We’re now a day away from the 2026 NBA Draft, set to be one of the best of the decade with a strong class of intriguing young prospects. The Sixers, as many of you know, hold the 22nd selection. With the draft closing in fast, talent evaluators from all corners are publishing their final mock drafts ahead of the big night. Let’s check in around the league and see who’s being projected to Philadelphia at 22.
SB Nation: Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance
Let’s keep things on our homecourt, starting with SB Nation. Ricky O’Donnell has the Sixers
selecting Jayden Quaintance out of Kentucky, over names such as Ebuka Okorie, Allen Graves and Joshua Jefferson.
For those unfamiliar with Quaintance, my colleague Will Rucker wrote an excellent profile outlining his strengths and weaknesses. The basic rundown: Quaintance is a true bruiser with a legit frame at 6’10, 253 lbs, and a 7’5.25 wingspan. He’s still raw and just 18 years old, which suggests a longer development runway compared to most prospects in this range. The big red flag is health related, as he tore his ACL in February 2025. He played only a few games for Kentucky before being shut down entirely due to knee swelling during the ramp-up process.
Quaintance at 22 would be a big swing, but a healthy version could make this a pick people look back on fondly. He’d blend well alongside Joel Embiid, embracing the dirty work with rebounding and finishes around the basket. By most accounts, though, the knee is a real concern that could cause him to tumble well below 22. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo reported that ‘multiple team sources fear could cause [Quaintance] to miss time next season’. Will the Sixers be willing to take that chance? We’ll know soon enough.
ESPN: Stanford’s Eubka Okorie
Shifting over to ESPN, Jeremy Woo’s yearly mock draft has the Sixers selecting Ebuka Okorie over names such as Chris Cenac Jr., Henri Veesaar, Jayden Quaintance and Zuby Ejiofor.
For those unfamiliar with Okorie, Will Rucker also wrote his draft profile, which can be found here. The basic rundown: Okorie is a small guard (I already hear the comments) at 6’2.5 with a solid 6’7.75 wingspan, legit burst and shiftiness, and stellar ball handling. The red flags are defensive concerns, mainly tied to size rather than effort, and finishing around the basket. That said, he’s one of the better shooters and scorers in this draft, capable of creating his own shot. His numbers test well, and the eye test backs them up. He has one of the deeper bags in this class.
Okorie, in a vacuum, is a solid guard prospect. If the Sixers want a proven scorer, it’s hard to do much better than him. Most of the hesitation here would stem from his size, but after last season’s postseason run, I’d set fit concerns aside. This team just needs guys who can play. Not only can Okorie play, he might be the best prospect on the board at No. 22.
Bleacher Report: Chris Cenac Jr.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman is one of the more renowned names in the draft world, and he just published his final intel-based mock draft. At 22, he has the Sixers selecting Chris Cenac Jr. over names such as Hannes Steinbach, Zuby Ejiofor and Meleek Thomas.
For those unfamiliar with Cenac, you can check out Greg Frank’s draft profile on him found here. The gist: he’s a legit big man with a 6’11 frame at 240 lbs. He’s a strong rebounder with a good motor, which bodes well for what the Sixers need. He’s also a strong athlete, capable of running the floor and finishing lobs. On top of that, he’s a willing jump shooter with good mechanics, which would hypothetically open up his game at the power forward position. His weaknesses mainly pertain to overall refinement. He’s a raw player who needs to be coached up to reach his ceiling, gets in foul trouble often, and doesn’t shoot great for his size.
Cenac has long been linked to the Sixers for obvious reasons. They simply need a better answer at backup center, with or without Embiid. Cenac has skills that should translate from day one, and if you believe in his upside, he should be able to play alongside Embiid or without him. It’s hard for me to see Cenac as the best player available at 22, but the theoretical fit is undeniable.
Yahoo Sports: Henri Veesaar
Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor published his mock draft 10.0, with the Sixers taking Veesaar at No. 22 over names such as Tarris Reed, Dailyn Swain, Ebuka Okorie, Zuby Ejiofor and Joshua Jefferson.
Veesaar is a skilled big man boasting a near 7-foot frame. He’s a smart basketball player, capable of being a connective piece and making quick reads as a playmaker. Offensively, he has soft touch and finishes well around the basket, with floor spacing capability to boot. Defense is where most of the red flags pop up. He isn’t the most athletic big in this draft, being heavy footed and lacking vertical pop on that end. The closest NBA comparison I can think of is Kelly Olynyk, who offers offensive skill but not much on defense outside of rebounding and the occasional block.
While Veesaar is a safe option, he might just be that. The Sixers need an innings eater at the backup five spot, but I’m not sure how much upside Veesaar truly offers beyond what he gives you from day one. I’d comfortably go Swain in this mock draft, but it’s clear many talent evaluators around the league are prioritizing the Sixers adding a young big.
The Athletic: Koa Peat
Finally, we’ll check out The Athletic, spearheaded by Sam Vecenie. In this mock draft, the Sixers go with Koa Peat, over names like Chris Cenac, Tarris Reed, Zuby Ejiofor and Ebuka Okorie.
Peat, like Cenac among many others, is one of the few players we know worked out for the Sixers. The fit makes sense. The Sixers value forwards who can play next to Embiid and embrace the dirty work, and Peat does exactly that. He excels as a rebounder and hustle player, is switchable, and can hang with most wings and even some centers. He has serious bounce and would inject athleticism into the roster. On the other hand, his shot needs serious rework, as he’s essentially a non-factor from range. As a player who relies heavily on physicality, adjusting to bigger, faster, and stronger NBA competition could be a challenge. You’re likely looking at a project player when it comes to Peat.
Peat fits the profile of a player the Sixers should be targeting. At 22, though, better options are likely available. If the Sixers were to trade back into the draft in the second round, he’d be a very intriguing name that makes a lot of sense.
