The saving grace for any team at the end of a miserable 82-game regular season is a premium draft choice. But with two more games left to play, whether or not the Sixers' disastrous 2024-25 campaign will net the organization a chance to add a gifted young player to its core remains to be seen.
That will remain the case until May 12, when the NBA Draft Lottery will determine the order of the first 14 picks in June. The Sixers will only hold onto their first-round pick if it lands in the top six slots, otherwise it will belong to the Oklahoma City Thunder as a result of the Al Horford trade in 2020 — the first move Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey made upon arriving in Philadelphia. With an epic two-month tanking effort, though, the Sixers have done a strong job maximizing their odds of keeping the pick, which seems likely to land at 64.0 percent.
The Florida Gators emerged victorious in March Madness this week, and now the time has come for mock drafts on mock drafts. For as long as the Sixers project to have a first-round pick, you can expect periodic roundups of what the many experts out there believe they should do with it. Let's dive into the first Sixers mock draft roundup of 2025, in which all experts have them making the No. 5 overall pick:
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN: Tre Johnson, SG, Texas
Johnson might be the most popular pick for the Sixers in mock drafts over the last few months, and the appeal is easy to understand. Johnson just turned 19 years old last month and is an incredibly gifted scorer. Givony explains the intrigue surrounding Johnson:
"Johnson is a prototype for what many NBA teams are seeking at the wing position, standing 6-6 with a 6-10 wingspan, dynamic shotmaking prowess and the skill level, versatility and aggressiveness to create shots in bunches. He scored about 20 points per game and made 40% of his 3s in 2024-25, and he shouldn't have issues filling up the scoring column in the NBA.
The Sixers, already eliminated from the postseason, would be thrilled to keep their pick after a miserable season and could have interest in adding a 19-year-old wing who'd bring plenty of scoring power." [ESPN]
An example of not just Johnson's skill as a shot-maker, but also his versatility in that department, is on display with this sequence:
Three consecutive Tre Johnson shots pic.twitter.com/13YtmlDRCC
— Matt Powers (@DraftPow) January 19, 2025
The most interesting part of Givony's analysis is the use of the word "wing." Johnson is listed at 6-foot-6 and has a solid wingspan, but is also listed at anywhere between 183 and 190 pounds. He certainly has time to put on muscle, but for a Sixers team that already has to answer questions about the viability of a small backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain — while also hoping to re-sign 6-foot-4 shooting guard Quentin Grimes on a long-term deal — it is fair to wonder how many players of that sort can fit on one team.
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Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
This is a bit of an outside-the-box suggestion, as most mocks currently project Murray-Boyles to land in the latter portion of the lottery. But O'Connor wondered if adding another scoring guard like Johnson is the right move for the Sixers:
"Not really, which is why I find myself wondering if they’d reach for Murray-Boyles, who operates like a defensive savant the way he locks down every position, uses his ninja-quick hands to swipe at the ball, and inhales rebounds. CMB would add something completely different to the Sixers' rotation. And though Murray-Boyles is an unproven shooter, he’s a bulldozer finisher with a playmaking feel. If he fixes his jumper, there’s All-Star upside." [Yahoo! Sports]
Murray-Boyles, who will be 20 years old during his rookie campaign, looks to be a prospect of extremes; his signature skills are jaw-dropping and his weaknesses could derail his chances of stardom. When looking at Murray-Boyles' statistical profiles, a few things stand out, with the first being his impressive defensive production (1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks per game), and the next being his acumen on the glass for a 6-foot-7, 231-pound wing (8.3 rebounds per game). But he also has some passing chops that could be tapped into at the next level:
So many examples this season of CMB setting guys up with wide open looks but not getting the assist pic.twitter.com/J0mxPrsOcq
— Wilko (@wilkomcv) April 4, 2025
If the Sixers end up picking at No. 5 and have conviction in Murray-Boyles as the ideal target, could they attempt to move down the board a few spots and acquire an additional asset or two in the process? It is a risky game to play, but could be a possible path.
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Now, this is where things get extremely interesting. Could the Sixers use their first-round pick not to find a player that is an ideal fit growing alongside Joel Embiid, but insurance for Embiid? Most who have floated the idea have done it in support of Duke center Khaman Maluach, a 7-foot-2 rim-runner. Queen is still lower than Maluach on most big boards, but for the Sixers specifically, he might be the superior option because he has a chance of being someone capable of sharing the floor with Embiid in lineups with frontcourt size. Wasserman makes the case for Queen as a prospect:
"Scouts that thought highly of Derik Queen before the NCAA tournament should only feel more confident after Maryland's Sweet 16 exit. His three three-point makes and 27-point game against No. 1 seed Florida could have only helped turn some of the skeptics.
Queen's skill level, scoring versatility and passing IQ have been strong enough indicators of offensive success that certain teams will be willing to look past his defensive limitations." [Bleacher Report]
Queen was at the center of Maryland's pair of tournament wins — literally and figuratively — which included this game-winning buzzer-beater:
MARYLAND MADNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TERPS WIN IT! pic.twitter.com/NO0UozXVyj— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 24, 2025
In a vacuum, it is difficult to imagine the Sixers feeling compelled to use such a valuable asset on what could merely be an insurance policy after such a harrowing season. But with Maxey, McCain and Grimes set to take on the bulk of the team's guard minutes moving forward, and not a ton of viable wing options in this region of the board, maybe this is the right draft class to take someone like Queen or Maluach.
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