2025 NBA Draft Thread

frshstunna · Jul 30, 2021

wavycrocket said:
Bones

You gon like yo, just like Barton…Got that east coast gaurd toughness :pimp:

Platinum State · Jul 30, 2021

Looking forward to seeing all these bums in summer league in a few days

WASHED KING · Jul 30, 2021

Houston making a Ballislife roster.

pmatic · Jul 30, 2021

1. Paolo Banchero | 6-10 forward | 18 years old, freshman | Duke
I’m probably going a bit off board here by not having Chet Holmgren at No. 1, but I am an enormous fan of what Banchero brings to the table. I have been since I first saw him back in 2019, where I felt he displayed some of the highest level basketball IQ I’d seen from a high school underclassman. He’s awesome positionally on defense and plays with extremely high energy. He’s improved his ability from 3-point range and has taken an even greater leap in terms of perimeter skill set and polish, now possessing the ability at 6-foot-10 to legit take dudes off the bounce and attack. He’s a terrific passer too. The only real concern here is that he’s not a particularly awesome athlete laterally and in terms of speed. But he’s so skilled and so strong that I think he’s going to translate at an exceedingly high level to the NBA.

2. Chet Holmgren | 7-1 forward/center | 19 years old, freshman | Gonzaga
Don’t fret, Holmgren/Gonzaga fans. I’m still a big fan of what the 7-foot star out of Minneapolis brings to the table. He just carried Team USA to a U19 World Cup gold medal this summer as the MVP of the event. With something in the range of a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Holmgren is a terrific long-term prospect as a rim protector. His timing and the way he uses his length around the rim are absolutely superb. He can also step out and knock down 3s, in addition to his dexterity handling the ball out on the perimeter. He has some potential to create shots at a real clip.

Ultimately, all of this is going to be contingent upon him getting stronger, as right now he tips the scales under 200 pounds. He would need aorund 30-plus pounds over the next four years to play the center position long-term. He might end up being something of a 7-foot 4 man. But Holmgren is legit, and he’ll pair with Drew Timme as college basketball’s best frontcourt this year.

3. Jaden Hardy | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | G League Ignite
A 6-foot-4 combo guard, Hardy profiles much more toward the scoring side of the equation. He’s the 2021 recruiting class’ elite scorer, creating and making difficult shots with ease. Unlike someone like Jalen Green, Hardy is more of a craftsman than an explosive athlete. He has some pop in terms of explosiveness, but more than that, he’s extremely smooth, with great body control and a combination of change of pace with crossovers and hesitation moves.

He hits pull-ups with ease and has legitimate NBA range. There is some passing ability off a live dribble too. He does have a tendency to overdribble and try to do too much, but that happens often at lower levels. The Ignite was probably a good choice for him because his game profiles a bit better toward the open-style pro game.

4. Yannick Nzosa | 6-11 center | 17 years old | Unicaja Malaga
Originally from Congo, Nzosa keeps it pretty simple. He’s a long, lean, athletic big man who defends at a high level and plays well above the rim, He’s 6-foot-11 with very long arms and a real athletic twitch that allows him to make an impact all across the court defensively for Unicaja. He has the body control and lateral quickness to guard ball screens in a variety of ways.

Obviously, though, he’s a legitimate rim protector from the weak side with his length. He’s already carved out a genuine rotation role in the ACB and EuroCup levels as a 17-year-old and could take a big leap next year. Having said that, I think it’s going to take a bit of time for him to do anything other than run the floor, offensive rebound and finish out of ball screens.

5. Nikola Jovic | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Mega
Jovic is the next great prospect out of Serbian hoops factory Mega Basket. He was the MVP of the Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade and made the All-Tournament team at the U19 World Cup this summer despite Serbia finishing fourth in the competition. In the limited time he got with Mega’s senior team this year, he was terrific.

He’s in the 6-foot-9 to 6-foot-10 range and has legitimate perimeter skills mixed with an awesome feel for the game. He’s not the best athlete in the world and could stand to keep improving the consistency and how quickly he can get up his 3-point attempts, but Jovic has a good chance to be a terrific NBA player long-term.

