Yesterday rumors started flying around the Sixers. Jake Fischer dumped a ton of info on the world when he reported that VJ Edgecombe had not only been in Philly to workout for the team but had even gone to dinner with Daryl Morey and Tyrese Maxey. Apparently, Maxey wanted to be there to see and meet VJ in person. From there, word is that the Hornets (#4) and Wizards (#6) are in on VJ and would be interested in trading up to get him. That’s not all. The Pelicans (#7) are chasing Ace Bailey and there could be a match with Philly on a trade. That’s just setting the table, let’s look at the options.
Daryl Morey
You thought we’d just go right into it? Nope, first you have to know the man you are dealing with. He might be polarizing, but Daryl Morey is very aware of all the angles. He is going to extract the most value possible from any deal or simply make the best pick if he doesn’t get enough of that value.
Like it or not, one of the first things he is going to consider is money. Draft picks have a rookie scale that they agree to, signing for as much as 120% of that scale. For all intents and purposes though, everyone signs for 120%. That considered, here are the first year salaries for everyone in the top-10:
- 3 – $11.1m
- 4 – $10m
- 5 – $9.1m
- 6 – $8.2m
- 7 – $7.5m
- 8 – $6.9m
- 9 – $6.3m
- 10 – $6m
I know it doesn’t seem like much, but the Sixers are going to try real hard not to be an apron team and a few million might be the difference. Just something to keep in mind.
Another consideration will likely be the 2026 draft. Currently the Sixers will likely have ZERO picks. Because the 2025 pick didn’t convey to the Thunder, they have the rights to 2026 assuming it doesn’t land in the top 3. Barring something either catastrophic or amazing, I wouldn’t count on that pick.
Prospects
I’m not an armchair scout and I haven’t dug into any tape. I am pretty good at breaking things down into what makes sense though. Here are the possibles in the top 10 and where they fit with the Sixers.
Ace Bailey – Ace has a great name and is the only forward (aside from Cooper Flagg) expected to go in the top 10. That’s significant because the Sixers have a ton of guards. Simply from a minutes perspective, Bailey has an easier path to playing time than anyone on this list. If the team ends up trading Kelly Oubre and not resigning Yabusele, Bailey will likely end up starting. That’s more than can be said for anyone else on this list. For all the negatives the pundits are flagging him for, his position value is undeniable. His size gives him defensive upside too. He is in play at 3-4
VJ Edgecombe – VJ is a jack of all trades, master of none, try hard, with a great attitude, that contending teams are praised for valuing after they come up big in an important spot. The problem is that championship teams usually find those guys much later in the draft. At #3, you really want someone with an elite skill. Because of his lack of size and length, Edgecombe doesn’t have that one thing to hang is hat on other than effort. He probably has the highest floor in this range though and can play both ways at a solid to high level. He is in play at 3-4.
Kon Knueppel – Kon is a shooter and a gamer who might get played off the floor on defense despite his size. I can’t cosign a one-dimensional player at #3, but if he somehow fell to #6 or #7 it would be more defensible. His shooting and effort are good enough to follow him to the next level, even if his defense gets left behind. He is in play at 4-7 if they trade down.
Tre Johnson – Tre Johnson can flat out shoot. He was good at it this year, then blew everyone away at the combine. At 6’6″ with long arms you would think he could defend too, but no; he’s not interested. Teams will dream on the size and the shot, but I don’t see how he fits with the Sixers without some kind of belief that he wants to get better at that end. His arms are 3 inches longer than VJ Edgecombe. That’s the difference between missing or tipping a ball and stealing it, whether he wants to lift his arms is another story. He is in play at 4-7 if they trade down.
Khaman Maluach – A center? Are you crazy? No, I am being realistic. I do not believe the Sixers will draft Maluach, but if they do the whole arena should gasp. It would mean that the Sixers do not believe Embiid is coming back. Maluach is an incredibly raw athlete who is physically gifted and still learning the game. Still, he is a defensive powerhouse who tries very hard, even if he didn’t have any rebounds in the Final Four. He is in play at 5-7 if they KNOW Embiid isn’t coming back.
