I freaking love the NBA Draft and the whole draft process! A few months ago this big board featured many different names but after the NCAA withdrawal deadline and the recent NBA withdrawal deadline the board looks a whole lot different. Players who had previously been ranked in the 50’s are now pushing towards the top of the second round while unranked players (on this top 70 big board) have now climbed into draftable territory. It’s such a dynamic process.
But now the withdrawal deadlines have passed and big boards across the web are being set in stone. This board is pretty much set, although I do plan to publish one final big board a day or two before the draft.
This time of year also gives us the measurements for the European prospects, along with a few final playoff games to evaluate the young Euros. Most of the measurements coming from Europe have been outstanding. Hugo Gonzalez measured extremely well at over 6-6 barefoot and a nearly 6-11 wingspan. That’s a huge number for him. Noa Essengue, Ben Saraf and Joan Beringer also measured very well.
I’m really struggling with where to rank these prospects. I have Hugo and Ben in the early 20’s, which just feels too low. But on the other hand I really like the other prospects in that range (McNeeley, Wolf, Jase, Asa etc.) and so it feels like a logjam of talent that all grades out about the same. The late teens to mid twenties is going to be a really fun and fascinating part of the draft next Wednesday!
Another interesting and developing story is the unorthodox pre-draft process that Ace Bailey is going through. So far he’s refused to workout for any teams and reportedly is demanding a draft promise before conducting a workout. Ace already had some question marks around his decision making…and his pre-draft process is only making those question marks bigger. I still have him at no.3 on my board but it’s neck and neck between him, Tre and VJ.
OK, here it is, my semi-final and almost set in stone 2025 big board.
2025 NBA Draft Big Board 9.0
 | TIER 1 – SUPERSTAR – FRANCHISE CORNERSTONE |
| 1 | Cooper Flagg – 6-9 – PF – Duke – Flagg has been at the top of this list all season long and that’s not going to change anytime soon. He projects as an All NBA level player who can be the cornerstone of a franchise. Some scouts question is ability to carry a team offensively but I have no doubts that he will develop into a first option offensive player. Add in his generational defensive abilities and you’ve got a superstar level talent. |
| TIER 2 – ALL-NBA LEVEL PLAYER | |
| 2 | Dylan Harper – 6-6 – PG/SG – Rutgers – Harper is exactly what you want in a NBA guard with his great size and strength, feel for the game, scoring prowess and ability to make plays for teammates. I think he’s as pro-ready as any guard in recent years and should put up numbers right away (even if he lands in San Antonio and plays behind Fox and Castle). He has the talent to be the best player on a championship level team but if he lands with the Spurs he’ll be an elite no.2 or no.3 behind Wemby and maybe Castle. |
| TIER 3 – ALL STAR LEVEL PLAYER | |
| 3 | Ace Bailey – 6-9 – SF – Rutgers – I’m really torn about whether to have Ace in the same tier as Harper or in this third tier. His high-end outcome is right up there with Harper and Flagg as the best player in this class but he’s got farther to go to reach that outcome. At the end of the day I think it makes sense to have him in a tier with Tre, VJ and those guys. I’m not sure if he’ll set the NBA on fire from day one but a few years from now the league better watch out. I think he’ll be a star in the league but there’s also a chance he’s just an oversized Andrew Wiggins. His strange pre-draft process is raising some orange or red flags. |
| 4 | Tre Johnson – 6-6 – SG – Texas – I’ve had some up and down feelings about Tre Johnson but at the end of the day he’s an elite shot-maker with size and a level of confidence and competitive fire that makes the great ones great. I like his passing/play-making more than most and think that if he lands in the right situation he’ll surprise a lot of people with his passing and assist numbers. You’d like to see him finish better at the rim but that should come with continued development and gaining strength to handle contact. |
