Sixers Draft Backup for Joel Embiid in 2024 NBA Mock Draft

Before the 2024 NBA trade deadline came and went, many fans pounded the table for the Philadelphia 76ers to trade for a center. Not only because Joel Embiid was nursing an injury, but the belief was that the team needed depth to compete with Embiid’s current backups, Paul Reed and Mo Bamba.

Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey agreed at the time. Months before the deadline, he acknowledged that more depth in the front court was something they would look into. Unfortunately, the right move wasn’t there.

Perhaps the Sixers will target a center in the 2024 NBA Draft. With a first-round pick in their possession as of now, Morey could make his first selection in the draft in over two years.

According to a mock draft put together by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Sixers select Baylor Freshman, Yves Missi, creating the idea of Philadelphia adding another seven-footer into the mix.

“The Sixers need a better backup big behind Joel Embiid. With his elite athleticism, Missi would provide a change of pace, making him an intriguing fit with Tyrese Maxey. And frankly, Missi could even play next to Embiid, serving as a downhill lob threat while Embiid spaces the floor or operates from the elbows.”

Described as having shades of Detroit’s Jalen Duren, O’Connor labels Missi as a “highflier who can punish the rim on offense and protect the paint on defense.” 

Since taking over the 76ers’ front office, Daryl Morey has selected three centers through the draft. His first was Paul Reed back in 2020. Although Reed was a late second-rounder who started his career on a two-way contract, he quickly found himself converted into a standard deal. When he hit the free agency market last summer, Reed earned a three-year deal from the Utah Jazz. The Sixers ended up matching the offer sheet.

In the following draft, Morey double-dipped on centers in the second round. First, he took on Gonzaga’s Filip Petrusev before picking up Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey. Neither center panned out in Philadelphia.

The Sixers have a hard-working, glass-cleaning rebounder in Reed, who continues to expand his game as he’s added a reliable jump shot to his toolbox this year. As solid as Reed has been in a backup role behind Embiid, it’s clear that the Sixers still need more insurance at the big man spot, especially considering Embiid’s injury history.

This season, Missi started in 30 of 32 games for Baylor. Spending roughly 23 minutes on the court per game, Missi has averaged 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks during his first run in the NCAA. From the field, he’s highly efficient, successfully draining 62 percent of his seven field goals per game. 

The Sixers are a team to watch to potentially trade their highest pick in the upcoming draft. While they selected prospects in the first round under Morey’s first two seasons in charge of the front office, they traded their first-rounders in the previous two drafts.

Maybe Missi could be intriguing enough for Philadelphia to hold on.