NBA Draft mix 2025 winners and losers, starring Ace Bailey, Duke recruit, and extra

CHICAGO — The NBA Draft Mix would possibly by no means have fairly as a lot star-making energy as its NFL counterpart, however make no mistake: week of measurements, athletic testing, and interviews can change a younger basketball participant’s life endlessly.

It was only some years in the past when Santa Clara senior wing Jalen Williams was taking part within the mix scrimmages, sometimes an occasion for second rounders and undrafted hopefuls. Williams had already measured with an astounding 7’2 wingspan regardless of standing a quarter-inch below 6’6 in footwear. When he appeared like the very best participant on the ground in scrimmages, his first-round hype took off and he ultimately obtained drafted within the lottery by the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. This yr, he was named an All-Star in his third professional season.

Is there one other Jalen Williams lurking beneath the radar on the mix this yr? That’s what NBA evaluators try to determine this week in Chicago. Listed here are the gamers who helped themselves probably the most on the mix, and ones who could have barely damage their draft inventory. For extra on the 2025 NBA Draft, try our on the spot mock draft from after the lottery.

Winner: Cedric Coward

Even the most important diehards could not have recognized Coward’s identify a pair months in the past. Coward’s faculty profession began at DIII Willamette in Salem, Oregon. He parlayed a unbelievable first yr right into a DI provide from low-major Japanese Washington, and two years later, he had achieved sufficient to switch as much as Washington State. He solely performed six video games for the Cougars this season earlier than struggling a torn labrum that ended his yr. In these six video games, Coward averaged averaged 17.7 factors, seven rebounds, and three.7 assists per sport with 40 % from three on 5 makes an attempt per sport.

Coward’s large body for a wing and candy taking pictures stroke made him a sizzling commodity within the faculty basketball switch portal. He picked Duke over Alabama. At this level, it feels extra probably than not that he by no means fits up for the Blue Devils.

Coward measured at 6’5.25 barefoot with a 7’2.25 wingspan and an 8’10 standing attain. That’s excellent dimension for an NBA wing, and his taking pictures drill performances had been simply as spectacular. Coward hit 23-of-30 photographs off the dribble, 18-of-25 photographs recognizing up, 17-of-25 photographs within the three-point star drill, 14-of-23 nook threes, and 9-of-10 free throws.

Coward was additionally spectacular in interviews. He’s centered on the draft for now:

There are nonetheless a number of pink flags in Coward’s tape. He completed his faculty profession with virtually as many turnovers (116) as assists (137). Steal price is usually used as a marker of athleticism, and Coward’s 2.1 profession steal price is disappointing for a participant going through low- and mid-major competitors. Of his six video games this season, the one one towards a top-100 crew got here towards Iowa (a crew that went 7-13 within the Large Ten), and he completed with solely 9 factors, eight rebounds, and two assists on 3-of-10 taking pictures in 33 minutes.

Coward’s body and taking pictures makes him interesting, however his ground sport (dribbling and passing) is a query mark and it’s onerous to mission his protection. It will be simpler to consider in Coward if he hadn’t performed so poorly towards high competitors at Japanese Washington, too. In his seven video games towards top-100 competitors throughout his second yr at EWU, he completed with a -3.2 BPM. There’s a cause Coward was so coveted by the massive boys of school basketball, and he’s making the identical gross sales pitch to the NBA. Duke is already recruiting his potential alternative in highly-regarded Italian wing Dame Sarr. At this level, it shouldn’t be stunning he finally ends up as a first-round decide.

Loser: Ace Bailey

Ace Bailey has been a consensus top-4 prospect within the 2025 NBA Draft from the second he entered Rutgers. He’s additionally one of the crucial polarizing prospects within the class for an inefficient play model that didn’t assist Rutgers win many video games.

Bailey was listed at 6’10 by Rutgers. He measured 2.5 inches shorter than that barefoot.

Bailey clearly appeared extra athletic than his faculty teammate, presumed No. 2 total decide Dylan Harper, all through the season. Someway, Harper put up a greater max vertical than he did.

If Bailey was listed at 6’9 as a substitute of 6’10, nobody would care about this measurement. Faculty packages exaggerating an inch is nothing new. I’m sufficiently old to recollect when Oklahoma State listed Cade Cunningham at 6’8 (he’s been listed at 6’6 by the Pistons his whole professional profession). In equity to Bailey, he lived as much as each inch of his presumed wingspan. His mixture of size and explosiveness stays high notch on tape, and he nonetheless has superb positional dimension for an NBA wing.

If Bailey falls out of the top-5 on draft night time, it’s going to be extra due to his play than his measurements. Bailey’s scoring effectivity was below-average with 53.6 % true taking pictures, he had far more turnovers (61) than assists (38), and he was principally allergic to attending to the rim, which led an absence of free throw makes an attempt. When Bailey did get to the foul line, he solely made 69 % of his makes an attempt.

I used to be within the fitness center to observe Bailey at Northwestern in Jan. in a sport that Harper missed with damage. Bailey was spectacular that night time, ending with 37 factors on 13-of-20 taking pictures, and splashing so many ridiculous photographs over good contests. That night time tends to paint my notion of Bailey a bit of rosier than the stat sheet would say in any other case. Comparisons to Kevin Durant and Paul George — which Bailey named himself on the mix! — do him no favors. A Michael Porter Jr. comparability feels a bit extra apt. I nonetheless like Bailey for his size, taking pictures, athletic explosiveness, and defensive restoration instruments. The questions on his underdeveloped ball dealing with and shaky really feel for the sport aren’t going to go away, although. In a league the place each inch issues, coming in a bit of brief throughout measurements can be lower than ideally suited.