| 5 | VJ Edgecombe – 6-5 – SG – Baylor (Bahamas) – VJ has elite upside and his ceiling is near the top of this list but there are some things he’ll have to improve on to reach that potential. He’s one of the most explosive athletes in the draft, is naturally talented and is a very hard worker who takes his craft seriously. His ball skills are still a work in progress and he’ll have to improve his shooting consistency, develop his left hand and get better at finishing in traffic. |
| 6 | Kon Knueppel – 6-6 – SF – Duke – While Kon might end up as an elite role player I see some star/All Star potential here as well. He’s a lethal off the ball player who will benefit from NBA spacing, especially if he’s playing next to a ball-dominant player. He’s one of the most fundamentally sound and heady players you’ll ever see and he does all the little things exceptionally well. He’s not a big time play-maker on defense but just knows how to play, uses his strength and size well and competes at a high level. He might not have the upside of the players just below him on this list but he’s more of a sure thing. |
| 7 | Jeremiah Fears – 6-4 – PG – Oklahoma – Fears is a force on the offensive end who always gives you the feeling he’s about to do something spectacular. He’s got a great combination of craftiness and athletic pop, which makes him very hard to keep out of the lane. He’s streaky and inconsistent as a 3pt shooter, which will be his big swing skill in the league. If the shot does come around and the play-making continues to develop he’s go All Star upside. There seems to be a wide draft range for Fears and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him come off the board close to the top 5 or outside the top 10. |
| 8 | Carter Bryant – 6-8 – SF – Arizona – Bryant just oozes potential. He wasn’t a high usage player during his one year at Arizona but every time he touched the ball he seemed to do good things. He’s a got great size and natural strength, a silky smooth jumper and great defensive instincts. He’s one of those prospects that normies might not be very high on but NBA scouts drool over. I could see him being one of the five best players from this draft when we look back at it in a decade. |
| 9 | Khamam Maluach – 7-2 – C – Duke (South Sudan) – It’s really hard for me to get a good read on Maluach. He’s got undeniable tools, is a hard worker who plays the game the right way and has intriguing upside. But I’m not totally bought into that upside. He’s going to be a good defender in the league, even if his shot blocking numbers don’t jump out at you, and he’s a very good play finisher. I think he’s got a solid floor as a good starting center but it remains to be seen if he can be more than that. |
| TIER 4 – HIGH LEVEL STARTER – POSSIBLE ALL STAR | |
| 10 | Collin Murray-Boyles – 6-7 – PF – South Carolina – One thing that I don’t like about doing Tiers is that it places a theoretical limit on a players outcome. With CMB I have him in the starter/rotation level Tier but his upside is away beyond that. If things go right for him he’s got a chance to be one of the best defenders in the league and a unique offensive player with excellent passing vision and good scoring touch in a burly 6-7 frame. I see him as a likely starter but his upside is as a multiple time All Star. |
| 11 | Egor Demin – 6-9 – PG – BYU (Russia) – Egor has his flaws but he also has rare traits that you don’t find in every draft. He’s got special passing vision and instincts in a wiry 6-9 frame. He’s at his best with the ball in his hands, using his play-making ability or taking it hard to the rim. He covers a lot of ground easily and has the size to finish through contact and over length. His outside shot is a work in progress but he’s got a good foundation and I think he’ll shoot it in time. It’s hard to imagine a talent like this falling out of the lottery. |
| 12 | Kasparas Jakucionis – 6-6 – PG – Illinois (Lithuania) – Jaku has everything you look for in a point guard with good size, excellent handles, high level passing ability and natural leadership qualities. He projects as a likely starter who could develop into an All Star if things go right. His outside shot is streaky and will have to improve if he’s going to reach that All Star level potential but he’s a safe bet to be a good NBA player for a long time. |
| 13 | Derik Queen – 6-10 – PF/C – Maryland – I see some boom or bust potential with Queen but I’d bet on the upside. He’s not a good athlete (which we already knew before the combine) but his skill level and feel for the game are so advanced for a young big man that it makes you think of players like Jokic and Sengun. |
