to include Tyrese Maxey with the third overall pick in order for Milwaukee to even seriously engage with them. We know Daryl Morey has a penchant for star hunting and perhaps he has already checked in with the Bucks on what it would take to bring in Giannis, who turns 31 about one month into the 2025-26 season. The Sixers were already the NBA’s oldest roster by average age at the start of last season and this kind of trade makes them even older. Antetokounmpo would immediately be the best player on the Sixers and therefore you would be asking less of Embiid and George, but are you willing to go this far in on the health of Embiid and George?

Kevin Durant’s name has also circulated a bit as well, specifically in the aforementioned latest ESPN mock draft. A Durant trade would likely involve George being sent out but Durant turns 37 in September. Of course, Maxey’s name wouldn’t be floating around in these discussions, and you would be shedding the George contract, but Durant would then become Philadelphia’s marquee offseason acquisition with the third overall pick being traded away. Durant’s team couldn’t even get into the play-in tournament last season and he played with Devin Booker. We’re supposed to be confident in Durant, whatever’s left of Embiid and Maxey being the nucleus of a championship team in the near future?

Lauri Markkanen and Cam Johnson are a few names that would make some more sense. Markkanen, who was also discussed as a trade target for Philly by ESPN, is entering his age 28 season. He is two years removed from winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. His numbers tapered off a bit this past season but he also only appeared in 47 games for Utah. Even if the Sixers get good health years from Embiid and George in 2025-26, there’s probably only a two-year window to win a championship with those two players on the roster. Therefore, at the end of that window, Markkanen would be 30 and a stabilizing presence in the frontcourt with Maxey and Jared McCain still in their 20s in the backcourt.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie floated Johnson’s name out as a possibility for Philadelphia and you can find his proposed trade here. Johnson will be heading into his age 29 season in 2025-26. Given his shooting skills and size, there’s a pretty natural fit for him on the current Sixers roster as a wing player in the starting lineup next to George. He would undoubtedly be an upgrade from Kelly Oubre who is sent out in this hypothetical trade. Do you trust the Sixers to get at least one rotation player out of the 19th and 27th overall picks? That’s what it feels like Vecenie’s trade proposal comes down to in order for it to be a good move for the Sixers.

A player with more potential to tap into​

I can be talked into Markkanen and Johnson, but one thing that’s holding me back on both guys is the idea that they have probably hit their peaks. They’re both good players and would help the Sixers instantly, but Morey is in a very rare position this offseason of having to strike a balance between immediate acquisitions that can help the Sixers get back to contention next season, and future considerations that allow for things to be less bleak if Embiid and George are not much healthier next season.

We mentioned Markkanen winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award recently. Ideally, I would be looking to acquire a contender for next season’s MIP award. In other words, I would be looking to acquire someone who might not currently be viewed as better than Markkanen or Johnson, but will be viewed that way a year from now. A player in his mid to late 20s that takes an instant leap would help the Sixers immensely next season while also being a part of their future after Embiid and George.

When it comes to possible fits here, there are some teams in the lottery that could be interested in acquiring a second lottery pick and might part with a roster player that has this kind of upside to do so. Herb Jones in New Orleans comes to mind. Jones has been an excellent defender with the Pelicans, finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024 and being named a first-team All-Defense selection. He missed most of last season with a labrum injury and has two years left on his current contract at about $14 million per year. In 2023-24, Jones played 76 games for New Orleans and shot 41% from the three-point line. If Philadelphia can unlock more of a consistent offensive game from Jones, he could make some sense and New Orleans could look to start over after making the playoffs twice with Jones.

Portland is another team in the lottery that intrigues me from this standpoint. Like New Orleans, Portland struggles to attract high-level free agents and would need to get its high-end talent thru the draft. There are some good young players on the Trail Blazers roster, but they certainly lack a clear superstar and nothing really starts as far as championship contention in the NBA until you have that guy. What if the Blazers love the top of the draft and want to keep their 11th overall selection? Deni Avdija would certainly fit in nicely on the wing for the Sixers and Shaedon Sharpe’s athleticism and finishing ability make him a tantalizing target.

