In the first two weeks of the Sixers' 2025 offseason, the discourse has almost entirely pertained to whether or not the team will keep its top-six protected first-round pick when the NBA Draft Lottery is held on May 12. There is a 36 percent chance that the pick will fall out of its protected range and into the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, no matter what happens in two weeks from today in Chicago, the Sixers will enter the 2025 NBA Draft the following month with their own second-round pick — the No. 35 overall selection — which they acquired back from the Dallas Mavericks alongside Quentin Grimes in exchange for Caleb Martin and a 2030 second-round pick at the deadline.
As many players projected to be potential options in that range deliberate about declaring for the draft or returning to school, this week's 5 Sixers thoughts is focused on a group of players the Sixers could find themselves intrigued by in the second round:
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
The star of the National Championship-winning Gators, Clayton had an outstanding run in March Madness to lead his team to victory while also bolstering his draft stock significantly:
However, the 22-year-old Clayton is far from a one-month wonder. He had a stellar senior season at Florida and displayed a strong offensive skillset, where his excellent shooting numbers are particularly intriguing. Clayton could end up getting buzz late in the first round, but his age and potential lack of defensive impact could hurt his chances of landing a fully-guaranteed rookie scale deal.
The Sixers will not be trying to find a future franchise cornerstone at No. 35; their focus will be on whichever player has the best chance of becoming a quality rotation piece. Even if that just means a future as the team's fourth guard for Clayton — perhaps the final member of the Sixers' rotation — it would be a nice outcome for the organization.
Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph's
Fleming has seemed primed to be drafted in the middle of the first round for a while now, which made it fairly surprising to see the Camden, NJ native land at No. 30 on ESPN's most recent mock draft. Fleming, who will be a 21-year-old rookie, seems like the exact sort of player that would rise on boards during the process: he is a high-quality three-point shooter at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, posted strong steal and block numbers and represents an archetype of player that teams often look for:
Rasheer Fleming is a prototype for what NBA teams are looking for in a big man at St. Joe's, making 44% of his 3s and racking up highlight reel plays galore with dunks, rebounds, steals and blocks thanks to his 7'5 wingspan.. pic.twitter.com/w7QKYFnZas
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) January 14, 2025
The Sixers hope to keep Guerschon Yabusele in the fold moving forward, and while Fleming could serve as a potential replacement as far as stretch bigs are concerned, there is no law against having multiple stretch bigs in a bench rotation. If the local product is available for the Sixers in the second round, they should take him and figure out his fit later. It remains difficult to imagine Fleming being available in the second round, but crazier things have happened. ESPN's experts mocking him at No. 30 is a noteworthy data point.
Chaz Lanier, Tennessee
Sometimes teams use later picks to draft players with elite skills. Lanier will turn 24 years old in December, but he has an elite skill. The Sixers will always have their eyes open for shooters, and Lanier shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc in his senior season while attempting 8.2 long-range shots per game. That blend of volume and efficiency from three-point territory is remarkable — and from an aesthetic perspective, Lanier looks like a shooter. Among his many made threes this season are some impressive instances of off-ball relocation, a skill that all of the NBA's elite shooters possess:
why not
here's every single one of Chaz Lanier's record-setting 123 threes last season pic.twitter.com/k5i5L8OBun— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) April 10, 2025
Lanier's age is a real issue, though, and his lack of defensive production at the collegiate level could be a reg flag for some teams. But you cannot teach the sort of skill he has as a long-range sniper.
Dink Pate, G League
Teams also use later draft picks on long-term developmental projects at times — for example, the Sixers' selection of Jaden Springer at No. 29 overall a handful of years ago — and while Pate is not going to contribute to the 2025-26 Sixers, perhaps they will feel comfortable using a pick and roster spot on someone viewed as a high-ceiling prospect. (This would be easier to advocate for, of course, if the Sixers hold onto their first-rounder.)
Pate will not turn 20 years old until March of his rookie campaign, and the argument could be made that teams have the opportunity to buy low on the former five-star recruit whose two-year stint in the NBA G League has been extremely disappointing. It is not as if his talent has vanished:
However, Pate's stock has cratered for a reason. Many believe the level of competition in the G League has gone down considerably of late, and he posted pretty brutal numbers there this past season, shooting barely over 40 percent from the field, with horrid efficiency marks from beyond the arc and the free throw line. There is nothing to like and a whole lot to be turned off by when it comes to his statistical profile. Is his significant pedigree from earlier on enough to put him in consideration should the Sixers pursue a project?
Miles Byrd, San Diego State
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For a 6-foot-7 wing who will play off the ball, Byrd's 30.1 three-point percentage in 2024-25 is a bit ominous, as is the fact that he never posted quality marks there in college. But there are positive indicators which could suggest he will be more accurate in the NBA, including his strong volume (5.9 three-point attempts per game) and excellent free throw percentage (83.2 percent).
The hope for Byrd, who will be 21 years old for his rookie season if he officially declares for the upcoming draft, is that he is decent enough offensively to allow his defense to take over and do the talking. Byrd's steal and block numbers are enticing; he nabbed 2.1 steals per game while collecting 1.1 blocks per game across his 30 games (all starts) for the Aztecs this season:
Byrd could do a lot to help his cause if he shoots well for teams in predraft workouts, particularly because the underlying numbers do support that he is better than he has shown there and teams will want any excuse to take a long look at a player of his caliber on defense.
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