2026 NBA mock draft: Sixers select Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 22 overall

[ASFN Admin]

The Philadelphia 76ers will hold the No. 22 pick in the 2026 NBA draft on June 23 thanks to the trade they made with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the deadline. The first round pick they acquired in the Jared McCain trade was via the Houston Rockets and the Sixers will look to make sure they are doing their due diligence to make the right selection.

There are a number of players the Sixers can look at with this pick in what is considered one of the deeper drafts in recent years. With Philadelphia needing some big man help off the bench, the team's front office at the moment can look at a bouncy athlete from Houston.

A mock draft performed by NBC Sports has the Sixers selecting Houston's Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 22:

Behind Joel Embiid, the pickings were slim for the 76ers at the center position this season. Andre Drummond and Adem Bona logged rotation minutes, but neither was a consistent difference-maker, especially when Embiid was unavailable. Cenac will need some time to develop, but he’s an athletic frontcourt player who improved throughout his lone season at Houston.

Cenac averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds with the Cougars in 2025-26 as he used his size and athleticism to make an impact on both ends of the floor. He will need to develop more on the offensive end in the NBA, but if the Sixers were to take him with this pick, he would immediately be a part of the team's nightly rotation.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 2026 NBA mock draft: Sixers select Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 22 overall

Continue reading...