2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 8

[Rapsfan07]

I'll probably get clowned for this but I might be one of the very few who aren't too gung-ho on acquiring Giannis.

He's a really good player but he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 years and has played with much better players than we currently have to offer.

If we have to gut our teams depth and future draft capital to acquire him, how will we field a competitive enough team around him to make the trade worth it?

[BoyzNTheHood]

I'll probably get clowned for this but I might be one of the very few who aren't too gung-ho on acquiring Giannis.

He's a really good player but he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 years and has played with much better players than we currently have to offer.

If we have to gut our teams depth and future draft capital to acquire him, how will we field a competitive enough team around him to make the trade worth it?

Bad management. They acquired Jrue Holiday and win a championship because their team fit together seamlessly, then decide to get rid of Jrue for a star player who doesn’t fit their scheme as seamlessly.

[dohboy_24]

That's interesting, but are those numbers actually good? 7th in block percentage for Freshmen...I'd expect a guy his size and draft hype to be closer to #1.

FYI... he was 7th at the time that article was published, but ended up in 12th place by the end of the season.

Regardless... if it were such an important metric to summarize the long-term value of a C or PF prospect, why aren't all of the freshmen with higher block percentages projected to be lottery picks this year just the same as him?

Luke Bamgboye - 14.9%
Magoon Gwath - 14.6%
Somto Cyril - 13.2%
Evan Otten - 11.1%
Flory Bidugna - 10.8%
Jayden Quaintance - 9.8%
Jayden Williams - 9.3%
Oswin Erhunmwunse - 8.8%
Jamai Felt - 8.3%
Moustapha Thiam - 7.9%
Thomas Sorber - 7.6%
Khaman Maluach - 6.6%

Second in true effective percentage...for a guy who mostly just finishes lobs on a stacked team, I'd expect him to be the runaway #1 in this stat.

Among freshmen, he finished the season in the #1 spot with a 72.4% true effective percentage.

2nd place was Chilaydrien Newton at 70.2%
3rd place was Flory Bidugna at 69.6%

Only averaging 2.2 fouls...you can frame this as good, but when you watch him play, you may attribute that to him being soft/passive. Etc.

It's all about balance...

All else being equal, a lower number of fouls per game means the player remains on the floor longer and does not foul out of the game.

For comparison...

Luke Bamgboye (16.8 mins) with 2.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 8.4 minutes played

Magoon Gwath (25.0 mins) with 1.9 fouls per game = 1 foul every 13.1 minutes played

Somto Cyril (14.1 mins) with 2.1 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.7 minutes played

Evan Otten (22.5 mins) with 3.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.5 minutes played

Flory Bidugna (16.3 mins) with 2.2 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.4 minutes played

Jayden Quaintance (29.7 mins) with 2.6 fouls per game = 1 foul every 11.4 minutes played

Jayden Williams (16.6 mins) with 2.4 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.4 minutes played

Oswin Erhunmwunse (20.0 mins) with 3.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.7 minutes played

Jamai Felt (20.5 mins) with 2.6 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.8 minutes played

Moustapha Thiam (28.7 mins) with 2.8 fouls per game = 1 foul every 10.25 minutes played

Thomas Sorber (31.3 mins) with 2.2 fouls per game = 1 foul every 14.2 minutes played

Khaman Maluach (21.3 mins) with 2.1 fouls per game = 1 foul every 10.1 minutes played

By this measurement, only Thomas Sorber, Magoon Gwath, Jayden Quaintance, and Moustapha Thiam are able to stay on the floor longer than Khaman Maluach.

Not surprisingly, each of them also has a higher number of minutes played per game compared to Khaman Maluach.

I think he only started playing ball when he was 14, so his lack of an offensive package is understandable, but he is very soft for a guy who should have been able to dominate college kids physically, and I don't think that physicality is a learned characteristic.

Blocks per foul is another metric to consider when comparing how soft or aggressive each of these prospects might be, but I will leave that up to yourself or perhaps someone else to dig up those stats for each of these freshmen and compare them to each other.

