Instead of competing for playoff position, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves battling for draft placement at this point in the year. Amid their pursuit of a top pick, one of their potential targets officially entered the pool of prospects.
After putting together the league’s newest big three, the Sixers didn’t expect to be in this position at this stage of the year. Injuries have derailed the 2025 campaign, leaving them vastly depleted for weeks now. Landing a top pick is the best course of action for the franchise in the short term, but it comes with its own set of challenges.
If Philly wants to keep their first-round selection, it has to fall in the top six. Anything lower than that and it will be handed over to the OKC Thunder as part of the Al Horford trade.
Following what many considered a lackluster draft class last year, things are much different this time around. The 2025 class, headlined by Duke forward Cooper Flagg, is projected to have numerous high-end prospects. Among the other notable talents in the pool of players is Rutgers guard Dylan Harper. Earlier this week, he officially announced that he’ll be leaving college to make the jump to the NBA.
BREAKING: Dylan Harper announces that he has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft during his segment on NBA Today with Malika Andrews. 👀 pic.twitter.com/hMP3aSkk8o
— BASKETBALL ON 𝕏 (@BASKETBALLonX) March 31, 2025
Harper, a 6-foot-6 guard, showed the potential of being a dynamic scorer at the next level. In his lone season at Rutgers, he averaged 19.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 4.0 APG
With his ability to score at a high rate, Harper would give the Sixers an interesting group of young guards with him, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain. In the event they do secure a top-five pick, he is certainly a prospect who should be on their radar.
