NBA mock draft roundup: Which prospect will the Sixers select with the third pick? Will they even make a pick at all?

The NBA draft is just under a month away, and the 76ers are preparing make a top-five selection for the first time since 2017, when the team was in the depths of the Process.

The Sixers have managed to pick up some serious talent at No. 3 overall in the past — Joel Embiid was the third pick in the 2014 draft. But Sixers fans will also remember the swings-and-misses from the Process years, including Markelle Fultz, Jahlil Okafor, and of course, Ben Simmons.

With the draft approaching, it’s also officially mock draft season, and most of the predictions have coalesced around one name for the Sixers — Ace Bailey of Rutgers.

“If there was no Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey would have been an even bigger name that people would have been talking about in this draft,” Paul George said on Podcast P. “… I think he’s going to come into the league and make noise right away.”

» READ MORE: Paul George, Carmelo Anthony compare Ace Bailey and Cooper Flagg — and discuss why Flagg gets more hype

Bailey, who has been compared to a young George, appears to be the guy for the Sixers — if they make the pick at all. While the team could trade out of its current spot at No. 3, Daryl Morey recently told NBC Sports Philadelphia that the Sixers expect to make that selection.

“Yeah, our plan is to pick this pick, yeah,” Morey said. “Yeah, I think the top few, top three, four, you could argue, five maybe. I mean, there are good players in this draft. The top of this draft, I think, I would say I was very fortunate to start my career in the 2003 draft. Which some argue is the best draft of all time, but I think it’s in the top five of high-quality players in the top of the draft in my career.”

We’ll have to wait until June 25 to know for sure if he’s telling the truth. In the meantime, here’s a look at how several national outlets see the first round playing out for the Sixers …

ESPN’s mock draft had Bailey going to the Sixers as a natural fit in their lineup as the draft’s “third-most talented player,” but Jonathan Givony also wrote that the Sixers are active in potential trade conversations and that Bailey’s personality is “polarizing.”

“Bailey hasn’t come off as ‘buttoned up’ as some of his lottery peers but drew strong marks from a handful of executives who appreciated his candor and willingness to display his big personality,” Givony wrote.

» READ MORE: The Sixers' long history of passing on local players

CBS Sports also had Bailey headed to the Sixers, with the caveat that it would not be “terribly surprised” if the Sixers trade down. But Kyle Boone was complimentary of Bailey’s talent, saying that “most view the draft dropping off in talent after the top three picks, and specifically after Bailey.”

Kevin O’Connor at Yahoo! Sports also teased that the Sixers would consider trading down, but ultimately still ticketed Bailey for the Sixers as a strong fit next to Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain in the long term.

Sam Vecenie at The Athletic projects that the Sixers will consider moving the pick due to their strength with McCain, Maxey, and Quentin Grimes, and acknowledged that Bailey is a “polarizing” player among NBA executives, but he still had Bailey headed for the Sixers.

» READ MORE: Sixers mailbag: Should Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain share the floor, the state of Paul George and more

The Ringer ticketed Bailey for the Sixers, writing that “it’s clear that he can fit into what the Sixers are doing in the short term as his more fantastic, long-term possibilities threaten to materialize.”