With less than two weeks to go until the 2025 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers appear to be exploring all options with the No. 3 overall pick.

On Thursday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was the first to report that the Sixers "have engaged" with the San Antonio Spurs about trading up one spot for the No. 2 overall pick. Both Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports and Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer later confirmed Scotto's report, although Neubeck added that "any movement with their pick isn't expected until closer to/on draft night."

The Dallas Mavericks have "made clear publicly and privately" that they plan to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Jonathan Givony, which means Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is the heavy favorite to go at No. 2. Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports explored Monday how Harper’s potentially questionable on-court fit with incumbent Spurs guards De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle could make them think twice about standing pat at No. 2 and taking him.

It’s unclear what the Sixers would have to include beyond the No. 3 pick to move up one spot in the draft. They could offer Jared McCain, the No. 16 pick in the 2024 draft, who was the early front-runner for Rookie of the Year this past season before he suffered a meniscus tear in mid-December. They also have a fully unprotected 2028 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers that has fairly high upside for the time being.

If the Spurs were willing to accept No. 3 and the Clippers' 2028 first-rounder for No. 2, that could have key implications for the Sixers heading into free agency.

The Sixers already have nearly $149.1 million in guaranteed salary tied up in 2025-26 between Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tyrese Maxey and McCain. The No. 3 pick is set to carry a cap hit of $11.1 million (provided he receives the typical 120% of the rookie-scale amount), whereas the No. 2 pick figures to have a first-year salary of nearly $12.4 million.

That $1.3 million difference may not sound like a lot, but every dollar will count for the Sixers this summer as they try to navigate their proximity to the aprons.

If Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.4 million) and Andre Drummond ($5.0 million) pick up their respective player options, the Sixers would be up to nearly $162.5 million in salary before factoring in their first-round pick. If they also picked up their team options on Justin Edwards and Adem Bona (just under $2.0 million each), they'd be at roughly $166.4 million in salary.

The 2025-26 salary cap is expected to be $154.6 million, so the Sixers are already projected to be well above that line. They should be far more concerned with the $195.9 million first apron and $207.8 million second apron. They won't be allowed to take back more salary than they send out in a trade or acquire players via sign-and-trade if they cross the first apron, while they couldn't aggregate two smaller contracts in a trade to acquire a larger salary if they cross the second apron.

Staying under the first apron would also give the Sixers access to the $14.1 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception, although using it would hard-cap the Sixers at that line. If they're under the second apron, they'll have the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE at their disposal, whereas teams over the second apron have no MLE whatsoever.

If they added the No. 3 pick to the roster with Embiid, George, Maxey, McCain, Oubre, Drummond, Edwards and Bona, they’d be at nearly $177.5 million in salary heading into free agency. If they traded for the No. 2 pick without shedding any salary, they'd be at $178.7 million in salary, which would leave them roughly $30 million below the second apron.

Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele are the Sixers' two big variables in free agency.

Grimes had a breakout second half of the season after the Sixers acquired him ahead of the trade deadline, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game across 28 appearances with the Sixers. That should put him in line for a hefty raise over the $4.3 million he earned this past season, but he's entering free agency at the worst possible time from an overall market perspective.

As of now, the Brooklyn Nets are the only team that's projected to have significant cap space this offseason. There's no guarantee that the Nets spend that money on free agents, though. They could instead opt to work their way into blockbuster trades as a salary-dumping ground, provided they acquire draft picks and/or young prospects as sweeteners.

Realistically, Grimes might have to settle for something around the $14.1 million non-taxpayer MLE unless he can convince the Sixers to sign-and-trade him elsewhere. If he wound up taking that exact amount, the Sixers would be up to $192.8 million in total salary after trading up for the No. 2 pick. That would leave them with only $15 million in wiggle room under the second apron.

The Sixers should have just enough flexibility to spend the $5.7 million taxpayer MLE and round out the rest of their roster with minimum-salary contracts. Team president Daryl Morey typically prefers to leave one roster spot open heading into the season, which could help the Sixers save $2.3 million against the aprons for the time being. Either way, the math would be tight but workable.

However, if Grimes does command significantly more money—something in the $20-plus million range—the Sixers might have to look to shed salary to maintain access to the taxpayer MLE. If they can't, they might not have a realistic chance of re-signing Yabusele.

Yabusele signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract last summer after his breakout run at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and he vastly outplayed that deal amidst the Sixers' lost 2024-25 season. Since he was on a one-year contract, the Sixers only have non-Bird rights on him, which means they can't offer him more than 120% of a minimum contract as the starting salary of a new deal.

Navigating Grimes and Yabusele's free agency while staying below the second apron could be a challenge for the Sixers this offseason. Adding an extra $1.3 million in salary by jumping up from the No. 3 overall pick to No. 2 might only further complicate matters.

The upgrade from the prospects who figure to be available at No. 3 to Harper at No. 2 may justify that headache. But that's among the many variables that the Sixers have to consider as they weigh whether to stand pat, trade up or move down in the draft.

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

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