6. Patrick Baldwin | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Milwaukee
Baldwin is one of the better young shooters I’ve evaluated. The ball comes out of his hand smoothly and with great rotation. The arc is pristine. He perhaps brings it a bit across his face more than most elite shooters, but his alignment is strong. He can hit shots off pull-ups or off the catch. He’s a bit better going toward his left than his right. Beyond that, he also showcases some real passing skill and unselfishness and seems to be a high-IQ player on both ends of the floor. He’s playing at Milwaukee this season because his dad is the head coach there. I expect Baldwin to be the Horizon League’s player of the year and potentially lead his team to an NCAA Tournament berth.

7. Caleb Houstan | 6-8 wing | 18 years old | Michigan
Houstan is just an easy translation to today’s NBA. At 6-foot-8 with reasonable length, he has about as clean a stroke as you’ll find. He attacks closeouts well off an advantage and makes good passing decisions. On top of that, he’s a good defender who takes that end of the court seriously. Even though Houstan may not be an outstanding athlete, he’s obviously what NBA teams are looking for today, and I’d expect this Canadian to be a lottery pick because of it. He’s also on the younger side for the class with a 2003 birthday.

8. Jaden Ivey | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Purdue
My top prospect among those returning to college hoops. Ivey had an absolutely spectacular close to last season. He averaged 16 points, four rebounds and two assists in his final 10 games, leading Purdue down the stretch. He followed that up with an All-Tournament performance in the U19 World Cup as the lead guard of the gold medal-winning team. More of a scorer than a distributor, Ivey has a terrific first step and lives in the paint. He has potential as a three-level scorer due to his ability to separate, but the key going forward will be proving that he can shoot from distance.

9. Jabari Smith | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Auburn
Smith is a skilled pure four right now, a skinny, floor-spacing, 6-foot-10 forward who can do a little bit of everything. He’s a good weakside rim protector on defense who also has the mobility to go out and defend wings and perimeter bigs. Then on offense, he’s comfortable going out and playing as a face-up four-man. He’s not an elite shot creator, but he’s comfortable getting to his spots and getting to his pull-up game.

He’s not a super athlete necessarily, but he’s certainly good enough to make it work as long as he keeps adding pounds and strength. He’ll play at Auburn next to Walker Kessler, forming another one of college basketball’s best frontcourts this season.

10. A.J. Griffin | 6-6 forward | 17 years old | Duke
Griffin is a tough evaluation right now, just because he hasn’t been seen in many competitive settings in the past 18 months. He missed some of his junior season with a knee injury, and for his senior season, he moved to Tampa to work out with his dad, Adrian Griffin, who is the Toronto Raptors’ lead assistant. He played at the Iverson Classic and physically looks ready to play in the NBA right now, with a 7-foot-plus wingspan. He can knock down shots with real touch and plays well around the basket. It’s hard not to call him one of the real wild cards of the 2022 draft process given the lack of competitive playing time in the last two years. We’ll see what he looks like in a more organized setting. He could end up in the top five or get picked late in the first round.

11. Jean Montero | 6-2 guard | 18 years old | Overtime Elite
I’m an enormous Montero fan. Outside of Banchero, Montero is probably my favorite player in the 2022 NBA Draft. Just sheer fun at the lead guard spot. He’s an absolutely filthy scorer, playing with incredible pace and tempo out of ball screens and isolations. He creates shots with ease by stringing together crossovers and hesitation moves. Still, he’s a bit of a high-risk prospect at this stage because he’s not an elite shooter yet, and he’s merely an average distributor for his age. There are definitely some similarities to Tre Mann, who was selected 18th in Thursday’s draft. After playing last year in lower divisions of Spain, this Dominican Republic native has signed with Overtime Elite and will look to become that project’s first first-round pick.

