Sixers to get a better idea of draft, free agency options in NBA lottery

Keith Pompey, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Apr 28, 2025

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PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers are hopeful about the June 25-26 NBA draft and the free-agency period that begins on June 30.

But the May 12 draft lottery in Chicago could shape their approach to both, as ways to upgrade their roster.

The lottery will give them a better idea of where they’ll draft and how much money will be available to retain players.

The Sixers already have $149.1 million in guaranteed salary allocated to four players — Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain — next season, while the projected salary cap is $154.6 million. How close they sit to the first ($195.9 million) and second luxury-tax aprons ($207.8 million) could impact their roster-building strategy.

“We won’t know until May 12, I think, whether the draft pick will come this year or next year,” said Daryl Morey, the Sixers’ president of basketball operations.

The uncertainty surrounds the Sixers’ first-round pick being top-six protected. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be rewarded the pick if it falls out of the top six in the draft lottery. By finishing with the fifth-worst record, the Sixers have a 63.9% chance of keeping the pick.

“Obviously, that leaves a 36% chance that we’d get it next year if we don’t get it this year,” Morey said. “And yes, if we hit the 64% chance of the top-six pick, that would definitely give us another tool, along with our second-round picks and our future picks to upgrade this team into next season.”

The Sixers regained their second-round pick in June’s draft as part of their Feb. 4 trade with the Dallas Mavericks. That pick will be No. 35 overall.

Because of the rookie pay scale, their draft selections will determine how much money they’ll have available to spend on free agents.

Morey has openly stated that he feels good about retaining Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele.

However, Yabusele will be a sought-after unrestricted free agent this summer. And the Sixers could be at a disadvantage due to not having his Bird rights since he played on a one-year, minimum salary contract for $2.1 million. As a result, the Sixers can offer him a limited raise, typically 120% of his previous season’s salary, unless they use a mid-level exception.

The Sixers would be hard-capped at the first apron by using their $14.1 million non-taxpayer, mid-level exception to re-sign him. As a result, the team couldn’t exceed that threshold for the entire 2025-26 league year.

It would be hard-capped at the second apron — instead of the first — if Yabusele settles for a $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception. And depending on how much Grimes demands as an unrestricted free agent, the Sixers could have a tough time keeping him, Yabusele, and Kelly Oubre Jr., in addition to a top-six pick in the draft.

Oubre, who has an $8.3 million player option for next season, intends to remain a Sixer.

“We love what Guerschon was able to bring,” Morey said. “I think that was a great job by our scouting department. A great job by the coaching staff getting the most out of him. … Obviously, he’s an unrestricted free agent so it’s not for sure whenever that happens, but we would like to retain him.”

Grimes being a restricted free agent initially sounded great for the Sixers.

Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets with other teams, but the original team is allowed to match that offer. If the Sixers were to match an outside offer, Grimes would return to Philly.

But what if another team is willing to overpay for Grimes, knowing the Sixers have a lot of money tied up in other players? Will the Sixers still match a deal that has the potential to set them back financially?

“We’re excited for him to come back,” Morey said of Grimes. “We’ve positioned ourselves to bring him back.”

One can argue that the Sixers have no choice but to bring him back, considering what he has accomplished during his short stint as a Sixer.

Grimes averaged career highs of 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 33.7 minutes in his 28 games as a Sixer. The combination guard also scored a career-high 46 points and had five games with at least 30 points.

The 24-year-old has turned out to be a great pickup. A top-six pick would also be a great get for the Sixers.

Because of health concerns with Embiid (left knee) and George (left groin and left knee), the first-round pick could become one of their best players. As a result, it would make little sense to trade the pick.

“Definitely the best player available,” Morey said of whom the Sixers will target in the draft. “It has to be that in the draft for sure. But we see the pick as sort of a tool to upgrade the team. It will matter if it’s one, two, three, four, five, six, or we just have the pick in the future. It could also happen.

“It’s just a tool to make the team better, but obviously, there’s a good chance we take someone. In that case, it will just be the best player. I’ve never shied from that.”

We’ll have a better idea of the Sixers’ options following the lottery.

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