| 14 | Thomas Sorber – 6-11 – C – Georgetown – Sorber was one of the biggest pleasant surprises of this past college season. He’s got legit center size and good athleticism to go along with excellent passing instincts. He catches everything thrown his way, has good touch in close and a solid mid range jumper. He might not be an elite defensive anchor but he’s a presence at the rim and a solid interior defender. There is a wide range of opinions about Sorber but I’m on the more bullish side. |
| TIER 5 – POSSIBLE STARTER – SOLID ROTATION PLAYER | |
| 15 | Nolan Traore – 6-4 – PG – France – I’m conflicted here. I have this nagging suspicion that I’ll look back on this ranking in five years and kick myself for not having him in the top 10. Part of this relatively low ranking is Traore’s inconsistent play this year but some of it has to do with how many other talented prospects there are in this range. |
| 16 | Noa Essengue – 6-10 – PF – France – I have to admit I’m a sucker for raw, high upside, lengthy forwards with high end athleticism and untapped potential. Essengue fits that mold and has the type of tools to be one of the better players from this draft class. He has some boom or bust potential but he’s already showing the ability to produce in a very good professional league at just 18 years old. At this point he’s more of a play finisher than a play creator but he’s got plenty of time to develop all of his skills. I’d take a swing on his upside and draft him in the 8-14 range. |
| 17 | Cedric Coward – 6-7 – SG/SF – Washington State – One of the darlings of the pre-draft process Coward is flying up boards and is very likely to be a first round pick. He’s an excellent shooter with good size and great length. His 7-2 wingspan helps give him upside on the defensive end and will allow him to guard up and down the line-up. He has a bit of retro/throw-back style to his game with his ability to operate out of the post and in the mid range. He gives me Michael Redd/Khris Middleton vibes. From D3 to the first round, what a cool story! |
| 18 | Joan Beringer – 7-0 – C – France – Beringer is a player that I have a hard time looking away from; I just want to watch more of him and to somehow fast-forward his development to see the player he’ll be in a few years. He moves like a big time NBA player and it’s clear that he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. He has a chance to develop into an elite defender, like a souped-up Joakim Noah or what Nerlens Noel could have been if he was blessed with an extra 30lbs of muscle. Beringer is still very new to the game and is a bit of an unknown but I think that the part we don’t know is going to be really fun to find out about. |
| 19 | Nique Clifford – 6-6 – SF – Colorado State – One of the more NBA ready players in the draft, Nique looks like he could give good minutes to a competing team in year one. He’s got a well rounded game, does a bit of everything on the court and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to stay fully engaged with the game. He’s a feisty and competitive guy who will bring toughness to whichever team drafts him. There are plenty of higher upside players in this range of the draft but not many who have a floor as high as Nique Clifford. |
| 20 | Ben Saraf – 6-6 – PG/SG – Ulm (Israel) – Crafty and fun to watch, Saraf is a play-maker through and through. He’s not a super quick athlete but plays with good change of pace, can really handle the rock and has a knack for hitting tough shots from difficult angles. |
| 21 | Hugo Gonzalez – 6-7 – SG – Spain – Hugo has been one of the top players in his age group for a few years but has been sort of a forgotten name in this draft cycle after not seeing much playing time for a veteran-laden Real Madrid team. I love his tools and competitive fire and think he could be one of the pleasant surprises of this draft when we look back in a few years. |
| 22 | Danny Wolf – 7-0 – C – Michigan – I feel like Danny Wolf has a wide variance of outcomes. There’s a world where it all comes together for him and he becomes one of the more unique offensive forwards in the league. And there’s a world where it doesn’t translate and he’s a bench big, a journey man, a Troy Murphy. He’s a super fun player with his nifty ball-handling and passing at 6-11 and that’ll be hard for NBA teams to pass on in the 20-30 range of the draft. |
