2025 NBA Draft Thread: Detroit Pick Edition

[shangrila]

Early going but a few interesting measurements coming out of the combine:

Both Sorber and Queen measured roughly similar with fine height/wingspans for undersized Cs. I don't have leaping numbers for Sorber but apparently Queen measured at 23/28 standing/max, which isn't surprising but is still really bad.

Rasheer Fleming measured great, with an insane +9 height to wingspan differential. Yaxel Lendeborg measured similar with a slightly smaller wingspan

Clayton Jr was top 5 in all of the agility testing with, from memory, most of those completed for all players. So it might change but he's more of an athlete than some people have given him credit for.

Carter Bryant also measured well. Been saying for a while but he's an easy candidate for a significant rise.


Ultimately though it's important not to put too much into this testing. It should more reinforce or answer lingering questions than fundamentally shift thoughts about a prospect.

[KGdaBom]

I thought we already had a draft thread? Anyway say NO to Nolan Traore. I get really bad Killian Hayes flashbacks watching him and his horrible shooting and it just seems like bad juju and a really bad idea to get someone like Hayes with a Detriot pick.

I think Rob, TJ and Jaylen will develop so I think wolves should be taking a big. Queen or Sorber or maybe Essengue/Newell.

Maybe we did, but I didn't see it. ESPN has us taking this guy. Seems like a good fit.

Danny Wolf, PF, Michigan
Junior | TS%: 56.6

Scouting report: Leaning into the versatility of an out-of-the-box prospect such as Wolf, who shouldered significant playmaking responsibilities for Michigan as a 7-footer, could be interesting. Wolf's skill level, creativity and overall instincts on both ends of the floor give him a higher ceiling than your typical 21-year-old prospect, especially with the development trajectory he has been on the past three years. -- Givony

NBA intel and fit: The Pistons breaking through and making the playoffs conveyed this pick to the Timberwolves, who have a nice opportunity to add talent after having traded away most of their draft capital since Tim Connelly took over as president. Wolf would give them a versatile frontcourt player capable of contributing sooner than later.

Minnesota will also consider using this pick to improve its roster as it pushes to contend around an ascending Anthony Edwards. -- Woo

[BlacJacMac]

I thought we already had a draft thread? Anyway say NO to Nolan Traore. I get really bad Killian Hayes flashbacks watching him and his horrible shooting and it just seems like bad juju and a really bad idea to get someone like Hayes with a Detriot pick.

I think Rob, TJ and Jaylen will develop so I think wolves should be taking a big. Queen or Sorber or maybe Essengue/Newell.

We've been using the Pistons thread.

Tons of great draft info in there.

[KGdaBom]

I thought we already had a draft thread? Anyway say NO to Nolan Traore. I get really bad Killian Hayes flashbacks watching him and his horrible shooting and it just seems like bad juju and a really bad idea to get someone like Hayes with a Detriot pick.

I think Rob, TJ and Jaylen will develop so I think wolves should be taking a big. Queen or Sorber or maybe Essengue/Newell.

We've been using the Pistons thread.

Tons of great draft info in there.

It was a pistons thread. I had no interest. Now I see it says and 2025 draft talk in the title.

[KGdaBom]

P.S. I really like Queen skillset

Quite the gambit.

I used to play chess. I get the pun.

[BlacJacMac]

I thought we already had a draft thread? Anyway say NO to Nolan Traore. I get really bad Killian Hayes flashbacks watching him and his horrible shooting and it just seems like bad juju and a really bad idea to get someone like Hayes with a Detriot pick.

I think Rob, TJ and Jaylen will develop so I think wolves should be taking a big. Queen or Sorber or maybe Essengue/Newell.

We've been using the Pistons thread.

Tons of great draft info in there.

It was a pistons thread. I had no interest. Now I see it says and 2025 draft talk in the title.

Since it was about the pick they owe us, it became the draft thread.

[KGdaBom]

We've been using the Pistons thread.

Tons of great draft info in there.

It was a pistons thread. I had no interest. Now I see it says and 2025 draft talk in the title.

Since it was about the pick they owe us, it became the draft thread.

Thanks. Funny how that goes sometimes. I think our draft 2025 thread should simply be named the 2025 NBA draft.

[younggunsmn]

Per Tankathon as of now the Wolves will draft 6'3" 175 pound international PG Nolan Traore. Looking over his profile he seems like a poor man's Rob Dillingham. Can't shoot straight. 41.6% floor, 31.7% from 3 and 72.3% from the line. It's beyond me what they see in him.

None of this year's international prospects can shoot straight, which is a main reason why I don't want anything to do with any of them.
They're Theo Maledon level players.
NO MORE PROJECTS.

We don't have minutes or patience for more guys who are going to take 2 1/2 to 3 years to break a rotation even if they work out.

[younggunsmn]

Read on Twitter

Damn, Yaxel for sure will be in first round

He's going to be a stud we may be lucky he is there at 17 on draft day.

[younggunsmn]

With Randle's postseason play, the chances of him taking a big pay cut - a la Mike and Rudy - have seriously decreased. It looks like Minnesota has enough space to pay Randle 31 million and Naz 24 and still stay under second apron. But that means NAW is gone and there's no money to pay first round pick. Minnesota will either have to trade it or maybe take an international player who is willing to play overseas for another year.

