2025 Draft prospects - thread 3

[Chi town]

Stacey wants Noa.

https://youtu.be/2V4L04qAiCM?si=E-FA30u9VLvTOYBn

[Jcool0]

Read on Twitter

[Chi town]

Totally believe the trade up for Ace.

I believe he will be taken 3 by a trade up team. Most likely Pels for Herb Jones and a future 1st. Sixers seems to want Kon the most.

Ace def fits up tempo, motor and high ceiling two way player. Not the passing or IQ though.

[kulaz3000]

This is what happens when you don't value draft picks, and when you keep players too long without making a decision as to what their future is with your team (players on the last year of their contract is not highly desirable, unless they are salary fillers).

We just don't have the assets to make such a leap up in the draft, and our best asset (Matas), we would be stupid to give up on already. And I would absolutely hate it if we traded away future firsts to go up in this draft, especially when I'm not over enamored by Ace, but also because I think next years draft is even better than this years and could have multiple star potentials.

If we can move up, with players like Coby and other players, excluding Matas, I'd be all for it. I'd hate it if it involved future first round picks. I just don't think outside of the first two picks, the middle seems mostly even in terms of talent, with players respective pros and cons, with Ace clearly having the most potential of that grouping though.

[ThisGuyFawkes]

Hard no on trading up for Ace. Even if he falls to 7, which he won’t.

I’ve been more intrigued by Saraf after the recent attention in this thread, but I’ll need to research him a bit more.

[rosenthall]

Beringer is intriguing, but not interested in taking him at #12.

1). Outside of dunks, he has nothing going for him on offense, and no clear indicators that he will anytime in the near future which really limits his potential.

2). His mobility is impressive, but it's clearly against inferior competition on a smaller floor, so it's hard to project too much from it. But I completely agree that the traits demonstrated are impressive, and on par with big men who have been taken in the top half of the lottery -- Wiseman, Hayes, etc.

3). In his highlights he doesn't really demonstrate instinct on defense (compared to mere athleticism), which is absolutely imperative for someone of his player profile.

4). After a quick google search it doesn't look like he was actually that productive for his mid-tier European team. Bogoljub Marković is a similar age and puts up much more production in the same league.

He looks like the ideal pick to take at #45, so we can stash him for two years, but I predict this guy would get near 0 playing time for two years if we took him at #12.

To me he's not the guy you target on draft night, but target in a trade in 3 years when it looks like his development has stunted with his original team and it's not working out.

Good nuance here.

I wouldnt draft Beringer 12 unless all my guys were off the board which seems impossible.

I would take him 12 if we could trade our POR pick and get a player like Saraf or Coward later.

I think people are missing how good he is defensively right now. He can play 15-18 mins per game as a backup C day one. His D is that good. Hes much better than Lively was at Duke on D.

I think he’s a starter year 2. He won’t give much on offense until probably year 3

I've only seen him from the highlights put on this page so I'm not that informed about him. But historically, being an athletic freak is not enough to be an impactful defender in the NBA. Bagley, Wiseman, Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba were all guys who were considered freaks, but couldn't find the court because they didn't process the game well enough to anchor a defense.

Based on Beringer's highlights I couldn't tell whether or not he was leaning on his superior athleticism to make his plays or if he's actually able to anticipate plays.

If we draft him, I will be really interested to watch an entire game of his, because it'd be very edifying to see how well he sees the court on that side of the ball.

[Jcool0]

To move from 12 to 4 would take #12 + future unprotected 1.

[DuckIII]

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

Hmmm. Two guys I don’t want at all, one guy who is not even in my top 5 for the #12 pick, and my 4th ranked option.

Or trade up into the top 5 for a guy I have ranked 7th.

Sounds about right.

[Jvaughn]

Last Coward Breakdown before the draft

Watch on YouTube

[Rose2Boozer]

2025 NBA Green Room Invites List
Cooper Flagg
Dylan Harper
Ace Bailey
VJ Edgecombe
Tre Johnson
Khaman Maluach
Jeremiah Fears
Kon Knueppel
Kasparas Jakucionis
Egor Demin
Carter Bryant
Derik Queen
Asa Newell
Noa Essengue
Collin Murray-Boyles
Thomas Sorber
Liam McNeeley
Nolan Traore
Will Riley

***5 more prospects could be added later this week

[kulaz3000]

Will Riley may need to wait a long time.

[Rose2Boozer]

Will Riley may need to wait a long time.

Riley shouldn't be the last guy in the green room trying to hold back tears. I wonder if he'll get drafted before Liam McNeeley.

No Rasheer Fleming and Cedric Coward is interesting.

[Jvaughn]

Hate the prospect, but here's the breakdown:

Watch on YouTube

[Jvaughn]

Will Riley may need to wait a long time.

I would absolutely see if I could get an extra pick to nab him. I've got a lot of faith in him developing into an elite scorer.

