2025 NBA Draft Thread

[champs99and04]

This guy really screwed up. He would have made more in NIL.

My impression is that he didn't have any interest in playing for another school and Pitino had already given away his spot.

 

[Shamon30]

Hopefully we'll hear about Samson Johnson at least getting an exhibit 10 with someone soon

 

[ToolzieFan]

I’ll be rooting hard for him!

 

[REB1094]

This is a great graphic to show people if there’s ever any debate on players capitalizing on high draft stock early vs staying in school a few more years

 

[Samoo]

That is the trade, the Chinese guy is going to Portland in the head-scratcher of the decade

Portland picked up an unprotected first (Orlando 2028) and two seconds to move down 5 spots, so the actual trade was excellent. It's what they did at 16 that has many scratching their heads.

 

[navery12]

2 way guys not being playoff eligible is crap, and so is the 2nd apron.

They are eligible for the playoffs, they just need to be signed to a regular contract before the season ends. It's the same way it works in every other league

 

[Dove]

Would have been classic if Niederhauser came out in Liederhaussen

Yeah, no.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

This is a great graphic to show people if there’s ever any debate on players capitalizing on high draft stock early vs staying in school a few more years

Great point

 

[RJScootin]

One problem with one & done players is they really leave no legacy. 2-4 years you’ll be remembered as a great one.

Unless you play a big role in winning a Championship like Castle. Now with portal you'll get a lot of one and done players like Spencer that can leave a legacy.

 

[FreeKlaiber]

am surprised Dixon and Dickinson didnt get drafted. They both are enough of a threat outside to be a stretch 5 id think (unlike undersized Oscar tshibewe (sp) and Adama). Maybe not enough D? figured theyd be 2nd round

 

[Purple Stein]

So true. Take the top 2 players from the top 2 teams (according to NCAA seeding) this past college season: Flagg and Broome. You compare their stats head to head, and the 2 of them compare very similarly. Flagg has the edge in 3 pt shooting and steals, Broome the edge with rebounds and blocks...everything else is more or less a push. While Broome played the 5 most of the time, both are projected to play the 4 in the NBA.

So what's the big difference? Flagg's 18 while Broome turns 23 in 3 weeks. Flagg is already as good as he is but still had a LOT of room to become an ever better player, while Broome probably doesn't have much run way to improve his game that much more, being almost 23 already.

They may have more or less been equals on the court this past season, but Flagg has so much more potential to grow his game, hence why he was the consensus #1 pick while Broome is a 2nd rounder.

Tale as old as time. Remember Dwight Howard/Emeka in 2004?

 

[aceboon]

This is a great graphic to show people if there’s ever any debate on players capitalizing on high draft stock early vs staying in school a few more years

not understanding this one, the draft stock of those guys were never all that high, outside of Luis Jr they all stayed in school because NIL>hoping for a 2-way/overseas/GLeague. Luis Jr should have played in college for another year, whatever he would have commanded in NIL dollars his last year in college was gonna be more money than what he sees next year as a pro somewhere.

 

[ToolzieFan]

am surprised Dixon and Dickinson didnt get drafted. They both are enough of a threat outside to be a stretch 5 id think (unlike undersized Oscar tshibewe (sp) and Adama). Maybe not enough D? figured theyd be 2nd round

Dixon signed a two-way deal with the Lakers and Dickinson signed a two-way deal with the Pelicans. Most of the guys drafted in the second round won’t be getting guaranteed deals this year, so the at least being undrafted gives you a choice of where to go.

 

[ToolzieFan]

It’s way, way, way too early, but ESPN’s 2026 mock draft has Braylon Mullins and #19 and Alex Karaban at #35.

