The Philadelphia 76ers hit a new low on Monday night, losing 142-110 to the shorthanded Chicago Bulls in front of a jeering, dejected Wells Fargo Center.
That is eight straight losses for the Sixers, including seven straight since Daryl Morey infamously said Philadelphia is still a contender "if you squint." Rarely does an NBA team look so hopeless, so devoid of purpose out on the court. Joel Embiid was hurt for Monday's game (and is potentially done for the season), but Chicago has been a bottom-five offense since the Zach LaVine trade. Getting roasted by Josh Giddey and the Nikola Vucevic-less Bulls to the tune of 142 points is comically inept.
Nothing on paper would suggest that the Sixers are this bad. This is a team that has lost the will to compete. Nick Nurse's rotations are a mess, and yeah, it's hard to build a rhythm when your stars are available less than half the time. But we have seen injury-riddled teams put up more respectable efforts than this. Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, two max contract former All-Stars, were both on the court in Monday's shellacking. The Sixers have rolled over and died, and it's hard to imagine them waking back up.
It's all about the tank moving forward, really no matter what happens with Embiid's diagnosis. The Sixers' first-round pick in a loaded 2025 NBA Draft is top-six protected. Otherwise it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Right now, the Sixers possess the sixth-best lottery odds — right on the bubble. They're two games ahead of the Toronto Raptors for the fifth-best lottery odds. Charlotte is 5.5 games back with the fourth-best odds, but at this rate, we discount it. Philly might lose out.
If there's a silver lining to this season, it's that Philadelphia should get an impactful player if the pick conveys. The top of the draft is plenty loaded.
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2025 NBA Mock Draft as Joel Embiid, 76ers come apart at the seams
Order | Player | Team | Pos., School |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cooper Flagg | Washington Wizards | F, Duke |
2 | Dylan Harper | Utah Jazz | G, Rutgers |
3 | Ace Bailey | New Orleans Pelicans | F, Rutgers |
4 | VJ Edgecombe | Charlotte Hornets | G, Baylor |
5 | Khaman Maluach | Toronto Raptors | C, Duke |
6 | Kasparas Jakucionis | Philadelphia 76ers | G, Illinois |
7 | Jeremiah Fears | Brooklyn Nets | G, Oklahoma |
8 | Derik Queen | Chicago Bulls | C, Maryland |
9 | Collin Murray-Boyles | Portland Trail Blazers | F, South Carolina |
10 | Kon Knueppel | San Antonio Spurs | F, Duke |
11 | Ben Saraf | Miami Heat | G, Israel |
12 | Nolan Traore | Houston Rockets (via PHX) | G, France |
13 | Tre Johnson | Atlanta Hawks (via SAC) | G, Texas |
14 | Liam McNeeley | Miami Heat (via GSW) | F, UConn |
15 | Jase Richardson | San Antonio Spurs (via ATL) | G, Michigan State |
16 | Kam Jones | Orlando Magic | G, Marquette |
17 | Egor Demin | Dallas Mavericks | F, BYU |
18 | Noah Penda | Utah Jazz (via MIN) | F, France |
19 | Asa Newell | Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC) | F, Georgia |
20 | Labaron Philon | Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET) | G, Alabama |
21 | Thomas Sorber | Indiana Pacers | C, Georgetown |
22 | Noa Essengue | Brooklyn Nets (via MIL) | F, France |
23 | Danny Wolf | Brooklyn Nets (via HOU) | C, Michigan |
24 | Flory Bidunga | Atlanta Hawks (via LAL) | C, Kansas |
25 | Bogoljub Markovic | Brooklyn Nets (via NYK) | F, Serbia |
26 | Johni Broome | Washington Wizards (via MEM) | C, Auburn |
27 | Rasheer Fleming | Orlando Magic (via DEN) | F, St. Joseph's |
28 | Yaxel Lendeborg | Boston Celtics | F, UAB |
29 | Boogie Fland | Los Angeles Clippers (via OKC) | G, Arkansas |
30 | Dink Pate | Phoenix Suns (via CLE) | G, USA |
76ers draft Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis with No. 6 pick
Philadelphia should have its pick of appealing guards or wings with the No. 6 pick, but Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis gets the nod here. The Sixers' backcourt is already fleshed-out with Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes in rotation, but Jakucionis' skill level and positional size is too much to pass up.
At 6-foot-6, Jakucionis shouldn't have trouble sharing the floor with Philly's other guards. There may still be some defensive concerns that crop up, but the offensive fit is seamless. Jakucionis is prolific both on and off the ball.
He can make pick-and-rolls look effortless, nixing defenders with off-beat handles and precision footwork. Off-ball, he's a smooth spot-up shooter who can attack errant closeouts and whip sharp passes in the flow of the offense.
The Lithuanian 18-year-old stands out as one of the best passers in the draft. Philly, year after year, struggles to put enough quality passers around Embiid. More so, Jakucionis gives the Sixers another source of legitimate self-creation — extra important when considering the long-term instability of Embiid and George. Jakucionis' output has been a mixed bag against top competition, but his handles are advanced and he has a wicked step-back in his bag. He will need to prove his mettle against NBA athletes and cut down on turnovers, but the offensive baseline seems very high.
Other potential 76ers targets
Khaman Maluach, Duke: A fluid 7-foot-2 center finishing at a historic clip around the rim. If the Sixers want a raw mound of clay to mold behind Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, this is their man
Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma: Double down on athleticism and aggression in the backcourt with Jeremiah Fears and Tyrese Maxey. Fears is 6-foot-4 with an explosive first step, tremendous physicality as a finisher, and enough passing flourishes to offset turnover concerns. He's also 18, with lots of room to grow.
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor: If he lands in Philadelphia's lap, it's a no-brainer. VJ Edgecombe is the best defensive playmaker in the draft and a one-percent athlete, which translates to strong drives and impressive detonations at the rim. Now he's shooting 3s and setting up teammates consistently, too.
Liam McNeeley, UConn: Pretty much your classic Joel Embiid running mate on the wing. Liam McNeeley is 6-foot-7 with a sniper's accuracy from 3-point range and enough ball-handling wiggle to get downhill out of DHOs or pick-and-rolls, with a heads-up eye for passing and underrated vertical pop around the rim.