2025 Draft prospects - thread 3

[Jvaughn]

I'm I the only one who believes a Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue pairing could be problematic?
Buzelis or Essengue would have to develop into a knockdown shooter and the other a respectable three point shooter.

At 12, I have Thomas Sorber as the best player available, and hope he'll be AK's draft choice.

No. Essengue has shot up boards, but the offensive game is very raw. Most of Essengue's scoring comes from transition or drawing fouls, which may not translate. He can't score in the halfcourt because he can't shoot, and he doesn't have any ball skills.

He handled himself pretty well against NBA competition in the preseason matchup with the Blazers last year. And his game has grown significantly since then. The allure of Essengue is more about the player he'll grown into. He's raw, but he is the type that can contribute in other ways until his full game matures. I'm not saying he's Giannis, far from it, but the say Giannis came into the league as a raw ball of clay to a top 5 player is the type of promise you look for in a prospect. At 12, that's well worth the risk.

[drosestruts]

Saraf is one big time performance away from me wanting to go all-in o nhim, and he's been pretty close to pulling that off these past two games.

He has an excellent U18 tournament in the books, if he carries Ulm to a German League championship, while having big games in the process - I'll be a believer.

[MGB8]

Saraf is one big time performance away from me wanting to go all-in o nhim, and he's been pretty close to pulling that off these past two games.

He has an excellent U18 tournament in the books, if he carries Ulm to a German League championship, while having big games in the process - I'll be a believer.

There is risk there, he shouldn’t be a lotto pick. But he is a completely legit pick in the 2nd half of the first.

[drosestruts]

Saraf is one big time performance away from me wanting to go all-in o nhim, and he's been pretty close to pulling that off these past two games.

He has an excellent U18 tournament in the books, if he carries Ulm to a German League championship, while having big games in the process - I'll be a believer.

There is risk there, he shouldn’t be a lotto pick. But he is a completely legit pick in the 2nd half of the first.

I don't see 12 as too high for him

When in the same U18 tournament he throughly outplayed every other Euro-born players in this draft

Jakucionis
Essengue
Beringer
Traore
Penda
Gonzales

Several of which players have discussed as being options at 12.

Saraf outplayed them all. And now as an 18 year old he's leading Ulm to outperform expectations

[BullsSD]

Hard pass on Saraf. One of the few players I have negative interest in. Demin is simply a better prospect if going guard.

[MGB8]

Hard pass on Saraf. One of the few players I have negative interest in. Demin is simply a better prospect if going guard.

Completely disagree on that. Saraf has at least put up decent stats against grown men. Demin put up garbage stats against middling competition. Demin has zero plus skillsets except being a good passer and being big. He isn’t a guard - he is another forward who can pass.

The size plus mid skillset plus mid athleticism plus hope that the shot comes around plus advanced passing makes him a “hope” play, but with huge risk who has yet to show results. Saraf, otoh, is far quicker - moving like an actual guard - while having good size and far more in terms of actual production.

[boozapalooza]

Hard pass on Saraf. One of the few players I have negative interest in. Demin is simply a better prospect if going guard.

Completely disagree on that. Saraf has at least put up decent stats against grown men. Demin put up garbage stats against middling competition. Demin has zero plus skillsets except being a good passer and being big. He isn’t a guard - he is another forward who can pass.

The size plus mid skillset plus mid athleticism plus hope that the shot comes around plus advanced passing makes him a “hope” play, but with huge risk who has yet to show results. Saraf, otoh, is far quicker - moving like an actual guard - while having good size and far more in terms of actual production.

Middling competiton? BYU is in the Big 12 last I checked. Thats high major college basketball. German league hoops isnt some big step up from that.

[Chi town]

Hard pass on Saraf. One of the few players I have negative interest in. Demin is simply a better prospect if going guard.

Completely disagree on that. Saraf has at least put up decent stats against grown men. Demin put up garbage stats against middling competition. Demin has zero plus skillsets except being a good passer and being big. He isn’t a guard - he is another forward who can pass.

The size plus mid skillset plus mid athleticism plus hope that the shot comes around plus advanced passing makes him a “hope” play, but with huge risk who has yet to show results. Saraf, otoh, is far quicker - moving like an actual guard - while having good size and far more in terms of actual production.

