2025 Draft prospects - thread 3

[2weekswithpay]

Watch on YouTube

Amari Williams is a better pick at 45 than Yanic or Rocco IMO.

[drosestruts]

In general, as a draft guy, I'm pretty risk-averse. I perhaps lean more towards players who floors I'm comfortable with than whose cielings I'm excited about (though just because a player has a good floor does not mean his ceiling is limited)

It's why my top 4 preferred players remain guys like - KJ, Kalkbrenner, Richardson, and Clifford.

But when I start dreaming, the guy I do really like is Saraf.

A lot of comments about the competition level he plays against with Ulm.

Well if we look at the Euro U18 tournament we can see his performance in comparison to, and in some cases directly against other playersin this draft class.

In U18 Saraf averaged 28, 5, and 5 to go along with 5 stocks on 45/36/76 shooting splits.

He scored 40 points in games against both Spain (Hugo Gonzales) and Serbia

He had 23, 5, and 5 with 3 stocks and 0 turnovers and a +16 against a France team featuring Essengue, Traore, and Beringer

KJ also played in the tournament though they never played head to head. Saraf's stats were far better.


If I were trying to make a big move in the draft - Saraf would be my guy. A Dragic, Ginobli, TJ McConnell hybird

You take him at 12?

Who in the board would you take over him?

You like him enough to trade back to 15 or 16 and take him there while getting another 1st.

Totally agree about his U18 showing. Kid has a higher ceiling than people realize and he’s being underrated.

I wouldn't trade back but would be open to trading a current player for an additional 1st.

Saraf is still probably 4/5th on my board for who i expect could be available:

1. Kalkbrenner - call me crazy, tell me it's too high, blah blah blah. I just see Brook Lopez, and I see immediate production.

2. Jase Richardson - do it all guard who makes positive impact on winning

3. Nique Clifford - ultimate glue guy with some Jimmy Butler upside

4/5. KJ and Saraf - I like both for a lot of the same reaosn. Saraf probably the better defender

[Chi town]

Bad showing for Saraf and Noa in finals.

https://www.flashscoreusa.com/game/basketball/rRWGIGKH/#/game-summary/player-statistics/2

[kodo]

Bad showing for Saraf and Noa in finals.

https://www.flashscoreusa.com/game/basketball/rRWGIGKH/#/game-summary/player-statistics/2

Yep horrible, against a decent team.
Noa isn't going to help win NBA games next season, or maybe the season after either. He's a developmental pick. And that's why I doubt AK will pick him.

[Chi town]

Bad showing for Saraf and Noa in finals.

https://www.flashscoreusa.com/game/basketball/rRWGIGKH/#/game-summary/player-statistics/2

Yep horrible, against a decent team.
Noa isn't going to help win NBA games next season, or maybe the season after either. He's a developmental pick. And that's why I doubt AK will pick him.

Disagree. His D and instincts are so good he will get burn as a 4th big. Be given the Buz rookie treatment and I think he will play well by end of his rookie season. His FT rate will play right away as will his D.

[sco]

The way I see it today.

These guys will all almost definitely be gone by 12:
Flagg
Harper
VJ
Bailey
Tre Johnson

Then you have guys who will probably be gone but may drop based on relative rankings
Fears
Maluach
Knueppel
Jakucionis

I'd be thrilled to nab any of these guys at 12, but we'd need 4 guys not on this list to leap-frog us to bump one down. The possible names on that list I've heard are
Demin (please save us from him!)
Essengue
Newell

We'd need all 3 of these guys to go ahead of us plus 1 more, but I haven't heard another name sneaking up the ranks. Has anyone?

[drosestruts]

Nique Clifford breakdown

Watch on YouTube

Elite rebounder

Great pick and roll and isolation scorer.


A guy I see as a day 1 contributor


I'm kind of in love with the idea of having a dominant rebounding backcourt featuring Giddey and Clifford.

[HomoSapien]

Read on Twitter

"There is also momentum building for Derik Queen, one of the best frontcourt prospects in this draft, to be selected in the 10-14 range. Queen has been linked the most to the Chicago Bulls with the 12th pick, yet league sources indicate that the Bulls are still evaluating a few other names in this spot to provide more athleticism and length to their roster.

Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, and Asa Newell are three players who have also come up in conversations about the Bulls.

Multiple sources have also relayed intel about Chicago exploring the possibility of moving up in this year's draft should Bailey be passed on by the 76ers, or another team that trades up, with the third pick.

How the Bulls could possibly move up from the 12th pick to have a chance at selecting Bailey would be the ultimate question should the Rutgers star fall in the top five.

None of the three rebuilding teams behind the 76ers' pick (Charlotte, Utah, and Washington) would hold much interest in anything Chicago has to offer except draft compensation in future years. It is tough to see a Bailey-Bulls scenario playing out in this year's draft."

https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-4-0-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-questions-latest-intel

Queen, Demin, and Newell all get linked to us quite a bit. It'll be interesting to see if this is ultimately a smoke screen or the truth.

As for Bailey, if he drops enough, then Coby for him is a gamble worth taking. He might bust, but he has star raw potential

[nomorezorro]

based on what i've read, i vibe that the queen buzz is just people who have a misguided read about what our "current direction" is. they know we like passers, that we've gone after offensively skilled Cs in the past, that we're probably moving on from vucevic, and they go "ok so they're going to take the offensively skilled C who's a plus passer to replace vucevic"

but unless you closely follow the bulls, you're probably not as dialed into the specific style we tapped into for the post-deadline stretch, which was a lot more contingent on uptempo play and defense. and to that end, you've got reports from cowley that the bulls didn't have queen on their radar, and kc saying there are questions internally whether queen fits the direction the team wants to go in

[Muzbar]

Read on Twitter

I'll take in order: Carter Bryant, Asa Newell, Egor Demin and then....................... Derik Queen.