| 23 | Liam McNeeley – 6-8 – SF – UConn – McNeeley is a high-end role player type of prospect who is a great complementary piece. He’s a good floor spacer and I really believe in his jumper, even though he was inconsistent this past season at UConn. He’s got a big frame and a lot of strength and he competes at a high level. He’s a pretty bad finisher in the lane, which limits his offensive upside, although I think he’ll improve in this area over time. |
| 24 | Asa Newell – 6-10 – PF – Georgia – Newell isn’t a very flashy player but just works hard on the court, rebounds the ball well and shows some nice flashes of offensive upside. He’s a decent outside shooter who will probably be a solid floor-spacing big in a few years. Add that to his good size, athleticism and effort and he’s a probable starter in the league. |
| 25 | Hansen Yang – 7-2 – C – China – Yang continues to rocket up draft boards. He’s been really good for a while now but seeing him in the States on the court with legit NBA level players has confirmed the eye test – this kid is a stud. His skill level is superb for a young big and his passing instincts are off the charts. He’ll have to work on his conditioning but he looks like a guy who can be a solid bench big early in his career and could develop into a very good starter. |
| 26 | Jase Richardson – 6-2 – PG/SG – Michigan State – Jase is a massively efficient and smart player who unfortunately lacks ideal size. He measured at just over 6-feet tall at the combine, although he did have a very nice 6-6 wingspan. His lack of size might limit his upside but I still think he can be a very effective NBA player, most likely a first guard off the bench type of player. He’s such a good decision maker and such a good shooter that it makes up for what he lacks physically. |
| 27 | Will Riley – 6-9 – SG – Illinois – This kid was born to score the basketball. He’s got incredible touch on his jumper and shoots it with a ton of confidence. He’s also got great positional size to go along with solid athleticism. He’s not a big wingspan guy and has major work to do developing his defensive abilities but his offensive firepower is hard to ignore. I like him in the late teens to mid twenties. |
| 28 | Walter Clayton Jr. – 6-3 – PG/SG – Florida – I’ve been slow to come around on Walter Clayton Jr. but I’m ready to be proven completely wrong. It would be awesome to see Clayton thrive in the NBA and light it up like he did at Florida. If he lands in the right situation and gets a green light… it could get fun. |
| TIER 6 – ROTATION PLAYER – BENCH PLAYER – POSSIBLE STARTER | |
| 29 | Noah Penda – 6-8 – PF – France – Versatility, toughness and strength, that’s what Penda brings to the court. He’s not a flashy player but is as strong as an ox and has some real offensive talent as well. I think he’ll stick in the league and be a good player and would draft him accordingly, in the 25-35 range. |
| 30 | Ryan Kalkbrenner – 7-1 – C – Creighton – It’s easy to imagine Kalkbrenner playing meaningful minutes off the bench for a good NBA team early in his career and developing into a starter in a few years. He’s not a spectacular player but he’s really solid, fundamentally sound, highly efficient and plays solid D. Landing in a situation with a great point guard would do wonders for his career. |
| 31 | Rasheer Fleming – 6-10 – PF – St. Joseph’s – Part of me wants to rank Fleming much higher than this. He’s a young junior who has gotten better and better every year and is developing an impressive perimeter game to go along with his size, athleticism and freaky length. If the 3pt shot is for real, and all signs suggest that it is, he’s going to be a long time NBA player who could become a high level starter. |
| 32 | Drake Powell – 6-7 – SF – North Carolina – Powell is arguably the most athletic player in the draft class and has good size as well. He’s got elite defensive potential and is a solid transition player but his half court offense is a work in progress. I think he’ll benefit from NBA spacing and from being a 4th or 5th option, where he can finish plays off of cuts and crash the offensive glass. I love the frame and athleticism but think it’ll take a lot of time before he’s a contributor. |
