The Sixers broke their typical pattern of using late draft picks on young, athletic prospects on Thursday night when they used the No. 35 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select Johni Broome, a five-year collegiate veteran who has spent the last three years dominating at Auburn.
As we contemplated the team’s various options at No. 3 overall over the last several weeks, we interviewed various NBA Draft experts to get a feel for the prospects that could be in play. The winner turned out to be Maxwell Baumbach of No Ceilings NBA, who last month provided us with stellar insight on VJ Edgecombe.
Maxwell is one of the best draft writers out there, a must-follow and must-read this time of year – especially on Monday, when he will have an “Undrafted Free Agent Roll Call” keeping tabs on all of the post-draft signings, from two-way deals to Exhibit 10 contracts and everything in between.
This was meant to be, as Maxwell is a Sixers fan who is uniquely suited to help us out here. So, we went back to the well and asked him to get everyone up to speed on Broome and his chances of becoming an impact player in Philadelphia. Here is what you should know about the newest member of the Sixers:
Adam Aaronson: Let’s start by zooming out. College basketball fans are extremely familiar with Broome after his stellar five-year collegiate career – particularly a terrific three-year run at Auburn. It is clear from the numbers that he was an effective interior scorer and dominant rebounder in college. How would you describe Broome’s overall game for those who have not watched him?
Maxwell Baumbach: Think Jaylin Williams. Broome gives you a little bit of everything, but his best skill is his passing. He’s a tough, rugged rebounder. He gets into the right spots on defense. He’s a big who might not be the longest or most athletic, but wins through feel and physicality.
AA: Broome’s position at the NBA level is not exactly crystal clear. He is a tad short to be an NBA center, but seems to lack the requisite mobility to play power forward consistently. Should the Sixers develop Broome to be a full-time center who happens to be slightly undersized? Is there a path to him being viable at both positions and even sharing the floor with Joel Embiid on occasion?
MB: I think Broome is a “big who probably has to play with another big.” When Auburn played South Carolina this year, Collin Murray-Boyles was consistently able to win positioning and power battles on both ends of the floor. As a result, I worry about him playing the five against the league’s most imposing centers. Still, I think he’ll hold up against smaller bigs, and I adore the fit with him as a four next to Embiid. If you can put him in a lineup where he’s surrounded by shooters like Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Paul George and Embiid, his playmaking out of the short roll will really shine through.
AA: The numbers say Broome is not much of a shooting prospect and will not knock down jumpers at the NBA level. But there are some scouts who believe he has a real chance of at least becoming a decent jump-shooter. Where do you fall on the long-term viability of Broome’s shooting development? How much does his gradual improvement in recent years – at least in terms of volume – mean to you?
MB: I tend to be of the “volume is the best indicator” philosophy. He took threes at a higher clip than a majority of big men prospect this past decade, so he’s certainly not afraid to shoot. The fact that he continued to shoot more of them does move me in a positive direction. I don’t think he’ll ever be a genuine marksman, but I think he could become a solid safety-valve option who knocks down the wide open ones often enough.
AA: Broome seems to have some real passing chops that could prove to be an asset to NBA teams. Do you think that skill will translate to the pros? How might it help players like Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe?
MB: The passing is my favorite part of his game. Broome carried a massive usage burden for Auburn this past season. Given that, his massive assist rate might not surprise people, but his microscopic turnover rate on that level of usage is really astounding. It is not normal for a big man to enter the league with this level of passing skill and refinement, and it’s why I’ve had a first-round grade on him throughout this cycle. Even better, he makes the right types of passes. He can wire it to cutters, make snappy short-roll reads, and whip cross-court dimes from the low block to the weakside corner. Every pass in the book is there. When Maxey, McCain, and Edgecombe get open behind the arc, Broome will find them, and he can execute on a creative pass to do so.
MORE: Why Sixers have honed in on passing bigs
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