Charles Barkley said it himself, Johni Broome is the best player in Auburn basketball history. The Morehead State transfer was a first-team All-American in his fifth and final collegiate season, leading the Tigers to their second Final Four in school history, but despite all of that collegiate success, Broome fell to the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
Measuring in at 6-foot-9 at the NBA Draft Combine this spring with his under-the-rim post-up style, Broome is a throwback big man whose game doesn’t easily translate to the five-out nature of the modern NBA that requires centers to either be floor-spacers with a reliable three-point shot or rim-runners with major gravity as a lob threat. Broome isn’t either, so he may not even be a center at the next level, but with the 35th overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him as insurance for one of the league’s best.
Johni Broome is essentially injury insurance for Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career after he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Since then, he hasn’t exactly solved his injury issues. The 2023 NBA MVP played just 19 games last season after playing only 39 in 2023-24, so there is an expectation that he will miss major time next year for a 76ers team that is looking to bounce back from an unexpected 24-58 campaign.
Injuries, not just to Embiid but to rookie Jared McCain and multi-time NBA all-star Paul George, sent the 76ers spiraling into the NBA Draft lottery, lucking into the third overall pick. However, with Achilles injuries to Eastern Conference superstar Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard have all but removed the Celtics, Pacers, and Bucks from NBA Title contention, giving Philadelphia a glimmer of hope.
However, it appears that after years of Embiid’s injuries derailing promising seasons, general manager Daryl Morey is planning for the worst and hoping for the best with the Broome selection. Andre Drummond will still be on the roster in Philly, but with Guerschon Yabusele heading to free agency, the 76ers need front-court depth badly.
Bruce Pearl primarily started his star fifth-year senior at the four next to a true center in Dylan Cardwell, but Broome more than held up as the lone big man on the floor. His passing, averaging nearly three assists, and his willingness to take and occasionally knock down open threes, will allow him to play next to Embiid in supersized lineups, but if Embiid goes down, his strength and instincts on the board will need to translate for him to survive as an NBA center. If he can, there will be plenty of opportunities to see the floor in Year 1 as the 76ers attempt to manage Embiid's health throughout the season.