2025 NBA Draft Thread, part 1 – Capture the Flagg

[ThePigeon]

I really like Ben Saraf. He is baller that gets you wins
Saw him all season at Ulm. The past week in the German playoff, he led his team eliminating Alba in 3 games. He is young but plays with confidence and knows how to get a basket (score, pass) and started to defend really well

One big and one wing in this draft please

Isn't he more of a PG or Combo guard??

Yes he is a PG/Combo, but he is 6"6 and can play also as a SF
He is a baller and that's what matters

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKFYM4XtXcj/

[threrf23]

On paper, I think Cedric Coward generally compares to a taller Anthony Morrow, maybe.

That's not a bad player at all, and I like that he converts so efficiently inside the arc, 72% over his college career.

But the thing is, while he had a good season last year, it doesn't mean a whole lot as he was already 21. And while he had a good season the year before, it doesn't mean much because he was playing for Eastern Washington. And my hang up is, just a few years ago, it was his first year at Eastern Washington and, he wasn't much of a shooter, and whether it was foul trouble or something else, coach didn't play him much more than 20 minutes per game.

Maybe this is a guy who has been working his ass off and will keep working his ass off and become a star? But the other possibility is that he was an underachiever who turned on the jets to get himself drafted, and will stop caring so much once he has an NBA contract.

Of other guys we have worked out, PJ Haggerty seems interesting, I think there are some parallels to Russ Westbrook (who was actually unspectacular, and not a shot blocker, over his two seasons at UCLA). Otega Oweh seems like an under the radar Lu Dort clone? But while I respect the guy, I wouldn't prioritise Lu Dort.

Javon Small....seems wholly unspectacular on paper, there is nothing that sticks out to me good or bad, could go either way. But, if you know me, you know I like to look at a player's freshman stats even when they are a four year guy. And Small...struggled to get minutes at Eastern Carolina, and came up with a total of one steal in 147 minutes.

He was fine as a sophomore, but it's my theory that when a player struggles (relative to potential) as a freshman, it indicates that it took them time to adapt to the college game. And if it took them time to adapt to the college game, I theorize that it will take them time to adapt to the NBA and contribute, once drafted. Off the top of my head, this held true a bit for Will Barton, Aaron Nesmith, and maybe Rico (Scheierman).

So I peg Small as a modest upside guy who won't necessarily contribute right away.

For now, the guy I like at 30 if he stays in the draft, is Michael Ruzic. He sort of reminds me of Giannis as a prospect, just to the effect he is one of the youngest guys in the draft, hasn't received a lot of attention, is considered a bit of a gamble although scouting capsules rave about his feel for the game. Objectively, Nikola Jovic is a much better comp than Giannis. I think Jovic was a little bit more proven, but Ruzic is less of a tweener; once he fills out, he should be close to 6'11 240.

In theory, guy has Dirk upside, and you don't pass on that at the end of the first round.

nbadraft.net currently has us taking Walter Clayton and Jase Richardson at 28 and 32. I wish that was realistic. Maybe it is?

[winsomme2]

I’m getting dangerously close to Coward or bust in the first round lol.

Yeah…if he is there, hard to pass at 28.

We just brought him in for a workout:

Updated list of prospects we've worked out..only 5 of them so far:



Seems like Coward is projected in like the 14-24 range, though. Perhaps a target if we trade up..The vision with Coward would be, you keep building long term around the Jays and hope that Coward can be a legit 3rd wing..who could come off the bench behind the Jays..or possibly you might eventually start all 3 of them together (at the 2, 3 and 4 spots)..and with Tatum out next season, that allows Coward to get lots of development reps as a rookie.

Of course, in this scenario Hauser probably gets traded at some point, opening up more of a role for Coward..

It's not wise to base too much on these empty gym workouts, but man, he looks smooth as

Also, they interviewed him at the combine a week ago..he presented himself very well..I was blown away by this interview. He seems very confident in himself, yet humble at the same time. Really just comes across like a dude who's ready to get drafted. Skip to around the 59:50

Joson Sanon was a first round prospect earlier in the season.

Anybody know why he dropped off? He has solid numbers.

[165bows]

Yeah…if he is there, hard to pass at 28.

We just brought him in for a workout:

Updated list of prospects we've worked out..only 5 of them so far:



Seems like Coward is projected in like the 14-24 range, though. Perhaps a target if we trade up..The vision with Coward would be, you keep building long term around the Jays and hope that Coward can be a legit 3rd wing..who could come off the bench behind the Jays..or possibly you might eventually start all 3 of them together (at the 2, 3 and 4 spots)..and with Tatum out next season, that allows Coward to get lots of development reps as a rookie.

