Shockwave Alert: Why Spurs and 76ers Might Toss Top 3 Picks in 2025 NBA Draft—A Game-Changer Awaits!

Rare as a hen’s tooth, trading down from a top-three NBA draft pick is the kind of move that practically makes general managers break out in cold sweats. Rookie contracts at those spots? Gold mines. The higher you snag a pick, the better your shot at landing a franchise-altering talent. Most GMs? They’d rather swing madly for a future All-Star, even if it means risking it all, rather than shuffle backward in the draft and watch the guy they passed on become the thorn in their side for years to come. Remember the seismic shifts brought on by deals like McHale and Parish for Joe Barry Carroll, Webber for Penny, Fultz for Tatum, or Luka for Trae? Those trades didn’t just change rosters—they rewrote NBA history.

Now, since 1980, only a mere 10 teams out of 135 attempts dared to trade down within the lottery from a top-three pick. This rarity alone tells you how much weight these decisions carry. As we edge toward 2025, whispers are swirling around the Spurs and Sixers, holding the second and third picks respectively, who might just break the mold. Could we be on the cusp of witnessing a top-3 trade down again after a decade in hibernation? The stakes are sky-high, the players intriguing, and the strategies complex. The countdown to a pivotal draft night has already begun—and history, as always, is watching closely. LEARN MOREOne year ago, the Spurs drafted guard Stephon Castle in the lottery. Months later, they traded for point guard De’Aaron Fox. And now they’re in position to pick Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper, a 6-foot-5 freight train with a shaky jumper. That’s three guards, none of whom are knockdown shooters, surrounding a generational 7-foot-5 center in Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs likely wouldn’t have traded for Fox if they knew they’d end up with Harper. Now they could have three non-shooting guards and Wemby wondering if San Antonio doesn’t believe in space.Why the Spurs would do it: A two-man game partner for Wemby. Their synergy could end up beautiful to watch. And he’d perfectly complement both Castle and Fox with his floor spacing too.Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

Hawks moved to fifth and took Trae Young and 2019 first (Cam Reddish)

2006: Bulls traded No. 2 to BlazersThere’s so much gossip around these picks because the two players projected to go after Cooper Flagg don’t cleanly fit the Spurs or Sixers in the second and third spots.