2025 NBA Draft

[TOO]

"Only snow can stop me.'" Deandre Ayton.

[Mori Chu]

NEW YORK -- Deandre Ayton was asked Wednesday to define what success in the NBA looks like to him.

"Definitely getting to my second contract; that's my success," Ayton said at media availability for top lottery picks.

Not only did he achieve that success (and being able to take care of his family back in the Bahamas), but he was great enough to secure a maximum contract as his second contract.

He's greater and more successful than he could ever have imagined!!

[Superbone]

Doesn't even need a third contract now.

[ShelC]

Lenderborg was gaining some momentum and probably not going to be around at 29 but a nice talent to keep on eye on.

[O_Gardino]

I like Lenderborg a lot and thought he would go in the lottery. He has great court awareness and body control to go along with his shot/handles. I wonder why he decided to go back to school.

Anyway, I came here to post my bullshit take on the top picks. I'm not particularly impressed with Harper, and I don't think Flagg is mini-Luka. I think Ace Bailey will be better than either of them.

[Mori Chu]

Lenderborg was gaining some momentum and probably not going to be around at 29 but a nice talent to keep on eye on.

Ishbia reading that tweet:

Yaxel Lenderborg, a projected first round pick, will withdraw his name from the 2025 NBA draft and spend his final season in college at the University of Michigan, he told me and @DraftExpress. Agents Qais Haider, Ron Shade and Alex Saratsis informed the program Tuesday.

[Wally_West]

I don’t want to overreact to the Ott news but I’m just gonna assume the pick we get for KD is gonna be used for Jase Richardson. Oh well.

[In2ition]

I don’t want to overreact to the Ott news but I’m just gonna assume the pick we get for KD is gonna be used for Jase Richardson. Oh well.

Seems like a safe assumption.

[O_Gardino]

What do y'all think about Ben Saraf? Seems to be a very willing passer and a confident creator. I'm not sure his handles are tight enough, or that he is quick enough to be an impact player immediately. But I'd be happy with him at 29.

[Split T]

Believe he measured very well…if I’m thinking of the right guy, he was 6’6, positive wingspan. I’ve seen him compared to Dragic…bigger Dragic would be fun.

Edit: 6’6 barefoot with 6’9 wingspan. Skinny at 199, but he’s pretty long for a guard.

[ShelC]

Been digging in on the draft the past few weeks but feels like it's taken a backseat because of KD obviously. BSoS has a good breakdown with a list of player workouts and also makes a good but concerning point - the workout list is mainly end of 1st round and later guys. There aren't any lotto/mid 1st rounders in for workouts (at least not yet). If we do make a trade soon and end up with a 9-20 pick, we'll have a week to get guys in for interviews/workouts.

I haven't been looking too much into the SGs/SFs because why. I like a bunch of the bigs - Sorber stands out, Raynaud looks good as a stretch big with legit size. Wolf is really a 7-1 250b PG, Kalkbrenner has Gobert-like size, might be a bit too slow. Yanic Konan-Niederhauser may be in the mix. Asa Newell could be a 6-10 Matrix/Oubre type. Just tough to say who will land where, mocks are kind of all over the place with some of these bigs.

[O_Gardino]

Good breakdown of those guys, Shel. What do you think about Beringer?

I don't expect Sorber to be available for us, but as you say it's tough to know where guys will land this year.
I'm skeptical that Wolf's game will translate. Is there room in the NBA for a guy who does the same things as Jokic but worse?
I like Newel as a smaller center who could be active enough to bother taller guys like Sengun.

Seems like we should be working out guys projected in the teens just because a couple of them are going to slip. Don't want to pass up a good player just because we didn't scout him.

[Mori Chu]

I would bet $20 that they acquire a pick in the 9-12 range and then draft MSU's Jase Richardson without doing any workouts of other players in that range.

[Split T]

I would bet $20 that they acquire a pick in the 9-12 range and then draft MSU's Jase Richardson without doing any workouts of other players in that range.

I would take that bet

[ShelC]

I'm half expecting that to happen. I just don't know what to make of Jase. There's a part of me that really likes his offensive game, I think he's a smart player and has the pedigree but we don't need a small scoring guard. He might be skilled and smart enough to make it work at the pro level but there's risk there.

Beringer is a little too raw for me. Good size and athleticism but he looks like a typical athletic big who looks good running and dunking but needs a lot of development.

[Mori Chu]

If we do the Toronto deal and get #9 and RJ Barrett instead of Quickley, that's your sign that we are drafting Jase. They wouldn't want both Jase and Quickley.

[Split T]

Maybe I’m being dumb but I’m not worried about us drafting Jase…especially not at 9/10…he’s another SG. I know there’s the MSU connection, but we’ve yet to actually acquire an MSU player. I think that issue is more driven by Ishbia and the front office.

Now if we acquire pick 20, it might be a bigger concern.

[specialsauce]

Which one of these motherfuckers owns our draft pick for next season? I think that would be my most coveted piece and I would go full tank mode. And what is supposedly a really good draft next year. I would take that over some average draft pick this year.

If it's Houston then I would take Jabari and our own first next year over the 10th pick this year

[TOO]

Which one of these motherfuckers owns our draft pick for next season? I think that would be my most coveted piece and I would go full tank mode. And what is supposedly a really good draft next year. I would take that over some average draft pick this year.

If it's Houston then I would take Jabari and our own first next year over the 10th pick this year

Memphis I believe.

[INFORMER]

Charlotte ultimately.

The Suns first traded the rights to a pick swap of their 2026 1st rounder to Washington. Then the Suns traded rights to a 2026 1st round pick swap to Orlando. So that meant that Washington would first have the right to swap picks with Phoenix. Whatever pick Phoenix would have after that would then be subject to being swapped with Orlando's, at Orlando's discretion.

This past season, the Suns traded their 2026 pick to Charlotte. Orlando the traded a 2026 first round pick to Memphis.

So that means after Washington and Orlando exercise/decline to pick swap, whatever pick the Suns have left over goes to Charlotte.

Whatever Orlando does with their pick swap option, they will send a 1st rounder to Memphis; it could the Suns' pick, Washington's pick, or Orlando's own pick.

One other complexity: Washington owes a 1st rounder to NY if it falls outside of the top 8 in 2026. If they are conveying a 1st rounder to NY, then Washington cannot swap with Phoenix.