June 18, 2026
Scott Sewell/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Joshua Jefferson seems like a strong bet to be a rotation-caliber piece right away.
Leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft, PhillyVoice is speaking with scouting experts about prospects they believe the Sixers should be targeting with the No. 22 overall pick they acquired in the Jared McCain trade.
Up next: Joshua Jefferson, one of the best players in college basketball last season as a senior at Iowa State. Jefferson is on the older side in this class – he will turn 23 years old about a month into his rookie season – but his 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game with the Cyclones last season indicate he can be a helpful contributor right away.
Here to make the case for Jefferson: Maxwell Baumbach, one of the many excellent NBA Draft analysts at No Ceilings, which just released its annual draft guide. Maxwell has been quite helpful before – about 13 months ago, he provided his expertise in a Q&A just like this one centered around a guard from Baylor named VJ Edgecombe. After the 2025 NBA Draft, he returned to talk about second-round pick Johni Broome.
Let's talk to Maxwell:
Adam Aaronson: For the many Sixers fans who never watched an Iowa State game during the 2025-26 season, can you zoom out and explain the makeup of Jefferson’s game? What are his key strengths and weaknesses, and what makes you think he would be a long-term rotation piece within the context of what the Sixers have?
Maxwell Baumbach: Joshua Jefferson is exceptionally strong and exceptionally smart. At the NBA Combine, he came in at 6-foot-7.75 barefoot with a 6-foot-10.75 wingspan and an 8-foot-8.5 standing reach while tipping the scales at 246.2 pounds. So, there’s the prototypical “four” size that you’d hope to see. As far as his actual basketball game, there’s a lot to like on that front, which is pretty important.
In the simplest terms, Joshua Jefferson is a hyperintelligent, hyperphysical force who manages to stuff the stat sheet by both outthinking and outworking opponents.
He’s a great rebounder on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he makes opponents play through his frame at the point-of-attack. What makes him so special, though, is his passing and off-ball defense. On offense, he’s a habitual domino-tipper. His floor vision is out of this world. Jefferson loves to palm the ball like a water polo player before slinging it cross court to get the dominos tipping and get defenses into rotation. He can also put it on the floor to collapse the opposing defense before threading the needle in traffic and dumping it to a big, or he can spray it out to an open shooter. His passing portfolio is out of this world, especially for someone his size.
As an off-ball defender, I’m not sure that there’s anyone more proficient at stopping the dominos from being tipped. He processes the game at warp speed, so he always knows where to go, and it feels like he’s always on balance. He gets steals and blocks at a healthy clip, but he accrues those numbers while playing a polished, fundamental brand of basketball.
The concern with Jefferson is that he’s long struggled with his scoring efficiency, and he’s not a great athlete. His jumper has been hit or miss over the years, and his below-the-rim nature limits him as an interior scorer, too. Teams will have to get a little bit creative in order to weaponize his passing if his three-ball doesn’t get there. Personally, I’m a buyer in his shot being good enough to keep defenses honest, as he hit 38.5 percent of his spot-up attempts this year, and he took a few from NBA range.
To me, the appeal with Jefferson is that he gives the Sixers the rebounding they’ve needed from the power forward spot for so long, but he also gives so much more than that. He’s a plus defender and a super sharp connector on offense who will accentuate what their stars do best in a low maintenance role. Drafting for need is obviously a dangerous game, but Jefferson’s rebounding, defensive output, and offensive feel would have been nice to have on the floor in the playoffs.
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AA: The skill that seems to be the differentiator for Jefferson is his ability to create for others as a larger wing. To what degree can his playmaking be expected to translate to the NBA? Will he function as a point forward of sorts, or does he profile as more of a secondary ball-handler?
MB: I think Jefferson will be far more of a secondary ball-handler at the NBA level, simply because he doesn’t possess the scoring gravity or athleticism to really run the ship at this point. Given that he’s an older prospect, I don’t anticipate that to change, either. But if Jefferson can become a reliable spot up shooter, I think he can thrive attacking from there, and I also trust him to operate from the short roll.
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AA: It is evident that you are fond of Jefferson’s skills and fit with the Sixers. But where could you see things going wrong should he be their choice? What could lead to him not panning out the way you anticipate?
MB: As much as I love Jefferson, he’s always been a guy where if it goes sideways, it won’t be a surprise as to why. If it doesn’t work out, it will likely be because he lacks the shooting firepower to keep defenses honest, which diminishes his passing to a point where it doesn’t provide positive value, while his defense regresses when matched up against smarter, more athletic opposition.
That said, my philosophy tends to be that players who are consistently productive and smart while having good positional size usually work out, so I’m ultimately optimistic.
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