On Day 2 of the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers utilized their 35th overall pick in the second round to pick Auburn power forward Johni Broome. Broome was a star on the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team that lost in the Final Four of the 2025 Division 1 NCAA men’s basketball Tournament to the eventual champions, Florida.
How did Broome get to the NBA?
The native of Plant City, Florida put himself on the map by transferring to Tampa Catholic High School and having a stellar senior year. He then committed to Morehead State college in Kentucky, where he was an outstanding player his freshman year. Before his junior year in 2022, Broome entered the transfer portal and chose to go to Auburn over Florida.
He ended up playing three seasons for Auburn and went out in style; leading the team in points, rebounds, assists and blocks during his super senior year. Broome also helped the Tigers become the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25.
ESPN reporter Monica McNutt interviewed Broome after he was drafted and he summed himself up as such.
“I’m a winner, I get things done offensively and defensively so the Sixers got a good one.”
Key Points of Broome’s Game
Rookie Me Central says Broome’s “inside scoring, team-lifting defence and connective passing make him one of the stronger big men in the draft class” and he”seems ready to make an impact as soon as he hits the NBA.” The Sixers’ newest big man becomes the third heaviest player behind centers Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond on their roster and tied for third tallest with center Adem Bona.
One of Broome’s main offensive strengths is being hard to play against in the paint, specifically when he’s working in the “low block” (part of the low post area). He has a nose for the basket as he is good at positioning himself off-the-ball in the offensive end of the floor and finding open space under the hoop at the right time. Broome also towers over defenders with his above-average height and finishes smoothly with either hand even though he is lefthanded.
The 6-foot-10 forward is also a good passer, which makes defenses think twice about double-teaming him in the paint.
Maxwell Baumbach of No Ceilings NBA recently touched on Broome’s passing ability in an interview with Philly Voice’s Adam Aaronson.
“The passing is my favorite part of his game. Broome carried a massive usage burden for Auburn this past season. Given that, his massive assist rate might not surprise people, but his microscopic turnover rate on that level of usage is really astounding. It is not normal for a big man to enter the league with this level of passing skill and refinement… Even better, he makes the right types of passes. He can wire it to cutters, make snappy short-roll reads, and whip cross-court dimes from the low block to the weakside corner. Every pass in the book is there. When [Tyrese] Maxey, [Jared] McCain, and [VJ] Edgecombe get open behind the arc, Broome will find them, and he can execute on a creative pass to do so.”
On the defensive side, Broome is a solid blocker as evidenced by the healthy 2.1 blocks per game he averaged last season at Auburn against D-1 competition.
Rookie Me Central said this about Broome’s defensive ability:
“He makes big plays by blocking shots and energizing his team with plenty of emotion following these efforts. Broome’s timing means he meets the ball at the right time, rarely giving away goaltends and making the opposition think twice about driving when he is in the paint.”
What does the Future Hold?
To be ready for the NBA, Broome needs to work on his shooting and switching on pick n’ rolls. Rookie Me Central writes “Like many players in his position, Broome struggles with scoring from range, although that trend is being bucked in the modern NBA with a lot of prospects able to stretch the floor. If he can muster up a standing jump shot and become more consistent from the line, it will open up his game even more.”
These are deficiencies that can be worked on with the Sixers coaching staff which is led by head coach Nick Nurse and includes assistants such as former NBA shooting guard Doug West, point guard Bobby Jackson and shooting guard/small forward Coby Karl, who is the son of Hall of Fame head coach George Karl.
Overall, the Sixers did well to pick up an NBA ready big man in the second round who can step into the lineup as a four next year next to Sixers All-Star center Joel Embiid. Broome isn’t going to come in and be the most physically imposing big man in the NBA but he does have an unique skill set which includes passing, defense and post-scoring which is going to benefit the Sixers for years to come.
