After a disastrous season during which Joel Embiid performed solely a handful of video games earlier than needing knee surgical procedure, Philadelphia’s reward was getting the third decide in Wednesday evening’s NBA draft, which it used to pick out Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe.
Edgecombe, who was a part of the Bahamian nationwide staff final summer season alongside a number of present NBA gamers, is an explosive 19-year-old guard who may very well be a long-term complement to All-Star Tyrese Maxey in Philadelphia’s backcourt.
Who the Sixers have been concentrating on with the decide was a matter of debate all through the pre-draft course of and Edgecombe mentioned he wasn’t certain he’d be the choice till his identify was known as.
“No, I had no clue what was occurring,” he mentioned. “I used to be like, I am simply residing within the second till they inform me that I am going there once I was on the desk. Like 15 seconds earlier than they drafted me, earlier than the commissioner known as my identify. They did not inform me nothing. It was nonetheless up within the air about what was occurring.”
The 76ers’ decide practically went to the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder as a part of the Al Horford-Danny Inexperienced swap 5 years in the past, however it had a top-six safety, letting the Sixers retain it. The Thunder nonetheless ended up with two picks within the first spherical, drafting massive man Thomas Sorber at decide No. 15 and guard Nique Clifford at No. 24. Tight on roster spots, the Thunder shortly dealt Clifford to the Sacramento Kings.
In the meantime, Ace Bailey — projected for a lot of the season because the third decide — ended up falling to the Utah Jazz at No. 5. The Rutgers star had a chaotic predraft course of that included canceling a gathering with the Sixers.
Bailey’s teammate at Rutgers, Dylan Harper, went to the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 2 decide, whereas Cooper Flagg was drafted No. 1 by the Dallas Mavericks, as anticipated. The Spurs additionally chosen ahead Carter Bryant out of Arizona with the No. 14 decide.
At No. 4, the Charlotte Hornets chosen Duke’s Kon Knueppel, a sweet-shooting guard who ought to assist a Hornets staff that struggled to hit catch-and-shoot 3s. The Wizards chosen Tre Johnson, who led all Division I freshmen with 19.9 factors per sport final season at Texas, with the No. 6 decide.
The New Orleans Pelicans chosen Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma) at 7, the Brooklyn Nets took 6-foot-8 guard Egor Demin out of BYU at 8, and the Raptors chosen ahead Collin Murray-Boyles at 9.
The Phoenix Suns, who acquired the No. 10 decide from the Houston Rockets final week as a part of the Kevin Durant commerce, chosen Duke middle Khaman Maluach similtaneously they acquired middle Mark Williams from the Hornets.
Maluach’s choice gave Duke three top-10 picks and 50 within the first spherical since 1989, shifting previous Kentucky (48) for many by any faculty.
“It was so emotional attending to see my teammates, my fellow freshmen getting drafted,” Maluach mentioned. “I used to be so glad for them as a result of they deserve the whole lot they’ve. They labored arduous for it, for that second, too.”
The Portland Trail Blazers traded the No. 11 decide to the Memphis Grizzlies, who chosen Cedric Coward. The Blazers acquired the No. 16 decide, a 2028 first-round decide through Orlando and two seconds again within the deal. The Blazers then used the No. 16 decide on Chinese language middle Yang Hansen in a shock as Portland at the moment has a number of facilities on its roster.
Hansen is the third Chinese language-born participant to be chosen within the first spherical, becoming a member of Yao Ming (first in 2002) and Yi Jianlian (sixth in 2007).
After the Bulls chosen French ahead Noa Essengue with the No. 12 decide, the Atlanta Hawks swung a commerce sending the No. 13 decide to the Pelicans for No. 23 and an unprotected 2026 first, sources instructed ESPN’s Shams Charania. The decide in 2026 would be the most favorable between New Orleans’ and Milwaukee’s picks.
With the No. 13 decide, the Pelicans chosen middle Derik Queen out of Maryland, who hit the one profitable buzzer beater within the 2025 NCAA match. With the No. 23 decide, the Hawks chosen defensive-minded wing Drake Powell out of North Carolina.
In one other commerce, the Wizards chosen Florida star Walter Clayton Jr. with the No. 18 decide then traded him to Utah for picks No. 21 and 43 in addition to second-round picks in 2031 and 2032.
Clayton was the star of the NCAA match, scoring an SEC-record 134 factors to assist the Gators win the title.
The Jazz used the No. 21 decide they acquired within the deal to pick out Illinois wing Will Riley, the Huge Ten sixth man of the 12 months.