The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams for several years, and drafting Joel Embiid in 2014 helped them become a perennial playoff team.

However, in several drafts in the 2010s, they missed opportunities to find Embiid a partner who would elevate them to champions.

They recently added Paul George, but how that turns out remains to be seen.

However, one of the players on this list could have already partnered with Embiid and elevated the 76ers to title contention.

Here are five draft prospects Philadelphia whiffed on during the 2010s.

5Michael Carter-Williams Over Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo is a two-time MVP

The 76ers selected Michael Carter-Williams with the 11th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the Milwaukee Bucks at 15.

Carter-Williams won Rookie of the Year. Antetokounmpo wasn’t a starter through most of his rookie season.

Early on, Antetokounmpo didn’t look like such a great pick and Carter-Williams looked like a steal at 11.

However, time changed that.

By year two, the pair had become teammates. By year three, Antetokounmpo’s potential was becoming clearer and clearer. In year four, Antetokounmpo became an All-Star. He increased his scoring and rebounding averages in his first seven seasons. Carter-Williams’ career year came in year two.

Philadelphia isn’t the only team that missed on Antetokounmpo, which is why he isn’t higher on this list. It’s almost unfair to call missing out on Antetokounmpo a real miss because most front offices didn’t anticipate him becoming the type of player he has. Before the draft, scouts and executives criticized his lack of shooting and skinny frame.

Antetokounmpo was so unknown that multiple pre-draft analyses misspelled his name: Adetokunbo.

4Ben Simmons Over Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown just won Finals MVP

In 2016, the 76ers selected Ben Simmons with the top pick in the draft.

With the third pick, the Boston Celtics selected Jaylen Brown .

Out of the gate, this pick looked like an easy win for Philadelphia and possibly a poor choice for Boston. In his first four seasons, Simmons won Rookie of the Year, was selected to three All-Star games and earned two All-Defensive Team nods.

Before his breakout season in year four, Brown was primarily a role player for the Celtics, averaging 11.2 points per game.

Since then, the script has flipped. In his last four seasons, Brown has become a three-time All-Star, averaging 24.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He has helped Boston to multiple deep playoff runs, including two Finals and one title.

Brown won the 2023-24 Finals MVP, averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the series.

Simmons, on the other hand, has played 57 games in the last three seasons.

3Jahlil Okafor Over Kristaps Porzingis

Porziņģis helped the Celtics win the 2023-24 title

In 2015, the 76ers selected Jahlil Okafor, the Duke standout, with the third pick. The plan was to pair him with Embiid and fill in while Embiid dealt with injuries.

With the next pick, the New York Knicks selected Kristaps Kristaps Porzingis .

The comparison of these two players exemplifies how the role of the big has changed in the NBA. Okafor was a back-to-the-basket big, while Porzingis shot from the outside and put the ball on the floor. And Porzingis still poses a threat as a rim protector, a sort of best of both worlds.

Okafor’s career never really took off after a strong rookie campaign. His time in Philadelphia ended in a trade after he fell out of the rotation.

Porzingis, however, has since become an All-Star and a champion. He causes teams matchup problems, and pairing him with another matchup nightmare in Embiid sounds enticing.

Okafor averaged a career-high 17.5 points per game as a rookie. Porzingis has passed that scoring average in every season minus his debut campaign.

2Mikal Bridges Over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s best

In 2018, the 76ers selected Mikal Bridges with the 10th pick. They traded him to the Phoenix Suns for Zhaire Smith and a future first-round pick (Tre Mann).

Then, they traded the pick that became Tre Mann as part of the deal that brought Tobias Harris to Philadelphia.

With the pick after Bridges, the Charlotte Hornets selected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander .

Philadelphia would have had a solid player if they had stuck with Bridges. Harris, however, brought a more immediate impact.

Bridges averaged 8.3 points per game as a rookie. Harris averaged 20.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game that same season.

However, Philadelphia also had the opportunity to select Gilgeous-Alexander. He has been selected to two All-Star games and finished second in MVP voting in the 2023-24 season.

Gilgeous-Alexander has increased his scoring average each year, averaging 30.1 last season. While many of the players involved in this selection are talented players contributing to winning teams, Gilgeous-Alexander is undoubtedly the best among them.

1Markelle Fultz Over Jayson Tatum

Tatum is among the NBA’s elite

The Celtics had the top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. They traded back with the 76ers, adding an extra first-round pick in the process.

In this case, Philadelphia shouldn’t have trusted The Process, because they selected Markelle Fultz with the top pick and the Celtics took Jayson Tatum with the third pick.

Fultz hasn’t lived up to the reputation of a top selection. He averaged 7.8 points and 2.8 assists per game last season with the Orlando Magic .

Tatum is coming off a championship season in which he averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

Tatum is a five-time All-Star and one of the NBA’s best scorers. He increased his points, rebounds and assists per game in his first six seasons.

Fultz has struggled with injuries, playing in 60 or more games in just two seasons. His best year came in 2022-23, when he averaged 14.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

Fultz is currently a free agent still seeking a team. Tatum is a member of the USA Men’s Olympic Basketball Team competing in France.