The 76ers enter the NBA Draft with the No. 22 pick, and Mike Gansey’s first major team-building test is already here. Philadelphia gets a mid-first-round chance to patch a roster that still needs size, shooting, defense, rebounding, durability, playmaking and depth.
The pick came from the Jared McCain trade at the February deadline, giving Philadelphia a clear asset to work with on Tuesday night. The 76ers won 45 games and reached the second round, but the New York Knicks exposed the holes that still need fixing.
Gansey’s first draft call
Gansey now has to choose whether to chase the best player available at No. 22 or target a cleaner fit for a group built around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Paul George. That quartet is good enough to stack up with almost any in the NBA, yet the roster around it still looks thin.
Philadelphia is described as being mostly its top four and spare parts. That leaves the draft as the fastest route to rotation-level help, especially for a team trying to add more playoff-viable depth without giving up the flexibility tied to this pick.
Philadelphia’s front-office work
Before the NBA Draft, the front office worked through agent workouts and brought in Zuby Ejiofor, Dailyn Swain, Koa Peat, Chris Cenac Jr., Isaiah Evans and Allen Graves for in-person interviews. It also interviewed more candidates via Zoom.
The prospect list shows how broad the search has been. Labaron Philon, a wispy point guard out of Alabama, is one option, while Swain is a do-it-all wing out of Texas. Sam Vecenie projects Chris Cenac Jr. to Philadelphia in his latest mock draft, giving the 76ers at least one center-leaning name to weigh.
Embiid, depth and fit
The center spot remains the clearest pressure point because Embiid will inevitably miss games. Philadelphia also needs another power forward, which keeps the conversation from being limited to one position or one skill set.
That is the real shape of the decision at No. 22. The 76ers need size and athleticism, but they also need shooting, defenders, rebounders and a player who can survive playoff minutes when the top four cannot carry every possession. Tuesday night gives Gansey his first chance to show how he wants to solve that problem.