12. Bennedict Mathurin | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Arizona
Mathurin would have had around a late first-round grade for me had he entered the 2021 NBA Draft. Like Houstan, Mathurin is a smooth-shooting Canadian wing. He averaged nearly 11 points and hit 42 percent from 3 at Arizona last year as a freshman and will step into an even larger role this year as the team’s go-to perimeter player along with Azuolas Tubelis inside. At 6-foot-6 with about a 6-foot-9ish wingspan, he has ideal measurements for the NBA as a 3-and-D guy. He just needs to get a bit more comfortable putting the ball on the ground against pressure and making reads — something he looked a bit better at during the U19 World Cup this summer.

13. Dyson Daniels | 6-6 wing | 18 years old | G League Ignite
Daniels is an all-around wing who has a great attitude defensively and is extremely aggressive and tough on that end of the floor. On top of that, he’s comfortable shooting from 3, even if he needs to keep ironing out his consistency. I expect he’ll become a solid 3-point shooter. As a driver, he’s excellent at getting into the middle of the floor and tries to get to his floater game regularly as opposed to getting all the way to the rim.

14. Peyton Watson | 6-8 wing | 18 years old | UCLA
Watson was something of a late riser up recruiting rankings the last year, going from more of a borderline five-star player when the pandemic started to a likely one-and-done at UCLA. Why? He’s a wing who does a little bit of everything. He plays really hard and aggressively on the defensive end, something that will likely endear him to Mick Cronin at UCLA as he pairs at the three with Johnny Juzang at the two. He’s a high-IQ passer who can make plays for his teammates due to his comfort driving. The only issue right now is a lack of strength. Watson needs to put in a lot of work in the weight room over the next six months. However, there are a lot of interesting tools here for a big two-way playmaker on the wing at 6-foot-8.

15. Roko Prkacin | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Cibona
Prkacin decided at the last minute to pull out of the 2021 NBA Draft. I had a late first-round grade on him at No. 28. He is a 6-foot-9 forward who has a very professional mindset. He emerged on the scene as a legitimate prospect back in 2018, when he won the U16 Euro Championship MVP award. He was extremely productive this year in the Adriatic League as a teenager, something that portends well to long-term success in the NBA. The keys will be showing that he can defend on the perimeter this season and ironing out some wonky shot mechanics that have given some evaluators pause on how effective he’ll be as a spacing four long-term in the league.

16. J.D. Davison | 6-3 guard | 18 years old | Alabama
It’s hard to imagine a freshman point guard stepping into a better offense than this one. Alabama is going to spread it out and run essentially a pro-style high-ball-screen attack, which is why the Tide have had back-to-back years of first-round picks. Some scouts were a bit worried about Davison until they got a chance to see him at the Iverson Classic, where his ability to run an offense out of ball screens and defend at the point of attack really stood out. He needs to iron out his jumper, but Davison has absolutely terrific tools at 6-foot-3 with a tremendous burst to help him absolutely live in the paint. While Kennedy Chandler was a bit more impressive as a high school point guard, I think Davison is just in a better position to succeed quickly at Alabama.

17. Kennedy Chandler | 6-1 guard | 18 years old | Tennessee
I’m not sure where to place Chandler. He’s a tremendous backcourt option and someone I think will really succeed running an offense at some point. He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-1 but has the ability to simultaneously play with speed and under control. He has great feel for when to get a bucket, but he’s at his best distributing to teammates. If any freshman guard is going to work under Rick Barnes, this is the one. He makes good decisions and plays an extremely unselfish› brand of basketball. Still, after the experience this past season of Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson, I’m a touch worried about how freshman guards look in this non-ball-screen-heavy scheme, especially given the presence of upperclassmen in the backcourt, such as Santiago Vescovi, Justin Powell and Victor Bailey.

18. Keegan Murray | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | Iowa
Murray is a really interesting two-way prospect who is coming off an All-Freshman team appearance in the Big Ten. He’s a legitimate weakside rim protector at 6-foot-8 who has a great sense of timing and real length that allows him to high point the ball on defense. His activity and mobility, despite having a big 220-pound frame, are impressive.

