Daryl Morey Reveals Sixers’ Plan for 2025 NBA Draft

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Being a well-known dealmaker in the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey keeps the team in trade rumors consistently throughout the year.
When the Sixers were entering the 2024 NBA Draft with a first-round pick in their possession, there was a league-wide assumption they could make a trade, rather than selecting a prospect. All paths were considered, but Morey and the front office were led to taking Duke’s Jared McCain.
Entering the 2025 NBA Draft with the third-overall pick, insiders are suggesting the Sixers are potential sellers in the trade market with their newest asset. However, Morey’s recent reveal suggests the Sixers are happy to be in their current position to take on a new rookie using the pick.
“At three, we feel very comfortable about the player who will be there,” Morey told 97.5 The Fanatic earlier this week.
The President of Basketball Ops would later elaborate on his current thinking.
“That’s the plan,” Morey said regarding making a pick. “I think, to get a high-upside player that we also think can contribute right away is a big deal. We feel like three is a great spot to be.”
Since Morey took over Philly’s front office in 2020, he’s made three selections in round one. Every pick was outside of the lottery, leading the Sixers to believe that contributing right away would be far-fetched, considering they viewed themselves as a win-now squad, who prioritize seasoned veterans.
Tyrese Maxey had a quiet rookie season but showed enough to win a full-time starting job in year two. Jaden Springer struggled to crack the rotation for several seasons before getting traded. Jared McCain benefited from a pile of injuries early on this past season and helped shift the front office’s view of rookies potentially being more impactful right away.
After failing to make the playoffs in 2025, the Sixers are keeping their expectations high in 2025-2026. Winning a championship is still the goal. While that adds pressure to an incoming rookie, the Sixers seem confident in their projections of the potential pick.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia
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