| 33 | Maxime Raynaud – 7-1 – C – Stanford (France) – Raynaud has been trending up during the draft process after a big senior season at Stanford. He’s a highly skilled and mobile 7-1 player who can handle the rock in the open court and is a high volume 3pt shooter. He plays a finesse game and isn’t a huge presence in the paint but he’s got time to get stronger and maybe find a mean-streak. The pace and space of the NBA game should be a good match for his skill-set. |
| 34 | Adou Thiero – 6-8 – SF – Arkansas – Thiero has been on a slow but steady upward trajectory for many years now and if he continues on this path he’ll become a solid NBA player. His calling cards are his defense and his athleticism. Becoming a knockdown catch-and-shoot player will help him get on a NBA court. |
| TIER 7 – BENCH PLAYER – MAYBE STICKS IN THE LEAGUE | |
| 35 | Alex Toohey – 6-8 – SF – Australia – I really like Toohey and I’m tempted to have him higher on this list. He’s the consummate role player who does a great job of spacing the floor, keeps the ball moving and can hold his own on defense. He measured really well in Chicago and seems to be a player who can guard some 4’s in the league. |
| 36 | Bogoljub Markovic – 6-10 – SF/PF – Serbia – I’m a big Bogoljub fan and think this ranking could end up being too low. He’s very young, big and skilled with the ball. He gives me Nemanja Bjelica vibes and I think he could have that kind of NBA career. |
| 37 | Yanic Konan Niederhauser – C – Penn State (Switzerland) – Along with Cedric Coward, Yanic has been the big riser of the pre-draft process. He’s got excellent mobility for his size and all the tools to play a rim-running back-up big role in the league. There’s a chance he goes back to Penn State for a year but with the momentum he has right now it might make sense to stay in the draft. |
| 38 | Sion James – 6-6 – SG – Duke – A hard-nosed big guard who is a gamer and a winner. He projects as a bench/depth player who can give good minutes to a NBA team. That should get him drafted in the early to mid second round. |
| 39 | Johni Broome – 6-10 – C – Auburn – Broome was one of the most dominant players in college basketball this past season but his lack of athleticism and ideal size drop him a big on most draft boards. I like him more as a prospect than some of the past high scoring college bigs (think Drew Timme) and think he could be getting a bit underrated. If he ends up providing first round value I wouldn’t be surprised. |
| 40 | Kam Jones – 6-4 – PG/SG – Marquette – A feel like Kam has sneaky upside. He got significantly better every year at Marquette and that trend could continue in the league. He’s always been a good shooter but really stepped up as a play-maker this past year. A possible second round steal. |
| 41 | Rocco Zikarsky – 7-3 – C – Australia – The biggest player in the draft and still very young, Rocco is a developmental big with special tools but a long ways to go before being NBA ready. I’d bet on his upside and draft him late first or early second. He’s going to take time but when we look back on this draft in 10 years he could be delivering first round value. |
| 42 | Tyrese Proctor – 6-5 – PG – Duke – Proctor has really developed in his time at Duke and become a much more complete guard. He’s good good size and enough athleticism and projects as as solid back up point guard in the league. That could warrant a pick in the early to mid second round. If he ends up playing 10 years in the league I wouldn’t be surprised. |
| 43 | Chaz Lanier – 6-4 – SG – Tennessee – Lanier has a shot to be a floor spacer off the bench who can play spot minutes early in his career. He’s got a mature game and seems to be more NBA ready than most in this range of the draft. He’s not a big upside swing but could provide value here. |
| 44 | Eric Dixon – 6-8 – PF – Villanova – A great scorer and overall player at the college level, it’s going to be interesting to see if Dixon’s game translates. He has a chance to stick in the league or me a star overseas. |
| 45 | Kobe Sanders – 6-8 – SG – Nevada – Has really good positional size and can score the ball. He’s a bit under the radar but has a chance to make it in the league. |
| TIER 8 – G LEAGUE PLAYER OR OVERSEAS – MAYBE DEVELOPS INTO A NBA ROLE | |
| 46 | Koby Brea – 6-7 – SG – Kentucky – I’m not a huge fan but have this weird feeling he’ll play in the NBA and have a few games where he goes off from 3pt land. |
