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The Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks surprised the NBA world at the draft lottery. The 76ers jumped up to the third spot while the Spurs received the second overall selection. However, Philadelphia is reportedly not content to pick third in the draft. Daryl Morey was a big fan of Dylan Harper in the pre-draft process. The Rutgers guard is widely considered to be the second-best prospect behind Duke forward Cooper Flagg. The Spurs are not opposed to making a trade in the draft, but it would cost the 76ers one of their veteran wings to move up one spot.
Both Philadelphia and San Antonio enter the 2025 season with a lot of intrigue. Both teams made interesting moves last year, but injuries derailed the second half of their season. With Victor Wembanayama back in the Spurs' lineup alongside De'Aaron Fox, the Spurs are out to add impact veterans, potentially including Kevin Durant. Philadelphia, on the other hand, is in pursuit of a young player to bring energy to a team led by underwhelming stars.
The 76ers are one of many teams with the assets to entice the Spurs in a trade. While San Antonio likely does not want to take a chance on Paul George and his massive contract, a player like Kelly Oubre Jr. could be a target for them. The emergence of Stephon Castle makes a player like Jeremy Sochan, expendable, which is all Philadelphia needs to make a deal. Here is our hypothetical trade that sees each team swap spots in the draft.
76ers receive: G/F Jeremy Sochan, 2025 first round pick(#2)
Spurs receive: F Kelly Oubre Jr., 2025 first round pick(#3)
Why the 76ers should make the deal
Some reports say the 76ers are happy to use the third overall pick on Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe if they cannot move up. However, the gap between him, Ace Bailey and Harper grows larger as each day passes. If Morey wants to bring in a young shooting guard to play alongside Jared McCain off Philadelphia's bench, Harper provides much more upside. He has proved during the college basketball season and at the draft combine that he could be the best pure scorer in this year's class. His lack of horizontal quickness is a concern, but the 76ers have plenty of wing defenders to take the pressure off of him.
Giving up Oubre Jr. in the deal hurts Philadelphia, but that is the cost of doing business. The forward has become a key role player for the 76ers, guarding the opponents' best perimeter player each night. That defensive talent, combined with his aggression in secondary actions, helped to make up for George's lackluster season. Oubre Jr.'s name has been thrown around in trade talks throughout the past few seasons. Many teams view him as a quintessential 3-and-D player in the right environment.
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Sochan would bring an interesting play style to Nick Nurse's offense. However, he is a capable small-ball center and could slot in well alongside Joel Embiid, allowing the former MVP to space the floor without sacrificing rebounding. He has also developed into an opportunistic cutter in the Spurs' system, a skill that translates well to whatever situation he finds himself in.
Why the Spurs should make the deal
With their trove of future draft capital and the proven young talent already on their roster, it is difficult for the Spurs to go wrong. The biggest obstacles in front of them are health and the high level of competition in the Western Conference. This deal brings in a veteran wing who helps them defensively without having to give up players like Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson.
Oubre Jr. can fill a similar role as Johnson and Harrison Barnes do with San Antonio, replacing them if either is traded away. However, his defensive would be a big upgrade to a team with almost no perimeter defenders. If the Spurs make this deal, their starting lineup could be Fox, Castle, Vassell Oubre, and Wembanyama. With a healthy season from all of them, the team's defense should be much improved when compared to last season.
As is the case with every deal San Antonio makes for the next 15 years, the Spurs would make this deal if they feel it helps Wembanyama succeed. Adding another guard to an already cramped backcourt would not serve the team as well as Oubre Jr.'s addition would. Even if they trade back from No. 2 to 3 in the draft, San Antonio could continue to make deals.
Teams outside the top four picks in the draft have been active on the trade market, trying to move up and secure a top prospect. It is a risk for the Spurs to move back further than third. If they handle it well, though, they could leave the draft as the biggest winner.
