Mike Gansey Takes Charge of Sixers’ Draft as Team Prepares at No. 22
His early control of the draft will test the Sixers’ ability to add low‑cost, high‑fit players because of large max contracts and a thinner late first‑round due to NIL
Overview
- Mike Gansey was installed as the Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations in early June and is leading the team’s preparations for the June 23 draft.
- The Sixers hold the 22nd overall pick and are largely prepared to stay at No. 22 unless a clear target appears in workouts that justifies trading up.
- Gansey has said he will prioritize competitiveness, toughness and cultural fit when evaluating prospects and has already begun pre‑draft interviews and workouts.
- Salary realities — Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all on large, hard‑to‑move deals — sharply limit Philadelphia’s trade flexibility and increase the value of inexpensive, ready contributors.
- Scouts and coverage note Gansey’s Cavaliers track record of finding under‑the‑radar contributors and warn that the NIL era has thinned the back half of the first round, raising the premium on character checks and scouting.