Demin has way better talent and size but Saraf will be the better player. Elite competitor.

[Red8911]

Trade up for Maluach

Please and thank you

Trade up? You dont trade up in draft like this lol

He projects to be a franchise starting center

7”2 and exactly what we need with pass first guys like Giddey and Ball

I’d trade up for him or Ace Bailey, without hesitation

I feel like Maluach will be the new Bamba on this board. There’s actually still a few here that are STILL obsessed with Bamba and want him to become a Bull lol.

[Jcool0]

Trade up? You dont trade up in draft like this lol

He projects to be a franchise starting center

7”2 and exactly what we need with pass first guys like Giddey and Ball

I’d trade up for him or Ace Bailey, without hesitation

I feel like Maluach will be the new Bamba on this board. There’s actually still a few here that are STILL obsessed with Bamba and want him to become a Bull lol.

What does Mo Bomba have to do with anything?

[Rose2Boozer]

Hard pass on Saraf. One of the few players I have negative interest in. Demin is simply a better prospect if going guard.

Completely disagree on that. Saraf has at least put up decent stats against grown men. Demin put up garbage stats against middling competition. Demin has zero plus skillsets except being a good passer and being big. He isn’t a guard - he is another forward who can pass.

The size plus mid skillset plus mid athleticism plus hope that the shot comes around plus advanced passing makes him a “hope” play, but with huge risk who has yet to show results. Saraf, otoh, is far quicker - moving like an actual guard - while having good size and far more in terms of actual production.

Demin has way better talent and size but Saraf will be the better player. Elite competitor.

How different would Demin be viewed if he played for Saraf's team and Saraf played at BYU? I think Ben Saraf and Nolan Traore would be viewed a lot differently as prospects if they played college basketball.

How different would Thomas Sorber look if he had the benefit of playing at Duke with Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel? National Championship?

[rosenthall]

Saraf is one big time performance away from me wanting to go all-in o nhim, and he's been pretty close to pulling that off these past two games.

He has an excellent U18 tournament in the books, if he carries Ulm to a German League championship, while having big games in the process - I'll be a believer.

Among the guys who are never mocked to be taken in our range, he's the one I'd be happiest with taking.

I think if he shows promise as a rookie it will just look obvious in hindsight.

[Senor Chang]

Im warming up to the idea of CMB on the bulls (shotout to red laravee). He could bring us what we wish pwill could give us at the 4 minus 3 point shooting. Maybe a forward rotation of matas, CMB and pwill works out. Im in the minority that thinks pwill can settle in as a solid 3 and D role player for us.


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[Jcool0]

12. Chicago Bulls

Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois
Freshman | TS%: 59.8

Height without shoes: 6-4¾ | Weight: 205
Standing reach: 8-3½ | Wingspan: 6-7¾

Considering not many teams in this range have express backcourt needs, as well as the uncertainty surrounding potential trades, it has been tricky for some teams to confidently identify a landing spot for Jakucionis. Most project him in the Nos. 11-to-14 range, with the Trail Blazers and Bulls considered possible destinations, and also interest from teams in the top 10.

Chicago has a more glaring need in the frontcourt, with Nikola Vucevic on the final year of his deal and no bigs who are considered long-term keepers. Joan Beringer, Derik Queen, Danny Wolf and Thomas Sorber are thought to be among the centers they'll consider.

Still, the Bulls are in the process of reimagining the team moving forward, with Josh Giddey due for a new contract, Matas Buzelis emerging and a glut of other guards who could be trade candidates. There's a case to simply go best-available at this slot, with Jakucionis holding a good argument in this scenario.

Jakucionis's unselfishness, playmaking and size enabling him to play on and off the ball make him a relatively seamless fit in most places, with upside long-term considering he recently turned 19 years old. -- Woo

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45559441/2025-nba-mock-draft-latest-first-second-round-predictions-all-59-picks

[Andi Obst]

Queen has been growing on me lately. The driving ability at that size is pretty hard to ignore. Might be risk worth taking at 12.

Also checked out more Demin games. The result was the opposite. Demin at 12 would make me mad.

CMB is still my guy.

[MGB8]

Hard pass on Saraf. One of the few players I have negative interest in. Demin is simply a better prospect if going guard.