Carter Bryant is the only name I like of the 4 mentioned.

I like Ace Bailey, but not sure I like him enough to trade up for him (depending on the price I guess).

[boozapalooza]

Read on Twitter

"There is also momentum building for Derik Queen, one of the best frontcourt prospects in this draft, to be selected in the 10-14 range. Queen has been linked the most to the Chicago Bulls with the 12th pick, yet league sources indicate that the Bulls are still evaluating a few other names in this spot to provide more athleticism and length to their roster.

Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, and Asa Newell are three players who have also come up in conversations about the Bulls.

Multiple sources have also relayed intel about Chicago exploring the possibility of moving up in this year's draft should Bailey be passed on by the 76ers, or another team that trades up, with the third pick.

How the Bulls could possibly move up from the 12th pick to have a chance at selecting Bailey would be the ultimate question should the Rutgers star fall in the top five.

None of the three rebuilding teams behind the 76ers' pick (Charlotte, Utah, and Washington) would hold much interest in anything Chicago has to offer except draft compensation in future years. It is tough to see a Bailey-Bulls scenario playing out in this year's draft."

https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-big-board-4-0-ace-bailey-vj-edgecombe-questions-latest-intel

Queen, Demin, and Newell all get linked to us quite a bit. It'll be interesting to see if this is ultimately a smoke screen or the truth.

As for Bailey, if he drops enough, then Coby for him is a gamble worth taking. He might bust, but he has star raw potential

Not sure how this is possible with Charlotte. Maybe Utah wants to get more competitive (as their new GM publicly stated) and would reunite Coby and Lauri?

Something like Coby/12 for Clarkson/5?

[Red Larrivee]

Y'all really think Coby is enough to move up 7-9 spots in the lottery? On a one-year contract? If we move up, it's almost certainly going to be a future pick(s) involved.

[Chi town]

Lots of smoke and misdirection.

We have been linked to…

Demin as our top target (Cowley)
Noa as our 2nd target
Drake impressed
Asa impressed

Now Ace as tradeup candidate.

I’m hoping AK is playing chess and trying to get guys drafted ahead of his desired pick/s.

We heard Buzelis very early last year and then nothing until he fell and we picked him.

[Chi town]

Y'all really think Coby is enough to move up 7-9 spots in the lottery? On a one-year contract? If we move up, it's almost certainly going to be a future pick(s) involved.

Don’t think AK will trade up unless Ace falls to 7 which he won’t because someone else closer to that pick will trade up.

[Chi town]

based on what i've read, i vibe that the queen buzz is just people who have a misguided read about what our "current direction" is. they know we like passers, that we've gone after offensively skilled Cs in the past, that we're probably moving on from vucevic, and they go "ok so they're going to take the offensively skilled C who's a plus passer to replace vucevic"

but unless you closely follow the bulls, you're probably not as dialed into the specific style we tapped into for the post-deadline stretch, which was a lot more contingent on uptempo play and defense. and to that end, you've got reports from cowley that the bulls didn't have queen on their radar, and kc saying there are questions internally whether queen fits the direction the team wants to go in

It’s amazing how national guys don’t really know what going on with local teams. Trends, play styles, players rising etc.

[boozapalooza]

Y'all really think Coby is enough to move up 7-9 spots in the lottery? On a one-year contract? If we move up, it's almost certainly going to be a future pick(s) involved.

Desmond Bane went for 4 firsts, we can’t move up 7 spots for Coby? Who knows

[Red Larrivee]

Y'all really think Coby is enough to move up 7-9 spots in the lottery? On a one-year contract? If we move up, it's almost certainly going to be a future pick(s) involved.

Desmond Bane went for 4 firsts, we can’t move up 7 spots for Coby? Who knows

Bane is better and under contract for the next 4 years. If Coby was enough to move up in the lottery, you'd have to think they would have done it by now given his contract situation.

[boozapalooza]

Y'all really think Coby is enough to move up 7-9 spots in the lottery? On a one-year contract? If we move up, it's almost certainly going to be a future pick(s) involved.

Desmond Bane went for 4 firsts, we can’t move up 7 spots for Coby? Who knows

Bane is better and under contract for the next 4 years. If Coby was enough to move up in the lottery, you'd have to think they would have done it by now given his contract situation.

Still over a week until the draft, things can happen. Coby’s not going to get as big of a contract as Bane has given Bane is the better player. I don’t think this trade is likely but feel like its not terrible for both sides from a value standpoint (if Utah is done with tanking).

[Muzbar]

This is a pretty exciting build up to this draft, lots of rumours floating around, so many teams just unsure if they'll keep their pick or who they'll draft.

I think after pick 5 or 6 it's going to be wild.

I took the day off work so I can watch.

[BullsSD]

Y'all really think Coby is enough to move up 7-9 spots in the lottery? On a one-year contract? If we move up, it's almost certainly going to be a future pick(s) involved.

Desmond Bane went for 4 firsts, we can’t move up 7 spots for Coby? Who knows

Keep in mind, the only high value pick is the Suns '26 pick with a rebuild looming in Phx. The other 3 will likely be late first rounders in the 20's. 3 late firsts and 1 likely lottery pick is fair value for Bane and not that crazy of a haul for Memphis.