Lost in all the controversy that the 2025 NBA draft lottery provided, the Philadelphia 76ers were an underrated winner of the draft lottery. They were merely hoping to keep their pick out of the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder by ending up with the fifth selection. Instead, that pick ended up being third, giving them the chance to draft a future star.
With Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper both virtual locks to be selected by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, the Sixers seem likely to pick Rutgers forward Ace Bailey. Despite him being a polarizing prospect, the talent is certainly there, with him measuring out at 6'9 and projecting to be a high-scoring forward in the NBA.
He has even drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, though he may not have quite that high a ceiling. Even so, there is All-Star potential that the Sixers will hopefully bring out of him. However, while the Sixers got a higher pick, it comes with some complications.
The Philadelphia 76ers drafting higher could cost them two rotation players.
One complication is that a higher pick means a higher rookie salary than the Sixers were expecting. The difference in salary between the third and fifth picks is $2 million. That might not seem significant, but the Sixers needed that breathing room to stay under the first apron.
They will owe $173 million to seven players, including Bailey. That means they will have around $22 million below the first apron but will have to sign at least six more players.
That could cost them two key rotation players, Guerschon Yabusele and Quentin Grimes. The Sixers can only offer Yabusele $2.85 million in free agency without using an exception, which they aren't likely to have. Additionally, Grimes played like a star after being traded from the Mavericks at the trade deadline.
The 76ers may lose Guerschon Yabusele and Quentin Grimes
As a result, a team with access to either cap space or the mid-level exception will likely sign him to an expensive offer sheet that the Sixers can't afford to match. Losing those two players would be a blow to them, but adding Bailey would likely be worth it.
After all, he is just 19 years old, and while the Sixers will be expecting to return to the playoffs next season, they are likely also looking toward the future. Joel Embiid is already on the wrong side of 30, and who knows how long he will be able to play at a star level when healthy? That could result in a new era with Tyrese Maxey being the obvious future face of the franchise.
Maxey, Bailey, and Jared McCain, who was the frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year before his season-ending injury, would be a great starting block for an inevitable rebuild. Still, the Sixers will likely have to take a short-term hit by possibly losing Yabusele and Grimes.