Sixers jump two spots in 2025 NBA draft lottery, draw No. 3 overall pick in draft
After a season where everything went wrong, the Philadelphia 76ers will keep their pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The Sixers drew the No. 3 overall pick Monday night after entering the draft lottery with the fifth-best odds of earning the No. 1 overall pick.
The Dallas Mavericks won the lottery and will pick No. 1 overall in this year's draft. They had a 1.8% chance of winning it.
In a year that started with championship aspirations, the Sixers finished the 2024-25 season with a 24-58 record. The team's core — Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey — each dealt with injuries and were eventually all shut down at different points of the season.
The Sixers will now have the chance to add to their core of Embiid, George, Maxey and even Jared McCain, with a top prospect in the 2025 NBA draft — or they could decide to trade the pick.
With the Sixers keeping their pick in the 2025 NBA draft, it means the Oklahoma City Thunder will have the rights to Philadelphia's first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft. The pick will be top-four protected as a result of the deal that sent Al Horford to the Thunder in 2020.
Sixers' president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters before the lottery he would approach the draft by taking the best player available.
The Sixers also own the No. 35 overall pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft.
Sixers' history at No. 3 overall in NBA draft
The Sixers have picked at No. 3 overall in the NBA draft four times.
In 2014, the Sixers selected Embiid with the third overall pick in the NBA draft out of Kansas. The Sixers also picked No. 3 overall in the 2015 NBA draft, when they selected Jahlil Okafor out of Duke.
The Sixers picked Jerry Stackhouse No. 3 overall in the 1995 NBA draft, and they picked Charles Smith out of Pittsburgh in the 1988 NBA draft, but then traded him immediately to the Los Angeles Clippers for Hersey Hawkins and a 1989 first-round pick.
The last time the Sixers had the No. 3 overall pick was in the 2017 NBA draft, but the team traded it to the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 overall pick.
After the trade, the Sixers picked Washington guard Markelle Fultz with the No. 1 overall pick and the Celtics took Duke forward Jayson Tatum.
When is the 2025 NBA draft?
The 2025 NBA draft is a two-day event that begins on Wednesday, June 25, and ends on Thursday, June 26. It will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The first round will take place Wednesday, and the second round will take place Thursday. The first round of the NBA draft will air on ABC and ESPN, while the second round will be televised on ESPN.
Who are the top 2025 NBA draft prospects?
The 2025 NBA draft is headlined by Duke forward Cooper Flagg.
Flagg earned National College Player of the Year honors at Duke as a freshman. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 48% from the field. He also shot 38.5% from 3-point range.
Rutgers also has a pair of players entering the 2025 NBA draft.
Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-6 guard, is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the 2025 NBA draft by CBS Sports. He averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a freshman. Harper was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and earned Third-Team conference honors.
Ace Bailey, another talented Rutgers player, is ranked as the No. 3 prospect by CBS Sports. Along with Harper, he was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Third-Team conference honors.
Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and shot 46% from the field at Rutgers.
