Sixers go all in on bigs in NBA draft’s second day, drafting Adem Bona and adding Justin Edwards

Standing at 6-foot-10 with a 7-4 wingspan, Adem Bona was also blessed with explosiveness.

Arguably one of the best athletes in the NBA draft, some were shocked to see him slide to the 41st pick — and the 76ers didn’t allow him to drop any further.

They used that pick on the former UCLA big man, locking up a player known for his high motor to end their participation in Thursday’s second-round portion of the draft at ESPN Seaport District Studious in Manhattan.

The Sixers were forced to forfeit their other second-round pick for violating the league free-agency tampering rules. Two summers ago, they engaged in discussions with P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. before the start of free agency. The Sixers have until Saturday to pick up Jeff Dowtin’s option for next season.

» READ MORE: Sixers hope draft selection Jared McCain will contribute early and stay in Philly for a long time

Following the draft, the Sixers agreed to two-way deals with former Imhotep Charter and Kentucky standout Justin Edwards and former Memphis star David Jones. They’ll split time between the Sixers and their G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.

But Bona could battle for the backup center spot behind 2023 MVP Joel Embiid. A versatile player, the first-team All-Pac-12 selection is also capable of playing power forward.

The Nigerian-born player with a Turkish passport fills multiple needs as a solid offensive rebounder and shot blocker. Bona is also someone who thrives in passing lanes. He averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks as a sophomore. He was named the Pac-12 defensive player of the year and twice named to the conference’s all-defensive team.

This comes after Bona was named the conference’s freshman of the year and landed on the all-freshman team in 2023. And the 21-year-old was a McDonald’s All American and regarded as the nation’s 11th-best college prospect in the Class of 2022 as a senior at Prolific Prep.

Not bad for someone who didn’t start playing basketball until the age of 13.

» READ MORE: Sixers set to sign Imhotep star Justin Edwards to two-way contract

And it all came about because Bona, who was already around 6-7 at the time, was spotted on the road outside of his mother’s Nigerian store. Struck by his height, a local basketball player asked if Bona, a soccer player at the time, was interested in hoops.

The player followed Bona to his mother’s store with the intent of introducing him to the sport. Bona was soon moving to Turkey at 13 years old with his mother to begin playing organized basketball.

Over time, he developed into one of the top youth players in Europe and a member of Turkey’s U16 and U18 national teams. Bona opted to move to California in 2020 to spend his final two seasons of high school at Prolific.

Meanwhile, becoming a member of the Sixers is a homecoming for Edwards after going undrafted.

The 6-8, 203-pounder averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 32 games as a freshman this past season at Kentucky.

At Imhotep, the 20-year-old was rated the No. 1 overall college prospect in the Class of 2023 in January 2023.

» READ MORE: Jared McCain has a lot of Steph Curry traits. The Sixers were wise not to pass that up.

Jones, a 6-6 forward, averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals as a senior at Memphis. The 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic played at DePaul his first two seasons before transferring to St. John’s in 2022. He then transferred, again, to Memphis before last season.

The two-way deals and Bona’s selection come one day after the Sixers selected Jared McCain with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round.

After selecting Duke’s Jared McCain with the No. 16 pick in the NBA Draft, the 76ers are gearing up for a crucial free-agency period beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday. With ample salary-cap space available, the Sixers are in position to make significant moves to bolster their roster around All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Join Inquirer beat reporters Gina Mizell and Keith Pompey at noon on Monday, as they recap the flurry of initial signings for the Sixers and around the league. They will also explore which players could still be available, and discuss the overall league landscape and where that leaves the Sixers in the Eastern Conference. Tune into this detailed preview of what could be a transformative period for the 76ers.