Duke Player Predicted to Land With Sixers in 2025 NBA Draft

In a 2025 Mock Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers were predicted to go with Duke's Khaman Maluach.

Mar 27, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts with center Khaman Maluach (9) during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats during an East Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Soon, the Philadelphia 76ers will find out their true position in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Anything beyond the sixth-overall pick in the lottery would see the Sixers send a pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Right now, the Sixers are placed fifth overall. Assuming they win that exact spot, one 2025 NBA Draft prediction projects the Sixers landing Duke Basketball standout, Khaman Maluach.

According to CBS Sports’ latest mock, the Utah Jazz make the obvious selection by taking on Cooper Flagg with the first-overall pick. Right off the bat, a Duke player goes off the board, as expected.

Beyond Flagg, Dylan Harper goes to the Washington Wizards while Ace Bailey heads to the Charlotte Hornets. The final pick before the Sixers is Baylor’s VJ Edgebombe, who goes to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars forward J'Wan Roberts (13) is defended by Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Why Maluach to Philly?

“The final impression of Maluach at Duke was not a promising one: he played 21 minutes in a Final Four loss to Houston and grabbed zero rebounds despite his 7-foot-2 frame. But his length, movement and shot-blocking anticipation has NBA teams intrigued with his talent, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him go this high. He'd be a joy to add next to the young core in Philly that includes Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes.” via CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone

The Sixers are expected to find a better balance of youth and seasoned veterans in 2025-2026. After loading up on older veterans, the Sixers spend their entire 2024-2025 season seeing players go in and out of the lineup due to consistent injuries.

The veteran center Joel Embiid was among that group. After seeing the court for just 31 games last year, Embiid followed up with a 19-game showing in 2024-2025. After getting a second knee surgery a little over a year after his last procedure, there are some serious questions about the big man’s health moving forward.

For the time being, the Sixers are optimistic that Embiid will be back and playing a critical role for the Sixers, but the skepticism surrounding that idea is fair, considering the long history of injuries Embiid has. Projecting a center with a high-end pick seems like an obvious move for the Sixers.

One thing is clear, though: the Sixers aren’t going to reach just to draft based on fit. If Maluach is the best player available on the Sixers’ board, then that might very well be the pick. If not, Daryl Morey and the front office could likely look elsewhere. Based on CBS Sports’ prospect rank, the 15th-ranked Maluach seems like a major reach at five, even if he’s projected to be the top center in the draft.

Injury concerns or not, the Sixers are committed to Embiid for several seasons. Plus, they just drafted a center last year, and saw a lot of positives out of Adem Bona with his late-season extended run. The Sixers don’t have to target centers only with their pick.