Of course, in this scenario Hauser probably gets traded at some point, opening up more of a role for Coward..

It's not wise to base too much on these empty gym workouts, but man, he looks smooth as

Also, they interviewed him at the combine a week ago..he presented himself very well..I was blown away by this interview. He seems very confident in himself, yet humble at the same time. Really just comes across like a dude who's ready to get drafted. Skip to around the 59:50

Joson Sanon was a first round prospect earlier in the season.

Anybody know why he dropped off? He has solid numbers.

Yeah pretty sure he got hurt halfway through. Local ties as well iinm.

[redslastlaugh]

I am far from a draft expert. Been reading what a few smart people were writing about draft, watched some clips. Guys that are projected to be in the 20s or later that I like are: Saraf, Fleming, Proctor. Saraf and Fleming should be lotto picks IMO.
...
Some of these guys will be outliers that will make big improvements, but overall meh draft.

For the C's, they will probably use 28 and 32 to move Porzingis so this exercise might be in vain. Would love to get Fleming. Perfect role playing big (forward) to put around Tatum.

Hopefully they can keep 28 + 32. We have so little youth on the roster. Walsh and Davison would be the only carryovers under 25 when the season starts and neither has a guaranteed contract for this season.

There are lots of bigs in the draft, there are interesting smaller-speedier underclassmen guards and there are several interesting international guys depending on who stays in. This draft looks way better than last year, I would say that without a doubt.

One thing that may limit us is that Walsh hasn't really panned out. And the team sources seem to have told Sam Vecenie that C's aren't taking anymore prospects who aren't shooters who also can defend.

This could be a limiting factor because sometimes in the draft, you have to take talent even in awkward archetypes or lacking polish in some skill and develop the players weaknesses. A guy like Kawhi Leonard shot like 25% from 3pt range his last year in college, but teams passed on him all the way down to pick #15 because he couldn't shoot. He obviously became a 2x Finals MVP and one of the best mid-range jump shooters of the 21st century. So hopefully we don't pass on a big talent because we don't see the vision.

[Hal14]

I really like Ben Saraf. He is baller that gets you wins
Saw him all season at Ulm. The past week in the German playoff, he led his team eliminating Alba in 3 games. He is young but plays with confidence and knows how to get a basket (score, pass) and started to defend really well

One big and one wing in this draft please

Isn't he more of a PG or Combo guard??

Yeah, Saraf is more of a PG/combo guard.

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

On paper, I think Cedric Coward generally compares to a taller Anthony Morrow, maybe.

That's not a bad player at all, and I like that he converts so efficiently inside the arc, 72% over his college career.

But the thing is, while he had a good season last year, it doesn't mean a whole lot as he was already 21. And while he had a good season the year before, it doesn't mean much because he was playing for Eastern Washington. And my hang up is, just a few years ago, it was his first year at Eastern Washington and, he wasn't much of a shooter, and whether it was foul trouble or something else, coach didn't play him much more than 20 minutes per game.

Maybe this is a guy who has been working his ass off and will keep working his ass off and become a star? But the other possibility is that he was an underachiever who turned on the jets to get himself drafted, and will stop caring so much once he has an NBA contract.

Of other guys we have worked out, PJ Haggerty seems interesting, I think there are some parallels to Russ Westbrook (who was actually unspectacular, and not a shot blocker, over his two seasons at UCLA). Otega Oweh seems like an under the radar Lu Dort clone? But while I respect the guy, I wouldn't prioritise Lu Dort.

Javon Small....seems wholly unspectacular on paper, there is nothing that sticks out to me good or bad, could go either way. But, if you know me, you know I like to look at a player's freshman stats even when they are a four year guy. And Small...struggled to get minutes at Eastern Carolina, and came up with a total of one steal in 147 minutes.

He was fine as a sophomore, but it's my theory that when a player struggles (relative to potential) as a freshman, it indicates that it took them time to adapt to the college game. And if it took them time to adapt to the college game, I theorize that it will take them time to adapt to the NBA and contribute, once drafted. Off the top of my head, this held true a bit for Will Barton, Aaron Nesmith, and maybe Rico (Scheierman).

So I peg Small as a modest upside guy who won't necessarily contribute right away.

