Here is my personal draft ranking. We’re not focusing on projected individual team choices or mock drafts. Instead, I’m creating this board based on my preferences. Zach Edey is projected to go in the mid to late first round, so you don’t have to draft him with the number one pick. You could trade down to 15, likely get him, and gain additional assets. If I were a GM, Edey is the player I’d want in this draft. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. History shows there are busts in the top four picks every year anyway. This is one draft where I think it would be smart to trade out of a top 4 pick if you feel strongly like I do about Edey and could get him much lower.
My typical approach is to favor younger players if all other factors are equal and to draft for the highest potential, provided they have respectable current stats. Wings are the most preferred. Given the general consensus that this isn’t a strong draft, taking some risks is advisable.
If you would like the full scout and case for why I’m an Edey believer, I’ve written multiple articles. Here is the latest.
You want the summary, the myth is that he’s slow and the combine times say something far different. He ran agility drills faster than Derrek Rose, Kawhi, Monta Ellis etc. Faster 3/4 sprint and vertical than Durant. If a 35 year old Brook Lopez post back surgery can be a Defensive POY finalist who was never as fast as Edey, he can be passable at worst. Teams will have to match up to him and stop him as well is how I’ve always felt and his defense is highly under rated anchoring a great defense at Purdue and with all time two or 3 longest players in NBA history length teams have to deal with. Easy pick, I’ve been saying this for 2 years when he wasn’t even projected as a 2nd round pick at the time and had him as the #1 college player before that even happened based on his per possession sophomore stats. He’s easy to believe in. No modern players did what he did in college basketball, and it’s an older better version in the post in the super senior era.
Zaccharie Risacher
When I first started scouting this draft class two years ago, Zaccharie Risacher was my favorite player. He immediately stood out to me. I thought the ball handling and smoothness were better than anyone his size I have watched in his class. At his size the ball handing is impressive. He moved his feet well on defense and had a nice first step combined with the ball handling to get him to the rim. When he got to the rim, he exhibited nice body control. He did seem to be lacking in explosive athleticism but seems to have the size and skill to compensate for that.
He has great size for a wing and I think standing reach is as important or more for forwards and post players than even height certainly (players can have long necks and torsos) and he had a very good 8-11 standing reach. This is where your hands are actually measuring up bothering shots. He had the highest standing reach of any SF and higher than a few post players that will be drafted like Kyle Filipowski. Other high projected SF’s like Cody Williams and Ron Holland had longer wingspans but about 5 inches shorter standing reach.
He didn’t put up crazy numbers in in Europe, but he was very solid playing at a high level of pro ball at 18 years old. He played 200 minutes in Euroleague and had an 11.4 PER and .632 true shooting percentage in 2023 and followed up by playing 23 games in the Eurocup in 2024 averaging a respectable 11ppg and nearly a 15 PER and .616 true shooting. His numbers other numbers were similar as well in 65 total games this past season 11ppg, 15 PER, .587 true shooting. 38.7% three pointers on 238 attempts 70% FT shooting. Everything seems to check out. I’ve seen a stat model I respect grad him low, but I don’t understand why. That’s as proven numbers against as good of competition as you will find in this class right now, and it’s a safer pick with length and upside at the more valuable wing position.
Alex Sarr
Alex Sarr is the youngest of the top center prospects, which is certainly preferable, but he lacks the substance on his resume for a number one pick. He averaged 9.6 points per game (ppg), 5.7 rebounds per game (rpg), and 1.0 blocks per game (bpg) while shooting 45.8% from the field and 63% from the free-throw line at Overtime Elite in 2023. Then he followed that up with 9.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 1.4 bpg while shooting 51.6% from the field and 71% from the free-throw line, with a 21 Player Efficiency Rating (PER), in the Australian NBL.