Offensively, he only hit about 30 percent from 3 last year, but his mechanics look very projectable and he has great touch. As a driver, his body control is real and allows him to contort around the rim for high-level finishes. With Joe Wieskamp, Luka Garza and C.J. Fredrick all gone, I anticipate Murray stepping into an enormous role at Iowa and breaking out in a big way.

19. TyTy Washington | 6-3 guard | 18 years old | Kentucky
Another Kentucky player that I have very little feel for how to handle on this. On the one hand, Washington absolutely showcased some real potential to be a genuine one-and-done player late in his high school career. On the other hand, Kentucky also has a Sahvir Wheeler, Kellan Grady, C.J. Fredrick and Davion Mintz in the backcourt at the one and two spots, and it’s going to be a battle for playing time the whole season. But Washington has tremendous feel for how to handle the ball and separate from defenders, as well as some real three-level shot-making ability that could force him way past all of those older guys. I’m a big fan of what I’ve seen of his skill level.

20. Ousmane Dieng | 6-8 forward | 18 years old | New Zealand Breakers
A big wing who has some real playmaking tendencies, Dieng is most comfortable as a ballhandler, playing with real high-level pace. He played as more of a ballhandler when he was younger, which has clearly rubbed off on his current game despite the fact that he’s grown to something like 6-foot-8. The upside here is outstanding, as he can hit high-level passing reads and has some real potential to become a genuine shooter.

At this point, he really just needs to get stronger — and I’m actually a touch worried about what it’ll look like next year for him. He’s moved to the NBL’s Next Stars program, where he’ll play for the New Zealand Breakers. Dieng is still very skinny and will be playing in a pretty physical league. He needs to spend this summer working on his strength. Still, he has one of the higher upsides in this class if things come together.

21. Jaime Jaquez | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | UCLA
Jaquez is another of my favorite returning college players due to the well-rounded and tough nature of his game. He’s an awesome defender, having made the All-Defense team in the Pac-12 due to his instincts away from the ball and ability to body up two through four. On top of that, he’s a terrific team player who does exactly what’s asked of him across the court, including spacing and knocking down shots in addition to creating his own shots off the bounce. He averaged 12 points and shot 39 percent from 3 last year. He profiles really well as a rotational piece in the NBA, and he’s my favorite to be Pac-12 Player of the Year.

22. Daimion Collins | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Kentucky
This season’s high-upside, low-floor prospect. On the one hand, Collins has the measurements and athleticism to break out in a substantial way. He’s 6-foot-10, has something in the range of a plus-six wingspan and has all sorts of bounce. He’s a twitchy leaper and mover who blocks shots at a very high clip. He also has some legit shooting potential with the touch he’s showcased at times.

But it’s really going to take some time offensively, and things will have to be kept simple early for Collins — with him largely just rim-running, occasionally picking and popping and hitting the offensive glass. On top of that, he’s exceptionally thin and will need to do real work this summer in the weight room to prepare for the season. With Oscar Tshiebwe and Keion Brooks around as older prospects, don’t be surprised to see Collins come off the bench early in his career at Kentucky despite the five-star status. But there are going to be some “wow” moments from him.

23. Marcus Bagley | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Arizona State
Bagley chose to withdraw from the 2021 NBA Draft at the last minute. He would have been a top-45 player for me had he gone through with the process, and one with real variance on draft night because he just didn’t have enough tape out there to convince scouts that he was a first-round pick after missing half of last season. But at 6-foot-8 with a great frame and legitimate 3-and-D skills, Bagley should have some suitors as he returns to Arizona State and tries to showcase that he can be what scouts thought he was early in the 2021 draft cycle.

24. Terrence Shannon Jr. | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | Texas Tech
Shannon had his fans in the 2021 draft cycle who thought he was worthy of a first-round pick. Ultimately, he decided to return for another year at Texas Tech to improve his all-around skills. Shannon is one of the best defensive prospects in the 2022 cycle now, a guy who’s extremely aggressive in playing against the toughest opposing wings, while also possessing real one through four switchability. The key will be continuing to show evaluators he can be a legitimate shooter. If he makes 38 to 40 percent from 3 on good volume this year, it’s extremely likely he’ll be a first-round pick.