[Tor_Raps]

Just here to see who the Bucks will be taking lol

[XTC]

That's interesting, but are those numbers actually good? 7th in block percentage for Freshmen...I'd expect a guy his size and draft hype to be closer to #1.

FYI... he was 7th at the time that article was published, but ended up in 12th place by the end of the season.

Regardless... if it were such an important metric to summarize the long-term value of a C or PF prospect, why aren't all of the freshmen with higher block percentages projected to be lottery picks this year just the same as him?

Luke Bamgboye - 14.9%
Magoon Gwath - 14.6%
Somto Cyril - 13.2%
Evan Otten - 11.1%
Flory Bidugna - 10.8%
Jayden Quaintance - 9.8%
Jayden Williams - 9.3%
Oswin Erhunmwunse - 8.8%
Jamai Felt - 8.3%
Moustapha Thiam - 7.9%
Thomas Sorber - 7.6%
Khaman Maluach - 6.6%

Second in true effective percentage...for a guy who mostly just finishes lobs on a stacked team, I'd expect him to be the runaway #1 in this stat.

Among freshmen, he finished the season in the #1 spot with a 72.4% true effective percentage.

2nd place was Chilaydrien Newton at 70.2%
3rd place was Flory Bidugna at 69.6%

Only averaging 2.2 fouls...you can frame this as good, but when you watch him play, you may attribute that to him being soft/passive. Etc.

It's all about balance...

All else being equal, a lower number of fouls per game means the player remains on the floor longer and does not foul out of the game.

For comparison...

Luke Bamgboye (16.8 mins) with 2.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 8.4 minutes played

Magoon Gwath (25.0 mins) with 1.9 fouls per game = 1 foul every 13.1 minutes played

Somto Cyril (14.1 mins) with 2.1 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.7 minutes played

Evan Otten (22.5 mins) with 3.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.5 minutes played

Flory Bidugna (16.3 mins) with 2.2 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.4 minutes played

Jayden Quaintance (29.7 mins) with 2.6 fouls per game = 1 foul every 11.4 minutes played

Jayden Williams (16.6 mins) with 2.4 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.4 minutes played

Oswin Erhunmwunse (20.0 mins) with 3.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.7 minutes played

Jamai Felt (20.5 mins) with 2.6 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.8 minutes played

Moustapha Thiam (28.7 mins) with 2.8 fouls per game = 1 foul every 10.25 minutes played

Thomas Sorber (31.3 mins) with 2.2 fouls per game = 1 foul every 14.2 minutes played

Khaman Maluach (21.3 mins) with 2.1 fouls per game = 1 foul every 10.1 minutes played

By this measurement, only Thomas Sorber, Magoon Gwath, Jayden Quaintance, and Moustapha Thiam are able to stay on the floor longer than Khaman Maluach.

Not surprisingly, each of them also has a higher number of minutes played per game compared to Khaman Maluach.

I think he only started playing ball when he was 14, so his lack of an offensive package is understandable, but he is very soft for a guy who should have been able to dominate college kids physically, and I don't think that physicality is a learned characteristic.

Blocks per foul is another metric to consider when comparing how soft or aggressive each of these prospects might be, but I will leave that up to yourself or perhaps someone else to dig up those stats for each of these freshmen and compare them to each other.

Why not use the block percentage of the top 10 NBA block leaders in their freshman year?

1 - Kessler - 10.7%
2 - Holmgren - 12.6%
3 - AD - 13.7%
4 - Turner - 12.3%
5 - Lopez - 4.9%
6 - Gafford - 11.5%
7 - R. Williams - 10.6%
8 - Clingan - 14.3%
9 - I. Jackson - 12.7%
10 - Lively - 12.7%

Maluach - 6.8%

Unless Maluach is a complete outlier like Lopez, history is against him becoming an elite rim protector... and Maluach's whole appeal is defense/rim protecting. It's hard to get excited about a giant who is bad at his supposed "elite" skill. Maluach is a do not draft for me.

