Allen Graves Lands at No. 25 in 2026 NBA Mock Draft as Sixers Target Immediate Impact

With their playoff positioning still taking shape, the Philadelphia 76ers are already getting a head start on their offseason planning — and a newly released mock draft has them addressing a key need with a productive college wing.

Per a projection compiled by USA Today Sports, the Sixers would select Santa Clara forward Allen Graves with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Philadelphia will hold that selection thanks to a pre-deadline trade that sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Houston's first-round pick, which lands in the 21-to-26 range as the Rockets enjoy a strong season.

Graves flew well under the national radar for much of the year, but his underlying numbers suggested a player worth watching. The Santa Clara freshman earned both WCC Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year honors, highlighting a dual role he filled with remarkable consistency.

His breakout performance came in February against Washington State, when he dropped 30 points to go along with 13 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. According to Bart Torvik's box plus-minus metric, the only players under 21 years old who posted a higher mark this season were Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson — two lottery-level prospects.

On the year, Graves averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting a sizzling 51.2 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from three-point range. That combination of scoring efficiency and rebounding versatility fits a specific profile the Sixers are actively searching for as they build around their core.

The selection would represent the second consecutive year Philadelphia lands a rookie with significant upside through the draft. The Sixers found a gem in VJ Edgecombe with their 2025 pick, and the organization will be hoping to strike similar gold this time around.

Graves' ability to stretch the floor and contribute in transition gives him a realistic path to early rotation minutes in Philadelphia. With the Sixers firmly in win-now mode as they pursue a championship-caliber roster, selecting a player who can contribute right away rather than requiring a multi-year development curve makes strategic sense.

The 2026 draft class is regarded as particularly deep, which means a player with Graves' production could slip further than his talent warrants — making the potential 25th pick a potentially valuable selection for a team looking to maximize every asset on its roster.

The Sixers' brass will have ample time to evaluate Graves and the rest of the class before June, but if the mock draft world is any indication, Philadelphia may have its sights set on a high-efficiency wing who knows how to make an immediate impact.