2026 NBA Draft Needs: Philadelphia 76ers

Few expected the Philadelphia 76ers to make the playoffs, much less beat the Celtics in the first round. Now they have an exciting guard duo but little else beyond that. The majority of their playoff team is entering free agency, and they have two massive contracts weighing them down in injury-riddled Joel Embiid and aging Paul George. At the same time, this also means their wing, forward, and big man minutes are up for the taking. This year’s draft selections will have the runway, minutes, and playmaking to fully show what they're made of. Who those selections will be and who will best maximize this opportunity is the question.

State of the Team:

Rebuilding: Unless Embiid’s knee regenerates

Positional Strengths and Weaknesses:

Guards:

The 76ers’ guard corps is Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe

Tyrese Maxey is one of the top point guards in the NBA. His immense workload this past year was required, unfortunately. The 76ers had $144 million of last year’s cap spent on three players. They have several rotational pieces entering free agency, and so Maxey will again need to lead the league in minutes per game if the 76ers are going to be competitive.

VJ Edgecombe had an incredibly promising rookie year. He will be a perennial All-Defense selection as soon as next year, and has jaw-dropping athleticism. His offense was surprisingly NBA ready. Maxey being the primary ballhandler and floor general will let Edgecombe develop at his own pace and not be rushed to do too much, too quickly. The 76ers have an incredibly promising guard duo that could terrorize the league for years.

Wings/Forwards

The 76ers’ wing and forward corps is Paul George, Dominick Barlow, Trendon Watford, Jabari Walker, Justin Edwards, and Johni Broome

Paul George is one of the most untradable contracts in the NBA. His regression in his first year in Philadelphia was severe. This past season, his second with the 76ers, he regained some form but then was suspended for 25 games for breaking the NBA’s anti-drug policy. He’s already 36 and has two more years on his contract. He can still provide valuable mentorship and borderline starting play if he doesn’t regress further.

Dominick Barlow, Trendon Watford, and Jabari Walker got major minutes and started 59, 7, and 6 games, respectively. They are all young players released or waived, signed to two-year prove-it deals, and are entering the end of those deals. They may stay on the roster as rotation players, but haven’t shown the growth to be influential in draft decisions. Justin Edwards, and Johni Broome are young players on rookie contracts. Edwards is entering his third season and could be a bench piece when the 76ers are competing. Broomi, drafted as an older, more NBA-ready rookie, needs to show growth in his upcoming sophomore season and earn more than 55 minutes on the NBA court.

Bigs:

The 76ers big corps is Joel Embiid and Adem Bona

Joel Embiid hasn’t been the same since winning MVP back in the 2022-23 season. When he’s on the court, he’s still a world-beater. However, he has had multiple knee surgeries to clean out debris and has only played 96 games over the past three seasons. He’s 32, and the world isn’t likely to see another 65-plus game season from Embiid. The 76ers have him signed to a supermax contract, paying him $67 million in 2028-29 at the end of the contract and when Embiid is 34. The 76ers won’t be able to contend with that contract and his knees, but they can use these years to mentor and develop the next young core.

Adem Bona is a 23-year-old rebounding and blocking backup big man. He scores very efficiently on very low volume, but given he doesn’t turnover the ball much and doesn’t get into foul trouble, he could become a key role player for the 76ers next great center.

Draft Needs:

The 76ers can’t compete for several years. They can have a surprise deep run if Embiid is used sparingly in the regular season and is semi-healthy for the playoffs. But any realistic contending will be done when the Embiid and George contracts have expired. The good news is the 76ers have one of the best guard duos in the league and are only getting better. In this draft, the 76ers need to target raw prospects with high ceilings.

Prospects that Fit:

Karim Lopez (PF/Wing, New Zealand Breakers)

Karim Lopez is one of the handful of young late-first-round prospects the 76ers can choose from at 19 years old. At 6-foot-8, 221 pounds, with a 7-foot wingspan, Lopez spent the past year in the NBL playing for the New Zealand Breakers. There he played against former NBA players and G League-level opposition. Right now, Lopez is an uncut gemstone. He has plenty of NBA-level measurements and physical tools, but discovering whether he’s common quartz or a rarified diamond will require several years of focused development.

Lopez has the size to be a three or a four at the next level, but finding his footing will be a challenge. Right now, he’s a talented driver with a unique set of strange angles and shots he uses as his bread and butter on drives. He does have jumpshot, shooting 32.6% on 3 attempts per game, but mechanically it’s slow, and in a faster league he could struggle if he can’t speed it up. On defense, his fundamentals need major work. On-ball he holds up, but as a help defender, his instincts and feel are way out of sync with teammates. He overcommits one possession and then undercommits the next. This can result in getting turnovers but also leads to easy buckets. He does put in the effort; he averaged 3 fouls per game, but needs refinement and hardcore development.

Lopez’s stat line reflects the ball of clay he is. He averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 1.5 turnovers, and 3 fouls, with a 58.8% true shooting percentage. He contributes as a rebounder, as a connective passer, as a lengthy defender, and as a unique driver. He doesn’t have a clear archetype that he fits into, and on a 76ers team open to all possibilities with no limitations, he can develop into the type of player he was meant to be.

Zuby Ejiofor (PF/Big, St. John’s)

Given the few young players available later in the draft, the 76ers could also explore getting glue guys. Zuby Ejiofor out of St. John’s is criminally underrated. At 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Ejiofor is a rumbling, tumbling, physical machine. He led St. Johns to the Sweet Sixteen this past season and barely lost 80-75 against Cam Boozer’s Duke team. His leadership, all-around play, and imposing game give him a good floor in the NBA.

Ejiofor led St. John’s in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.1 blocks, 2.1 turnovers, and 2.4 fouls, on 60.9% true shooting. He did everything for St. Johns. His game is predicated on his bone-crushing strength. His drives and post-ups blend the length of his arms with the power he generates to great effect. His defense is switchable and filled with effort. He can play as a smallball five or power forward. There is the concern of how his power and strength will match-up against NBA players. He could struggle against the speed of big forwards, and the raw power of the 7-foot giants of the game. But it isn’t known until Ejiofor plays.

His offense is limited to post moves, rim-running, and cutting. He’s already 22 years old, so doesn’t have much more physical development in the tank. His threeball is woefully underdeveloped, shooting 30.5% on 1.6 attempts per game. Despite the concerns, he’s a good basketball player. He plays hard, with NBA-level physicality, and elevated a St. John’s team to a deep playoff run. The 76ers could use the personality and playstyle Ejiofor provides in their locker room. At a minimum, he should be a leader on the second unit. Given his progressive improvement season after season, Ejiofor may surprise the NBA and become a fan-favorite starter for the 76ers in this era of turmoil.