76ers new big man thrilled after draft, excited to meet Joel Embiid

Adem Bona.

The Philadelphia 76ers used their second-round selection, the No. 41 overall pick, to add a big man who's flashed immense potential in former UCLA Bruins forward Adem Bona. The 21-year-old played two seasons for the Bruins and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year following a season in which he averaged 12.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.

While Bona will likely need time to continue to develop his game before making an impact at the NBA level, his jump from year one to year two at UCLA was a positive sign. The 6-foot-10 big man, who has an impressive 7-foot-4 wingspan, improved his scoring average, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals during his sophomore season.

He also could barely contain his excitement over landing with the 76ers, detailing that his older brother is a fan of the franchise. And as James Herbert of CBS Sports detailed, Bona gave a candid response about one thing he's extremely excited about: meeting Joel Embiid.

“I’m so excited to be there. Actually, my older brother is a Philly fan. He’s really excited right now,  probably. He’s back home in Nigeria watching. I can’t wait to be there, man. I’m also getting the opportunity to meet Joel Embiid," Bona said.

As Bona mentioned, he's a native of Nigeria, but at 13, he moved to Turkey to pursue a basketball career. From there, Bona played high school basketball in the United States at Prolific Prep in California and became a five-star recruit.

The 76ers' roster for the 2024-25 season is somewhat of a blank slate, with only Embiid and Paul Reed under contract and Tyrese Maxey expected to sign a long-term extension. Even still, Bona will likely be given plenty of time to fine-tune his game, but from a raw talent perspective, the 76ers could walk away as big winners in this draft by landing a major second-round steal with the athletic big man.

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