25. Hyunjung Lee | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Davidson
This is a bet on my part, as much as anything else. For starters, there were two players in the country last season to play at least 20 games, average at least 10 points per game while shooting at a 50/40/90 clip.

One was Trey Murphy, a first-round pick this year. The other was Lee, genuinely the best shooter returning to college basketball this season. He’s 6-foot-7 and hits shots off legitimate movement. He’s not quite the prospect Murphy was because he’s not at the same level defending.

26. Taevion Kinsey | 6-5 guard | 21 years old | Marshall
Kinsey had a terrific season with Marshall last season. He excels out in transition, where he can use his athleticism and length to really play at a high level. He averaged 19 points, six rebounds and three assists last season while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3 (albeit on limited attempts). He just does a lot of things well and is an NBA-level athlete. This is a total flier, but one that could end up being pretty good.

27. Johnny Juzang | 6-6 wing | 20 years old | UCLA
Juzang is the breakout guy from this past season’s NCAA Tournament, a tough-shot-making wing at 6-foot-6 who takes and makes contested shots. But his breakout didn’t just start during the tournament. Over Juzang’s final 17 games last season at UCLA, he averaged 19 points per game while shooting 46/37/86 in terms of shooting splits. Ultimately, Juzang couldn’t quite get his draft stock to take off because teams were just a bit too worried about whether he could hold his own defensively. If he can prove that he can defend his man, Juzang should stick as an NBA player in a rotation.

28. Allen Flanigan | 6-6 guard | 20 years old | Auburn
Flanigan is another Auburn guy. He has a tremendous frame at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds. On top of that, he really improved as a shooter during his sophomore year, spiking up to 34 percent from distance on real volume. That, mixed with his driving and potential switchability on defense, should lead to teams having real interest.

29. Julian Champagnie | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | St. John’s
Champagnie averaged 20 points per game last year, while shooting 38 percent from 3 and 87 percent from the line. He’s a legitimate shooter and has a chance to be the kind of stretch four teams look for in the NBA. He declared for the 2021 NBA Draft and got invited to the combine but chose to stay in school. Another season like last year, in which he also proved he has the potential to defend and improve his lateral quickness, and he has a real shot to become a first-round pick.

30. Gui Santos | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Minas
Another flier here as Santos was a guy I got on to late in the 2021 pre-draft process and thought he’d be a spectacular second-round stash. He’s 6-foot-7 with a 7-foot-1-ish wingspan and has some real ability as a driver and potential as a shooter due to very simple shooting mechanics. Santos has a great sense of who he is as a player and a style of play that really seems to make sense for where the NBA is going. He would have been invited to this year’s Nike Hoop Summit had the event been held, so my bet is that Santos breaks out a bit this year. He’s a better prospect, in my view, than Didi Louzada, who was taken at No. 35 in the 2019 NBA Draft.

20 more names
31. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
32. Drew Timme, Gonzaga
33. Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall
34. E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
35. Jabari Walker, Colorado
36. Carlos Alocen, Real Madrid
37. Michael Foster, G League Ignite
38. Mark Williams, Duke
39. Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
40. Mojave King, Cairns Taipans
41. Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
42. Jordan Hall, St. Joseph’s
43. Malcolm Cazalon, Mega
44. Olek Balcerowski, Mega
45. Matthew Mayer, Baylor
46. Adam Flagler, Baylor
47. Donta Scott, Maryland
48. Grant Sherfield, Nevada
49. Gabriele Procida, Cantu
50. Walker Kessler, Auburn

Vincent Van Goat · Jul 30, 2021

Jovic reminds me of Gallo

carolinakickg · Jul 30, 2021

Could not be happier with my Hornets and how Mitch got it done last night.

