Sixers Draft Alabama Guard Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22

The Philadelphia Sixers landed Alabama sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 pick in the NBA Draft on Tuesday night.

The All-America Third Team selection averaged 22.0 points on 50.1 percent shooting (39.9% 3FG, 79.8% FT), 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 30.9 minutes in 33 contests.

Why Experts Call Philon the Steal of the Draft

It's those eye-popping numbers that ESPN Front Office insider Bobby Marks said adding Philon Jr. was the best pick of the night.

I ranked the Alabama guard as the 13th-best prospect in the draft. What stood out for me is how Philon took the constructive criticism from the 2025 draft combine and applied it this past season. He improved his 3-point shooting from 32% to 40%.

Fitting Into the Maxey and Edgecombe Backcourt

One question many Sixers fans wonder is if Philon can be a fit with Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.  Maxey is a smaller guard who dominates the ball, so adding Philon could help reduce some of his minutes and allow him to play off the ball.

The biggest takeaway is that NBA teams wanted to see Philon as a primary playmaker -- he averaged 5.1 assists as a sophomore at Alabama. With the 76ers, Philon will join an explosive backcourt with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

Addressing the Critical Need for Guard Depth

The Sixers struggled with guard depth in their playoff series against the Knicks, adding another guard, especially after trading Jared McCain, seemed like something they needed to do, especially if they are unable to retain Quentin Grimes.