The NBL is a professional league, but not a particularly strong one. Josh Giddey came out of the league recently at the same age, and he was playing a lot more (32 minutes vs. 17 minutes). Sarr was just a backup role player. Keanu Pinder , who was the starting center playing over him, averaged 2 ppg at Arizona. He’s 28 years old an in his prime, but this is not exactly inspiring for a number one pick to be logging minutes behind him. The good news was he was reasonable productive when he played at least. Still he wasn’t dominating the NBL as a projected number one pick?
If you are taking him on upside Sarr has never made above 28% from three in any league he has played in. While his free-throw shooting is trending in the right direction, and he has time, it’s not even certain that this improvement is 100% real. In 19 games in FIBA, his free-throw percentage was only 64%, almost identical to his performance at Overtime Elite. You need to check the free-throw shooting box before it’s believable that a player can develop into a good three-point shooter.
Donovan Clingan
Clingan can be similar in theory to Walker Kessler in my opinion, although he never blocked shots at that rate in college; few have. Still, I think he can impact the defense right away. Unfortunately, I don’t like the lack of free-throw shooting under 60%. I doubt he can ever develop much of a jump shot or the ability to do anything but dunk around the rim. He is a pretty solid passer, however, for his size. The league has some really dominant big men, however, and Jokic isn’t likely going anywhere for a while, so having a quality defensive big to counteract Jokic, Wembanyama, etc., in the futur is valuable for the known. Zach Edey is bigger, better, and more athletic, however. The main advantage is that Clingan is two years younger. I think Clingan has a high floor defensively, I just wonder about the ceiling.
Rob Dillingham
Rob Dillingham has speed and shooting ability and should have been on the court more for Kentucky. He was what some people (not me) thought DJ Wagner would be last year. He should have received some of those minutes, considering the incredible stats he put up. The size is the issue scaring teams away. Statistically he was better than Reed Sheppard. A good bit better per possession in conference play. Both measured almost identically. For me I feel like Dillingham’s stats were more real since he wasn’t shooting 52% from three. Much is made about his defense, but he had the same net rating at point guard than Reed Sheppard. Excellent +26.2 in 1401 possessions.
Reed Sheppard
The stats were outstanding last season, but I still can’t believe the three-point shooting won’t regress or wasn’t somewhat flukey. With a 42 max vertical at the combine, he did show he has some athletic ability, however. Some of Sheppards statistical profile was elevated by a high steal rate and even blocks that I don’t see him getting as many of in the NBA. He’s a good player but I like Dillingham a little more for those reasons and being a little younger, but both are very similar caliber of prospects.
Dalton Knecht
Knecht is older than the typical draft prospect, but he’s proven people wrong before as a late bloomer. Given his impressive late growth spurt and development, I believe you have to overlook his age. He’s a really good player that seems to have been growing into his body.
Ron Holland
The guy is really productive, but is the shot going to ever go in is the entire question. If it does go in at a reasonable clip the kind of hustle defensive stats and rebounds he gets and dunking around the basket he could end up being the highest upside player with his athleticism. I just kind of don’t really believe in the shooting which if he can’t shoot makes him unplayable. He’s still worth the risk reward where I have him.
Nikola Topić
Topić is 6-7 and averaged 14.5ppg, 3.2rpg, 5.3 with a 19.9 PER and .552 True shooting in high-level European ball. The three-point shooting was disappointing at 30%, but he is an 88% FT shooter who has shot better from three at 37% the season prior. He’s also one of the youngest players in the draft. Unfortunately he suffered a knee injury (ACL) late in the draft process. I think you have to mostly ignore that as this is a long term pick.
Cody Williams
Williams had solid stats, not great. His older brother is Jalen Williams of the Thunder, which certainly plays into some of the projections long-term, especially with the additional size. Some of the combine athletic indicators were not impressive; however, he did measure a nice 7-1 wingspan for a 6-6.5 official height without shoes. The lack of rebounding and defense is uninspiring.
Johnny Furphy
Furphy is a bit under the radar, but in Big 12 only play he averaged 11.4ppg, 6.1rpg in 29 minutes a game 21.6 PER at 6-9. He had one of the sneaky best freshmen seasons.
You can check measurements and athletic drills at this link.
