Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know the Sixers own a first-round pick in the loaded 2026 NBA Draft. It’ll probably land somewhere in the 20s, but even there, it opens up plenty of options. That flexibility is likely part of why Daryl Morey made the Jared McCain move in the first place. A first-rounder gives you ammunition. You can use it yourself, or package it in a deal for a proven player. And if you’re already in the first round, it’s a lot easier to move up the board.
What the Sixers ultimately do with the pick is still up in the air. They could stay put. They could jump into the teens. Maybe they get aggressive and push toward the lottery. Or maybe they flip it entirely. However it plays out, this is a real asset.
The 2026 draft class is deep, and we’ll get a long look at many of its top names as March Madness approaches. Who should you keep an eye on during the NCAA Tournament? And which prospects are worth tracking even if they don’t make the tournament? Let’s dig into a few names who could make sense in Philly and help fuel the team’s youth movement for years to come.
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Lendeborg’s path through the NCAA has been anything but typical.
He began at Arizona Western in 2020–21, spending three seasons at the NJCAA level and steadily building his game. From there, he transferred to UAB, where he put together two strong Division I campaigns. In 37 games, he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per night. That kind of across-the-board production put him firmly on the NBA radar.
In fact, Lendeborg declared for the 2025 NBA Draft before ultimately withdrawing his name and returning to school.
Now he’s taken another leap, landing on a much bigger stage with the Michigan Wolverines, who sit near the top of the Big Ten. It’s the latest step in a winding journey that’s turned him from a junior college standout into a legitimate high-major prospect.
Much like Michigan, Lendeborg has put together another strong season. The former New Jersey resident is averaging 14.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals across 26 games. He’s shooting 50 percent from the field, 30.6 percent from three and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Even as one of the older prospects in this class, he’s absolutely worth monitoring for the Sixers. Lendeborg brings a legitimate NBA frame at nearly 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan and a standing reach north of nine feet. The analytics love him. He posts strong assist-to-turnover numbers, impressive offensive and defensive BPM marks, a healthy assist percentage and excellent defensive win shares. Add it up, and you get one of the more unique skill sets in this draft.
He’s a productive, versatile frontcourt prospect with a high basketball IQ. He processes the game quickly and makes smart decisions. For a big, he reads the floor well and can operate as an offensive hub, creating for others from the high post or short roll. That archetype would fit beautifully next to Tyrese Maxey in particular. The Sixers have also gravitated toward high-motor players in recent years, and Lendeborg checks that box in a big way.
The concerns mostly center on age and athletic ceiling. While he racks up stocks, he doesn’t have elite burst or vertical pop, which limits his upside as a rim protector and switch defender at the next level. At his age, teams may view him as closer to a finished product. What you see now might be close to what you’re getting in the NBA. In the right system, though, one that doesn’t ask him to create in isolation or anchor the defense as a primary shot blocker, he could help a team immediately.
Most boards project Lendeborg in the late lottery. Still, we’ve seen older prospects slide, especially when rebuilding teams prioritize youth and upside. The Sixers would likely need to trade up to secure him, but I’d imagine many evaluators see him as an excellent fit next to Joel Embiid and a roster built to compete right away.
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Let’s head to the Big 12 and take a look at Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson.
Jefferson began his college career at Saint Mary’s (CA), spending two seasons there before transferring to Iowa State for the 2024–25 campaign. Now a senior, he’s putting together the best year of his career. Through 26 games (31.5 minutes per night), he’s averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks.
His rise has been steady and impressive. Jefferson has carved out a reputation as a true Swiss Army knife — a legitimate two-way forward with great feel for the game, all packed into a sturdy 6-foot-9 frame. He plays with a high basketball IQ and thrives as a connective piece. Offensively, he processes the floor quickly and consistently makes the right read. For his size, his court awareness and vision stand out. “Point forward” gets tossed around loosely in NBA circles, but Jefferson actually fits the label.
Defensively, he projects as an even-to-plus contributor at the next level. He has real size and strength, along with one of the more polished games in this class. His build is strong and sturdy, which allows him to absorb contact and hold his ground against bigger forwards and post players. He doesn’t have elite burst, and quicker wings could give him trouble in space, but he should be able to defend most forwards and some small-ball bigs without issue.