A player with a limited injury history​

This is probably the most important ingredient of all. If you are trading away the third overall pick, you are doing so because you believe the team can turn things around quickly and the pick is more valuable in a trade than it is in drafting a prospect that might take at least a few years to hit his ceiling. Therefore, you have to get someone that’s going to come in immediately and play at least 60 games next season.

Of course, anyone can get hurt at any time so in theory a player that had been pretty healthy most of his career could twist an ankle in training camp and miss multiple months. That would be a very Sixers thing to happen if it did occur. But, trading for a player that has injury red flags just because the player might have a high ceiling when healthy would just be a bad process on behalf of Morey and company considering they’re already crossing their fingers to some extent on the health of Embiid and George.

I don’t have specific names to throw out here, because there are plenty of players the Sixers could acquire in a trade with the third overall pick who are mostly clean from an injury standpoint. But I do want to close by highlighting how challenging I believe it will be to find the right player to acquire. I’m looking for a mostly healthy player in his 20s that could still grow into something better than he already is when he’s already a good enough player to consider trading the third overall pick for. I’m not sure that player is out there or if the team that current rosters that player would even want to trade him. I guess you can see why I prefer to just stay at three and select a prospect.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...no-3-pick-trade-cam-johnson-nets-kevin-durant

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Editor-in-chief mailbag: Trade down or stick and pick?

Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images

In a debate that’s only going to intensify over the coming weeks, let’s dive into what the Sixers should do with third overall pick.

There’s still over a month until the 2025 NBA Draft. We still have draft workouts and weeks of leaks until we know what the Sixers will do with the third overall pick.

That makes these mailbags perfect for us. The conversation is going to shift a whole lot before June 25. The national draft experts will change their outlook and we no doubt will change ours. Let’s see what’s on your mind and I’ll try to give you as many answers as I can.

As always, thank you for the questions! I’ve genuinely enjoyed doing these mailbags and interacting with a lot of you.

IniggoMontoya
Morey has a track record of finding great players later in the draft. With that in mind unless he has Bailey, Edgecombe or Johnson pegged as definite stars wouldn't the best plan be a trade down and stockpile more assets for a post Embiid future?
Phillyrevival
Trade down? Get Knueppel or Maluach and a future pick…
Tank N Stein
Any interest in a trade down to the Nets at 8 and pick up 19 as well? Wondering if Kasparas couldn’t grow into the point guard in a year or so. Amazing passer, crafty enough to get to the rim with 65% makes there. Good 3pt shot pre forearm injury.
His highlights look good, but so do everyone’s. Haha.

Three different questions about trading down, so let’s lump them together a bit here.

As the first question mentions, if Daryl Morey and his scouting department have a player they love at three, there’s no need to get cute. Sure, you’d love to have extra draft capital, but if they view Ace Bailey, V.J. Edgecombe, Tre Johnson or anyone else as the clear top guy at No. 3, just take them.

I think all three of you are on the right track as far as the goal of a trade down. There’s already been cold water thrown on the idea of the Sixers making a big splash and using the third pick to acquire a veteran star. If the Sixers ultimately do trade down, it will be because a team like the Brooklyn Nets has a ton of future draft capital and could make Morey an offer he can’t refuse.

As I’ve said exhaustively, Johnson is the guy to me. I would take him at No. 3. With that said, the prospects in the 3-8 range — including Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach — are all really close. If you traded back with Brooklyn, you’d still get an intriguing young player at pick No. 8 with more draft capital. It’s something worth considering.

With Kasparas Jakucionis specifically, his physical limitations really showed up against stiff competition. He has unreal feel and some of his passes look like wizardry. As you mentioned, his ability as a pull-up shooter also makes him a dangerous offensive weapon. I’m just not sure he can overcome both his lack of burst and lack of strength at the next level. He’s not a top-10 prospect to me, but I’ve been wrong before!

fitz164
Everyone talks about trading up or down from 3, but are there any trades you would look to make that would give us an additional pick to this draft? Example being would you lets say trade McCain to the Bulls for 12 and a future SRP?
Some may think this is blasphemy to move McCain, but something like this could open us to up take lets say Edgecombe at 3 and maybe Newell or Essengue or Bryant at 12? Get younger and more prepared for the post Embiid era and helps resolve some back court issues?
It doesnt have to be a McCain trade exactly but moreso the idea of adding another pick from this draft for a guy you like.

