In the first day two of NBA Draft history Thursday, the Sixers took UCLA big man Adem Bona with the 41st overall pick.
He averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for the Bruins last season. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.
In Bona, the Sixers acquire arguably the best athlete in the draft. He had the highest standing vertical of any player at the NBA Draft Combine. He also has legitimate NBA size at 6-foot-8 (without shoes) and a freakish 7-4 wingspan. He’s a strong rim protector, but also possesses the ability to switch on the perimeter.
Bona is a native of Nigeria, but moved to Turkey at the age of 13 to pursue basketball. He moved to the U.S. to play high school basketball at Prolific Prep in California. He was a five-star recruit and committed to UCLA, where he spent two seasons.
He’s raw, but Bona is one of the most physically gifted players in the draft class. As Daryl Morey has made clear, he’s going to take the best player available, regardless of fit or age.
A side note: this is the pick the Sixers acquired in the deal that sent Jaden Springer to the Boston Celtics at the trade deadline.
On Wednesday night, the Sixers selected Duke’s Jared McCain 16th overall. While there are still plenty of moving parts ahead of the start free agency Sunday, we might have some roster clarity. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will be here. For now, so are McCain and Bona.