What’s Next for Mike Gansey, 76ers After NBA Draft

On Wednesday night, the NBA Draft concluded. Although the Philadelphia 76ers never made a selection in the second round, maybe they thought they didn’t need one as much as they really did. 

Due to years of asset movement that drained draft capital under Daryl Morey, the Sixers had only one pick in the draft, which they received in a trade for Jared McCain. With that pick, they selected Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon Jr., who averaged 22 points and shot 50% from the field in college. He put together one of the most statistically dominant seasons in NCAA basketball in the 25/26 season, and was the only Division I player in the country to average 22, 5, and 3 while shooting the way he did.

“He’s just a hooper,” President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey said following Round 1 on Tuesday. “He just wants to win, and he’s competitive, and we’re excited to have him because I think, like, the edge, the swag that he plays with, I think the people of Philly are going to like that.” 

But with the draft now over and in the rearview mirror, the Sixers’ offseason truly begins. Free agency will open in the coming days, and that’s where Philadelphia’s front office will truly show whether everything Gansey said about building for the future on Tuesday night.

“We don’t have any picks, but we got to reshuffle our board,” Gansey said. “See who’s out there, who we want to maybe try to go at, and try to go in and get, and try to get through tomorrow, and then obviously turn our heads to free agency.”

READ MORE ON PHILON JR.:

76ers select Labaron Philon Jr. with 22nd pick in NBA Draft

The roster needs bench help. Their two superstars, Joel Embiid and Paul George, are not getting any younger. Their injury histories also remain a big concern in the franchise. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe were forced to play for over 45 minutes a game during the postseason due to the lack of bench production, and that can’t continue for a team that still wants to compete in the Eastern Conference. 

No amount of offseason maneuvering matters if Embiid isn’t healthy. Although the draft went smoothly for the organization and its fans, it’s the uncomfortable truth hanging over every offseason conversation. The Sixers felt the impact without Embiid on the court in the postseason, and they don’t want that to happen again. 

Their urgency in free agency needs to focus on building a roster resilient enough to survive stretches without Embiid, and that’s the same with Maxey, George, and Edgecombe. They’ll also need a lot more out of players such as Adem Bona and Justin Edwards, as they will be the first options off the bench, with bench players likely to depart in free agency. Gansey appears to understand the assignment by drafting Philon. 

“He was the highest guy on our board at 22, and we had him higher than that,” Gansey said. “You look at our roster, we need help at every position, one through five. Obviously, we have the big four, but we need guys outside of them, and I think he fits. He’s another guard, so now we kind of focus in other areas on the roster, but he’s someone that just kind of fell in our lap, so to speak, and we’re excited about it.”

What Wednesday night showed us ultimately confirmed that the Sixers are operating under a new set of priorities. Morey is gone, and although he produced playoff runs, they never found a championship. The process is basically over, and now Gansey is tasked with starting a new era in Philadelphia. Build the right team around Embiid, Maxey, and George, and set a foundation that doesn’t fall apart as soon as one of them potentially goes down.  

This pick isn’t going to define his tenure or change the front office, but how the Sixers spend the next few weeks via free agency and possibly the trade market will show us if Gansey’s true vision is real. 

Get New Articles Emailed Right To Your Inbox: