Sixers await No. 22 as trades, Giannis flip headlines

Sixers No. – With Philadelphia holding the No. 22 pick and the clock nearing its slot, draft night is moving fast—including a Memphis trade that reshuffles the late first round. Behind the draft buzz, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s move to the Miami Heat gives Joel Embiid a new l

The Sixers had time to watch the first run of picks happen—but not much time to wait for their turn. Philadelphia is set to pick at No. 22 in the 2026 NBA draft, and with five minutes between selections, the next clock change lands sometime around 10:25 p.m. Philly time unless they trade up during the next few picks.

The board kept moving Tuesday night, and by the time the Sixers were still waiting for their slot, the first round had already started to look like a mix of expectation and surprise. Here’s what had been selected so far:

The Washington Wizards took AJ Dybantsa, a forward from BYU. The Utah Jazz selected Darryn Peterson, a guard from Kansas. Memphis went with Cameron Boozer, a forward from Duke. The Chicago Bulls selected Caleb Wilson, a forward from North Carolina. The Los Angeles Clippers chose Keaton Wagler, a guard from Illinois. The Brooklyn Nets took Mikel Brown Jr., a guard from Louisville.

In the middle of all that, there were two trades involving Memphis and the Grizzlies. One deal sent No. 17 to the Detroit Pistons via OKC, with Memphis trading No. 17 to move back to No. 21 for three second-round picks. Another announcement clarified how the Grizzlies got there: Memphis would draft No. 17 now via OKC. That same reshuffle gave the Grizzlies two second-round picks and swapped the No. 16 pick for No. 17.

Across the rest of the first round, the Sacramento Kings picked Darius Acuff Jr., a guard from Arkansas. The Atlanta Hawks selected Kingston Flemings, a guard from Houston. The Dallas Mavericks chose Morez Johnson Jr., a forward from Michigan. The Milwaukee Bucks took Brayden Burries, a guard from Arizona.

Golden State went to a familiar Michigan path, selecting Yaxel Lendeborg, a forward from Michigan, at No. 11 overall. Oklahoma City selected Aday Mara, a center from Michigan. Milwaukee also took Nate Ament, a forward from Tennessee, via the Heat. The Charlotte Hornets took Hannes Steinbach, a forward from Washington.

The Chicago Bulls then selected Dailyn Swain, a forward from Texas. Oklahoma City, via the Bucks, picked Bennett Stirtz, a guard from Iowa. Detroit, via the Bucks and Thunder, took Ebuka Okorie, a guard from Stanford. Charlotte again selected Christian Anderson Jr., a guard from Texas Tech.

And while the Sixers waited, the draft chatter kept circling the kind of player Philadelphia might need next.

Swain going No. 15 was treated as a possible opening because he was described as a “good break for the Sixers. ” with the note that Dailyn Swain didn’t look like a perfect fit—at least compared with what the Sixers reportedly needed. Kelly Oubre was mentioned in that same conversation as the kind of profile Philadelphia might not be trying to duplicate.

What’s already been confirmed is that the Sixers do have options—and the next few picks are where the math becomes real. The early stretch of the night was described as going “exactly as expected” with AJ Dybantsa. Darryn Peterson. Cam Boozer. and Caleb Wilson occupying the top four spots. After that, the path opens up—until Philadelphia finally makes the first selection of the Mike Gansey era at No. 22.

There are holes to fill, and they’re not hidden. The Sixers are widely discussed as a team that needs shooting and rebounding, and they’re expected to wait as names keep flying off the board—then try to pick the best player available when their turn arrives.

The draft story around Philadelphia doesn’t start at No. 22, though. It starts further up the board—in the BYU connection tied to Kevin Young. a former Sixers assistant coach who helped lead BYU to the draft with AJ Dybantsa. At last year’s NCAA Tournament in Newark. Young called that stretch “the most important time of my life as a young coach.” Young had been in the running for multiple NBA head-coaching jobs before taking the BYU job backed by “lucrative NIL money and the resources to build a pro-style program.” Young previously coached Egor Demin. who was then drafted eighth overall by the Brooklyn Nets.

Philadelphia also has a separate link to the top of the draft through a different player entirely: Darius Acuff Jr. is off the board at No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings. Acuff Jr. won MVP at the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic in 2025 and signed a Reebok deal during his lone season at Arkansas. He also took pictures with Allen Iverson to celebrate the moment. and his game drew comparisons to Iverson—especially his explosiveness in the paint and ability to finish around the rim. In college, Acuff averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists while leading his team to the Sweet 16.

In another corner of the night, Pennsauken product Yaxel Lendeborg’s path stood out. He went from playing one varsity season at Pennsauken High School to becoming an NBA draft pick. The 23-year-old forward starred at Michigan this past season and was selected No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors.

Then there was another kind of headline stealing attention beyond the draft floor: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade.

With Giannis heading to Miami, Joel Embiid picked up a new title of his own. The Sixers center—drafted by the franchise in 2014—became the longest tenured player with a single team in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo had been the previous title holder, having been selected by the Bucks a year prior. Only Stephen Curry (2009) and Draymond Green (2012) were listed as having been with a team longer than Embiid across the entire NBA.

Embiid’s longevity is paired with a different reality: the Sixers have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons under his leadership. but postseason injuries have repeatedly sidelined him. This year. after returning from an appendectomy to help defeat the Boston Celtics in seven games. Embiid missed Game 2 of the Sixers’ second-round series against the New York Knicks. The Sixers went on to lose the series in four.

While the Giannis headline adds weight to the background of what the Sixers are building. the draft itself keeps narrowing the choices. There was also a clear reminder that Philadelphia’s season ended with rebounding problems—and that the boards were dominated by both the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks during the playoffs. The Sixers also often used a four-out lineup with Joel Embiid accompanied by Tyrese Maxey. VJ Edgecombe. Kelly Oubre. and Paul George.

That’s why shooting and rebounding are still being framed as the twin needs. Even if names like Isaiah Evans. a sharpshooting wing from Duke. come up as a possible match—his profile described as 36.1% on 100 three-point attempts last season. plus strong on-the-move looks—Philadelphia will still have to decide what happens when their clock finally starts its countdown.

For now, the draft night keeps turning.

There are still five-minute gaps between picks, and unless the Sixers make a move before then, their No. 22 selection should land around 10:25 p.m. Philly time. The board has already shown that trades can flip the order quickly, and that the night can swing between certainty and chaos.

All of it is happening while the bigger story of the league—star movement and team reshaping—continues to drop in the background, and while Embiid’s new longevity mark becomes one more sign that the Sixers’ next decisions have to land at the right time.

2026 NBA draft Sixers No. 22 Giannis Antetokounmpo trade Joel Embiid Memphis trade Yaxel Lendeborg Darius Acuff Jr. AJ Dybantsa Darryn Peterson Pennsauken