2025 Draft prospects - thread 2

[Chi town]

I’ve liked Saraf too. Tall(ish) passing wizards are a rare spec. This draft is reminding me of 2020; we had LaMelo, Hali, Killian, Deni. We skipped them all. One was a huge bust (it happens), 2 are franchise players, 1 is now an emerging fringe star.

Lower ceilings due to 3P%, but Denim, Saraf need consideration. They won’t be fully ready for 3-5y anyway, so you don’t skip them because of Giddey. They will play off the bench. Or if they surprise and contribute immediately, you find a way to get good players minutes together. Tall playmakers are special, and this draft has a lot. Kasparas, Harper, Wolf; Queen can dish too, to a lesser extent.

I think it’d be a big mistake going for a safe 3D wing without handles. There’s a bust rate with playmakers, but that’s where the highest reward is, short of a well-rounded superstar prospect like Flagg, or a super triple-threat scorer.

Fully agree with the handle and ability to get your own shot or drive and kick. Saraf can’t def do that. Many others can’t.

Saraf should go 15-20 but I could see him falling because he’s not a crazy athlete.

[Repeat 3-peat]

Updated ringer draft guide. Wild rankings
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

Carter Bryant to #7
Danny Wolf to #13
Cedric Coward #15
Drake Powell #21
Jase Richardson #24
Collin Murray-Boyles #25
Asa Newell #31

[drosestruts]

Updated ringer draft guide. Wild rankings
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

Carter Bryant to #7
Danny Wolf to #13
Cedric Coward #15
Drake Powell #21
Jase Richardson #24
Collin Murray-Boyles #25
Asa Newell #31

I feel so many rankings put out there are so similarly to eachother. I appreciate the ringer having their own opinion about these players.

[2weekswithpay]

If CMB has to play center, which is a possibility, there's a chance that his scoring abilities don't translate. TJD is similar in size to CMB, and this season he couldn't finish at the rim. CMB is only effective driving and finishing with his left hand. Teams can easily scout and adjust to something like this, as we've seen with Randle, who also had issues finishing at the rim in his career.

TJD also just isn't as talented offensively or as good as CMB. That's the bulk of it.

I don't think there's any meaningful possibility of CMB playing center outside of occasional small ball. He's without a doubt a 4.

I agree with TJD not being as talented offensively.

I want to think of CMB as a 4, but how many teams are willing to play two non-spacing bigs? I don't believe that CMB's passing and ball skills make up for being unable to score outside the paint. If he were taller, I'd buy it, but he's not a vertical spacer.

[2weekswithpay]

Read on Twitter

Interesting draft article.

[Dan Z]

Yaxel Lendeborg Withdraws From Draft, Commits To Michigan For Senior Season.

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/280545/Yaxel-Lendeborg-Withdraws-From-Draft-Commits-To-Michigan-For-Senior-Season

[sco]

Read on Twitter

Woo hoo! Go Blue!

[Dan Z]

Since we're talking tall point guards here...

If OKC offered Nikola Topic for the #12 pick would you do it?

[Dan Z]

Read on Twitter

Woo hoo! Go Blue!

I saw that and it seems odd to me. Is he going back, in part, because of NIL money?

At 22 years old he was already an older rookie, so I can't imagine he'll be anything more than a mid to late first round pick (probably late).

[sco]

Updated ringer draft guide. Wild rankings
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

Carter Bryant to #7
Danny Wolf to #13
Cedric Coward #15
Drake Powell #21
Jase Richardson #24
Collin Murray-Boyles #25
Asa Newell #31

I feel so many rankings put out there are so similarly to eachother. I appreciate the ringer having their own opinion about these players.

This would make me happy as an outcome. Demin, Queen and Maluach all gone before 12. KJ, Coward and Fleming to choose from.

[Jcool0]

Updated ringer draft guide. Wild rankings
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

Carter Bryant to #7
Danny Wolf to #13
Cedric Coward #15
Drake Powell #21
Jase Richardson #24
Collin Murray-Boyles #25
Asa Newell #31

The good old going for clicks ranking...

[sco]

Since we're talking tall point guards here...

If OKC offered Nikola Topic for the #12 pick would you do it?

What's Topic's injury status?

I would say that if OKC offered Topic for a pick, it would be a future pick to help them with roster size. Maybe the question is Topic for our '26 pick, or better yet, Por 1st.

[kodo]

Woo hoo! Go Blue!

I saw that and it seems odd to me. Is he going back, in part, because of NIL money?

At 22 years old he was already an older rookie, so I can't imagine he'll be anything more than a mid to late first round pick (probably late).

Bad decision. He would have gone 20-30 range, and that's $13M over 4 years as NBA rookie contract. Even if he barely plays, teams usually pick up rookie options because they're cheaper than vet mins, like we did with Terry.

He'll get a few million NIL? As a 23 year old, he probably won't make the 1st round next year. Really good draft class too.
I guess he believes the Michigan exposure will boost his draft stock, but his age will hurt it more IMO.

Reminds me of the Daniel Gafford decision. Gafford was supposed to go 10-20 as a freshman, he stayed thinking he'll improve and boost his draft stock. He improved massively, 11 ppg -> 17 ppg, 6 rpg -> 9 rpg, 60% FG -> 66% FG. And he dropped to the 2nd round because he was a year older.

[Dan Z]

Since we're talking tall point guards here...