2026 NBA mock draft: Four players in the race for No. 1 pick

There's considerable excitement around next year's draft class thanks to four players vying for the top spot.

www.espn.com

 

[aceboon]

Such a crazy decision. The Pelicans pick is likely to be a lottery pick next year, and the 2026 draft is thought to be better than 2025.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

 

[formerlurker]

Lol - dude keeps the warm and fuzzies going. Just when you think you make a dumb post, he……

Or this

 

[Husky25]

I didn't see where this is being discussed, if at all, but Bailey is not doing himself any favors and I believe he is being steered poorly by his management/entourage. Utah, and SLC in particular, is certainly not known for their nightlife, but this is the profession he chose and this is the infrastructure in place by which to gain employment...and millions of dollars more than if he had stayed at Rutgers.

Bailey is an early entry and the NBA CBA outlines that the drafting team holds a players rights until one year following their auto-eligibility draft. That means June 2027. If he decides to play overseas, The Jazz would retain his rights until one year after his overseas contract expires.

Finally, NBA franchises are worth billions and lottery players are virtually guaranteed eight figures. The Jazz aren't losing much and The Association is not about to set precedent by allowing a 20 year old kid with an attitude and no track record to force their hand.

Of course there are now reports that Bailey will report by Monday.

 

[husky429]

It’s way, way, way too early, but ESPN’s 2026 mock draft has Braylon Mullins and #19 and Alex Karaban at #35.

2026 NBA mock draft: Four players in the race for No. 1 pick

There's considerable excitement around next year's draft class thanks to four players vying for the top spot.

www.espn.com

I firmly believe that Braylon plays into the top-10. Kid just has it.

 

[husky429]

I didn't see where this is being discussed, if at all, but Bailey is not doing himself any favors and I believe he is being steered poorly by his management/entourage. Utah, and SLC in particular, is certainly not known for their nightlife, but this is the profession he chose and this is the infrastructure in place by which to gain employment...and millions of dollars more than if he had stayed at Rutgers.

Bailey is an early entry and the NBA CBA outlines that the drafting team holds a players rights until one year after the draft following their auto-eligibility draft. That means June 2027. If he decides to play overseas, The Jazz would retain his rights until one year after his overseas contract expires.

Finally, NBA franchises are worth billions and lottery players are virtually guaranteed eight figures. The Jazz aren't losing much and The Association is not about to set precedent by allowing a 20 year old kid with an attitude and no track record to force their hand.

Of course their are now reports that Bailey will report by Monday.

I think I read hisnagent has never represented a lotto pick before. Looks like a disaster in the making if he doesn't shape up

 

[3rdbass]

Why The Milwaukee Bucks Made A Brilliant Move In Signing Mark Sears

The Milwaukee Bucks signed Alabama point guard Mark Sears to a two-way contract following the 2025 NBA Draft.

www.forbes.com

I think teams will be looking at this as a mistake not drafing Mark Sears. He has a lot of Jalen Brunson in his game. He was great in the tournament when we beat Alabama. I think he will do well in Milwaukee.

 

[navery12]

Why The Milwaukee Bucks Made A Brilliant Move In Signing Mark Sears

The Milwaukee Bucks signed Alabama point guard Mark Sears to a two-way contract following the 2025 NBA Draft.

www.forbes.com

I think teams will be looking at this as a mistake not drafing Mark Sears. He has a lot of Jalen Brunson in his game. He was great in the tournament when we beat Alabama. I think he will do well in Milwaukee.

If he was 6'1 like Jalen Brunson he probably would have been drafted. But he measured under 5'11 with short arms so it was never gonna happen

 

[3rdbass]

If he was 6'1 like Jalen Brunson he probably would have been drafted. But he measured under 5'11 with short arms so it was never gonna happen

So 2 inches will make that big of diffrence as they both play similar. Sears actually was pretty comparable physically with a little better Verticals and little worst Agility than Brunson. I think Sears will surprise people and he is built as solidly as Brunson.

 

[navery12]

So inches will make that big of diffrence as they both play similar. Sears actually was pretty comparable physically with a little better Verticals and little worst Agility than Brunson. I think Sears will surprise people and he is built as solidly as Brunson.