[Basketball_Jones]

I'll probably get clowned for this but I might be one of the very few who aren't too gung-ho on acquiring Giannis.

He's a really good player but he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 years and has played with much better players than we currently have to offer.

If we have to gut our teams depth and future draft capital to acquire him, how will we field a competitive enough team around him to make the trade worth it?

I’m not against it for the right price but yeah not too crazy for it. Scottie or anyone on our roster isn’t the hang up for me there isn’t anyone untouchable worthy. It’s the draft capital, especially this years pick.

[S.W.A.N]

That's interesting, but are those numbers actually good? 7th in block percentage for Freshmen...I'd expect a guy his size and draft hype to be closer to #1.

FYI... he was 7th at the time that article was published, but ended up in 12th place by the end of the season.

Regardless... if it were such an important metric to summarize the long-term value of a C or PF prospect, why aren't all of the freshmen with higher block percentages projected to be lottery picks this year just the same as him?

Luke Bamgboye - 14.9%
Magoon Gwath - 14.6%
Somto Cyril - 13.2%
Evan Otten - 11.1%
Flory Bidugna - 10.8%
Jayden Quaintance - 9.8%
Jayden Williams - 9.3%
Oswin Erhunmwunse - 8.8%
Jamai Felt - 8.3%
Moustapha Thiam - 7.9%
Thomas Sorber - 7.6%
Khaman Maluach - 6.6%

Second in true effective percentage...for a guy who mostly just finishes lobs on a stacked team, I'd expect him to be the runaway #1 in this stat.

Among freshmen, he finished the season in the #1 spot with a 72.4% true effective percentage.

2nd place was Chilaydrien Newton at 70.2%
3rd place was Flory Bidugna at 69.6%

Only averaging 2.2 fouls...you can frame this as good, but when you watch him play, you may attribute that to him being soft/passive. Etc.

It's all about balance...

All else being equal, a lower number of fouls per game means the player remains on the floor longer and does not foul out of the game.

For comparison...

Luke Bamgboye (16.8 mins) with 2.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 8.4 minutes played

Magoon Gwath (25.0 mins) with 1.9 fouls per game = 1 foul every 13.1 minutes played

Somto Cyril (14.1 mins) with 2.1 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.7 minutes played

Evan Otten (22.5 mins) with 3.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.5 minutes played

Flory Bidugna (16.3 mins) with 2.2 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.4 minutes played

Jayden Quaintance (29.7 mins) with 2.6 fouls per game = 1 foul every 11.4 minutes played

Jayden Williams (16.6 mins) with 2.4 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.4 minutes played

Oswin Erhunmwunse (20.0 mins) with 3.0 fouls per game = 1 foul every 6.7 minutes played

Jamai Felt (20.5 mins) with 2.6 fouls per game = 1 foul every 7.8 minutes played

Moustapha Thiam (28.7 mins) with 2.8 fouls per game = 1 foul every 10.25 minutes played

Thomas Sorber (31.3 mins) with 2.2 fouls per game = 1 foul every 14.2 minutes played

Khaman Maluach (21.3 mins) with 2.1 fouls per game = 1 foul every 10.1 minutes played

By this measurement, only Thomas Sorber, Magoon Gwath, Jayden Quaintance, and Moustapha Thiam are able to stay on the floor longer than Khaman Maluach.

Not surprisingly, each of them also has a higher number of minutes played per game compared to Khaman Maluach.

I think he only started playing ball when he was 14, so his lack of an offensive package is understandable, but he is very soft for a guy who should have been able to dominate college kids physically, and I don't think that physicality is a learned characteristic.

Blocks per foul is another metric to consider when comparing how soft or aggressive each of these prospects might be, but I will leave that up to yourself or perhaps someone else to dig up those stats for each of these freshmen and compare them to each other.

Why not use the block percentage of the top 10 NBA block leaders in their freshman year?

