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The 2023 NBA Draft is here, but the Philadelphia 76ers are coming to the party empty-handed. As one of three teams with no picks in the draft (currently), the Sixers will have to work their way back into the shindig in order to add any young, cost-controlled players to their roster.
While the Sixers will certainly look at undrafted free agents, they know that it would be wise to get into the draft, which could be most easily accomplished by purchasing a selection. In the past, draft picks as high as 30th overall have been purchased. Not every draft pick will be made available, but Philly can still make its way into the part of the draft where plenty of productive players can be found.
So if Philadelphia can find their way into the 2023 NBA Draft, here are ten players that the Sixers should try to snag, in no particular order.
10. Emoni Bates
Once seen as one of the best prospects in the entire hoops landscape, Emoni Bates just finished up a rocky season with Eastern Michigan after not cutting it with Memphis. The Sixers met with Bates ahead of the draft, which doesn’t necessarily indicate a strong interest, but surely can’t hurt. He is built like a multi-positional defender, though the chops to actually guard those positions well will have to be developed over time, and he has an impressive scoring bag for someone who's roughly 6-foot-10.
If Philly is unable to get a pick within the top 45-50 of the draft, it's worth it to roll the dice on Bates with a late pick. Their priority, though, should be to get someone with the potential to contribute right away. Each of the remaining prospects on this list could be that guy.
9. Andre Jackson Jr.
Andre Jackson Jr. is a competitor, an impressive physical specimen, and an NCAA champion. The UConn guard sets the tone, which the Sixers could certainly use after lacking toughness and physicality for so long. He is an impressive playmaker and defender, making him a good backcourt fit with Tyrese Maxey in certain lineups.
The source of Jackson's scoring at the next level is unclear. His ability to shoot in the NBA will most likely be pretty rough and could make him easy to roam off of for opposing defenses. But with smarts and tenacity like his, he should find a way to make an impact on games on a nightly basis.
8. Jordan Miller
Jordan Miller, a player Philly could target with a pick in the back half of the second round, has the makings of a pesky, tenacious defender with the size to guard 1-3 and possibly certain fours. The Sixers need more options on the wings and Miller could be someone that new coach Nick Nurse uses as a spark plug off the bench.
However, the Miami guard's shooting wasn’t at the volume one would expect from someone who's a true floor spacer. Despite that, his shooting splits — 54.5 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from deep, 78.4 percent from the stripe — are pretty good. His ability to make plays for others has grown incrementally over his five collegiate seasons and he does a good job avoiding fouls.
7. Julian Strawther
Over three years at Gonzaga, Julian Strawther became one of the team's key starters and improved his three-point percentage each season, shooting 40.8 percent last season. He is a versatile wing that the Sixers could plug into several different lineups.
It's going to be key for him to stay efficient from beyond the arc since he doesn’t have the open-court moves to be a go-to/iso scorer. His defense also doesn’t project to be a skill that keeps him on the court. Pick-and-rolls and dribble handoffs could help the Sixers tap into Strawther's shooting. His pull-up shot is smooth and he has the wherewithal to continue coming around the screener to get into his floater.
6. Seth Lundy
Seth Lundy is a big-bodied wing with a scoring knack that could allow him to do great things at the NBA level. The Penn State product is a great shooter and defender. His ceiling as an overall scorer isn’t remarkably high, but he should be able to leverage his shooting to open up opportunities well.
Although Lundy is a bit undersized for a traditional wing at 6-foot-5, he has a 6-foot-10 wingspan and a strong frame. He would likely be picked too high for the Sixers to get him if he wasn’t 23 years old. Youth is still a premium trait for prospects to have in the NBA Draft, which means that a very promising 3-and-D wing and Philly native could land with the Sixers.
5. Sidy Cissoko
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You can never have enough athletic wings that have a good feel for the game. Sidy Cissoko, a 19-year-old native of France that spent last season with G League Ignite, is just that. He reads the floor extremely well, competes at a high level, and is a bouncy athlete with long arms.
Although his shooting is a work in progress, Cissoko is smart and athletic enough to overcome those deficiencies. The Sixers can always use another good shooter, but what they really need are just good players. Cissoko is worth betting on to be someone who makes a difference each time he steps onto the court.
4. Marcus Sasser
Marcus Sasser can score the ball. Period. The 6-foot-2 guard from Houston can slither past defenders with great body control and shoot the ball from deep. He averaged 17 points over his last 48 collegiate regular-season games and took most of his shots from beyond the arc, where he connected on 39.9 percent of them.
Although the Sixers are set at the guard spot (assuming Harden stays and in spite of Shake Milton likely leaving in free agency), Sasser is a good bet to be a useful rotation player. A role as a spark plug off the bench would suit him very well.
3. Ben Sheppard
Ben Sheppard could be the movement shooter the Sixers really need. At 6-foot-6 with smooth shooting mechanics, he could be the ideal player to send around pin-down and flare screens to open up the offense outside of the Harden-Joel Embiid two-man game. His three-point percentage rose in each of his four collegiate seasons, all the way to a whopping 41.5 percent in his final year.
Although Sheppard's skill is tantalizing, the jump from Belmont and the MVC to the NBA is going to be a huge one, especially because he is not overly explosive. His dominant performance at the scouting combine will give him a boost, as it featured highlights in just about every aspect of the game.
2. Maxwell Lewis
Maxwell Lewis, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-7 wing from Pepperdine, is a strong shooter that is good at attacking the basket off of the catch. His interior scoring is really smooth for someone as slender as he is. He would fit perfectly with Embiid and Harden as a floor spacer with some creation upside.
The opportunity to be a positive on defense is there for Lewis, but he needs to tighten up. He's not someone who should have the ball in his hands a ton, which makes teams with ball-dominant stars like the Sixers a much better fit for him.
1. Brandin Podziemski
Brandin Podziemski's shooting touch is spectacular. For the Sixers purposes, the 6-foot-4 guard out of Santa Clara could thrive as a catch-and-shoot threat that attacks closeouts well, or an occasional pick-and-roll partner for Embiid. He probably won’t be a primary offensive initiator, but he does have that upside to him.
He became known partly for his rebounding, averaging 8.8 boards per game. While he may not be a Josh Hart-esque rebounder from the guard/wing position, he certainly has an element of “dawg” in him that should be to his benefit in the NBA.