MajinZuub · Jul 30, 2021

carolinakickg said:
Could not be happier with my Hornets and how Mitch got it done last night.

#DoItMItch is back baby!

ill steelo · Jul 30, 2021

Sacramento & Memphis the biggest shock.

Sacramento one of the worst run franchises in the league so no surprise but I’m stunned at Memphis.

Again Val was amazing for them, one of their offensive hubs while JJJ alternates between foul trouble & injury. Bouknight Moody even Kispert & Sengun there and you pass on all of them. That’s a ridiculous oversight given their history.

pmatic · Jul 30, 2021

Josh Primo shooting up to #12 confirms like players, front offices have primes then lose it. What are they thinking...

MajinZuub · Jul 30, 2021

wrong thread :lol:

ballinsam23 · Jul 30, 2021

Mock drafts are a crap shoot every year, this year though was even worse.

wavycrocket · Jul 30, 2021

A good team should bring in Joel Ajayi. He knows how to play for real.

Edit *- Lol nvm

af1 1982 · Jul 30, 2021

Someone educate me on Jaden Springer

pmatic · Jul 30, 2021

af1 1982 said:
Someone educate me on Jaden Springer

18, physical defender, not a playmaker, good shooter but on low volume. Worse case he's Frank NTer, best case maybe Avery Bradley/Gary Harris?

pums · Jul 30, 2021

Can someone post Kendrick Perkins highlights he was wylin tonight

carolinakickg · Jul 30, 2021

pums said:
Can someone post Kendrick Perkins lowlights he was wylin tonight

FTFY lol

ballinsam23 · Jul 30, 2021

I think we need to stop bringing up Gary Harris like he’s actually good. One of those permanent potential guys that’s beyond inconsistent. Played for a good team, played for a bad team, still is NBA trash.

bhzmafia14 · Jul 30, 2021

Ready to see Ziaire -- apparently he was very high on the Grizz board and he fits the mold (high IQ, good kid, strong background). From what I know, it was either going to be Giddey, Ziaire or Franz. Front office thought the Stanford season was a wash.

Definitely has the work ethic and skillset. Also, heard Jaren is going to be a much bigger focal point this year (another reason why JV needed to leave). All in all, we lacked a true wing presence since losing Rudy years ago. Cannot wait to see Ja, Ziaire, JJJ in the next 2-4 years.

A lot of people were upset because we traded up to get him, but seems like Grizz FO had insider info on someone taking him before #17. Interested to see how Aldama pans out too.

pmatic · Jul 30, 2021

ballinsam23 said:
I think we need to stop bringing up Gary Harris like he’s actually good. One of those permanent potential guys that’s beyond inconsistent. Played for a good team, played for a bad team, still is NBA trash.

Gary was good for a time, then kept getting hurt and mysteriously forgot how to shoot. Weird career.

BennyIll22 · Jul 30, 2021

pmatic said:
Gary was good for a time, then kept getting hurt and mysteriously forgot how to shoot. Weird career.

Agreed. He could defend and was an upper teens scorer and a very efficient one. Gotta assume it was the injuries that messed him up. He was very good for a couple of years

ballinsam23 · Jul 30, 2021

He had 1 good year and then fell off a cliff. Was always super inconsistent before the injuries. Had plenty of opportunities too.

addict4sneakers · Jul 31, 2021

Not sure about the validity

pmatic · Jul 31, 2021

Not surprised.

ny mavurs · Jul 31, 2021

Ouch on that Suggs report :lol:

VARNELL HILL · Jul 31, 2021

Windhorst also said Suggs had a bad workout on his pod.

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2025 NBA Draft Thread

frshstunna

Platinum State

WASHED KING

pmatic

Vincent Van Goat

carolinakickg

MajinZuub

ill steelo

pmatic

MajinZuub

ballinsam23

wavycrocket

af1 1982

pmatic

pums

carolinakickg

ballinsam23

bhzmafia14

pmatic

BennyIll22

ballinsam23

addict4sneakers

pmatic

ny mavurs

VARNELL HILL

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