The Philadelphia 76ers head into the opening night of the NBA draft with a variety of options. Rutgers wing Ace Bailey — perhaps against his wishes — is one of their options to select with the No. 3 pick Wednesday at the Barclays Center.

The last two months of the Philadelphia 76ers’ ill-fated season was a quest to increase its odds of retaining its first-round pick. The months of putrid basketball and raft of 10-day contracts were rewarded on lottery night with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, thereby keeping it protected from conveying to eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City.