I think we can all stop talking about an American player at 17. Minnesota probably could still draft an American player at 31 and pay them the league minimum - although that means they could walk after 2 seasons.

This is nonsense we are not going to stash the 17th pick overseas.
And we are not paying Randle+Naz combined what we were going to pay KAT.

Randle had delusional expectations about his salary in an extension last offseason and I don't expect that to chance this offseason.
He's on the wrong side of 30 and I find it super doubtful we extend him, and if we do it will be a hideous contract.

I think Naz's salary ceiling for us is probably Jaden McDaneils' contract starting at 22.6, and there are very few teams that can even get to that kind of cap space. I would put him at an AAV of about 20.
If he keeps crapping the bed in the playoffs and having fumble fingers like in game 4 last night he might have to settle for the MLE.

[BlacJacMac]

Read on Twitter

Damn, Yaxel for sure will be in first round

He's going to be a stud we may be lucky he is there at 17 on draft day.

I think he could step into the rotation next year easily. Love his game and his fit.

I also think he'll be there at our pick. 23 years old, relatively new to the game and questionable opposition at UAB.

[younggunsmn]

Read on Twitter

Damn, Yaxel for sure will be in first round

He's going to be a stud we may be lucky he is there at 17 on draft day.

I think he could step into the rotation next year easily. Love his game and his fit.

I also think he'll be there at our pick. 23 years old, relatively new to the game and questionable opposition at UAB.

I just love his tape. Even if he's not playing big conference basketball he looks like a man among boys out there.
Rebounds his ass off and can both switch and protect the rim.

[KGdaBom]

Per Tankathon as of now the Wolves will draft 6'3" 175 pound international PG Nolan Traore. Looking over his profile he seems like a poor man's Rob Dillingham. Can't shoot straight. 41.6% floor, 31.7% from 3 and 72.3% from the line. It's beyond me what they see in him.

None of this year's international prospects can shoot straight, which is a main reason why I don't want anything to do with any of them.
They're Theo Maledon level players.
NO MORE PROJECTS.

We don't have minutes or patience for more guys who are going to take 2 1/2 to 3 years to break a rotation even if they work out.

We actually agree often, but when we disagree it's more intense.

[KGdaBom]

He's going to be a stud we may be lucky he is there at 17 on draft day.

I think he could step into the rotation next year easily. Love his game and his fit.

I also think he'll be there at our pick. 23 years old, relatively new to the game and questionable opposition at UAB.

I just love his tape. Even if he's not playing big conference basketball he looks like a man among boys out there.
Rebounds his ass off and can both switch and protect the rim.

As of now Tankathon has him at 26. ESPN has him at 29. Since you and Black Jac like him I'll keep my eye on him.

[wolves_89]

After seeing the combine measurements the guys I'm most interested in at 17:

Thomas Sorber
Carter Byant
Rasheer Fleming
Yaxel Lendeborg

[Neeva]

Queen is gonna free fall, his combine has been bad and I bet most gm’s aren’t a fan of his personality, he’s very much like Ant IMO personality wise. I see him being available at 17 . I wonder if Connelly will take a chance on him, offensively he has a lot of talent.

[jpatrick]

I thought we already had a draft thread? Anyway say NO to Nolan Traore. I get really bad Killian Hayes flashbacks watching him and his horrible shooting and it just seems like bad juju and a really bad idea to get someone like Hayes with a Detriot pick.

I think Rob, TJ and Jaylen will develop so I think wolves should be taking a big. Queen or Sorber or maybe Essengue/Newell.

Little hard on Traore. 18 year old starting at point in a pro league who was a projected top five pick coming into the year. And as expected, he’s improved through the year after the massive jump in competition. First 15 games his efficiency was dreadful. Last 14, 46%/43%/75% with the threes on decent volume for Europe. Rewatched the 2024 Hoops Summit game since it included most of the lottery, he wasn’t quite as athletic as I remember. My comp is quicker Nembhard or maybe bigger Tyus Jones.

I’m wondering if Sorbet is a Connelly guy. Big with super high BBIQ/passing ability and decent defensively even if he’s a tad slow and a below the rim type player.

If NAW is gone, could use Carter Bryant, who I love; Nique Clifford; or Cedric Coward, who had Kawhi like measurements today. I think my guy is Coward. Super long. Shot looks clean. I think he might eventually go before our pick. Going to be a riser in workouts.

Lots of interesting guys. Could also package 31 with 17 if we need to target a guy in the late lottery.

[Domejandro]

It was a pistons thread. I had no interest. Now I see it says and 2025 draft talk in the title.

Since it was about the pick they owe us, it became the draft thread.

Thanks. Funny how that goes sometimes. I think our draft 2025 thread should simply be named the 2025 NBA draft.

Do you want a separate thread, or do you want me to merge this one with that one and change the title so it is this thread’s title? I’m cool with keeping both open, but figure that it makes sense for me to combine them and just make the title more accessible/clear so the conversations flow better (rather than being split between two threads).

TL;DR: Can I merge the two threads together and just change the title?

[Loaf_of_bread]

Would be great if we could somehow trade both the 17 and 31 to move up for maluach. Pipe dream, but don't need 2 prospects. Would prefer 1, with higher upside..

[karch34]

In a vacuum I think 17 is a high floor low ceiling player and 31 is opposite. Who they are is too early for me to guess now.