In Mike Gansey’s first move as president of basketball operations, the Sixers took Alabama guard Labaron Philon with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday.
The franchise selecting a small guard with the biggest asset acquired in the Jared McCain trade is likely to receive groans, but Philon represents excellent value. The 6-foot-2 guard was comfortably projected to be a top-20 pick by most draft experts. As a sophomore, he averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 30.9 minutes per game, earning First Team All-SEC honors and a Third Team All-American nod.
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had this to say about Philon in his annual draft guide:
“His improvement as an on-ball player this season while transitioning into that role could not have gone better, as he led the Alabama offense to a top-three mark in the country while putting up video-game-like numbers. The stats are certainly inflated by the spacing and pace of Alabama’s offense, but Philon had a terrific season. His improvement as a finisher at the rim potentially changes his trajectory, making him a possible starting point guard if things break right.”
Philon was super efficient in 2025-26, shooting 50.1% from the field and just a tick under 40% on 6.2 attempts from deep per game. He’s not the most explosive athlete, but he makes up for it with his basketball IQ on both ends of the floor.
While Philon probably doesn’t have a path to being a starter here, he could carve out a role as a third guard behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. A lack of competent guard play off the bench was a sore spot for the Sixers in the postseason. Having a reliable third guard could also reduce the wear and tear on Maxey, who led the NBA in minutes.
Philon said he had conversations with the Sixers’ brass at this year’s NBA combine.
“I would say, just watching a lot of basketball, personally, I feel like being selected by Philly is just like destiny,” Philon said to reporters over a Zoom call, “because they got two great guards and I feel like I fit in with those guards, playing at that fast pace and that level of basketball.”
Gansey cited the value Philon represented at pick 22, while also acknowledging the guard fits a need.
“He’s got some toughness,” Gansey said. “I think he’s going to fit Philly. He plays with an edge. He plays with a swag. He’s not afraid. … He was a really good player the last two years and we’re really excited to have him in Philly.”
This is a developing story …
