NBA Draft Buzz: Picks Up For Grabs As Spurs, Sixers Eye Upgrades

Multiple playoff-caliber teams are holding lottery picks in 2025, setting the stage for what one league executive called “the most activity” we’ve seen in years.

The San Antonio Spurs own the No. 2 pick and are coming off a promising year.

The Philadelphia 76ers are sitting right behind at No. 3 and eager to maximize Joel Embiid’s championship window. Neither franchise fits the usual “patient rebuild” mold typical of top-five draft positioning.

“I talked to one league executive this morning — he thinks we’re going to see the most activity as far as tradeable picks in this year’s first round,” ESPN’s Bobby Marks said Tuesday on NBA Today.

San Antonio may be the most flexible player in the field, holding both the second and 14th selections. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is openly eyeing win-now pieces to flank Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.

The draft-day intrigue doesn’t stop there. The Brooklyn Nets are armed with picks No. 8, 19, 26, and 27, a stockpile that makes them a candidate to move up or consolidate for veterans.

And then there’s Houston at No. 10, coming off a 56-win season and widely seen as a team ready to move that pick for immediate help.

In short: the table is set. Teams with playoff rosters want proven players, not prospects. And with so many picks in play, this draft could be remembered less for who gets selected — and more for who gets moved.