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The only thing that seems certain, according to our latest conversations on the matter, is that Philadelphia will be drafting a top prospect in the very early stages of draft proceedings on June 25.
"They’re keeping the pick,” said one Eastern Conference executive, "or they’re trading down a few slots."
The prime candidate at No. 3, at this juncture, appears to be Baylor freshman guard VJ Edgecombe, who sources say visited with the Sixers last week. There's an expectation that Philadelphia will bring in Rutgers' Ace Bailey down the road, but I have not heard of a workout that Bailey has scheduled to date.
Edgecombe is said to have impressed with his work ethic, personality and interviews. He went to dinner with Morey and other Sixers higher-ups. Even Tyrese Maxey, sources say, flew in for the occasion. The Sixers are certainly intrigued by what type of defensive complement Edgecombe could provide their All-Star guard, sources say, in addition to his explosive upside on the offensive side of the ball.
VJ Edgecombe soars at the recent NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Edgecombe's workout with the Sixers is the only known visit for the Bahamian national teamer, sources say. Several teams are of the belief he might only work out with Philadelphia, although it's still very early in the draft process.
If Edgecombe does not fly off the board at No. 3, there is an increasing sense among rival teams that he will not slip past Charlotte at No. 4. The Hornets could simply choose to add the athletic guard to a backcourt that already features LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller … or make the selection available while they're on the clock to teams with Edgecombe interest. It's a scenario various teams have mentioned they're preparing for.
The Hornets, remember, engaged both Portland and Memphis on draft night a year ago — while Charlotte was on the clock at No. 6 — since both the Trail Blazers and the Grizzlies held interest in Donovan Clingan. There should be no shortage of trade partners for the Hornets that would be willing to move up for the right to select Edgecombe.
One team that league executives increasingly mention as interested in trading up for Edgecombe: Washington.
And only adding to the intrigue surrounding the Wizards: They hold No. 6 and No. 18 selections in the first round, which has rival teams eyeing them as a potential trade-up partner for both Philadelphia and Charlotte.
Atlanta holds the Nos. 13 and 22 picks but, to this point, has generated little chatter about the prospect of packaging those two selections to try to move.
That's a common suggestion, by contrast, when it comes to other teams that hold multiple mid-to-late picks in Round 1, such as Oklahoma City, Orlando and Brooklyn.
The Hawks made news Monday by adding former Pelicans executive Bryson Graham as senior vice president of basketball operations as well as former Sixers executive Peter Dinwiddie as senior vice president of strategy and analytics. These are the first substantive staffing moves from Atlanta since parting ways with lead executive Landry Fields and elevating Onsi Saleh to general manager.
While the Hawks deployed search firm Sportsology to conduct a wide-ranging search for a president of basketball operations above Saleh — and Atlanta says that process remains ongoing — it seems more likely that Graham and Dinwiddie could result in the most significant front-office additions to Atlanta this offseason. The Hawks still have a large front office contingent even after Fields' ouster, although there has also been considerable chatter in recent weeks that they have also considered adding a senior adviser to Saleh.
There is greater leaguewide curiosity, to be honest, about the Hawks' plans with the roster rather than their draft-night machinations. Atlanta is well positioned below the luxury tax and possesses various trade exceptions that position it as a potential factor in the free agent and trade market.
The Hawks, for example, have been known to be conducting due diligence regarding players that could prove available to absorb via trade, or perhaps sign-and-trade, with the $25 million trade exception they still possess from dealing Dejounte Murray to New Orleans. We've written a lot lately about interest in Indiana's Myles Turner and should add that the Hawks, before the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals, previously had him in their sights as a player who might be a wise target in that price range via sign-and-trade. The more common leaguewide projections now, of course, are that Indiana and Turner are likely to come to terms on a new deal that pays him at least $30 million in average annual value, despite the expected interested from teams such as the Detroit Pistons and the Hawks.
Let's close with a Hawks-related whisper on free agency that seems more definitive: Sources say Atlanta has shown a keen interest in retaining free agent guard Caris LeVert after bringing the veteran scorer to the Hawks as part of the return for trading De'Andre Hunter.
The NBA Draft is just two weeks away, and the chatter is growing louder. Yesterday, the NBA reportedly issued the first wave of green room invitations for the 2025 NBA Draft — a list that includes 13 names: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, Derik Queen, and Asa Newell.
Now, I’m not the best at math, but 13 players were invited — and if the invites were based on projected lottery range or simply the 14 players with the most executive votes, I’d bet that French prospect Noa Essengue, who’s still in the middle of a playoff run in Germany, would’ve been the 14th name — if he wasn’t still playing.
Still, a couple of names caught my attention. First: Asa Newell. I’ve consistently had him projected in the late teens, so for him to be among the first 13 invitees is a sign that his stock is trending up. The other surprise? Carter Bryant. For the Arizona wing to be among the initial wave, voted in by top executives across the league, is absolutely a positive signal — and could suggest he’s creeping closer to lottery range.
The green room, for context, is the staging area at the draft where players and their families sit at tables, waiting to hear their names called. It’s an honor — and an indicator — and with 11 more invites expected to go out in the coming weeks, it’s worth keeping tabs on who’s next.
With the draft around the corner and trade chatter picking up steam, let’s take a pulse check on how the top of the 2025 draft is shaping up — and what names are circulating in the rumor mill. There’s a lot of smoke, and in some cases, fire.
Khaman Maluach continues to gain traction as a potential fit in Washington. Word around the league is that he’s unlikely to fall past Toronto at No. 9. The Raptors are also in need of a young center...
stepped up when flagg went down during acc tourney
averaged 21.0 points per game on 48.6% field goal shooting, with 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals
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mocks
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25203841-2025-nba-mock-draft-full-2-round-predictions-player-comps
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/
https://www.tankathon.com/mock_draft
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-mock-draft-76ers-ace-bailey-third-pick-dilemma
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/draft/pre-draft-board/?view=default&board=0&filter=
