NBA Draft Lottery night is here and the results are in. The Philadelphia 76ers are going to go on the clock at next month’s draft with the No. 3 pick.
It’s been quite a while since the Sixers had a purpose on lottery night. After being playoff regulars for the past seven seasons, the Sixers are typically still competing or scouting beyond the lottery at this point in the year.
Unfortunately, the 2024-2025 season didn’t go as planned for the Sixers. Despite making some notable acquisitions, including the addition of Paul George last summer, the Sixers’ success on paper surely didn’t translate to the court.
A lot of Philly’s shortcomings came as a result of injuries. The star big man, Joel Embiid, appeared in just 19 games. As for George, his debut season would last 41 outings. Even Tyrese Maxey, who hasn’t played in fewer than 60 games in a season in his career before this year, saw the court for just 52 games.
The Sixers wrapped up the 2024-2025 season ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 24-58 record. They were fifth overall in the NBA Draft Lottery standings. Before the lottery, the Sixers held a 10.5 percent chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick. They were set at 42 percent to get a top-four pick.
While the chances of losing their pick were low, the Sixers knew they needed to fall within the top six in order to keep the selection. Back in 2020, the Sixers included their 2025 first-rounder in the deal that got Al Horford off the books. Although the Sixers didn’t plan to keep the pick, as they anticipated making the playoffs in 2025, their season went in a different direction. Suddenly, keeping the pick became everything.
Moving up to No. 3 is a decent jump for the Sixers. They will follow the Dallas Mavericks, who won the lottery, and the San Antonio Spurs, who came in second.
The NBA Draft will take place on June 25 and 26.
You can contact Justin Grasso via e-mail: JustinGrasso32@gmail.com
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