For now, the guy I like at 30 if he stays in the draft, is Michael Ruzic. He sort of reminds me of Giannis as a prospect, just to the effect he is one of the youngest guys in the draft, hasn't received a lot of attention, is considered a bit of a gamble although scouting capsules rave about his feel for the game. Objectively, Nikola Jovic is a much better comp than Giannis. I think Jovic was a little bit more proven, but Ruzic is less of a tweener; once he fills out, he should be close to 6'11 240.

In theory, guy has Dirk upside, and you don't pass on that at the end of the first round.

nbadraft.net currently has us taking Walter Clayton and Jase Richardson at 28 and 32. I wish that was realistic. Maybe it is?

Here's NBA Draft Room on Michael Ruzic:

TIER 8 – G LEAGUE PLAYER OR OVERSEAS – MAYBE DEVELOPS INTO A NBA ROLE
51 Michael Ruzic – 6-11 – PF – Croatia – Ruzic is kind of a wildcard for me. I like him a lot higher than this but also have enough doubts that I probably wouldn’t take him until later in the second round. He measured really well at the combine, has a very nice shooting stroke and a good feel on the offensive end. He’s a developmental player and a possible draft and stash.

Also a fan of Hansen Yang:

20 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.

https://nbadraftroom.com/2025-nba-draft-big-board-7-0-long-form-edition/

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

Hansen Yang, the Big Chinese Center is heading up the Draft Charts...

Watch on YouTube

You wonder, with the Celtics having a large Indian presence in their ownership, whether they will draft their First Asian Player?
He fills a need and definitely has some scoring, rebounding and passing skills, though doesn't speak English at all...

[winsomme2]

I really like Ben Saraf. He is baller that gets you wins
Saw him all season at Ulm. The past week in the German playoff, he led his team eliminating Alba in 3 games. He is young but plays with confidence and knows how to get a basket (score, pass) and started to defend really well

One big and one wing in this draft please

Isn't he more of a PG or Combo guard??

Yeah, Saraf is more of a PG/combo guard.

I'm having a hard time getting a feel for Saraf. He has ideal size for a combo guard but it's difficult to tell if he is going to be able to beat people off the dribble which for me is key to that position. Also obviously knocking down threes but the real difference for me was that Jrue was a step slower this year than last and it made our offense much more static.

We really need players who can challenge teams off the dribble which forces them to collapse from the perimeter.

Saraf definitely fits the type of player that could do that but it's hard to gauge the speed and ability of the competition.

Anybody have more on this guy? He seems like he could go in our range.

I feel the same way about Hugo Gonzalez. 6'6" combo guard who it's really hard to tell if he can play.

[165bows]

On paper, I think Cedric Coward generally compares to a taller Anthony Morrow, maybe.

That's not a bad player at all, and I like that he converts so efficiently inside the arc, 72% over his college career.

But the thing is, while he had a good season last year, it doesn't mean a whole lot as he was already 21. And while he had a good season the year before, it doesn't mean much because he was playing for Eastern Washington. And my hang up is, just a few years ago, it was his first year at Eastern Washington and, he wasn't much of a shooter, and whether it was foul trouble or something else, coach didn't play him much more than 20 minutes per game.

Maybe this is a guy who has been working his ass off and will keep working his ass off and become a star? But the other possibility is that he was an underachiever who turned on the jets to get himself drafted, and will stop caring so much once he has an NBA contract.

Of other guys we have worked out, PJ Haggerty seems interesting, I think there are some parallels to Russ Westbrook (who was actually unspectacular, and not a shot blocker, over his two seasons at UCLA). Otega Oweh seems like an under the radar Lu Dort clone? But while I respect the guy, I wouldn't prioritise Lu Dort.

Javon Small....seems wholly unspectacular on paper, there is nothing that sticks out to me good or bad, could go either way. But, if you know me, you know I like to look at a player's freshman stats even when they are a four year guy. And Small...struggled to get minutes at Eastern Carolina, and came up with a total of one steal in 147 minutes.

He was fine as a sophomore, but it's my theory that when a player struggles (relative to potential) as a freshman, it indicates that it took them time to adapt to the college game. And if it took them time to adapt to the college game, I theorize that it will take them time to adapt to the NBA and contribute, once drafted. Off the top of my head, this held true a bit for Will Barton, Aaron Nesmith, and maybe Rico (Scheierman).

So I peg Small as a modest upside guy who won't necessarily contribute right away.