1 - Kessler - 10.7%
2 - Holmgren - 12.6%
3 - AD - 13.7%
4 - Turner - 12.3%
5 - Lopez - 4.9%
6 - Gafford - 11.5%
7 - R. Williams - 10.6%
8 - Clingan - 14.3%
9 - I. Jackson - 12.7%
10 - Lively - 12.7%

Maluach - 6.8%

Unless Maluach is a complete outlier like Lopez, history is against him becoming an elite rim protector... and Maluach's whole appeal is defense/rim protecting. It's hard to get excited about a giant who is bad at his supposed "elite" skill. Maluach is a do not draft for me.

It has been documented, that with Flagg and Maluach on the floor teams didn't go to the rim as much and shot worse.

Maluach is an easy yes for me. Queen is the big that we should be scared of.

[RoteSchroder]

with the draft being so shallow in the 2nd round, I fully expect Masai to buy five 2nds and draft a strong role player with each pick

[CazOnReal]

I'll probably get clowned for this but I might be one of the very few who aren't too gung-ho on acquiring Giannis.

He's a really good player but he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 years and has played with much better players than we currently have to offer.

If we have to gut our teams depth and future draft capital to acquire him, how will we field a competitive enough team around him to make the trade worth it?

People are also ignoring that Giannis has been injured in 2 of the past 3 postseasons. Once prior to the playoffs, once during it. He is lowkey a lot more of an injury risk than he's often credited for.

[MoneyBall]

I'll probably get clowned for this but I might be one of the very few who aren't too gung-ho on acquiring Giannis.

He's a really good player but he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 years and has played with much better players than we currently have to offer.

If we have to gut our teams depth and future draft capital to acquire him, how will we field a competitive enough team around him to make the trade worth it?

These are all valid concerns. I'd be most dissapointed in letting go of Scottie. I like to watch a team grow rather than see two or three teams swap half their rosters.

That said, Giannis is what, a top 5 player in the NBA? Very hard to pass up on.

[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

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[ATLTimekeeper]

I'll probably get clowned for this but I might be one of the very few who aren't too gung-ho on acquiring Giannis.

He's a really good player but he hasn't made it out of the second round in 5 years and has played with much better players than we currently have to offer.

If we have to gut our teams depth and future draft capital to acquire him, how will we field a competitive enough team around him to make the trade worth it?

People are also ignoring that Giannis has been injured in 2 of the past 3 postseasons. Once prior to the playoffs, once during it. He is lowkey a lot more of an injury risk than he's often credited for.

Seems more like bad luck. But, yeah, injured for two of the playoffs. Middleton injured for one of them. Lillard injured for the other. Like, are we supposed to think that Giannis is supposed to beat the Pacers with Gary Trent as his 2nd best player?

[Thaddy]

Read on Twitter

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Is that league any good? I wouldn't really put stock into his performances unless he's in contention for MVP in that league. He seems too raw there.

Between Essengue and Fleming I'm leaning towards Fleming. The ceiling being lower is a myth, the strength, coordination, size, and intensity he plays with isn't something I can see Essengue achieving. There's a chance he grows, gets stronger, etc but I rather take the safer pick at 9. If we gut our team for a big fish we will need that kind of depth.

[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

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[WuTang_OG]

Read on Twitter

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Is that league any good? I wouldn't really put stock into his performances unless he's in contention for MVP in that league. He seems too raw there.

Between Essengue and Fleming I'm leaning towards Fleming. The ceiling being lower is a myth, the strength, coordination, size, and intensity he plays with isn't something I can see Essengue achieving. There's a chance he grows, gets stronger, etc but I rather take the safer pick at 9. If we gut our team for a big fish we will need that kind of depth.

