When the Philadelphia 76ers won the third-overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, Daryl Morey suggested there was a good chance they would keep the pick.
As the draft approaches, it’s clear the Sixers are exploring all options beyond staying put and making a selection. While trading out of No. 3 isn’t a guarantee, a slight slide down the board seems to be somewhat in play.
What could a trade down look like? Yahoo Sports NBA Draft analyst Kevin O’Connor recently took an attempt at presenting a potential framework of a trade between the Sixers and the New Orleans Pelicans.
In the hypothetical, the Sixers would allow the Pelicans to move up to the third pick and send over the veteran Kelly Oubre. In exchange, the Sixers would land the No. 7 pick, a 2026 top-four protected pick from the Indiana Pacers, and Herb Jones.
Who could the seventh pick become? O’Connor predicts Duke big man Khaman Maluach.
“Trading down would solve a lot of issues: pick up an additional asset or two (an elite defender in Herb Jones plus one future first in this case) while just moving down for a player the Sixers might want to take with the third pick anyway,” O’Connor writes.
Maluach was a name to watch for the Sixers when they entered the lottery with the fifth-highest odds of winning the first pick, and a slight chance of losing their pick had it fallen out of the top six.
/ Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Once the Sixers won the third pick, it became a debate of who they should take between Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe. In this scenario, the Sixers wouldn’t have to decide. They would land a 26-year-old fifth-year veteran with 231 starts under his belt, while still getting an opportunity to take on a young lottery prospect to roll out right away, while banking on their long-term development.
The Sixers went for size in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft when they selected Adem Bona out of UCLA. With injuries piling up for Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond throughout the year, Bona ended up playing a lot more than expected.
Based on Morey’s comments throughout the offseason, it seems the Sixers plan to have Bona involved throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season. Adding Maluach would certainly raise questions about the former UCLA big man’s standing on the team.
As for the potential of parting ways with Oubre, the Sixers would get younger while improving defensively and getting a slightly better three-point shooter, although that’s not a knock on what Oubre’s brought to the table in two seasons with the Sixers.
In 128 games, Oubre has averaged 15 points while shooting 45 percent from the field. He also posted averages of six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and nearly one block throughout his regular-season runs with the 76ers. Being that Oubre is heading into an option year, he could be viewed as a potential trade candidate, whether he’s moved on draft night or not.