When was Coward not much of a shooter? Guy was 40% from deep over his career without much deviation

[winsomme2]

We just brought him in for a workout:

Updated list of prospects we've worked out..only 5 of them so far:



Seems like Coward is projected in like the 14-24 range, though. Perhaps a target if we trade up..The vision with Coward would be, you keep building long term around the Jays and hope that Coward can be a legit 3rd wing..who could come off the bench behind the Jays..or possibly you might eventually start all 3 of them together (at the 2, 3 and 4 spots)..and with Tatum out next season, that allows Coward to get lots of development reps as a rookie.

Of course, in this scenario Hauser probably gets traded at some point, opening up more of a role for Coward..

It's not wise to base too much on these empty gym workouts, but man, he looks smooth as

Also, they interviewed him at the combine a week ago..he presented himself very well..I was blown away by this interview. He seems very confident in himself, yet humble at the same time. Really just comes across like a dude who's ready to get drafted. Skip to around the 59:50

Joson Sanon was a first round prospect earlier in the season.

Anybody know why he dropped off? He has solid numbers.

Yeah pretty sure he got hurt halfway through. Local ties as well iinm.

Seems like he would be a good draft promise type of guy. If you really like him, it would be hard to go back the college if you are a guaranteed first round pick.

He looks like a Jrue Holiday type prospect. Big strong guard who defend multiple positions and score at three levels.

I'm glad Brad is taking a closer look at this guy because he is the type of player that could do very well in our system.

[ThePigeon]

Isn't he more of a PG or Combo guard??

Yeah, Saraf is more of a PG/combo guard.

I'm having a hard time getting a feel for Saraf. He has ideal size for a combo guard but it's difficult to tell if he is going to be able to beat people off the dribble which for me is key to that position. Also obviously knocking down threes but the real difference for me was that Jrue was a step slower this year than last and it made our offense much more static.

We really need players who can challenge teams off the dribble which forces them to collapse from the perimeter.

Saraf definitely fits the type of player that could do that but it's hard to gauge the speed and ability of the competition.

Anybody have more on this guy? He seems like he could go in our range.

I feel the same way about Hugo Gonzalez. 6'6" combo guard who it's really hard to tell if he can play.

He was the FIBA U18 tourney MVP in 2024
He also plays in the German and posting good stats while leading the team to the next round of the playoff beating Alba 3-0
He is just a baller. He has a knack for the ball and for going for the right play

Highlights from the last game agains Berlin

Watch on YouTube

There are better athletes, shooters, ball handlers, defenders etc out there and it depends who will rise and who will drop
IMO he is a better prospect than Gonzalez

[Larry_Russell]

Yaxel Lendeborg

Has anyone spoken of him yet?

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=LeagueHim

A well-built, fundamentally sound and complete player who is flying under the radar but has a chance to make it in the league. Rebounds the ball at a high level, is a solid defender, both in the paint, defending the rim and playing great team defense. Has good hands and gets a lot of steals.

Shows some floor spacing ability. Is very efficient with his touches, makes good decisions with the ball and doesn’t try to do too much.

https://nbadraftroom.com/yaxel-lendeborg/

I like this guy, he is in the draft range too.

[brackdan70]

On paper, I think Cedric Coward generally compares to a taller Anthony Morrow, maybe.

That's not a bad player at all, and I like that he converts so efficiently inside the arc, 72% over his college career.

But the thing is, while he had a good season last year, it doesn't mean a whole lot as he was already 21. And while he had a good season the year before, it doesn't mean much because he was playing for Eastern Washington. And my hang up is, just a few years ago, it was his first year at Eastern Washington and, he wasn't much of a shooter, and whether it was foul trouble or something else, coach didn't play him much more than 20 minutes per game.

Maybe this is a guy who has been working his ass off and will keep working his ass off and become a star? But the other possibility is that he was an underachiever who turned on the jets to get himself drafted, and will stop caring so much once he has an NBA contract.

Of other guys we have worked out, PJ Haggerty seems interesting, I think there are some parallels to Russ Westbrook (who was actually unspectacular, and not a shot blocker, over his two seasons at UCLA). Otega Oweh seems like an under the radar Lu Dort clone? But while I respect the guy, I wouldn't prioritise Lu Dort.

Javon Small....seems wholly unspectacular on paper, there is nothing that sticks out to me good or bad, could go either way. But, if you know me, you know I like to look at a player's freshman stats even when they are a four year guy. And Small...struggled to get minutes at Eastern Carolina, and came up with a total of one steal in 147 minutes.

