Philadelphia 76ers 2026 Mock Draft 2.0
Allen Graves #22 of the Santa Clara Broncos shoots the ball against Brandon Garrison #10 of the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 20, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The quest for a championship in 2027 is officially on, and before the 76ers and the rest of the NBA begin free agency in two weeks, they first have to get through the 2026 NBA draft.
Philadelphia is in an interesting spot heading into the 2026-27 season, as after fighting their way to the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, they came all the way back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Celtics to beat Boston in a playoff series for the first time in over 40 years.
The success of winning the series was short-lived, as just a week later, they were swept out of the playoffs by the eventual champions, the New York Knicks. The 76ers just ran into a red-hot Knicks squad that won 15 of their final 16 playoff games to win the championship.
Following the sweep, the 76ers elected to fire president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and hire former Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey. This will be the first real test for Gansey, who will have to make the most out of the one first-round pick the 76ers possess to help add to the current core of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, and Joel Embiid.
Pick 22 (via Houston from Oklahoma City): Allen Graves, Forward, Santa Clara
One thing seems to be clear through all the information from draft experts and mock drafts across the internet: the 76ers seem to be locked into taking a forward at their first-round pick.
As mentioned, the 76ers’ current starting lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, George, and Embiid fills all but one forward spot, and it would make the most sense for the 76ers to continue to look younger and cheaper for a starting power forward at pick 22. Enter Allen Graves.
Graves, a soon-to-be 20-year-old 6’9” forward from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, spent two seasons, one redshirting, at Santa Clara University. At Santa Clara, Graves had quite the freshman season, averaging 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 steals a game across 35 contests, while also posting a 51% field goal percentage and a 41% three-point percentage.
Those numbers helped him earn an All‑West Coast Conference First Team selection, the WCC Sixth Man of the Year and WCC Freshman of the Year awards, while also helping lead the Broncos to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 30 years. Santa Clara earned a 10 seed but was defeated in the first round in an overtime matchup against Kentucky, where Graves finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Defense is the name of the game for Graves, who is expected to be a fantastic generator of steals and blocks at the next level. His 7’0” wingspan and 34.0″ vertical provide him with the necessary skills to be the perfect frontcourt defender next to Embiid and George. Add in his ability to hit from beyond the arc, and you have a solid built forward with an opportunity to improve his game around multiple stars currently on the 76ers.
Graves is one of six players the 76ers have reportedly scheduled for an in-person meeting and workout before next week’s draft.
While he may not become an overnight rookie sensation as Edgecombe did in his first season, Graves is someone the team feels highly about helping improve their defensive game with his ability to create steals and their offensive rebounding issues. Graves is currently projected to land somewhere in the early 20s during Tuesday night’s draft, and we’ll see if the 76ers can land the big man at pick 22.
Matt Brown
Matt has been a Philadelphia sports fan all his life and spent four years at Penn State University majoring in Broadcast Journalism and minoring in Sports Studies. He previously covered Penn State’s field hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball teams while writing for a Penn State blog called Onward State. He has now covered the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers for Philly Sports Reports since October 2024 and wants to pursue a career in Sports Journalism.
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