If OKC offered Nikola Topic for the #12 pick would you do it?

What's Topic's injury status?

I would say that if OKC offered Topic for a pick, it would be a future pick to help them with roster size. Maybe the question is Topic for our '26 pick, or better yet, Por 1st.

I think he's on schedule with his recovery and will play next year (probably Summer League too).

I mentioned the #12 pick because maybe OKC is interested in a different position/player, but a future pick makes sense too. Although I bet they'd want more than the Portland pick (because it'll be a mid to late pick at best).

[sco]

Woo hoo! Go Blue!

I saw that and it seems odd to me. Is he going back, in part, because of NIL money?

At 22 years old he was already an older rookie, so I can't imagine he'll be anything more than a mid to late first round pick (probably late).

Bad decision. He would have gone 20-30 range, and that's $13M over 4 years as NBA rookie contract. Even if he barely plays, teams usually pick up rookie options because they're cheaper than vet mins, like we did with Terry.

He'll get a few million NIL? As a 23 year old, he probably won't make the 1st round next year. Really good draft class too.
I guess he believes the Michigan exposure will boost his draft stock, but his age will hurt it more IMO.

Reminds me of the Daniel Gafford decision. Gafford was supposed to go 10-20 as a freshman, he stayed thinking he'll improve and boost his draft stock. He improved massively, 11 ppg -> 17 ppg, 6 rpg -> 9 rpg, 60% FG -> 66% FG. And he dropped to the 2nd round because he was a year older.

I generally agree, although he's going from 22 to 23 years old, which is less of a difference. But to your point, I think he must have gotten a sense that he may slip to the 2nd round.

[Dan Z]

Woo hoo! Go Blue!

I saw that and it seems odd to me. Is he going back, in part, because of NIL money?

At 22 years old he was already an older rookie, so I can't imagine he'll be anything more than a mid to late first round pick (probably late).

Bad decision. He would have gone 20-30 range, and that's $13M over 4 years as NBA rookie contract. Even if he barely plays, teams usually pick up rookie options because they're cheaper than vet mins, like we did with Terry.

He'll get a few million NIL? As a 23 year old, he probably won't make the 1st round next year. Really good draft class too.
I guess he believes the Michigan exposure will boost his draft stock, but his age will hurt it more IMO.

Reminds me of the Daniel Gafford decision. Gafford was supposed to go 10-20 as a freshman, he stayed thinking he'll improve and boost his draft stock. He improved massively, 11 ppg -> 17 ppg, 6 rpg -> 9 rpg, 60% FG -> 66% FG. And he dropped to the 2nd round because he was a year older.

Plus Gafford was a 21 year old rookie. Yaxel will be 23.

Maybe he thinks that he'll develop more in College than he would in the NBA right now?

I have no idea how much NIL money is. Is it really in the millions? I can imagine it's that much for a top player like Flagg, but someone like Yaxel gets that much too?

[The Box Office]

We're making a huge mistake passing up on JASE RICHARDSON only IF he's available when the time has come for us to choose.

[drosestruts]

We're making a huge mistake passing up on JASE RICHARDSON only IF he's available when the time has come for us to choose.

Jase Richardson does everything well and has some of the better advanced metrics in all of college basketball.

People overlook him because he's short.

Same reason they overlooked Jalen Brunson.

[Red Larrivee]

Billy would have him at the 5 probably at least half his mins.

If he can’t play the 5 he greatly limits your lineup. You would have to play him with a 5 that can shoot 3s and space the floor. This is the main reason I don’t want him. You can’t play him with Giddey due to spacing.

If he could shoot he’d be top 5. His shot is Dalen Terry broken and it took him 3 years to become meh.

He's not a 5 though and doesn't have to be to succeed. He is absolutely a 4. He's in the mold size wise of Aaron Gordon, Scottie Barnes and Julius Randle. Those aren't players you want playing center for long stretches. Barnes finds ways to positively impact the game and he's a 30% career 3P shooter. Jalen Johnson is also not a good perimeter shooter. Randle is streaky year-to-year.

If you can't shoot, you need other skills that can negate that and provide value. CMB has those skills on both ends of the court. The shot needs a lot of work, but broken isn't where I'd put it. If he was a 4 with the skill set of Maluach as only a dunker/finisher, I'd get the concern.

[Chi town]

Billy would have him at the 5 probably at least half his mins.

If he can’t play the 5 he greatly limits your lineup. You would have to play him with a 5 that can shoot 3s and space the floor. This is the main reason I don’t want him. You can’t play him with Giddey due to spacing.

If he could shoot he’d be top 5. His shot is Dalen Terry broken and it took him 3 years to become meh.

He's not a 5 though and doesn't have to be to succeed. He is absolutely a 4. He's in the mold size wise of Aaron Gordon, Scottie Barnes and Julius Randle. Those aren't players you want playing center for long stretches. Barnes finds ways to positively impact the game and he's a 30% career 3P shooter. Jalen Johnson is also not a good perimeter shooter. Randle is streaky year-to-year.

If you can't shoot, you need other skills that can negate that and provide value. CMB has those skills on both ends of the court. The shot needs a lot of work, but broken isn't where I'd put it. If he was a 4 with the skill set of Maluach as only a dunker/finisher, I'd get the concern.

He limits your build if he can’t play the 5. You have to have a 3pt shooting 5.

In this NBA you can’t have more than one non shooter on the floor in the playoffs.