Collin Murray-Bowles – Is a defensive power forward in the Draymond Green mold. He is the kind of player that allows Embiid to be less active on defense and more engaged on offense if that is what he would like to do. He is in play at 7-10 if they think Embiid is coming back.
Derik Queen – In a lot of ways, he is the opposite of CMB. If Embiid wants to play more defense and camp out at the 3-point line on offense, then Queen is your guy. He is in play at 7-10 if they think Embiid isn’t coming back.
Trades
Trade proposals are usually unrealistic pipedreams, but they are damn fun unrealistic pipedreams, aren’t they! Let’s see what it would take to move.
Hornets at #4 – Charlotte has Lamelo Ball who likes to pass and not play defense. They already have Brandon Miller and might not be interested in Ace Bailey. Edgecombe is probably their ideal pick. The smoke you are going to see is that either the Sixers want VJ or will send him somewhere else. To prevent that, Charlotte would have to throw in picks 33 and 34 (not bad) or one of the future protected firsts they have from another team (not likely).
Wizards at #6 – The Wizards need a star badly and should probably be looking at Ace Bailey, but rumor has them going in the VJ direction. Either way, they need to get to 3 or 4 to get these guys. They have the 18th pick to package with #6. Would that move the needle for Daryl? How about #6 and Bilal Coulibaly for Kelly Oubre and #3? The small forward from France is only about to turn 21 and is incredibly athletic. He hasn’t been great for a floundering Wizards team but might just need to play with actual professionals.
Pelicans at #7 – New Orleans just turned over the team to Joe Dumars and word is that he wants Ace. Kevin O’Connor from Yahoo Sports posited a trade of Oubre and #3 for #7, the Pacers 2026 pick, and Herb Jones. I almost like it. In fact, I really want to like it. It gives us a pick next year, legitimately upgrades Oubre, and keeps us in the mix at the top. The problem is that if you want one of the shooting guards, you have to hope there is an upset pick and hope should not be a draft strategy. AJ, Kon, Tre, and VJ are likely going to be the 3-6 picks in the draft. This means Queen or CMB at #7 plus an extra $3.5m in cap room. I can’t do it!
Wildcard
As I was writing this, there was a report that the Sixers have engaged the Spurs in a potential swap of #2 for #3. To do this, the Spurs probably want Jared McCain. They have Castle and Fox, but McCain would immediately become their best shooter, and absolute must with Wembanyama. McCain became the ultimate lottery ticket last year in that no one expected him to blow up and he did. Do we want to underestimate him again?
The trade would be for Dylan Harper. Harper is a 6’6″ PG with an NBA frame and NBA bloodlines. Other than Flagg, he is the only player in this draft you would think fits seamlessly on this Sixers roster. Sure, he is a guard, but he would be the lead guard that allows Maxey more freedom in the offense. His 6’11” arms and 215 pound body would allow him to stand up on defense against guards that Maxey can’t handle.
Of course, if the Spurs trade #2 for #3, it probably takes them out of a bunch of trade scenarios involving the alphas of the league like Giannis. If the Bucks told San Antonio that Giannis wasn’t for sale, then this trade makes a lot more sense. They simply do not need another guard with an iffy shot.
As much as it would pain me to do this, I think I make this trade. Harper is the kind of 2 way player with size that teams need come playoff time. Plus, the Sixers desperately need another ball handler. Throw in that Daryl was noticeably more committal to Quentin Grimes than McCain during his Rights to Ricky Sanchez interview and this seems like something the team wants too.
UPDATE: The Athletic Just posted their latest mock draft with trades and had the Sixers trading down not once, but twice. By moving from #3 to #4 to #6, the Sixers pick up #18 and #33 while dropping the salaries of Eric Gordon and Andre Drummond, saving roughly $11m in cap (Drummond = $5m, Gordon = $3.5m, 3-6 = $2.9m)
Philly Front Office 
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