Now less than a week away from the 2025 NBA Draft, the three Duke basketball rookies in Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach are getting set to find their new homes and begin their professional careers. The only known destination for either of the three freshmen is Flagg going No. 1 overall to the Dallas Mavericks, as there's expected to be movement via trades around picks four to eight, right in the range where both Knueppel and Maluach are projected to be taken.
However, a new mock draft predicts a blockbuster trade to go down between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Philadelphia 76ers that lands Maluach in a fascinating situation.
A new Sports Illustrated mock has Philadelphia trading the third overall pick to the Pelicans in exchange for the seventh pick and a veteran such as Herb Jones or Dejounte Murray. With the third overall pick, New Orleans selects Ace Bailey from Rutgers. With the seventh overall pick, Philadelphia selects the South Sudanese center from Duke.
There had been reported interest between the 76ers and Maluach. Still, the franchise selecting its center of the future would completely shake up the future of the Sixers franchise, given Philly has been led by one of the most dominant centers in the NBA over the last decade in Joel Embiid.
Philadelphia signed Embiid to a three-year, $193 million extension back in September that will kick in next season. But, after injuries have continuously cut his seasons short over the last few, especially in 2024-25, the 76ers could potentially look to move on from The Process and offload some money, as the team owes Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George a combined $715 million through the 2029 season.
Aside from the drama that would be caused with Philadelphia selecting Maluach and basically telling Embiid his time as a Sixer is almost up, the 7'2, 250-pound center would be a fantastic fit to watch in Philadelphia.
Philly already has solid guard depth with Jared McCain and Maxey leading the way, mixed with guys like Lonnie Walker IV, Ricky Council V, and Quentin Grimes, as long as Philadelphia can bring Grimes back this offseason. Adding in the most athletic center in this draft with the ability to run the floor in transition and an elite rim-protecting skillset, Maluach would be an instant impact player for the 76ers.
The Sixers were a bottom-five defensive team in the NBA this past season. The addition of Maluach would not only bring a fantastic pick-and-roll piece to utilize with the guards, but also an immediate defensive spark who can anchor a Sixers frontcourt.