Same team as killian and pacome so tough to measure
Different prospects. I like him if he can really hit corner 3’s at next level

[WuTang_OG]

https://www.nba.com/news/2025-consensus-mock-draft

MOST COMMON PICKS
Below are where the player is most commonly projected, with the number of mock drafts in parentheses. For example, Cooper Flagg is projected to go first in 10 of 10 updated mock drafts listed below:

No. 1 (Mavericks): Cooper Flagg (10)

No. 2 (Spurs): Dylan Harper (10)

No. 3 (76ers): Ace Bailey (5)

No. 4 (Hornets): VJ Edgecombe (7)

No. 5 (Jazz): Jeremiah Fears (3), Tre Johnson (3)

No. 6 (Wizards): Tre Johnson (4)

No. 7 (Pelicans): Kon Knueppel (3)

No. 8 (Nets): Jeremiah Fears (4)

No. 9 (Raptors): Derik Queen (3)

No. 10 (Rockets): Kasparas Jakucionis (3)

No. 11 (Trail Blazers): Collin Murray-Boyles (3)

No. 12 (Bulls): Jase Richardson (3)

No. 13 (Hawks): Noa Essengue, Collin Murray-Boyles (2)

No. 14 (Spurs): Carter Bryant (3)

[WuTang_OG]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25201330-2025-nba-mock-draft-top-5-shakeup-2-round-predictions-and-pro-comps

KM new high at #4. TOR gets Kon

4. Charlotte Hornets: Khaman Maluach (Duke, C)

Size: 7'1", 253 lbs

Age: 18

Nationality: South Sudan

Pro Comparison: Dereck Lively II

Combine measurements confirmed what scouts expected: Khaman Maluach has elite length, with a 7'7" wingspan, a 9'6" standing reach and oversized hands that help him finish around the rim.

Scouts raved about how he looked during in pro day in Los Angeles. Workouts also create an opportunity for Maluach to showcase shotmaking skill that was masked during the season with Duke.

The buzz and interest have been snowballing to the point where scouts think Maluach will be a strong possibility once Flagg, Harper and Bailey are gone.

5. Utah Jazz: VJ Edgecombe (Baylor, SG)
5 of 59
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 12 Big 12 Tournament Kansas State vs Baylor
Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Size: 6'4", 193 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: Bahamas

Pro Comparisons: Andrew Wiggins, Victor Oladipo, Iman Shumpert

VJ Edgecombe weighed in 13 pounds heavier than his listed weight at Baylor—a promising sign for a wing who thrives attacking downhill and finishing at the rim.

His explosiveness, defensive agility and strong assist-to-turnover ratio make him a natural fit alongside a shotmaker like Keyonte George. Edgecombe also knocked down 52 threes and showed flashes of point-of-attack creation, signaling enough scoring upside to justify top-five consideration.

6. Washington Wizards: Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma, PG)
6 of 59
Oklahoma v UConn
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Size: 6'3", 180 lbs

Age: 18

Nationality: American

Pro Comparison: Dejounte Murray

Once Dylan Harper is off the board, teams seeking backcourt creation, rim pressure and playmaking are likely to shift their focus to Jeremiah Fears. Scouts expect the 18-year-old to draw top-five consideration—especially after he averaged 22.3 points and 4.8 assists over Oklahoma’s final nine games.

Fears will use pre-draft workouts to address concerns about his three-point shooting. While his percentage left questions, his 38 made threes show he has clear shot-making ability, and he converted 42.6 percent of his mid-range attempts.

Some teams may be hesitant due to his inconsistent range, high turnover rate and limited effectiveness off the ball. Still, Fears looks like a realistic target for guard-needy teams drafting early in the lottery.

7. New Orleans Pelicans: Tre Johnson (Texas, SG)
7 of 59
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 11 Alabama at Texas
David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Size: 6'5", 190 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: USA

Pro Comparison: Tyler Herro

Tre Johnson posted encouraging results at the combine: nearly 6'5" barefoot, a 6'10" wingspan, a 32-inch standing vertical and the second-fastest lane agility time.

With convincing shotmaking and eye-test results, he's widely believed to be locked into the top 10 of this draft. The question is how early a team will be willing to draft a non-playmaking guard who rarely gets to the rim or free-throw line. But Johnson also seems advanced enough with his self-creation and shooting to provide surefire perimeter scoring.

