Despite a nightmarish start to the 2024-25 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly not yet ready to throttle down in an attempt to keep their 2025 first-round draft pick.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, league sources don't believe the Sixers will make a "full-on attempt" to keep their pick due largely to the fact that they have hardly had their best lineup available.

The Sixers traded their 2025 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but since it is top-six protected, it will only convey to OKC if the pick ends up being outside the top six.

Although the 76ers are a hugely disappointing 3-14, Joel Embiid and Paul George have both missed significant time due to injury, and they have only been on the court with guard Tyrese Maxey for a total of six minutes so far this season.

Most of Embiid's missed time has been due to management of a knee injury that cost him about half of last season. Meanwhile, George has hyperextended his knee twice this season.

Of the 17 games the Sixers have played this season, Embiid has been active for only four of them, and George has played in eight.

Even Maxey missed six games with a hamstring injury, although he is leading the team with 25.7 points per game to go along with 4.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

Philly's stars missing so much time has allowed for rookie guard Jared McCain to emerge as an important contributor and a top Rookie of the Year candidate, plus the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr., Caleb Martin and Guerschon Yabusele have taken on significant roles.

That could prove to be a positive as the season progresses if the 76ers get healthy and start stringing enough wins together to get back in the playoff race.

While the Eastern Conference boasts some top-end teams such as the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, only five teams in the entire conference have a winning record.

As a result, the Sixers are only four games out of the No. 10 seed, which is the final spot in the play-in tournament.

Per Bontemps, many across the NBA have talked about how badly the 76ers would have to bottom out before they consider packing it in and playing for next season, but the overall weakness of the East means they could remain in the race for quite some time.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst spoke with an anonymous NBA executive who expressed their belief that Embiid's health will "inform their moves" and whether the Sixers make attempts to add to their roster this season.

As of now, the Sixers have the second-worst record in the NBA ahead of only the 2-15 Washington Wizards.

While being the worst team doesn't guarantee the top pick due to the NBA draft lottery, the 76ers could be compelled to give themselves the best chance possible at the No. 1 overall selection due to the high-end talent available in the 2025 draft.

Duke's Cooper Flagg is the likely top pick and is widely viewed as a superstar in the making, while the Rutgers duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper could go with the next two picks and are highly touted in their own right.

Adding any of them to a core of Embiid, George and Maxey could be the best possible thing for the Sixers in terms of making them contenders next season and beyond.

However, given that the 76ers have failed to get past the second round of the playoffs in any of their seven consecutive postseason appearances, there is a sense of urgency to win now, and that could potentially compel them to play to win rather than building for the future.