I wouldn’t label it as a “blasphemy” to move Jared McCain, but I wouldn’t trade him just for future draft capital. If a star-level guy becomes available — now or down the road — McCain is a guy I would possibly use in a package. I was so impressed with what McCain showed last year, I would be awfully careful in whatever deal I’d consider with him.

And Morey has (correctly) said, the current roster will not impact the draft. He’ll take the best player available. If you’re worried about drafting Edgecombe because the Sixers would have “too many guards,” I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. Besides, Nick Nurse has shown a willingness and adeptness at deploying three-guard lineups, even in using smaller guards like Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. With the size and defensive prowess of Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes, Nurse should be able to mix and match them fairly easily. There’s no guarantee it would work out, but I’d rather try and find out than select a player I believe to be inferior.

I do like the idea of getting more picks in this draft. There might not be stars throughout, but there are a lot of guys with intriguing role player qualities that could be available in the mid-to-late first. The Sixers’ only real path to getting more is likely trading out of No. 3.

noahflax
In this year's draft, the top 9 picks are owned by the team who's slot it is. Of the remaining 50 picks, only 13 are owned by the team who's slot it is. Is this typical? Or is it an extreme case of a year where an incredibly high number of picks were traded? And does this trend indicate that draft picks have essentially become the currency of the NBA, where the picks, themselves, are no longer the primary value, but rather the universal demand of draft picks on the trade market becomes the primary value.

I blame Sam Presti (complimentary). Or maybe I should blame Sam Hinkie since Presti basically did the same thing but without league interference and the Colangelos.

The Oklahoma City Thunder started taking on bad contracts in exchange for draft picks. Presti took advantage of teams signing non-max players to max contracts (did the Sixers do that? Oh yeah, they did) or big contracts for ill-fitting players (hi, Al Horford). It feels like those chickens are coming home to roost, as evidenced by Sixers fans sweating out the lottery results last week.

With the Thunder having success and landing excellent players in the draft with so many bites at the apple, it’s not surprising that all the bottom-feeder teams started copying the strategy.

Star players having more autonomy than ever is also a part of this. Star players are very likely to have their trade requests/demands met, which allows their former teams to accumulate picks. Brooklyn owns so much draft capital in large part because they’ve traded away Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden, players who wanted out of town, over the last few years.

The last culprit, I would say, is the new CBA. With teams having concerns over the dreaded aprons, free agency is on life support (I understand some folks expect 2026 to possibly be a big year for free agency again). The Nets are the only team with cap space this summer as of now. Contending teams are not only attaching draft picks to get off bad contracts, but they’re also targeting players on cheaper contracts — inflating the trade value of players on team-friendly deals.

I think of someone like Herb Jones right now. His contract is an absolute steal for the level of player he is. If the Pelicans put him on the market (zero indication they will), they would get an absolute haul for him — probably more than they’d get for Zion Williamson. Think about how nuts that is.

Anyway, the tl;dr version is I think it is a trend and I don’t see it ending with the new CBA. It’s easier to trade draft picks than it is to clear money in free agency.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ick-trade-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-tre-johnson

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Sixers Slop Roundup: Philadelphia feels good about critical situation they’re in

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Plenty of Sixers-centered news as leverage season begins.

Get ready Sixers fans, there’s going to be a lot of leaks like this between now and next month’s draft.

As is quickly becoming the consensus thought around the league, the 2025 NBA draft starts with the Sixers pick at No. 3, with Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper seemingly pencilled in to the first two selections.

There has been some more reporting on the recent chatter that the Sixers could be looking to move off the pick or one of their three core stars in the coming weeks. So let’s take a look at the freshest rumors surrounding the squad.

The expectation to keep the pick with the core in-tact​

Starting with Jake Fischer of Marc Stein’s Substack, he had some intel on the rumors that the Sixers could be shopping the third overall pick, Paul George, or both.

“League sources tell The Stein Line that the Sixers are expected to at least listen to trade-down opportunities ... but likewise stress that they are not expected to trade out of the pick entirely. Sources say Philadelphia greatly values the opportunity to add a young player to its core, which already features 24-year-old Tyrese Maxey and soon-to-be-second-year guard Jared McCain to complement the veteran duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George.”

