With their season over and a vacancy at the head of the front office, it’s time for the Philadelphia 76ers to think about who they should draft this summer. The Sixers mightily overachieved in the first round of the postseason when they shocked the world and came back from a three games-to-one deficit, but they still have a lot to ponder.
Although the young core of VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey is one that most members of the association would kill to have, the Sixers are still a very old and expensive ballclub, with Joel Embiid and Paul George approaching their mid-to-late thirties and heavy contracts that leave the front office with little to no cap room to operate with this upcoming free agency.
With those caveats present on the roster, it is imperative that whoever fills the hole left behind by former president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, nails the 2026 NBA Draft and adds someone who can propel Philadelphia beyond the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
With injuries constantly nagging at Embiid, the Sixers could look to add a backup center and power forward with the ability to stretch the floor. Speaking of stretching the floor, the modern league is built for teams that can shoot the three-pointer, and adding another guard or wing that can shoot could be an interesting option for a team that is in need of cheap, young options on Philadelphia’s aging and expensive roster.
Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson would fit perfectly on Philadelphia’s roster.
If shooting three pointers is the target of Philadelphia’s brand-new front office, then they should look no further than the Big 12 Conference. The Big 12 is host to plenty of teams that can pop the three at a moment's notice, and the Houston Cougars and Texas Tech Red Raiders have found plenty of success at that. At the center of that for the Cougars and Red Raiders are forward Chris Cenac Jr. and Chris Anderson, for each respective team.
Cenac Jr. was an absolute beast in the paint for the Cougars this past March, pulling down 37 boards across Houston’s three-game stretch in the postseason. He is also incredibly young, coming in as a 19-year-old prospect that immediately gives the Sixers a player who can blossom into his prime while on his rookie contract. Although he does not shoot the three-point shot at a high volume, when Cenac does pop an attempt from beyond the arc, he’s found success, as he finished this past season shooting at 33.3% clip. The Louisiana native has been frequently compared to Jaren Jackson Jr., and a player like that at the 24th pick in the draft would be a dream scenario for the Sixers.
Anderson may not be available at the 24th pick, but should he take a fall, Philadelphia should immediately consider adding him to the team. In two seasons with the Red Raiders, the 20-year-old averaged roughly three triples per game and averaged 14.5 points per game on 45.5/40/80 shooting splits. The Georgia-native showcased his scoring skills especially well this past season, averaging just under 19 points per game, and led the Red Raiders in scoring with 27 in an 82-81 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. In terms of pro comp, Anderson has been sized up as comparable to All-Star guard Darius Garland.
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