Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The Philadelphia 76ers have found a new president of basketball operations in Mike Gansey. Now, the Sixers can fully focus on their offseason options, starting with what to do at No. 22 in the upcoming NBA Draft. With Quentin Grimes entering free agency and Kyle Lowry likely nearing retirement, the Sixers could use additional guard depth. One such option who could be available is Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson Jr.
Christian Anderson Jr. spent this season as Texas Tech's primary ball handler, and he did not disappoint. Alongside J.T. Toppin, Anderson led the Red Raiders to an impressive 23-11 record. Anderson, as a sophomore, was especially impressive with his mix of shooting and passing. This season, he averaged nearly eight triples a night on 41.5% shooting from beyond the arc. This paved the way for him to average 18.5 points, second on the team. His passing was even more impressive, averaging a conference-leading 7.4 assists per night.
There are two big knocks on Anderson’s game and they are the reason he may be available when the Sixers pick. First is his size. Measuring in at less than 6-foot-1 without shoes, Anderson’s lack of height is a legitimate concern. With that in mind, his 6-foot-6.25 wingspan does mitigate some of these issues, as does his unquestionable defensive effort. Anderson's defensive effort gives him a foundation to build on, even if his size limits his overall upside on that end. While he isn’t likely to become a defensive ace, his quick hands are going to be one of his key defensive building blocks. In two seasons at Texas Tech, Anderson has averaged more than a steal a game in both years.
The other major knock with Anderson is his finishing ability. At his height, many NBA teams will want to see their first-round pick attack the rim aggressively in college. Anderson did not show this very often. While this may be because of his immense skill from beyond the arc, it is still something to keep an eye on at the next level, where the competition is faster and longer.
At No. 22, the Sixers aren’t going to find a perfect player. The key to nailing this pick is finding a player who can both provide meaningful contributions right now in a limited role, as well as someone who the team can develop into a larger role over time. Anderson could fulfill both of these needs.
As mentioned above, the Sixers' guard depth is certainly up in the air right now. With a new president of basketball operations comes a new style of roster building than what Sixers fans have grown used to in the past few seasons. While Gansey’s style has yet to be fully seen, if his time with the Cavaliers is any indication, he clearly puts a lot of stock in the bench rotation’s capabilities. This is precisely where Anderson should fit into the puzzle for the Sixers, if they were able to select him.
Anderson could be utilized as the primary ball handler for the second unit off the bench. The Sixers often used Quentin Grimes in that role last season, but with limited success. With Anderson in this spot, the 20-year-old guard would be able to show off his playmaking and floor-spacing ability next to players like Justin Edwards and Adem Bona. This selection also does not prevent the Sixers from extending free agent Quentin Grimes, instead allowing him to shift into a score-first role again off the bench. However, should Grimes leave in free agency, this selection would help to significantly mitigate the loss of the Sixers' lead bench contributor.
Christian Anderson is a shorter, pass-first point guard with plus shooting and a consistent defensive effort. While there isn’t a perfect, one-to-one comparison for Anderson, you can clearly see the impact of modern, successful NBA guards on his game.
Like Tyrese Haliburton, Anderson’s most lethal skill is his passing and his court vision. Haliburton has been viewed as potentially the best facilitator in the league over the past few seasons. While Haliburton spent this past season recovering from a torn Achilles, he averaged more than eight assists per game and helped lead Indiana to the NBA Finals just two seasons ago. Haliburton's unique style helped him routinely dissect defenses with his passing and decision-making. While Anderson’s passing may not be quite on the level of Haliburton’s yet, he does clearly have a similar feel for the game coming out of college.
The biggest difference between Haliburton and Anderson, however, is in their size. While Haliburton is able to use his height and 6-foot-8 wingspan to disrupt passing lanes, Anderson has to rely on quick movement and consistent effort if he wants to make a defensive impact at the next level. The undersized guard has proven resilient defensively in a way that's reminiscent of a guard the Sixers are very familiar with.
Twenty-year NBA vet Kyle Lowry has overcome similar questions about his size while building a likely Hall of Fame career. Lowry and Anderson both have displayed a high-level IQ for the game, impressive ability as a facilitator and an ability to disrupt defensively due to a relentless motor and quick hands. Switching defensively will be an issue, but there is a path for Anderson to develop into an acceptable defender.
Lowry was able to do so by investing in his body, adding bulk over the course of his career to help him hang with the physicality of the NBA. While going too far the other direction early in his career, Lowry settled in around 195 pounds in his prime days in Toronto. Anderson has already bulked up, adding 20 pounds between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Texas Tech. He measured in at just over 180 pounds at the NBA draft combine, just five pounds fewer than Lowry when he came to the NBA. Adding another 10 to 15 pounds should be possible over time, but he has to do so responsibly to avoid Lowry's early-career mistake.
While Anderson will certainly take some time to develop, he does have a theoretically high ceiling. Very few players that the Sixers can target at their current draft pick have as high a ceiling as Anderson does. With elite playmaking and unassisted shotmaking, Anderson could, after a few years of positive development, realistically compete for an All-Star appearance in his career. The flip side of taking this kind of player late in the first round is that his floor, as an undersized point guard with questionable finishing ability, comes with a significant amount of risk. It all depends on whether or not the Sixers want to gamble on the high-risk, high-reward player that is Christian Anderson Jr.
MORE: Sixers 2026 NBA Draft: Is Chris Cenac Jr. worth the gamble for Philly?