This is pretty much the exact messaging the team directly has given since the conclusion of the season. From Daryl Morey on down, the Sixers say their focus is making their roster younger and more dynamic. Some of the local beats have reported the same thing as well. PhillyVoice’s Adam Aaronson has said that “the team has given ‘no consideration’” to trading the pick for a veteran star. PHLY’s Kyle Nuebeck also reported that a source threw cold water on the idea.

It is worth nothing that all three of these reports are saying that trading the first-round pick for a veteran isn’t on the table, but none of them ruled out trading down to stay in the draft, allowing them to continue to get younger.

The pick won’t be used to dump Paul George ​

Fischer also added that the organization still views George as a core member of the team moving forward, despite rumors they may look to move him as well.

“Sources say that recent reports suggesting that the Sixers will be looking to explore George’s trade market in conjunction with the draft are a misread. There have been no indications that they are looking to package George with the No. 3 pick or try to move him on his own.”

Despite the push for a younger roster, the Sixers have also publicly doubled down on their commitments to their two aging stars in Embiid and George. Even if they felt differently, this would be what the Sixers would have to say publicly. For the time being though, it seems those two are just as important to the future as McCain, Maxey and the third pick.

Sixers likely not in Kevin Durant sweepstakes ​

And that certainly tracks with everything else they’ve been saying.

Stepping away from his Substack, Stein, also apart of the All-City network, joined the PHNX Suns show to discuss their search for a head coach as well as the KD trade rumors. From the people he’s checked in with, it doesn’t seem like Philadelphia is going to push their chips in for that kind of trade.

“I know there was chatter this week about Philly and having possible interest. When I’ve checked out this scenario, it’s been strongly debunked to me. I do not think Philly is in the market for trying to pursue Kevin Durant.”

He does go on to say that there doesn’t seem to be much happening on that front, even saying he’s heard “nothing new.”

So the Sixers have been fairly consistent in the outline they are trying to project for the offseason. Time will tell how strictly they follow it.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...a-draft-trade-rumors-paul-george-kevin-durant

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Why has Ace Bailey become such a polarizing prospect?

David Banks-Imagn Images

It seems as if the Sixers hold the keys to the draft with the third overall pick and there’s no prospect that’s revving the engine quite like Ace Bailey.

Are you a risk taker or do you like to play things a bit safer? If you’re a risk taker, you’re probably all-in on Rutgers’ Ace Bailey becoming a Sixer in about one month’s time. If not, you’re either all the way out on Bailey as a Sixer or at the very least you’re sweating things out when it comes to what Daryl Morey and company do with the third overall pick in next month’s NBA Draft.

So, how’d we get to the point where Bailey has created so many fireworks amongst Sixers fans? For starters, Bailey’s college performances did show enough inconsistencies to knock him down a tier below his college teammate Dylan Harper and certainly below Cooper Flagg. At his best, Bailey is scoring from just about anywhere on the floor. But there were enough games in the Big 10 that made scouts have some second thoughts as well. His cold shooting at times coupled with poor defensive fundamentals have created a floor that might be a little too low for some teams at the top of the draft. His 69% free throw figure is also a minor red flag at the very least.

The comparisons that get thrown around most commonly for Bailey are Rudy Gay and Michael Porter Jr. Those are two wings that we’ve seen have the ability to heat up offensively and take games over, but were unable to do it on a consistent enough basis to be more than the second or third best players on contenders. Those that are firmly in Bailey’s corner will make the point that if he’s already being mentioned in the same breath as Porter and Gay at 18 and 19, what names might be thrown around in a couple years for Bailey?

That brings us to the Kevin Durant comparisons. At 6-foot-10, the idea behind those comparisons are that Bailey will be able to elevate and shoot over practically any NBA wing which will naturally make his shot creation skills look very easy. But when you look at the stats from Durant’s one season in college at Texas and the accolades he received as a Longhorn and compare them to Bailey’s lone season as a Scarlet Knight, the collegiate resumes are not even remotely close to each other.

At the end of the day though, this is mostly a projection and fans should be cautious not to put too much stock in Bailey’s college stats, which still are not bad. Bailey played 30 games at Rutgers this season on a team that failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament while Durant played 35 on a team that did make the tournament nearly two decades ago.

