The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of work to do this offseason. The 2024-25 season is one they hoped to be competitive in.

This is why the 76ers went all-out to sign Paul George to a massive contract. But George’s injury issues reared their ugly heads once again.

Rookie Jared McCain also had an impressive season, but suffered a similar fate to George. Add to that Joel Embiid’s massive injury concerns, and the 76ers ended the season 13th in the East with a 24-58 record.

The silver lining in this terrible situation was the 76ers landing the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. While the 76ers’ draft history is murky at best, it’s really hard to get it wrong with this year’s draft class.

It appears, however, that there is no guarantee surrounding the 76ers’ plan with the NBA Draft, as they are in talks with several different teams over their pick.

What are the potential deals that the 76ers are considering? We’ve put together all the latest intel on the 76ers’ plans ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images

It appears one of the main routes the 76ers are taking is trying to move up in the draft. The 76ers have discussed a potential trade with the Spurs, which could see them acquire the second overall pick and relinquish their third overall and some assets.

As things stand, the two sides have just had talks. A reliable insider who goes by Ary on X added that there are no signs of a trade materializing just yet.

“The Philadelphia 76ers have indeed engaged with the Spurs on the No. 2 pick. However, there’s no traction toward a deal at this point, sources said, more exploratory than substantive.”

If the 76ers want to get their hands on the #2 pick, they will face competition. Sam Amico is reporting that the New Orleans Pelicans are also interested in moving up via a trade.

“One league source told Hoops Wire he’s heard that new Pelicans head of basketball operations Joe Dumars has already called the Spurs about what it would take to move up to No. 2.”

If this move materializes, it would be so that they could presumably land Rutgers standout Dylan Harper. However, given that Harper plays the same positions as Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes, three of the 76ers’ best players, this might not be the wisest move.

But what if the 76ers chose not to trade up, and actually traded down instead? Ary reported that the Brooklyn Nets are considering approaching the 76ers for the #3 overall pick and will consider taking on Paul George‘s massive contract in return.

“Sources: The Brooklyn Nets have held internal discussions about moving up in the draft and are open to acquiring the No. 3 pick from Philadelphia by including assets, and would be willing to take on Paul George’s long-term salary in a trade.”

“While Brooklyn is open to this scenario and has had internal discussions about it, league sources say, it’s unclear whether Philadelphia would entertain such a deal involving the No. 3 pick and Paul George’s contract.”

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams expected to make trades ahead of the NBA Draft. And after their hopes of trading for the #2 overall pick were destroyed, they might target the next-best option.

However, Ary did clarify that the Nets wouldn’t want to give up their 8th overall pick. Rather, they want an additional lottery pick, presumably leveraging Cameron Johnson and their #19, #26, and #27 picks. But the possibility of trading the 8th pick isn’t out of the question.

Clarification: My understanding is that Brooklyn would aim to acquire a second lottery pick in addition to keeping No. 8 — not include it in a deal. Brooklyn would be willing to do such scenario with 76ers, but it remains to be seen what Philadelphia ultimately does with No. 3. https://t.co/uNjf7qK7jx

— Ary (@Ary_Report) June 12, 2025

In any possible deal, the 76ers would demand the 8th overall pick. It’s hard to see them giving up a lottery pick for three picks outside of the lottery.

But the latest on Paul George is that the 76ers intend to keep him and will run it back with him and Embiid at full health.

While the 76ers have engaged in trade talks over their #3 pick, for the time being, they are trucking along. According to Jake Fischer, the team has scheduled meetings with Ace Bailey and V.J. Edgecombe.

“We first reported how Philadelphia brought Baylor freshman V.J. Edgecombe for a private workout last week. By day’s end, we reported that the Sixers had also scheduled Rutgers forward Ace Bailey for a visit sometime next week.”

Bailey and Edgecombe are the best shooting guards in this year’s class and have shown signs that they can play the three.

But once again, the presence of Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes, and Paul George could make playing time limited for them both.

While we mentioned the Pelicans are looking to move up in the draft, it appears this has more ramifications on the 76ers than expected.

Kevin O’Connor is reporting that the Pelicans want to move up from #7 to land V.J. Edgecombe, and are making moves to do so.

“League sources continue to cite the Pelicans as a team aggressively looking to move up in the draft, with most front-office executives believing Bailey is the target of new general manager Joe Dumars.”

The 76ers must make sure to keep a close eye on the Pelicans’ activity in the coming weeks, as it could dictate what direction they take.

With so many potential routes for the 76ers to take, President Daryl Morey must be cautious with the decision-making process.

After a terrible season where everything went wrong for them, the 76ers cannot afford to botch an offseason so important.

Morey is one of the league’s best and shrewdest executives. While not every decision he makes is a home run, he has a strong hit rate.

As things stand, the 76ers are in an advantageous position heading into the draft. If Morey can leverage their #3 pick for some better assets, he should try his best, whether that involves moving up or down the lottery.