At that size, absolutely. I don't see Sears ever having an impact in the NBA at his size. He's going to get roasted defensively in the NBA with his size and speed

 

[ToolzieFan]

I didn't see where this is being discussed, if at all, but Bailey is not doing himself any favors and I believe he is being steered poorly by his management/entourage. Utah, and SLC in particular, is certainly not known for their nightlife, but this is the profession he chose and this is the infrastructure in place by which to gain employment...and millions of dollars more than if he had stayed at Rutgers.

Bailey is an early entry and the NBA CBA outlines that the drafting team holds a players rights until one year following their auto-eligibility draft. That means June 2027. If he decides to play overseas, The Jazz would retain his rights until one year after his overseas contract expires.

Finally, NBA franchises are worth billions and lottery players are virtually guaranteed eight figures. The Jazz aren't losing much and The Association is not about to set precedent by allowing a 20 year old kid with an attitude and no track record to force their hand.

Of course there are now reports that Bailey will report by Monday.

At some point, I hope Ace realizes Utah isn’t a bad spot to be. They have a competent front office, and Will Hardy is considered a good young coach with a sharp offensive mind. I suspect they’ll know how to put him in a position to succeed on offense. Playing alongside Lauri, he won’t fact the pressure of being the primary option right away. They haven’t exactly killed it with their recent draft picks, but there is some young talent at least, and they’ll likely have a high draft pick next year. This situation doesn’t exactly help his reputation as being a bit immature, though.

 

[gsmooth]

I think I read hisnagent has never represented a lotto pick before. Looks like a disaster in the making if he doesn't shape up

Jeff Goodman was on Colin Cowherd today. I know, I know, he can be an asshat and isn't very good with predictions, game analysis or basketball game strategy, but as far him getting reports on matters, I think he is solid.

One of the things Jeff said was that Ace Bailey's agent has never represented a NBA player and that Ace is good kid but is getting really bad advice from his agent and the inner circle. According to Jeff, the agent was asking for money for teams that were interviewing him. If true, yikes that is bad. Goodman also went on to say that when he contacted the agent to interview Ace on the Field of 68 and he would try to make Ace look good and present him in a positive light in the interview, the agent asked for money for that and Jeff told him no.

 

[freescooter]

Ace either heads to Utah or I hope he majored in Portuguese at Rutgers.

I think I read somewhere his agent was not licensed and had never repped nba talent.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Seems like it will be fine. In fairness, I don’t think Ace ever said he wouldn’t go to Utah. It was an easy story for the media and fans to run with given his questionable pre-draft decisions.

 

[RuffRuff]

At some point, I hope Ace realizes Utah isn’t a bad spot to be. They have a competent front office, and Will Hardy is considered a good young coach with a sharp offensive mind. I suspect they’ll know how to put him in a position to succeed on offense. Playing alongside Lauri, he won’t fact the pressure of being the primary option right away. They haven’t exactly killed it with their recent draft picks, but there is some young talent at least, and they’ll likely have a high draft pick next year. This situation doesn’t exactly help his reputation as being a bit immature, though.

Total Ace Cadet

 

[aceboon]

Jeff Goodman was on Colin Cowherd today. I know, I know, he can be an asshat and isn't very good with predictions, game analysis or basketball game strategy, but as far him getting reports on matters, I think he is solid.

One of the things Jeff said was that Ace Bailey's agent has never represented a NBA player and that Ace is good kid but is getting really bad advice from his agent and the inner circle. According to Jeff, the agent was asking for money for teams that were interviewing him. If true, yikes that is bad. Goodman also went on to say that when he contacted the agent to interview Ace on the Field of 68 and he would try to make Ace look good and present him in a positive light in the interview, the agent asked for money for that and Jeff told him no.

He repped his son Sharife, who lasted in the league for one year and shouldn't have left school early, and also at one point repped Isaac Okoro but I don't believe he's involved anymore at this point.