Sixers fans have been down this road before with Ben Simmons at LSU. It’s certainly a bit bizarre that Rutgers had Bailey and Harper and couldn’t make the tournament, but players like Tre Johnson and V.J. Edgecombe, who are viewed as similar prospects to Bailey, only played a few extra games anyway despite making the tournament at their respective schools. At the end of the day, we’re evaluating all of these college prospects off of less than 40 games played in the NCAA which isn’t even half of an NBA season. The sample size is small for all of them.

It seems like many Sixers fans that like Bailey cannot resist the fact that he feels like such a natural fit with the current roster. Sure, at his listed weight of just 200 pounds, Bailey will need to bulk up a bit to adequately defend NBA wings, particularly closer to the basket. But even in a down year last season, Paul George defended well and defense has always been a calling card for a healthy Joel Embiid. Bailey could slot in as the team’s starting small forward much more easily than Edgecombe and Johnson could. The latter two are players, who are probably a little too small to play the three, although Edgecombe possesses immensely athletic ability for someone that’s listed at 6-foot-4.

The first six in a rotation being Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Ace Bailey, Paul George, Joel Embiid and Jared McCain sounds pretty good to a lot of fans. Bailey probably possesses the highest long-term ceiling of the prospects in this year’s draft after Flagg and Harper. But a good argument can be made his bust rate is much higher than Edgecombe and Johnson’s is and perhaps even a few other prospects in consideration for Philadelphia in the lottery. If Bailey doesn’t bulk up, he will get bullied in the paint by other wings similar to his height. His shot creation and overall scoring ability might be really good, but will it be good enough to make up for those potential deficiencies on defense?

This is why we suggested Philadelphia has the keys to the draft at three. One team is going to fall in love with Bailey’s upside. In two or three years he might have added the necessary 20-30 pounds and be averaging 20-25 points per game. That team might be the Sixers. If it’s someone else, Philly gets to hold that team hostage and extract every last ounce of value out of said team in a trade. If Morey does not get enough in a trade offer from another team that wants to come up to third overall and select Bailey, he might feel perfectly fine staying there and selecting someone other than Bailey. There are a whole lot of possibilities for the Sixers and a lot of them are rooted in the fact that opinions on Bailey seem to vary an awful lot.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ers-no-3-pick-ace-bailey-rutgers-vj-edgecombe

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Is the solution to a Sixers bounce back hiding in bald site?

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

Nick Sirianni buzzed his head and the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Bryce Harper did it and is now on fire for the first-place Phillies. Your turn, Sixers.

So even after securing the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the Sixers long-term outlook is pretty shaky.

Regardless of whether Paul George is able to bounce back from a disappointing first season, the health status of Joel Embiid will be the most important factor to the team’s success. Tied down to the big fella through 2029, the franchise is in a lot of trouble if his oft-injured left knee doesn’t get better.

The team has done everything it can to find a solution. Embiid just recently underwent another surgery in hopes of a fix. What if there was a different answer though? One that transcends the sport itself. A city-wide phenomena hiding in plain, bald site.

Anyone who follows the other teams in this town will fondly remember a turning point in this past Eagles season that eventually led to a Super Bowl win. After an uneasy 2-2 start that saw his name on the hot seat, head coach Nick Sirianni decided he needed to switch up the vibes coming out of the bye week.

He unveiled a fresh, clean shaven look on the sidelines as the Eagles came out of the bye with a win over the Cleveland Browns. After facing some more scrutiny postgame, Sirianni decided to flex his new persona on the practice field with 50 Cent’s “Many Men” playing in the background.

“Many Men” plays during Eagles practice as Nick Sirianni looks on pic.twitter.com/ALika0rjum

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 16, 2024​

The Eagles took this momentum and ran with it, only losing one more game the rest of the season, completing their championship run in what can only be described as a belt-to-ass tour. It didn’t take long for Sirianni to have a copycat in the city.

After a solid start to his 2025 season, Phillies’ first basemen Bryce Harper went into a bit of a slump. He had a 19-game stretch where he batted .189 with a .615 OPS. A classic tinkerer himself, Harper also went to the clippers in hopes to shake things up.

