Joel Embiid Says 76ers Will Win Next Year, Discusses Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson

Joel Embiid represented the Philadelphia 76ers on the dais Tuesday night at the NBA draft lottery, and the big man exuded optimism after his squad exercised swap rights with the Sacramento Kings to snare the No. 3 overall pick. 

"We're gearing up at the right time," he said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Mike Sielski. "When we start getting good, that’s when Cleveland and [LeBron] will start going down." 

Embiid added that he envisions the Sixers competing in the playoffs as soon as the 2017-18 season. 

"When I say we are going to be ready to win when the Cavs are going down, that doesn't mean, like, five years," he said, per Sielski. "Next year I think we are going to be ready to win."

The 2014 No. 3 overall pick told reporters he's already circled two wings for the Sixers to evaluate with the third pick.  

"I like Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum, and I expect one of those guys to be at 3 with us," he said. 

Both Jackson and Tatum would be logical fits for the Sixers, who need a complementary wing capable of playing alongside Embiid and Ben Simmons. 

As things stand, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Jackson and Tatum ranked as the No. 2 and No. 4 prospects overall on his big board, respectively. 

While Tatum is the more natural scorer of the two thanks to his catch-and-shoot and dribble-drive capabilities, Jackson could develop into a three-and-D weapon and take serious pressure off the Sixers' ball-dominant stars. 

According to Wasserman, "Jackson wears the belt for No. 1 two-way player in the class, a title he's earned with scoring flashes, playmaking skills and standout defensive quickness."

With just over a month until the draft, the Sixers will have plenty of time to evaluate their options and contemplate which player best fits the franchise's long-term vision.