The entire Philadelphia 76ers fanbase rode the roller coaster of emotions during Monday's NBA Draft Lottery. With the fifth-best odds to land the No. 1 pick and a top-six protected selection, the Sixers were in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, but could not afford to tumble more than one spot in the final order, lest their pick go to the 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Al Horford trade.
When two teams leapfrogged Philadelphia early on, with both Dallas and San Antonio vaulting into the top four, hearts sunk. Then Philadelphia was not announced at No. 8... or No. 7... That meant the Sixers were in the top four, too. Even the broadcast was confused. It was as chaotic a lottery as we've ever seen.
Philly did not end up winning the rights to Cooper Flagg — congrats to the very deserving Nico Harrison in Dallas... — but the Sixers did move up a couple spots to No. 3 overall, which is a nice consolation prize. What Daryl Morey, Elton Brand and the front office do with that pick could determine the course of the franchise's next decade.
Many expect the Sixers to pick between Rutgers forward Ace Bailey and Baylor wing VJ Edgecombe at No. 3, but there's another equally, if not more appealing option available to Philadelphia: trading back, ideally with South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles in mind.
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76ers should strongly consider trading back from No. 3 pick to target Collin Murray-Boyles
Collin Murray-Boyles will end up higher on my draft board than both Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe — especially when consider team fit for the Sixers. That is an unconventional opinion, but even if Philadelphia is more keen on the popular candidates, a trade back for additional value makes sense.
Philadelphia is locked into three long-term max contracts in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, which puts the front office in an extreme bind under the new CBA. Morey will only have so many avenues to rounding out the roster, as their financial flexibility is borderline zero.
Trading back for multiple first-round picks is one way to get more bites at the apple — more contributors on cost-controlled, long-term deals. The Jazz (Nos. 5 and 21), Wizards (Nos. 6 and 18), Nets (Nos. 8, 19, 25 and 26) and Hawks (Nos. 13 and 22) all own multiple picks and have logical motivations to move up for the best, highest-upside prospects. Philadelphia can also target a first-round pick in 2026, as their own selection will once again belong to OKC, this time only top-four protected.
There is also the matter of Morey's sterling track record in the draft. His hit rate in Philadelphia has been comically high, smashing mid-first round selections like Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain out of the park, while also finding value in the second round (Adem Bona) and through undrafted free agency (Justin Edwards, Ricky Council IV, etc.). If any GM can maximize the value of two picks, rather than one, it's him.
As for the CMB of it all, he's a perfect fit for what Philadelphia needs. While a lack of shooting hangs over his draft profile like a wet blanket, Murray-Boyles checks so many other boxes. He was immensely impactful for an otherwise miserable South Carolina team as a 19-year-old sophomore, upping his volume and efficiency across the board as the focal point of every opposing scouting report. He finished fifth in college basketball in BPM, trailing four other potential first-round picks in Johni Broome, Cooper Flagg, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Yaxel Lendeborg.
Murray-Boyles can guard five positions, blessed with impressive mobility for such a stout frame, and he's a dominant interior scorer. Even without a jumper, Murray-Boyles finds angles to the rim and displays incredible touch in the paint. He's also a whip-smart passer, consistently facing up, getting downhill, and rifling pinpoint dimes on the move.
Philadelphia needs rebounding; Murray-Boyles was an elite defensive rebounder at South Carolina. The Sixers need size and physicality in the frontcourt, of which Murray-Boyles offers plenty. The Sixers can always use more high-IQ players and plus passers in Embiid's orbit, too.
Trading back for CMB and another asset or two is well within the realm of possibility for the Sixers, and it could be their best path forward.