Bryce Harper’s numbers since he shaved his head:

.435 AVG/.522 SLG/1.039 OPS

— Jack Fritz (@JackFritzWIP) May 20, 2025​

He’s even brought that OPS up to 1.179 with a couple games against the lowly Colorado Rockies. The Phillies have jumped up to take the best record in the National League in the time since.

So there are two examples of shaved heads in this city resulting in immediate success for their team and no samples of this going wrong. Some have already reached this conclusion, but it’s clear what the Sixers have to do to turn things around.

I expect the entire Sixers starting five to be out there looking like Charles Barkley this Fall. https://t.co/4hg49Hjvr1

— one dozen rats at a keyboard (@PanasonicDX4500) May 20, 2025​

That’s right. Several, if not all the Sixers need to shave their heads coming into the start of next season. Forget degenerative knee injuries. Forget aging stars who can’t get to the basket as they once easily could. Forget the two young pieces being guards who may be too small to play next to each other. The answer is clearly in the lettuce, or in the lack thereof.

It’s unclear how long this hair-less magic will last, so the Sixers have to take advantage as soon as possible. Perhaps they get the clippers ready for Adam Silver for whoever they take with the No. 3 pick. If Daryl Morey exhausts every option like he says he does, this is something he at least has to look into.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...harper-haircut-sixers-joel-embiid-paul-george

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Like it or not, the Sixers are going to take the best player available, regardless of fit

Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Too many guards? No such thing. The Sixers will (correctly) take the best player available, regardless of how they fit the current roster.

The Sixers getting the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft feels appropriate. Getting No. 1 or No. 2 would’ve required too much luck. Falling out of the top six and losing the pick would’ve been too depressing. This is a solid middle ground.

It’s also appropriate because Philly sports fans get to do their favorite thing: argue (complimentary (we’re very good at it)). What will the Sixers do with the third overall pick? Some folks love Ace Bailey. Some folks ... less so. Others prefer V.J. Edgecombe while others worry about a logjam at guard. Considering how close the prospects are in the 3-8 range, trading back is another thought.

No matter what Daryl Morey and the Sixers do, you can be sure that they’ll take the best player available, regardless of how that player fits their current roster.

“[We’ll] definitely [take the] best player available. It has to be that high in the draft, for sure,” Morey said at his end-of-season presser. “So, it’s just a tool to make the team better, but obviously, there’s a good chance we’ll take someone. In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

All of the reporting (as of now) suggests the Sixers are more likely to take a player at three than make a trade. For obvious reasons, the idea of including the No. 3 pick in a trade for a veteran player has already been shot down. It makes sense. Morey has talked since the trade deadline about making the team younger and more dynamic. Unless a young star becomes available between now and June 25, the Sixers using the pick in a trade for a player seems unlikely (unless they’re also getting draft capital).

Trading back still seems like a possibility. NBA Salary Cap Analyst Yossi Gozlan laid out a few intriguing options for the Sixers. With teams like the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets falling out of the top four and having future draft capital to burn, they’re all sensible trade partners. How eager any of those teams are to move up to three is the question.

No matter where the Sixers pick though, expect them to take the best player on the board. Not only has Morey gone this route since he showed up in 2020, but also often picks the player with the highest upside.

In retrospect, the Tyrese Maxey pick looks like a no-brainer. It wasn’t. Maxey shot just 29.2% from three at Kentucky, making him an ill-fitting player next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Morey took him anyway. Sure, the Sixers believed he was a better shooter than the numbers suggested, but that still took a leap of faith. They believed Maxey was the best player on the board (clearly he was) and selected him.

Morey also crushed it in the second round that year, trading away early picks (Theo Maledon and Tyler Bey, both of whom are no longer in the NBA, were selected in those slots) and selecting Isaiah Joe and Paul Reed, two players still in the league and contributing to playoff teams — a massive win for second-rounders.

The 2021 draft is the one blemish on Morey’s scouting record. The team selected Jaden Springer out of Tennessee. The pick didn’t work out as players like Santi Aldama, Herb Jones, Miles McBride and Ayo Dosunmu were selected right after. But this is only brought up because of the process of making the pick. Springer was the youngest player in the draft and was considered the 17th-best player in the country coming out of high school, per ESPN. Morey took a high-upside swing, despite his team coming off a season in which they were the top seed in the conference.