Completely disagree on that. Saraf has at least put up decent stats against grown men. Demin put up garbage stats against middling competition. Demin has zero plus skillsets except being a good passer and being big. He isn’t a guard - he is another forward who can pass.

The size plus mid skillset plus mid athleticism plus hope that the shot comes around plus advanced passing makes him a “hope” play, but with huge risk who has yet to show results. Saraf, otoh, is far quicker - moving like an actual guard - while having good size and far more in terms of actual production.

Middling competiton? BYU is in the Big 12 last I checked. Thats high major college basketball. German league hoops isnt some big step up from that.

https://www.warrennolan.com/basketball/2024/sos-rpi#google_vignette

Didn’t say weak, said middling.also didn’t say German league necessarily better (or worse); only that it’s grown men which is different.

Pre tourneys, 6 ranked opponents, only one of which was top 10 (Iowa State at 10, who they did beat in double OT, but Demin had weak production - 12 points on 33%, 6 rb, 3 assists, 6 TO in 34 minutes). In fairness, that did include Houston when they were ranked 14, but Houston crushed them (and Demin posted 3 pts on 17%, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 TO). It also included Kansas when they were at 23, who ended up ranked and lost in first round.

If you take out him feasting on non-conference opponents early in the year, his stats look even worse. In-Conference splits are, in about 28 mpg, about 9 pts, 38% shooting, 22% from 3, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 TO per game.

There is reason that hope that his 3 pt shooting comes around (good enough form and no strength issue) and other reasons for hope - but plenty of reasons for caution.

[DuckIII]

12. Chicago Bulls

Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois
Freshman | TS%: 59.8

Height without shoes: 6-4¾ | Weight: 205
Standing reach: 8-3½ | Wingspan: 6-7¾

Considering not many teams in this range have express backcourt needs, as well as the uncertainty surrounding potential trades, it has been tricky for some teams to confidently identify a landing spot for Jakucionis. Most project him in the Nos. 11-to-14 range, with the Trail Blazers and Bulls considered possible destinations, and also interest from teams in the top 10.

Chicago has a more glaring need in the frontcourt, with Nikola Vucevic on the final year of his deal and no bigs who are considered long-term keepers. Joan Beringer, Derik Queen, Danny Wolf and Thomas Sorber are thought to be among the centers they'll consider.

Still, the Bulls are in the process of reimagining the team moving forward, with Josh Giddey due for a new contract, Matas Buzelis emerging and a glut of other guards who could be trade candidates. There's a case to simply go best-available at this slot, with Jakucionis holding a good argument in this scenario.

Jakucionis's unselfishness, playmaking and size enabling him to play on and off the ball make him a relatively seamless fit in most places, with upside long-term considering he recently turned 19 years old. -- Woo

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45559441/2025-nba-mock-draft-latest-first-second-round-predictions-all-59-picks

I'd rather not even see it mocked. I'm getting too optimistic he might actually be there. For AK to not draft.

[nomorezorro]

i fear ak passing on jakucionis would end up like garpax passing on haliburton...the dangers of developing A Type as a gm

[DuckIII]

Queen has been growing on me lately. The driving ability at that size is pretty hard to ignore. Might be risk worth taking at 12.

Also checked out more Demin games. The result was the opposite. Demin at 12 would make me mad.

CMB is still my guy.

Queen is a stud and if the Bulls draft him, I'll be opposed but intrigued by the talent. But I definitely am opposed. If Queen even remotely projected to be anything other than a clear negative interior defender I'd be there. Or if I didn't just spend years enduring "The Vuc Experience" I'd be there. But I just can't. I'm damaged goods.

1. Play defense.

2. Run fast. A lot.

3. Shoot 3s.

In that order, that's what I want from any big we draft at 12. No exceptions (in descending order, you don't have to do the third one if you can do the firs two).

[nomorezorro]

other notes from the latest ESPN mock:

-we've worked out beringer (has this been reported already? it was news to me)
-doesn't list us as a team "closely linked" to carter bryant (suns, blazers, hawks mentioned)
-other teams think we're interested in demin (alongside toronto, portland and brooklyn)
-cedric coward is getting a "long look" from us (and phoenix, san antonio and okc. coward is workig out for memphis today, and teams think he'll be gone by 20)
-says we could be interested in any of the center prospects