Mock Draft: 76ers Get Joel Embiid Insurance in Mock Draft

The Philadelphia 76ers might flip the switch on leaning toward losing games to protect its draft pick at the NBA Draft Lottery. If they do that, they have a chacne to grab a high-end prospect to gift the team Joel Embiid insurance.

Feb 5, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell (14) controls the ball against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Stegeman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia 76ers are having a season to forget. After being crowned as offseason winners by landing Paul George in free agency, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong in the City of Brotherly Love on the court.

Promising rookie and contributor Jared McCain suffered a season ending injury, Joel Embiid and Paul George have looked like shells of themselves this season while nursing injuries and the team sits 20-37, two and a half games out of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

As if that wasn't bad enough, its first round pick is owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder - though the selection is top six protected, the season could reach a breaking point where losing is more valuable than winning to ensure the pick stays in Philly in a loaded 2025 NBA Draft.

In the latest mock draft from NBA Draft expert Derek Parker, the 76ers clung to the No. 6 pick and selected Asa Newell from Georgia.

Newell is a stellar big man standing 6-foot-11 with averages of 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.2 stocks per game while shooting 55% from the floor, 29% from beyond the arc and 75% at the charity stripe.

The Georgia big man can offer an insurance policy for Embiid and potentially grow into his replacement down the road for the 30-year-old big man.

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