Daryl Morey must capitalize on the Sixers’ title window. Trading the No. 16 pick is a step in the right direction.

Daryl Morey knows more than anyone that the phrase the time is now is beyond a cliché when applied to the 76ers.

“This offseason’s a big one,” the team’s president of basketball operations said recently. “I owe it to the fans, to ownership, to everybody to get this team to the place where we’re competing for championships. … We’re very well-situated to use all the tools — trade, free agency, draft — to upgrade the team. We’re going to put every single effort into that.”

The Sixers could have close to $65 million available in salary-cap space this summer. They’ll also have five first-round picks and multiple pick swaps over several seasons available to trade, beginning at the start of the NBA draft on June 26 and 27.

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That’s why Morey’s best bet is to jump-start the Sixers’ offseason efforts by trading the No. 16 pick in the draft. He has to know that. The Sixers have likely already had preliminary discussion about possibly unloading that pick. They can hold onto their second-rounder (41st overall) if they want to make a diamond-in-the-rough selection.

But Morey was recognized as a win-now executive long before this offseason.

Morey’s win-now moves resulted in his former team, the Houston Rockets, entering the 2020 draft without a selection. But that was far from surprising, because the Rockets hadn’t made a first-round pick under Morey’s watch since taking Sam Dekker in 2015.

With Morey as the Sixers’ top executive since November 2020, they haven’t selected a first-rounder since Jaden Springer at No. 28 in 2021. The following summer, they bundled Danny Green and the 23rd pick (David Roddy) of the 2022 draft in a deal for Memphis Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton. And they shipped their 2023 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets as part of their Feb. 10, 2020, blockbuster trade for James Harden.

So Morey has long had a history of packaging draft picks in trades for NBA veterans.

Let’s face it, this draft will be one of the weakest in decades. It’s hard to imagine any prospect, even if the team had the No. 1 pick, helping the Sixers right now. So getting an established starter from another NBA team would offer more immediate assistance than anyone they would select in the draft.

Right now, the main goal is pursing a third star to mesh with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey via free agency or the draft. They also have to fill out the roster with championship-caliber and experienced role players.

“Immediate help probably never comes in the draft,” Morey said. “There’s really only something less than 10 but greater than five players picked in the range we’re picking in that are good in the first year. That said, we don’t really focus on the draft for help now. I do really love 16. The storylines have been that the draft is worse. I don’t see that at all. Actually, I’m very excited about who’s at 16.

“That said, as you might expect, we have all options on the table: trade into the future so that we can keep more picks available for future trades. If we do pick, I’m excited about who’s there. We could trade back, pick up a player. I do like having a good core of young players.”

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That said, it would be somewhat surprising if the team didn’t trade the pick. If the Sixers keep it, Southern Cal point guard Isaiah Collier, Providence guard Devin Carter, and Indiana forward Kel’el Ware are among a few players who could interest them.

However, Collier will most likely be picked before No. 16. Carter should be available, but there are questions about his game. And some people in the league are high on Ware while others are not.

Trentyn Flowers could also be one of the draft’s best-kept secrets.

The 6-foot-7 swingman, who spent this past season in the Australia’s National Basketball League instead of playing for Louisville, is scheduled to work out for the Sixers on June 20, according to sources. The elite athlete, who has drawn some comparisons to Zach LaVine, has already worked out for the Nets, Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, the Rockets (Wednesday), and San Antonio Spurs (Thursday).

In addition to the Sixers, he has workouts scheduled with the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, and Boston Celtics.

Flowers can come in the league as a three-and-D player at the start of his career, a league scout said. In addition to being a solid three-point shooter, he can defend both guard positions and small forwards. He also has a high basketball IQ and is a playmaker.

Flowers, who has a 42-inch vertical, has impressed NBA teams during workouts after being relatively unknown after averaging just 5.2 points in 18 appearances for the Adelaide 36ers. His coming-out party was at the NBA combine in Chicago, where he tested as the most athletic and youngest wing in the draft. The 205-pounder, who graduated high school in three years, turned 19 on March 8.

Sources say Morey was impressed at the combine. But are the Sixers willing to use a first-round draft pick on someone perhaps better suited to battle for minutes on a young, inexperienced team?

A teenager, Flowers is still a couple of seasons away from making an impact. Plus, Morey is not a guy who historically builds through the draft. He wants to win now. He wants star players.

With Embiid’s injury history, no one knows how much longer the Sixers’ championship window will remain open. The Sixers need to trade the No. 16 pick for someone who could provide immediate help.

“Obviously we didn’t meet our goals this year,” Morey said. “That said, I think this place is buzzing. Everyone’s in, excited to attack this offseason — a big offseason for us. We’re excited. We obviously have two great studs to build around in Joel and Tyrese.”