While he has playmaking pops, Jefferson can also go get a bucket. He’s improved as a scorer every season, and this year marks a career high. He handles the ball well for his size and finishes effectively around the rim with touch and control. Even without elite explosiveness, he’s a reliable finisher when he gets downhill.
The biggest swing skill is his shooting. Jefferson shot 31 percent or worse from three in each of his first three college seasons. This year, he’s taken a real step forward, attempting nearly three threes per game and knocking them down at a 38.2 percent clip. The volume and efficiency jump are encouraging, but scouts will want to know if it’s sustainable. His career free-throw percentage sits at 72.2 percent, which isn’t a red flag, but it’s not a glowing indicator of long-term shooting upside either. At nearly 23 years old, teams may view him as closer to his ceiling than some of the younger prospects in the class.
From a Sixers perspective, the fit is clean. Maxey has statistically been more efficient off the ball than as a primary initiator, which is part of the reason the team has brought in additional ball handlers in recent seasons. Jefferson’s ability to facilitate, keep the offense flowing, and defend multiple positions would complement that approach well.
Iowa State is near the top of the Big 12 standings, and there’s a chance Jefferson and the Cyclones will have a spotlight in March Madness. Most projections peg him in the 20s, which puts him squarely in range if the Sixers stay put. If they do, they could do a lot worse than a polished, versatile forward who knows how to impact winning.
Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
St. John’s basketball has put together a stellar season and currently sits atop the Big East, ahead of powerhouse programs like UConn, Villanova and Creighton. Their late-season surge comes down to several factors, but senior forward Zuby Ejiofor has been central to it. He’ll almost certainly declare for the draft after this season.
Ejiofor began his college career at Kansas before transferring to St. John’s for the 2023–24 campaign. It wasn’t until last year that he locked down major minutes and a starting role. This season, he’s taken another leap, averaging 16.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.9 blocks in 30 minutes per game through 26 contests.
A former four-star recruit, Ejiofor took time to put everything together. Now that he has, some mock drafts project him in the late first to early second-round range. He’s a bit of a positional tweener on paper. Some sites list him as a forward or even a small forward, but most evaluators view him as a switchable big.
That defensive versatility is the best place to start. Ejiofor is one of the more flexible defenders in this class. He offers legitimate rim protection while still holding his own on switches. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he rebounds well and plays with serious strength. He doesn’t give ground on post-ups and uses his length to compensate for any height disadvantage. His motor stands out immediately. He rarely ball-watches and consistently impacts plays across the defensive end.
He’s also comfortable on the perimeter. Ejiofor moves his feet well, flips his hips smoothly, and shows the recovery tools you want in a modern frontcourt defender. For his size, he changes direction quickly and competes on every possession.
The swing skill, outside of age, is his shooting. He’s not a non-shooter, but his catch-and-shoot and spot-up numbers leave room for improvement. He’ll need to develop into a more reliable floor spacer to maximize his NBA value. That said, he’s far from a lost cause offensively.
In fact, he’s quietly expanded his offensive game in meaningful ways. Remarkably, Ejiofor leads St. John’s in assists despite playing as a forward or big. His passing growth over the past year has been significant. St. John’s runs plenty of dribble handoffs and he’s comfortable facilitating from those actions. He sets solid screens, creates separation for shooters and drivers, and has shown the ability to read the floor out of the post, finding cutters or kicking out to open teammates.
Ejiofor may be a late bloomer, but he checks many of the boxes the Sixers have prioritized in recent drafts: motor, defensive versatility and functional strength. He’s most commonly projected in the late first or early second round. If the Sixers want a switchable forward who can contribute defensively from day one, Ejiofor makes a lot of sense.
Dailyn Swain, Texas
Dailyn Swain entered college as a four-star prospect in the 2023 class, drawing major offers before deciding to stay home in Columbus and commit to Xavier. He spent two seasons there before transferring to Texas, where he’s stepped into a featured role. The move has paid off. Through 26 games, he’s averaging 17.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 57.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
On film, Swain’s game pops. The numbers back it up. At 6-foot-7, he has legitimate wing size and the versatility to impact the game in multiple ways. His calling card is paint scoring. Throughout his college career, he’s finished above 70 percent on attempts within 4.5 feet of the rim. He gets there consistently and converts at a high rate.