Winner: Thomas Sorber

It was evident all through the season that Sorber is a tad brief for an enormous man, however makes up it with lengthy arms. Nonetheless, I don’t suppose anybody realized simply how wild his measurements can be: 6’9 barefoot, 262 kilos with a 7’6 wingspan and 9’1”standing attain. The distinction between Sorber’s top and wingspan is the most important of any heart on this class, and solely ranks behind Cowhard and Rasheer Fleming total.

A 7’6 wingspan would rank as concerning the twelfth longest within the NBA. A weight of 262 kilos would make him the eighth heaviest participant within the NBA. Given his energy and size mixture, Sorber not feels undersized for a professional heart in any respect.

I like Sorber as a mid first-round decide for his capability to guard the paint defensively, grease the offense along with his passing, and stable contact as an inside scorer. He does play a bit of heavy, failing to get off the bottom rapidly for rebounds and blocks, and having some hassle defending the perimeter towards faster gamers. Sober might want to develop a three-point shot like everybody else to really hit his ceiling (he went 6-of-37 from three at Georgetown), however his no-nonsense model of play can be interesting in some capability regardless.

Loser: Derik Queen

Derik Queen turned an on the spot star from the second he stepped onto campus at Maryland. The beefy large man was a grasp at creating photographs with the ball in his fingers, exhibiting off bruising inside scoring contact, agile Eurosteps by means of visitors, and a eager understanding of how you can acquire leverage on his matchup. His NCAA event buzzer-beater towards Colorado State within the spherical of 32 was one of the crucial memorable photographs of the season.

On the similar time, there have been some questions on Queen’s motor, conditioning, and protection. NBA evaluators all the time knew he was a bit of undersized for a professional heart, and his mix measurements solely confirmed that. Queen measured 6’9 barefoot, 247.8 kilos with a 7-foot wingspan and 9’1 standing attain. His athletic testing numbers had been pedestrian, and that is likely to be placing it kindly. In comparison with numerous large males who participated within the mix by means of the years, Queen put collectively a fairly disappointing profile.

Queen looks like a pure upside wager to me. He doesn’t actually have position participant expertise: he doesn’t provide a lot rim safety or switchability defensively, he doesn’t at the moment area the ground by taking pictures threes, and his effort closing out to shooters usually isn’t there. If Queen goes to an NBA success, it’s going to return by placing the ball in his fingers and letting him prepare dinner as a scorer and playmaker for his teammates. His mixture of quickness, energy, and aggression is an extremely powerful cowl within the halfcourt, he’s nice at attending to the foul line, and he’s proven some capability to throw passes with each fingers.

If groups consider in Queen’s potential star-power, he could possibly be off the board within the first six picks. It’s doable he can fall out of the top-10 if the NBA isn’t fairly satisfied.

Winner: CMB’s Draymond comps

Collin Murray-Boyles is your favourite draft analyst’s favourite draft prospect this yr. The South Carolina sophomore large man would possibly appear like a questionable prospect at first blush as an undersized large man with out confirmed three-point taking pictures capability but, however the tape exhibits that he’s one of many smartest and hardest gamers gamers within the class.

Murray-Boyles looks like the very best defensive prospect on this class. He’s a wonderful assist defender who all the time feels a step forward of the play. He’s in a position to physique up larger gamers along with his low heart of gravity and nonetheless contest their photographs along with his size. He’s a terror when he blitzes opposing ball handlers, with the tip outcome usually being two factors for his crew the opposite approach. I chatted with Murray-Boyles on the mix on Wednesday afternoon and located him to be extremely self-aware and fascinating about his personal growth.

“I simply take a number of issues from profitable gamers. Julius Randle’s aggressiveness, Draymond’s protection, a number of these younger defenders, how they use their fingers. I simply take a number of issues from different video games. Jokic’s connectivity and the way they cross the ball and the way they draw on protection, simply small issues like that simply to construct upon my sport and to be the very best that I could be.”

Murray-Boyles has been in comparison with each Draymond Inexperienced and Julius Randle by his most ardent supporters, so it was humorous to listen to him say that himself. His mix measurements received’t do something to dissuade it.

That chart exhibits Murray-Boyles’ measurements in comparison with Inexperienced’s popping out of Michigan State. CMB is an inch taller, Draymond has him by a half-inch in wingspan, and Murray-Boyles is 4 kilos heavier with a bit of longer standing attain. He’s additionally virtually three years youthful than Draymond was getting into the NBA.

A Draymond comparability usually looks like a kiss of demise for a prospect. Inexperienced turned a Corridor of Famer on the Golden State Warriors with one of the crucial distinctive talent units of his technology: he’s an all-time defender who shaped a masterful two-man reference to Stephen Curry that showcased his ground sport and brief roll playmaking. Inexperienced’s capability to play larger than his dimension is known at this level. There aren’t many gamers who can reside as much as his legacy, however Murray-Boyles was so spectacular on tape and so statistically dominant that it lets the thoughts run wild a bit of bit.

Winner: Tahaad Pettiford

Pettiford was the very best participant on the ground in the course of the first scrimmage, who ought to come as no shock to those that watched his electrical freshman season at Auburn.

Pettiford was unbelievable as a shot creator and shot-maker in serving to lead Auburn to the Last 4 this season. He all the time simply appeared a bit of too small to be a one-and-done, and his measurements confirmed these considerations: he’s 6-foot barefoot, 168 kilos with a stable 6’5 wingspan.

I used to be shocked that Pettford posted among the finest vertical jumps at 42-inches.

Pettiford creates area so simply when he assaults his defender on an island. He’s absurdly shifty, fearless going to the basket, and he can pull-up from anyplace. I had Pettiford because the No. 25 decide in my on the spot mock draft following the lottery. Auburn higher backup the NIL brink vehicles if they’ve any hope of getting him again.