8. Brooklyn Nets: Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm, PF)
8 of 59
easycredit Basketball Bundesliga - ALBA Berlin v Ratiopharm Ulm
Mathias Renner / City-Press GmbH Bildagentur via GettyImages
Size: 6'10", 198 lbs

Age: 18

Nationality: France

Pro Comparison: Jerami Grant

Big scoring outputs are becoming more common from Noa Essengue, who just went for 22 points and 14 boards in Ulm's Game One win over the German BBL Semis.

He drilled a go-ahead three and game-sealing And-One finish in overtime.

Essengue is consistently generating easy points all season through rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds. Now, he’s also showing growth in his self-creation—finishing drives more confidently and knocking down rhythm threes.

Improving on-ball skills and rising offensive production are turning him into a notable draft storyline for the second-youngest prospect in the class.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kon Knueppel (Duke, SF)

Size: 6'6", 217 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: USA

Pro Comparison: Cameron Johnson

Every team figures to have some level of interest in Kon Knueppel's shotmaking, efficient scoring and easy fit.

Viewed as a safe pick with a valued, bankable skill in shooting, he also flashed strong driving ability and high-level, ball-screen playmaking reads.

Unless the Raptors aren't sold on Knueppel offering upside, he figures to be a primary candidate in the best-player-available discussion at No. 8.

10. Houston Rockets (via Suns): Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois, PG/SG)
10 of 59
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 14 Big Ten Tournament Maryland vs Illinois
Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Size: 6'5", 205 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: Lithuania

Pro comparison: Coby White

There is some divide among scouts trying to weigh Kasparas Jakucionis' shotmaking skill and playmaking feel versus his lack of burst and separation ability.

Top-10 teams may see too much risk, but later in the lottery, his positional size and shooting-passing combination should create enough translatable versatility.

[WuTang_OG]

• For the draft later this month, the Rockets, who hold the No. 10 pick, have received interest in the selection, team sources said — ironically fielding more calls than when Houston had top-six picks over the last four years. (It’s typically difficult to pull off a trade for a top-six pick, which tends to lessen the interest.) Houston is open to moving the selection, team sources said, either by trading down or out of the draft entirely. The Rockets are also open to pairing the pick with a player in a trade if such a situation should present itself, sources said. In the case of staying in the draft and trading down or out, moving out of the 10th slot would make their current cap sheet more palatable, especially ahead of a summer that stands to see significant movement across the league.

One consistent theme from this year’s incoming draft class was the quality of individual team interviews. Meetings with Arizona’s Carter Bryant, Duke’s Khaman Maluach, and South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles — all players who could be available at 10 — were described as “excellent,” team sources said, citing stellar on-court knowledge and overall basketball IQ.

[PushDaRock]

Feels like the fitting result of scouting prospects all year long and endless discussions about tanking is we end up trading the pick in a Giannis package

[grant101]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25201330-2025-nba-mock-draft-top-5-shakeup-2-round-predictions-and-pro-comps

KM new high at #4. TOR gets Kon

4. Charlotte Hornets: Khaman Maluach (Duke, C)

Size: 7'1", 253 lbs

Age: 18

Nationality: South Sudan

Pro Comparison: Dereck Lively II

Combine measurements confirmed what scouts expected: Khaman Maluach has elite length, with a 7'7" wingspan, a 9'6" standing reach and oversized hands that help him finish around the rim.

Scouts raved about how he looked during in pro day in Los Angeles. Workouts also create an opportunity for Maluach to showcase shotmaking skill that was masked during the season with Duke.

The buzz and interest have been snowballing to the point where scouts think Maluach will be a strong possibility once Flagg, Harper and Bailey are gone.