In 2022, they traded their first-round pick to Memphis for De’Anthony Melton. David Roddy was selected. It’s a trade that ultimately didn’t work out mostly because of Melton’s health. He gave them some great minutes during his time here, but his back issues made signing him long-term a risky venture. Roddy has since bounced around the league, at one point signing a 10-day contract with the Sixers last season. Call it a wash.

In 2023, the team had zero picks. They found an undrafted player in Ricky Council IV, who looked like he could be a solid NBA contributor in 2023-24 before having a rough season in 2024-25. We’ll see what the future holds for Council, but an undrafted guy playing and contributing at all is a pretty huge win.

And in 2024, Morey and company truly crushed it, selecting Jared McCain at 16th overall. As has been pointed out several times, Dalton Knecht seemed to be the better fit because of his age and size. Morey chose McCain, who would’ve run away with the Rookie of the Year had he not suffered a torn meniscus. Snagging Adem Bona at 41 also looks like tremendous value. Still a raw player all around, Bona showed enough flashes to look like a serious backup five option next season.

All of this to say, this is the path the Sixers will follow again in 2025. Edgecombe is a guard. He’s also really good and arguably the third-best player in the draft. Maybe it won’t work with all of Maxey, McCain, Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes here. Then again, maybe it will! If it doesn’t, having so many good, young guards you have to trade one seems like a great problem to have.

If the Sixers trade back and view Derik Queen or Khaman Maluach as the best player, they’re going to take them. If Embiid has miraculously regenerated meniscus and can play 82 games next season, the Sixers will still take one of those bigs if they’re the best player available.

The Sixers have a bigger eye on the future than some people might think. Would they like for Embiid and Paul George to remain healthy and play at a high level? Of course. Morey will still have avenues to improve the team at the deadline if that’s the case. But they also have to make decisions for the organization that won’t leave them in the lurch if those guys can’t produce for the remainder of their max contracts.

Even still, getting younger and more dynamic should help the team now. The Sixers will put a more athletic and hungrier team on the floor on a nightly basis when their stars are sidelined. But more importantly, those younger guys can help the team usher in its next era.

You can argue all you want about what the Sixers should do at No. 3. There are several intriguing options.

But if you’re factoring in fit, you’re just yelling into the void.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...ce-bailey-joel-embiid-paul-george-daryl-morey

 

[Philadelphia 76ers]

Is Kasparas Jakucionis a dark horse candidate for Sixers in a trade down?

Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What if the Sixers aren’t sold on any of the candidates they would need the third overall pick to select? Is the Lithuanian someone they might target towards the end of the top 10?

Before the 2025 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 3 and 35. Next up in this series is Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis.

The third overall selection in this year’s NBA Draft comes with a boatload of options for the Philadelphia 76ers. Ace Bailey, V.J. Edgecombe and Tre Johnson are the most common names that get brought up as prospects for the team to select if they stay put and make a pick. Some would put Duke’s Kon Knueppel in that tier as well.

But with the Sixers almost certainly sending next year’s first-rounder to Oklahoma City, and potentially sending their 2028 first-rounder to Brooklyn which is top-eight protected, a trade down from three would allow Daryl Morey and his staff to restock the asset cupboard. In recent years, Brooklyn has traded away Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Mikal Bridges. The Nets have collected a ton of draft picks and might look to cash some of their chips in to move up to the third overall selection. At the very least, Philadelphia could reacquire its 2028 first-rounder from the Nets in order to move back five slots this year.

Houston holds the 10th pick and was just the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. There might be enough players on Houston’s roster that Philadelphia is interested in adding for next season in an effort to return to contention that make moving back to 10 somewhat appealing. Then there are teams like Portland and Chicago at the end of the lottery that have been stuck on the fringes of the play-in tournament for quite a while. It’s the worst place to be in the NBA and if the Bulls and Trail Blazers are growing tired of landing there, they might be hungry to pay a hefty price to move up to third overall and acquire a player they would view as the next face of their franchise. As we were saying, there’s a lot of options Philly can explore with the third overall selection.

If Philly does opt to trade down, we want to familiarize you with a few more names that you might not currently be thinking of. Kasparas Jakucionis out of Illinois is a prospect that is commonly mocked to teams in the back half of the top 10 that it may target.