| 47 | Alijah Martin – 6-2 – SG – Florida – A dynamic athlete with a strong compact frame who keeps improving. Lacks ideal height and isn’t a point guard but his feisty play could earn him a spot. |
| 48 | Amari Williams – 7-0 – C – Kentucky (England) – A strange player… a 7-foot center who loves to handle the ball, make plays from the high post but turns the ball over way too much. Has the size and athleticism but I’m not sure his game translates. |
| 49 | Vlad Goldin – 7-1 – C – Michigan – An enforcer in the paint who could play spot minutes and fill a role on a NBA bench. |
| 50 | John Tonje – 6-5 – SG – Wisconsin – One of the smoothest jumper shooters in the draft but lacks upside. |
| 51 | Dink Pate – 6-7 – PG/SG – Mexico City Capitanes – Pate has good tools but a very unrefined game and has a few more years of work to do before being NBA ready. Will be one to monitor. |
| 52 | Jamir Watkins – 6-6 – SF – Florida State – A solid all around player who does have a year of eligibility left and could withdraw from the draft. |
| 53 | Viktor Lahkin – 6-11 – C – Clemson (Russia) – An under the radar player who has a solid skill set, decent mobility and very good size. Could be a bench big in the league. |
| 54 | Micah Peavy – 6-8 – SF – Georgetown – A steady vet who had a big final year in college. Plays the game the right way, brings energy on D, hits the boards hard and can hit an open shot. |
| 55 | RJ Luis – 6-7 – SF – St. John’s – Has good tools and scoring instincts but doesn’t do anything spectacular. |
| 56 | Izan Almansa – 6-10 – PF – Perth (Spain) – Izan is a workhorse on the block who doesn’t really shine in any one way but has some NBA level tools. |
| 57 | Javon Small – 6-2 – PG – West Virginia – A standout defender with good athleticism who could find a role on a NBA bench. |
| 58 | Max Shulga – 6-5 – SG – VCU – NBA teams love outside shooting and Shulga has good range and touch on his jumper. Will get a chance. |
| 59 | Ryan Nembhard – 6-0 – PG – Gonzaga – One of the smartest players in the draft but lacking size. If he was a few inches taller he would be in the first round discussion. |
| 60 | Tamar Bates – 6-5 – SG – Missouri – A really good outside shooter with good size. That’ll get you a NBA look. |
| 61 | Arthur Kaluma – 6-7 – SF – Texas – Kaluma has really good tools in his body and has been on a somewhat slow but steady upward trajectory as a player over the past few seasons. I doubt he’s going to make an impact at the NBA level in year one or two but he does have a chance to be a solid rotation piece in the long run, if things work out. |
| 62 | Caleb Love – 6-4 – SG – Arizona – He’s a fun player but lacks ideal size and is not efficient on the offensive end. There’s a weird world where it all comes together and works for him at the NBA level but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen. |
| 63 | Lachlan Olbrich – 6-10 – PF/C – Illawarra, NBL – A fun and energetic big man who has some ball skills and gives great effort. |
| 64 | Mark Sears – 5-11 – PG – Alabama – Sears is one of those great college players who has star-power and major heroics at that level but lacks the size for the NBA game. He’s a good enough player that he could see some run as a back-up guard but more than likely spends a lot of time in the G League or overseas. |
| 65 | Grant Nelson – 6-10 – PF – Alabama – I want to like Nelson more than this but I have concerns over his lack of strength and his so-so shooting ability. He does have an intriguing offensive skill-set and solid athleticism. |
| 66 | Malique Lewis – 6-8 – SF – SE Melbourne, NBL (Trinidad and Tobago) – A high level athlete who is more of developmental player at this point. Could make it in the long term but isn’t likely to see a NBA court anytime soon. |
| 67 | Will Richard – 6-5 – SG – Florida – A 3&D guard who isn’t super flashy but gets it done on both ends. Could be a sleeper. |
| 68 | Payton Sandfort – 6-7 – SF – Iowa – An outstanding 3pt shooter who was slowed by injuries this past season. Has size and good ball skills but isn’t a big time athlete. |
| 69 | Hunter Sallis – 6-5 – SG – Wake Forest – A wiry and athletic guard who has made steady improvements throughout his college career. |
| 70 | Jaxson Robinson – 6-7 – SG – Kentucky – Has good tools and great looking shot but hasn’t put it all together yet. Will probably come up through the G League and could get a shot at NBA minutes in a year or two. |
| > | Back to the mock draft |
Thanks for reading! Happy draft season!