Auburn’s Johni Broome selected in second round of 2025 NBA Draft
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If Johni Broome can follow in the footsteps of the last Auburn player drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, he’s going to have a pretty good career.
Thursday night, Broome was selected by the Sixers with the 35th overall pick—5th in the second round—of the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s the first Auburn player to be drafted since 2022 + seventh overall in the Bruce Pearl era.
Broome becomes the first Auburn player drafted by the 76ers since the franchise took Charles Barkley in 1984.
Keep reading to learn more about what comes next for Broome + see which Auburn and Alabama players will be getting a chance at the NBA level after going undrafted.
Johni Broome
Broome played three seasons on The Plains, leading the Tigers to the Final Four in 2025.
The two-time All-American was honored as the SEC Player of the Year, joining Charles Barkley (1984) and Chris Porter (1999) as the only Tigers to earn this award from The Associated Press.
Broome is the only player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history to record 2,500 points, 1,500 rebounds and 400 blocks in his career.
He joins a 76ers team that is coming off its worst season since 2016. He’ll join a front court that includes former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid.
Broome will likely get his first playing time for the franchise during the NBA Summer League, hoping to impress the coaching staff enough to earn a full-time roster spot for the 2025-26 season.
Mark Sears, Dylan Cardwell among undrafted free agent signings
As soon as the second round of the draft wrapped up Thursday night, news of undrafted free agent signings started rolling in.
One of the first off the board was Alabama’s Mark Sears who signed a two-way deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Other Alabama players picked up so far have included:
- Grant Nelson, Brooklyn Nets
- Clifford Omoruyi, Toronto Raptors
- Chris Youngblood, Oklahoma City Thunder
Meanwhile, Auburn also had multiple players picked up after the draft including:
- Dylan Cardwell, Sacramento Kings
- Chaney Johnson, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Miles Kelly, Dallas Mavericks
Those players do not have guaranteed spots at the NBA level but will likely see plenty of playing time during Summer League and could play their way into minutes at the G-League level + get a chance in the NBA before the end of next season.
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