CAMDEN, N.J. – As they approach the end of their Joel Embiid-led window of championship aspirations, the Sixers entered the 2026 NBA Draft with an opportunity to add another promising young talent to a group of up-and-comers led by All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and Rookie of the Year Finalist VJ Edgecombe. Those two players now have an intriguing backup guard, as Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey tapped Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. as the No. 22 overall pick on Tuesday night.

"He was pretty high on our board," Gansey said after the conclusion of the first round. "Surprised a little bit he was there. But I watched Labaron a lot... Labaron's just a dynamic guard. He can play on and off the ball... I think he was the only player in Division I to average 22 [points per game] and five assists shooting over 50 percent. He shot 39 [percent] from three. His efficiency went up... He's got some toughness. I think he's going to fit Philly. He plays with an edge, plays either swag. He's not afraid."

What made Gansey's first selection as a lead executive so interesting is that the only two long-term certainties the Sixers have are Maxey and Edgecombe. The Sixers only had this first-rounder because Gansey's predecessor, Daryl Morey, concluded Jared McCain did not have a pathway to starting for the Sixers. He traded the fan favorite to Oklahoma City, with the Thunder sending the Sixers a package of picks headlined by this first-rounder.

Philon is an even smaller guard than McCain. By that measure, the Sixers certainly did not draft for need. But Gansey did not want to frame it that way.

"He was the highest guy on our board at 22," Gansey said. "We had him higher than that. So, you look at our roster, we need help at every position, one through five. Obviously we have [Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe and Paul George], but we need guys outside of that. And I think he fits, and he's another guard. So now we've got to focus on other areas on the roster."

Philon made massive strides in his sophomore season with the Crimson Tide, handling a massive workload in terms of on-ball usage and showing significant improvement as a three-point shooter (39.9 percent on 6.2 attempts per game). Should that shooting development stick – or continue to accelerate – Philon will be able to play alongside either Maxey or Edgecombe, with or without the ball in his hands.

Gansey suggested that Philon's presence will help head coach Nick Nurse, giving him the ability to keep Maxey and Edgecombe fresh – Gansey cited their lofty NBA ranks in minutes per game – and keep dynamic ball-handling on the floor at all times. Nurse raved about Philon's deep shooting range, ability to keep up with the speed of today's NBA and impressive pick-and-roll chops, arguing Philon had "too much talent to not take in that position."

One thing was clear, from both Gansey and Nurse: the expectation is that Philon will compete for a rotation role right away.

"I'm going to start with that: he's talented enough to play," Nurse said. "That's kind of where it starts."

Philon said he met with the Sixers at each of the last two draft combines; this past May he met with a contingent led by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jameer Nelson. He has not been to Philadelphia, but he knows the cheesesteaks are good and the fans are passionate. He is excited to be a part of the city, calling it "destined" that he landed with this team.

Philon said all of the right things during his virtual availability with reporters moments after he was drafted, particularly when it came to Maxey and Edgecombe. He spoke about how eager he was to learn from them, how they can help him and how he can help them. He said he would be happy to fill any role Nurse sees fit for him and that his time on high-caliber Alabama teams taught him a lot about coexisting with elite talent.

"Just making the game easier on them, being able to take the pressure off Tyrese, being able to take the pressure off VJ, and just not leaving those guys alone, being able to be there with them," Philon said. "And I would just say, with Joel and all the other guys on this roster, it's just special, being able to have such a great roster and then adding a key piece like me [capable of making] the game easier for others and for myself. But just believing that I can play with other great players was a big thing for me, being in Alabama, that really helped me: to see that I can really do it at a high level. And like I said, not having preferences to play on and off the ball, I feel like that would take some of the pressure off those guys, too. Really just being able to get into the paint or being able to space and shoot threes."

Gansey and Nurse both said Philon's experience in Alabama's system – Gansey referred to it as "pro-style" – will help make his transition easier. But he has work ahead of him.

The most obvious area for growth for Philon: He must grow, by the literal definition of the word. His listed weight is 176 pounds; very few players in that realm have carved out extremely successful NBA careers.

"He's on the slender side," Gansey said. "He's got to get stronger."

Philon said he is aiming to bulk up as quickly as possible in order to be viable against multiple positions defensively. Gansey acknowledged that Philon needs to get bigger, but was adamant that Philon is not going to tolerate being pushed around; Gansey referenced conversations with Alabama's athletic trainer, a friend of his from his days at West Virginia. Gansey has confidence that the requisite work will get done.

"I know it's in him," Gansey said. "He's got good instincts, good hands, he's tough, he'll get into people, he's competitive."

Gansey argued that Philon can learn from Edgecombe, one of the better rookie guards on the defensive end of the floor in recent memory, about how to survive defensively right away.

"VJ is obviously a little bigger, but he's got a chance to be one of the elite defenders in our league," Gansey said. "And it's hard for any rookie in the league, especially point guards. I think it's harder for them than maybe any position coming in the league. But his freshman year he was picking up full-court, he's got great hands, he's got good instincts, he's smart, he's tough, he's not afraid to get physical and compete. It's going to take time because he's got to get stronger, but I think there's some room to grow physically. And then, he's smart enough and tough enough that he'll try to hold his own. And I think the hope is he could be average to above average, and he'll get better in that area in time."

In February, Morey explained the unpopular McCain trade by discussing the Sixers' "very deep set of guards" and explaining how it would hinder McCain's ability to ever be worth the sort of return the Sixers acquired for him in the future. On Tuesday, Gansey uttered the phrase "you just can't have enough guards" as he spoke about Philon's fit within this roster and ability to self-create baskets within half-court offense, a skill that is of the utmost importance in playoff games.

Two decision-makers, two transactions, two antithetical ways of thinking ... one organization.

On the subject of guard depth, Gansey said that the team drafting Philon has no bearing on the upcoming unrestricted free agency of Quentin Grimes. The Sixers hope to retain Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr., Gansey said, adding he has been in touch with their representatives. Both players are represented by CAA.

On paper, free agency – which opens up at 6 p.m. on Monday – is the next order of business for the Sixers, as they do not own a pick in Wednesday's second round. Gansey, however, did not sound like someone ready to take a day off.

If Gansey wants to acquire a second-rounder – even as high as the early 30s – he can do it. The Sixers own 13 second-round picks between 2027 and 2033, an impressive collection of assets. The ammunition is there if Gansey wants to utilize it. He seems to be at least motivated to try. 

"Tomorrow we'll meet, we'll obviously look at who's still left on the board. Obviously we don't have a pick now, but [we will evaluate] where we can get in, who we want to target – three guys, five guys, six guys – and then try to be aggressive," Gansey said. "We're always going to make calls and try to turn over every stone and see what's out there. We have roster spots. We have playing time. So trying to get someone that can fit [Nurse's] system and the way we want to play, the character piece, we're going to look at it all and try to get someone who can fit."

MORE: Get to know Philon with these highlights