That rim pressure stems from his physical tools. Swain has a long, wiry frame and covers ground with effortless, extended strides. Pair that with a quick first step, and you get a downhill attacker who beats defenders before they can react. He shows impressive body control, extends around shot blockers, and finishes through contact or at awkward angles. Layups, floaters, dunks — he has touch and creativity. In transition, he’s especially dangerous.
As a playmaker, Swain has typically thrived in a connective, complementary role. He reads help defenders well and can hit the open man off the drive. He’s shown a good feel for finding baseline cutters and keeping the ball moving. He hasn’t traditionally operated as a heavy pick-and-roll initiator, but he’s grown more comfortable in that role this season. The playmaking still needs polish, but there are real flashes that suggest more upside than the raw assist numbers indicate.
Defensively, he projects as an NBA-level contributor from day one. His footwork is sharp, and those long strides help him recover when beaten. He plays passing lanes aggressively without gambling himself out of position, and his steal rate ranks among the best in college basketball. On the ball, he stays disciplined and avoids bailing out scorers with unnecessary fouls. Off the ball, he’s taken clear steps forward, especially as a weakside helper, which is likely where he’d begin his NBA career.
As with many wings, the swing skill is shooting. At Xavier, Swain hit just 20.4 percent from three. At Texas, he’s increased his volume and improved to 33.3 percent. Evaluators often describe his mechanics as inconsistent but workable. His base can get erratic, especially on movement shots, which affects his balance. Still, there are encouraging indicators. He’s shooting just under 80 percent from the free-throw line, which suggests there may be more room for growth than his early three-point numbers show. He doesn’t offer much of a midrange game right now. Most of his offense comes either at the rim or from beyond the arc.
Swain is generally projected in the latter half of the first round, which would put him squarely in range for the Sixers if they stand pat. He may not be as seamless a fit as some of the other names discussed, but adding another long, athletic wing who pressures the rim and defends at a high level is never a bad bet. Especially if the Sixers believe in his shooting growth.
Thomas Haugh, Florida
I can already hear the comments about how none of these guys can shoot, so here’s my “here, damn” guy that can. Plus, he’s a PA kid (New Oxford, to be exact).
At 6-foot-9 with a likely wingspan north of seven feet (not officially measured yet), Haugh has a legit forward frame to pair with real shooting ability. This year at Florida, he’s stepped into a featured role, starting every game and averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1 steal and 0.9 blocks through 26 contests. He’s shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three on nearly 5.5 attempts per game. The volume from deep is up in a big way and he’s converting at a strong clip. The release is clean and quick for his size. I’m not sure he’ll ever be an elite shooter, but as a forward — maybe even a small-ball big — he’ll do just fine spacing the floor.
That said, I’d be doing Haugh a disservice if I only talked about the jumper.
Like many of the names on this list, he plays with a serious motor. Haugh embraces physicality. He’s a maniac on the offensive glass, averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds per game, which is an excellent mark for a wing or power forward. He weaves through bodies, times his jumps well, and crashes hard. He also has a bit of a forgotten skill: if he doesn’t grab it cleanly, he’ll tip it out or bat it around multiple times until he secures it. That persistence shows up constantly.
He’s not the most explosive finisher, but he makes up for it with fearlessness. He attacks the rim and gets to the free-throw line at a high rate. Zion Williamson was once labeled elite at drawing fouls as a prospect, and Haugh’s foul rate this season stacks up extremely well in comparison. He makes teams pay, too, shooting nearly 74 percent from the line this year after hitting 79 percent last season.
For a forward, he’s also a good passer. He makes quick, decisive reads and rarely overthinks the play. When you combine the shooting, interior toughness, rebounding, and decision-making, you get a pretty expansive offensive arsenal for someone with his size and frame.
Out of everyone on this list, Haugh might have the widest draft range. Some boards have him in the lottery. Others have him falling into the teens and even early 20s. Florida looks poised for another deep run, and how far they go could matter. A big March might lock him into the lottery. An early exit could push him down.
As a trade-up candidate, Haugh would make a lot of sense for the Sixers. His fearless rebounding and relentless energy around the rim would be a welcome addition. And unlike some other names here, he projects as a shooter you can’t just leave wide open. Where he ultimately lands remains to be seen, but if the Sixers want a forward who can help right away and still has room to grow, he’s a strong option as a trade-up guy.
Kon Knueppel
Myles Turner
Desmond Bane
