The 2025 NBA draft is looking to be one of the craziest in recent years. With two weeks leading up to the draft, there are already rumors about teams trying to move up or down. Cooper Flagg is the consensus No.1 pick right now. Dylan Harper is believed to be the second-best player in the draft, and apparently, the Philadelphia 76ers want a chance to draft him.
76ers Eyeing a Blockbuster Trade With the Spurs
The Sixers had one of their worst seasons in recent history last year. But their reward was moving up in the draft and getting the No.3 pick. If that pick fell outside of the top six, it would have gone to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But it seems like the Sixers are not happy with the third overall pick. According to recent reports by Michael Sotto, they have started talks with the San Antonio Spurs, who hold the second overall pick.
Sources: The 76ers have engaged with the Spurs about potentially moving up to the No. 2 pick. For now, the Sixers have zeroed in on four NBA Draft prospects with the No. 3 pick, including a private workout last week with VJ Edgecombe and Ace Bailey visiting Philadelphia next week
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 12, 2025
There is only one reason for the 76ers to move up in the draft to No.2, and his name is Dylan Harper. It seems like Philly is more interested in him than taking Edgecombe or Bailey.
What Can the Sixers Offer?
The Philadelphia 76ers have some juicy picks that they can offer to the Spurs to trade up to the second-overall pick and get Harper. They own a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2028 draft and a top-three protected swap in 2029. The Sixers have some second-round picks as well.
If the Spurs ask for players in the trade, the Sixers do not have many players under contract that they can trade. They have only six players under contract right now for next season, including their high-salary players like Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George. The other three are Jared McCain, Adem Bona, and Ricky Council IV.
Who Needs Harper More, the 76ers or the Spurs?
The battle for Harper is an interesting one between the Sixers and Spurs. Both have two guards on their roster. For the Sixers, those two are Maxey, their franchise point guard, and McCain. The latter proved last year that he can be a valuable rotational player. In the first two months of the season, McCain looked like a potential Rookie of the Year Winner.
The Spurs have the eventual ROY winner, Stephon Castle, and the point guard they traded for, De’Aaron Fox. At first glance, it might seem like neither team needs a point guard. But when you are a potential playoff team with a high draft pick, you do not look at fit. You draft the player with the highest upside and figure things out afterward.
Are the Sixers Moving Away from The Process?
The Sixers had two paths with the third overall pick in this year’s draft. One is to get younger and hope to rebuild around Maxey in the following years. Embiid is 31 years old and hasn’t had a fully healthy, regular season and playoffs once. PG, the guy they traded for last summer, had one of his worst seasons, and he will turn 36 before next season’s playoffs.
The other path was to trade the third pick for another win-now player, but now it seems they are looking to add even better young talent. Harper is widely considered a future star, and pairing him with Maxey can be a recipe for success in the next 10 years.
Featured image: © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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