The Philadelphia 76ers waited two and a half hours for their turn at No. 22 in the 2026 NBA Draft. When Adam Silver finally stepped to the mic, the pick was Labaron Philon Jr., an Alabama guard who moves like a blur with the ball in his hands.
Daryl Morey is gone from the front office, but this pick still felt like one of his: a speedy, under-6-foot-4 guard who might not fill an immediate need in Nick Nurse’s offense but carries serious upside. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander went a step further, saying Philon could end up being one of the 10 to 12 best players in the entire draft class five years from now.
“Just rewind the clock a year. He was expected to be in the draft a year ago, and Nate Oats had fully moved on. Then at the last minute, he goes, ‘Nope, I’m coming back for my sophomore year,’” Norlander said on CBS Sports’ draft coverage. “Gets picked higher this year than I think he would last year. But his stock did take a knock here over the past month or so. There was a time when I thought his camp probably believed they would be somewhere in the top 16 or so. I do like the fit here. Mike Gansey is now running the show in Philadelphia and did extensive work on him.”
Philon originally planned to enter the 2025 draft but pulled a late U-turn and returned to Alabama for his sophomore season. That decision paid off. He landed in a better spot than he might have a year ago, even if he slid a bit later than his camp reportedly hoped.
Norlander was straightforward about what Philon brings.
“I’m of the opinion that if Philon puts it all together, he’s going to be one of the 10-12 best players in this draft class when we check in five years from now,” Norlander said. “I like how he handles. I’ve seen him in person plenty of times. He can be a blur with the ball. Knowing what his role is going to be, there’s some really established pieces there in Philadelphia. Being a wingman to Maxey amongst other players, I think it’s a really good value pick. The upside’s tremendous.”
Fit with the 76ers
Philon joins a backcourt that already includes Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe, a 2025 first-rounder who saw heavy minutes as a rookie. Jared McCain, the 2024 first-rounder, is also in the mix as a scoring guard. That’s four young guards who all want the ball.
Unless somebody suddenly grows three inches, the 76ers probably can’t play all three of Maxey, Philon and Edgecombe together in tight playoff minutes come 2027. But after watching Maxey and Edgecombe both play 40-minute games routinely, adding a third high-upside guard who can shoot, score and find teammates is a smart use of a non-lottery pick. Even if McCain already fits a similar description.
Philon shot 37 percent from three at Alabama last season and averaged 4.5 assists. He’s not a pure point guard or a pure scorer — he’s something in between, which is exactly the kind of flexible guard modern offenses need. The 76ers have enough established stars that Philon won’t have to carry a heavy load right away. He can grow into his role.
Norlander’s prediction might sound bold, but it’s not crazy. Plenty of guards picked in the 20s have outplayed their draft slot. The question is whether Philon’s game translates to NBA spacing and speed. His handle is elite. His burst is real. If he tightens up his decision-making, the 76ers might have stolen a lottery talent at 22. Time will tell.
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