5. Utah Jazz: VJ Edgecombe (Baylor, SG)
5 of 59
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 12 Big 12 Tournament Kansas State vs Baylor
Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Size: 6'4", 193 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: Bahamas

Pro Comparisons: Andrew Wiggins, Victor Oladipo, Iman Shumpert

VJ Edgecombe weighed in 13 pounds heavier than his listed weight at Baylor—a promising sign for a wing who thrives attacking downhill and finishing at the rim.

His explosiveness, defensive agility and strong assist-to-turnover ratio make him a natural fit alongside a shotmaker like Keyonte George. Edgecombe also knocked down 52 threes and showed flashes of point-of-attack creation, signaling enough scoring upside to justify top-five consideration.

6. Washington Wizards: Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma, PG)
6 of 59
Oklahoma v UConn
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Size: 6'3", 180 lbs

Age: 18

Nationality: American

Pro Comparison: Dejounte Murray

Once Dylan Harper is off the board, teams seeking backcourt creation, rim pressure and playmaking are likely to shift their focus to Jeremiah Fears. Scouts expect the 18-year-old to draw top-five consideration—especially after he averaged 22.3 points and 4.8 assists over Oklahoma’s final nine games.

Fears will use pre-draft workouts to address concerns about his three-point shooting. While his percentage left questions, his 38 made threes show he has clear shot-making ability, and he converted 42.6 percent of his mid-range attempts.

Some teams may be hesitant due to his inconsistent range, high turnover rate and limited effectiveness off the ball. Still, Fears looks like a realistic target for guard-needy teams drafting early in the lottery.

7. New Orleans Pelicans: Tre Johnson (Texas, SG)
7 of 59
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 11 Alabama at Texas
David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Size: 6'5", 190 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: USA

Pro Comparison: Tyler Herro

Tre Johnson posted encouraging results at the combine: nearly 6'5" barefoot, a 6'10" wingspan, a 32-inch standing vertical and the second-fastest lane agility time.

With convincing shotmaking and eye-test results, he's widely believed to be locked into the top 10 of this draft. The question is how early a team will be willing to draft a non-playmaking guard who rarely gets to the rim or free-throw line. But Johnson also seems advanced enough with his self-creation and shooting to provide surefire perimeter scoring.

8. Brooklyn Nets: Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm, PF)
8 of 59
easycredit Basketball Bundesliga - ALBA Berlin v Ratiopharm Ulm
Mathias Renner / City-Press GmbH Bildagentur via GettyImages
Size: 6'10", 198 lbs

Age: 18

Nationality: France

Pro Comparison: Jerami Grant

Big scoring outputs are becoming more common from Noa Essengue, who just went for 22 points and 14 boards in Ulm's Game One win over the German BBL Semis.

He drilled a go-ahead three and game-sealing And-One finish in overtime.

Essengue is consistently generating easy points all season through rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds. Now, he’s also showing growth in his self-creation—finishing drives more confidently and knocking down rhythm threes.

Improving on-ball skills and rising offensive production are turning him into a notable draft storyline for the second-youngest prospect in the class.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kon Knueppel (Duke, SF)

Size: 6'6", 217 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: USA

Pro Comparison: Cameron Johnson

Every team figures to have some level of interest in Kon Knueppel's shotmaking, efficient scoring and easy fit.

Viewed as a safe pick with a valued, bankable skill in shooting, he also flashed strong driving ability and high-level, ball-screen playmaking reads.

Unless the Raptors aren't sold on Knueppel offering upside, he figures to be a primary candidate in the best-player-available discussion at No. 8.

10. Houston Rockets (via Suns): Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois, PG/SG)
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COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 14 Big Ten Tournament Maryland vs Illinois
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Size: 6'5", 205 lbs

Age: 19

Nationality: Lithuania

Pro comparison: Coby White

There is some divide among scouts trying to weigh Kasparas Jakucionis' shotmaking skill and playmaking feel versus his lack of burst and separation ability.

Top-10 teams may see too much risk, but later in the lottery, his positional size and shooting-passing combination should create enough translatable versatility.

Kon is a fine pick, but they have us passing both Yang and Markovic in the 2nd! I would be gutted.