Profile​

2024-25 Stats: 33 games, 31.8 minutes, 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 44.0 FG%, 31.8 3P%, 84.5 FT%

Team: Illinois

Year: Freshman

Position: G

Height and Weight: 6’6.0” (in shoes) and 205 lbs

Born: May 29, 2006 (19 years old next week)

Hometown: Vilnius, Lithuania

Strengths​

Will Rucker dove into his fit with Philly at the beginning of the month. It’s well documented that the Sixers have a surplus of guards, with Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and almost certainly Quentin Grimes once he returns from restricted free agency, on next year’s roster. But a strong argument can be made that none of those three guards are the passer Jakucionis is.

When you couple Jakucionis’s passing ability with his three-level scoring ability, you get a rather intriguing prospect that could thrive in pick-and-rolls with Joel Embiid. For most of the college season, Jakucionis was mocked higher than he is currently being mocked as it seems like Knueppel and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears made late-season rises up draft boards and Jakucionis became the odd man out in the top 5-6 picks in the eyes of many mock drafters.

From a shooting standpoint, Jakucionis always shot high free throw percentages even before his one year at Illinois which should give scouts reason to believe his three-point shooting will improve in time. There do not appear to be any major mechanical flaws with his jumper. If he became a Sixer, Jakucinois could certainly endear himself to the Philly faithful quickly as he’s always been known to make a lot of hustle plays and play hard.

Weaknesses​

Jakucionis does come with some red flags on defense which might be enough for the Sixers to look elsewhere next month. He’s not the strongest guard for someone standing at 6-foot-6 nor is he the fastest which means that bigger guards are often able to outmuscle him and smaller guards are going to be able to blow by him.

We mentioned his stock seemed to dip a bit as the college season wore on, and while other prospects made late-season surges, Jakucionis did have some spotty performances late in the college season and it seems like there are questions about his consistency and if his strengths will show up on a nightly basis in the NBA. His playmaking ability as a passer is also a bit of a double-edged sword at the moment as he could get a little turnover happy at times. Despite averaging nearly five assists per game, he also turned the ball over nearly four times per game which is certainly a tick high.

Potential Fit with the Sixers​

It’s going to be up to Morey and the rest of the Sixers’ front office to decide if Jakucionis can fit in with the team’s current mix of guards or if the backcourt would become too crowded. Not only could Jakucionis thrive in various offensive sets with Embiid, but his passing ability should be able to generate a lot of looks for McCain and Grimes. The problem is, how often would he be on the court with even one of these guards? With Maxey seemingly a lock to play 35 minutes a night when healthy there might not be enough playing time to go around. It might take Morey having to convince Nurse, a coach who has long been known to play his starters lots of minutes, to mix and match a little more in the backcourt which could involve a reduction in minutes for Maxey.

If the Sixers fall in love with his playmaking ability, they might take him anyway. Having too many talented guards would certainly be a good problem to have. It’s also important to remember that for as good as he looked last year, we only saw McCain play 23 games in his rookie season. Grimes only played 28 games for the Sixers after being traded and could have been doing at least a little bit of stat padding as the losses and injuries piled up for Philadelphia.

Regardless of how much injury bad luck the Sixers had last year, it’s a mistake for any team drafting in the lottery to fall in love with its current roster too much. Philadelphia must evaluate these prospects as if it has a blank roster. If Morey and company don’t like any of the popular targets at three, but do like Jakucionis, trading down for either a roster player from another team or future considerations while adding Jakucionis is intriguing to say the least. There are some things the Lithuanian needs to work on, but he seems ready to contribute immediately offensively.

Draft Projection​

SB Nation Mock Draft: No. 10, Houston Rockets

We mentioned Houston as an intriguing trade-down partner with the Sixers for a reason. Jakucionis seems to be going in the back end of the lottery and trading with Houston could allow the Sixers to add a player off Houston’s roster that helps them return to contention next season while also drafting a prospect they like.

If Jakucionis does land with the Rockets, it would be a pretty nice spot for him. Fred VanVleet is entering a contract year in Houston and would be a good mentor for the Lithuanian and the future fit for Jakucionis to be able to set up young shooters like Jalen Green and Reed Shepard would be nice.

Source: https://www.libertyballers.com/2025...onis-illinois-sixers-rockets-nets-daryl-morey