He was fine as a sophomore, but it's my theory that when a player struggles (relative to potential) as a freshman, it indicates that it took them time to adapt to the college game. And if it took them time to adapt to the college game, I theorize that it will take them time to adapt to the NBA and contribute, once drafted. Off the top of my head, this held true a bit for Will Barton, Aaron Nesmith, and maybe Rico (Scheierman).

So I peg Small as a modest upside guy who won't necessarily contribute right away.

For now, the guy I like at 30 if he stays in the draft, is Michael Ruzic. He sort of reminds me of Giannis as a prospect, just to the effect he is one of the youngest guys in the draft, hasn't received a lot of attention, is considered a bit of a gamble although scouting capsules rave about his feel for the game. Objectively, Nikola Jovic is a much better comp than Giannis. I think Jovic was a little bit more proven, but Ruzic is less of a tweener; once he fills out, he should be close to 6'11 240.

In theory, guy has Dirk upside, and you don't pass on that at the end of the first round.

nbadraft.net currently has us taking Walter Clayton and Jase Richardson at 28 and 32. I wish that was realistic. Maybe it is?

Here's NBA Draft Room on Michael Ruzic:

TIER 8 – G LEAGUE PLAYER OR OVERSEAS – MAYBE DEVELOPS INTO A NBA ROLE
51 Michael Ruzic – 6-11 – PF – Croatia – Ruzic is kind of a wildcard for me. I like him a lot higher than this but also have enough doubts that I probably wouldn’t take him until later in the second round. He measured really well at the combine, has a very nice shooting stroke and a good feel on the offensive end. He’s a developmental player and a possible draft and stash.

Also a fan of Hansen Yang:

20 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.

https://nbadraftroom.com/2025-nba-draft-big-board-7-0-long-form-edition/

Would love to have any of those tier 5 or higher guys drop to us.

[brackdan70]

Yaxel Lendeborg

Has anyone spoken of him yet?

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=LeagueHim

A well-built, fundamentally sound and complete player who is flying under the radar but has a chance to make it in the league. Rebounds the ball at a high level, is a solid defender, both in the paint, defending the rim and playing great team defense. Has good hands and gets a lot of steals.

Shows some floor spacing ability. Is very efficient with his touches, makes good decisions with the ball and doesn’t try to do too much.

https://nbadraftroom.com/yaxel-lendeborg/

I like this guy, he is in the draft range too.

Yeah I like him too. He played mid major, so not a ton to compare with top competition. He outplayed Rasheer Fleming when they matched up in the NIT.
I’d be happy. We have had good luck with Dominican guys.

[Hal14]

Michael Ruzic's recent games:



I'm not touching him with 10 foot pole..

[threrf23]

When was Coward not much of a shooter? Guy was 40% from deep over his career without much deviation

In his first year at Eastern Washington, he shot 13-33 from 3, averaged 7.3 points per game, 13.6 per 40.

Maybe he was a shooter who simply got looked over by his teammates, but the point is he didn't shoot much.

[redslastlaugh]

I have no clue what Brad thinks of Yang. He's an interesting prospect for sure, great passing big w/ questionable footspeed.

He signed with Klutch Sports, so that's strike-one given Boston has never, to my knowledge, drafted a Klutch represented prospect

Hansen Yang, the Big Chinese Center is heading up the Draft Charts...

You wonder, with the Celtics having a large Indian presence in their ownership, whether they will draft their First Asian Player?
He fills a need and definitely has some scoring, rebounding and passing skills, though doesn't speak English at all...

[bigfoot_cryptozoology]

I have no clue what Brad thinks of Yang. He's an interesting prospect for sure, great passing big w/ questionable footspeed.

He signed with Klutch Sports, so that's strike-one given Boston has never, to my knowledge, drafted a Klutch represented prospect

Hansen Yang, the Big Chinese Center is heading up the Draft Charts...

You wonder, with the Celtics having a large Indian presence in their ownership, whether they will draft their First Asian Player?
He fills a need and definitely has some scoring, rebounding and passing skills, though doesn't speak English at all...

No Klutch clients or Bigs, but there's a first time for everything. Stevens will have to adapt and get with the 90s at least...

[dortmunder]

i think its Philon and Lendeborg for us.
i am not sure about kam jones. think its the miami heat kind of player, that one you hate not to have chosen.

also, I think Holiday, porzingis and hauser are all traded.
hope we are out of 2 apron, we can use MLE and we can sign Luke.
and would love to trade for Knecht and put him there with Scheierman both coming from the bench.
Also hope to see horford one more year with us, perfect as a preceptor for Lendeborg.