A new name has entered the mix for the Philadelphia 76ers' No. 22 pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been linked to a handful of names ahead of Tuesday's first-round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The 76ers hold the No. 22 pick, which was acquired in the trade that sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Prospects such as Houston's Chris Cenac Jr. and Texas' Dailyn Swain are among those who have been connected to Philadelphia leading up to the draft.
However, a new name has entered the mix just days before the selection is made. USA Today linked the Sixers to Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. by having Philadelphia land him in their latest mock draft.
"Even though the All-SEC guard was not playing at 100 percent during March Madness due to injury issues, he played well in the tournament, recording 35 points during a loss against Michigan," USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky wrote. "He also notched 29 points in his first-round game and 12 assists in his second. The guard averaged 22.0 points per game this season, and he improved his 3-point shooting from 31.5 percent as a freshman to 39.9 percent as a sophomore, while also managing 5.0 assists per game in the process."
With these numbers in mind, fans are surely wondering how he could fall to the 76ers at No. 22.
Well, the answer is rather simple: Philon does not impress physically or on the defensive end.
At the NBA combine, he measured in at 6'2.5 barefoot and 176 pounds with a 6'6.25 wingspan and 8'3.5 standing reach, per Jonathan Givony. These are not ideal marks for an NBA guard, but smaller backcourt players are proving to still be valuable in recent years. Take this year's NBA Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson, for example, as he is just 6 foot 2 and 190 pounds.
Defensively, Philon struggles for the same reasons. He can sometimes be bullied inside or outmatched physically, but he does tend to hold his own on the perimeter due to his lateral quickness.
The upside and offensive talent Philon possesses greatly outweigh these cons, however. Because of this, he's often not projected to be on the board when the 76ers are on the clock. As a sophomore with the Crimson Tide, he averaged 22.0 points and 5.0 assists on 50.1% shooting and 39.9% shooting from three-point range in 33 games.
If Philon does somehow fall to Philadelphia's selection, Mike Gansey and Jameer Nelson should strongly consider selecting him.
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