NBA Exec Makes Confident Claim About Sixers’ Draft Plans

One anonymous NBA executive is confident the Sixers won't trade their No. 3 pick.

Mar 5, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) stands by the center court logo during the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As the NBA wonders what the Philadelphia 76ers are going to do on draft night, one anonymous Eastern Conference executive recently made a confident claim to the NBA Insider Jake Fischer.

“They’re keeping the pick,” the executive said, according to Fischer.

While trading is certainly still an option for Daryl Morey and the Sixers in that position, Philadelphia isn’t expected to slide far down the board. There’s a clear intrigue with multiple prospects in the upcoming draft, but it seems one prospect is gaining more steam in Philadelphia than the others, and it’s not Ace Bailey.

In Fischer’s latest, the insider suggests that Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe is the “prime candidate” for the third pick at this time. That doesn’t guarantee the Sixers will keep the pick and select Edgecombe. If there is a team that’s higher on the Baylor wing, they could become the Sixers’ ideal trade partners.

Dec 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers resident of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey speaks with the media before a game against the Detroit Pistons at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As much as Edgecombe seems to be the favorite at No. 3, and the Sixers seem to be trending toward keeping the pick, there are still a handful of prospects to keep an eye on for the Sixers.

Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper will be out of reach. Some other names mentioned for Philadelphia recently are Texas’ Tre Johnson, Duke’s Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, along with Bailey, who remains in the mix as a potential third pick.

The Sixers reportedly hosted Edgecombe recently, coming away with plenty of positives during the meeting, according to Fischer. While Bailey did not have anything on schedule with Philadelphia initially, a new report suggested that would change soon. The Sixers are set to bring in Bailey for a meeting soon.

Currently, the consensus around Edgecombe is that the Baylor freshman is more NBA-ready compared to Bailey. However, the Rutgers freshman has been described as the player who could potentially have the highest ceiling of the two, turning into a surefire star wing in the future.

No matter who the Sixers select with their lottery pick, the incoming rookie will be expected to crack a spot in the rotation right away, following the footsteps of Jared McCain, who made an impact right out of Duke last season before going down with a season-ending knee injury.