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76ers Send Three-Word Message After Likely Failing to Land Cooper Flagg in NBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan D Adams | Last updated May 12, 2025 10:30 PM ET

It was not the magical evening that the Philadelphia 76ers were hoping for, but it was not all bad news for the franchise after the NBA Draft Lottery results were revealed. The Sixers were in danger of losing their first-round pick if it fell outside the top six selections.

Philadelphia will not have to send their 2025 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, this is the good news. The bad news is that the 76ers are all but eliminated from the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

The Dallas Mavericks have not made their intensions official, but all signs point to Flagg being the No. 1 pick.

Unless the Sixers can strike a blockbuster deal with the Mavericks, Philly will be looking to land an alternative player in the draft. The 76ers' official X account attempted to focus on the positive after the results were revealed. Philadelphia moved up two spots based on the NBA lottery odds.

"Moved on up," the Sixers posted on Monday after the NBA lottery.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony predict the 76ers will take Rutgers Scarlet Knights star guard Airious "Ace" Bailey with the No. 3 pick.

ESPN how dare you cut away from this so quickly! pic.twitter.com/PFyp8jTioI
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) May 12, 2025

"The Sixers can not only breathe easy, but celebrate after their pick jumped to No. 3, rather than falling out of the top six and conveying to Oklahoma City," Woo and Givony wrote in their first post-lottery mock draft on Monday.

moved on up. pic.twitter.com/UyXWt2BYvv
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 12, 2025

"... Bailey's shot-making chops and significant scoring upside would give Philly another strong building block for the long-term, in addition to their rising backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain."