2026 NBA draft profiles: Philadelphia 76ers prospect Labaron Philon

With the 2026 NBA draft fast approaching, the first round is on June 23, now’s the time to look at some potential options for the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 22 pick. If one wants to look at Sixers Wire’s draft big board, one can do so here.

This series will focus on specific players. The Sixers have a first-round pick thanks to the Jared McCain trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder via the Houston Rockets. After a trip to Round 2 of the playoffs, the Sixers have an opportunity to add to the roster and get themselves another talented young piece around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe for the future.

Up next in this series is Alabama guard Labaron Philon:

Philon is a fantastic 3-level scorer as he is somebody who features elite ball-handling and shiftiness. There is a quickness about him that bothers defenders and it forces them to make decisions on what to do out on the perimeter. Either Philon is getting to the basket with an escape dribble when pressured beyond the 3-point line, or he is able to knock down a jumper when given the room. He shot 50.1% from the floor overall and 39.9% from deep in the 2025-26 season, while also taking 6.0 free throws per game. Therefore, he can score in a variety of ways and can deliver in all areas on the offensive end.

He is somebody who can run the pick-and-roll like a maestro. He is so good with the basketball in his hands and can run things on that end of the floor. Again, he is either going to get to the basket, where he is a creative finisher, or he is going to throw a lob or throw a perfect pocket pass in an effort to get his big men involved. He is going to be great leading a second unit as a change-of-pace guard in this league.

The lack of size is going to hurt Philon on the defensive end in the league. He stands at 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds, so that will be a problem on that end of the floor. He does play with a high motor so that can offset the physical limitations on defense at times, but the slender build makes it difficult for him to fight around screens and defend bigger and stronger NBA guards. He will need to continue building his strength and conditioning to be a longtime NBA player because of the lack of size. The positive thing is he’s such a hard worker and has a high basketball IQ, which will help in the long run.

Some may moan and groan over the possible addition of another smaller guard, but when looking at the draft, if Philon does fall to 22, he’s very clearly in the “Best Player Available” category. The Sixers are in a position where they need some talent around their core four of Maxey, Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, and Paul George. That means looking at high upside players at this spot in the draft. They are looking for rotation players this late in the first round and Philon fills that need and then some.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 2026 NBA draft profiles: Philadelphia 76ers prospect Labaron Philon