[Jcool0]

3. Philadelphia 76ers

VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
Freshman | TS%: 56.1

Height without shoes: 6-4 | Weight: 193
Standing reach: 8-5½ | Wingspan: 6-7½

Edgecombe takes over this spot from Ace Bailey in ESPN's mock draft after a positive visit to Philadelphia, where sources say he made a strong impression in a private workout as well as in meetings with the front office and ownership. He appears to be "the leader in the clubhouse" currently, with Bailey losing momentum after refusing to visit, initially unsatisfied with his search for a proven pathway to development. However, Bailey is scheduled to work out in Philadelphia at the end of this week, and we'll see if he's able to sway the tides in his favor.

The feedback from his interviews at the draft combine in Chicago was not all that positive, with some teams expressing concern about his lack of preparation and focus. NBA executives say Bailey has been polarizing in internal front-office conversations because of questions about his feel for the game and lack of polish, creating a wider draft range than initially anticipated.

Surrounding the hyper-explosive Edgecombe with prolific 3-point shooters such as Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, Quentin Grimes and Paul George could add another dimension to the Sixers' offense, especially if the team buys into the development of his passing ability long-term.

Should Edgecombe not be selected here, most teams expect him to be drafted one pick later by Charlotte at No. 4, but he has also worked out in front of Washington in the predraft process, an indication there might be some trade scenarios in play with the Wizards moving up, potentially as high as No. 3. -- Givony

6. Washington Wizards

Airious "Ace" Bailey, SG/SF, Rutgers
Freshman | TS%: 54.0

Height without shoes: 6-7½ | Weight: 202
Standing reach: 8-11 | Wingspan: 7-0½

Bailey's predraft workout strategy has perplexed some observers, as he has yet to conduct a single known workout to date, having declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. Sources say Bailey's camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-3 player in the draft, but also seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a team will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4, should he drop.

Some teams question whether Bailey has received assurances of being selected by a team currently outside the top 5, to a situation deemed more advantageous from a geographic and playing time perspective.

Bailey is scheduled to conduct a workout with the 76ers later this week, but it's unclear if he plans to visit any other teams at this stage. Should the Sixers pass on him, he could very well slide to the No. 6 or No. 7 picks, two teams in Washington and New Orleans that are said to be highly intrigued with the 18-year-old's talent. And both are situations in which there appear to be plenty of minutes and shots to be had. -- Givony

12. Chicago Bulls

Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Freshman | TS%: 60.0

Height without shoes: 6-9¼ | Weight: 247
Standing reach: 9-1½ | Wingspan: 7-0½

The Bulls don't have much in the way of long-term keepers in the big-man department, with Nikola Vucevic, 35, a trade candidate entering the final year of his contract. Queen, Joan Beringer, and Thomas Sorber are said to be among the prospects they might consider with this pick at No. 12.

Queen is the most skilled big man in this class. He is a terrific target in pick-and-roll, can create his own shot facing the basket with a wide array of moves and has intriguing passing ability.

Queen's conditioning, occasional apathy defensively and lack of shooting range are things NBA teams picking in this area (or earlier) are trying to get a better handle on in the predraft process, areas that we've heard mixed feedback about based on some of his early workouts. -- Givony

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45515479/2025-nba-mock-draft-59-picks-trade-talks-heat-30-teams

[othawhitemeat]

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

Hmmm. Two guys I don’t want at all, one guy who is not even in my top 5 for the #12 pick, and my 4th ranked option.

Or trade up into the top 5 for a guy I have ranked 7th.

Sounds about right.

I hope this is all a bluff, lol, as this is the worst collection of choices, IMO. To me, the trend lately of successful players reside in athleticism, skill, IQ, toughness, and work ethic. Demin seems soft, IMO. Queen does not seem to motivated and seems soft. Bryant is athletic and probably has something to work with, and Newell while has some traits does not want to be a center. Bailey while uber talented seems soft and not tough either to trade up for. Why not be Edgecomb lol or at least at 12, be CMB, KJ, Clifford, Coward, smh

[NecessaryEvil]

Trade up for Ace Bailey please

a Buzelis/Giddey/Bailey core would be worth it

[League Circles]

The more undesirable names we see reported the more comfortable I feel, because I think it's more likely that we'd get smokescreens than truth.

[Jcool0]

Trade up for Ace Bailey please

a Buzelis/Giddey/Bailey core would be worth it

You sure?

The feedback from his interviews at the draft combine in Chicago was not all that positive, with some teams expressing concern about his lack of preparation and focus. NBA executives say Bailey has been polarizing in internal front-office conversations because of questions about his feel for the game and lack of polish, creating a wider draft range than initially anticipated.

[Red Larrivee]

Trade up for Ace Bailey please

a Buzelis/Giddey/Bailey core would be worth it

Bailey's range of outcomes are all over the place. It feels very Cam Reddish right now. Could he be a star? Maybe. I wouldn't trade any future 1st to find out though.