2025 NBA Draft – Syndication Server

ESPN projects Alabama freshman as first round pick in 2025 NBA draft

ESPN projects the Alabama freshman to be a first round pick.

While the 2024-25 college basketball season only just recently began for the Alabama Crimson Tide, it’s never too-early to start taking a look ahead to the 2025 NBA draft, which is set to take place this upcoming summer.

After not having a player selected in the 2024 NBA draft, Alabama is likely expected to have at-least one name come off the board in 2025, with ESPN projecting that to be in the first round in their latest mock draft in freshman forward Derrion Reid.

According to ESPN, their latest mock draft has Reid coming off the board at pick No. 21 overall in the first round to the Utah Jazz. Reid is the lone player from Alabama projected in the first round by ESPN’s mock draft, while Jarin Stevenson, a sophomore forward, is also sitting at No. 45 overall on their latest Big Board.

After coming to Tuscaloosa as a five-star prospect, Reid has started 2-of-3 games for Alabama so far this season as a freshman where he is currently averaging 7.7 PPG and 4 RPG. Reid is also shooting 50% from the field, as well as 50% from three-point range.

Georgia freshman projected as first-round 2025 NBA draft pick

UGA basketball true freshman, former five-star recruit is projected to go early in the 2025 NBA draft

Georgia Bulldogs basketball freshman Asa Newell has been projected to be selected in the first-round of the 2025 NBA draft. Newell, a former five-star recruit, is already having a huge impact for this Georgia team.

The 6-foot-11, 220-pound freshman is a big reason why Georgia basketball is 2-0. Newell is averaging 20 points, 3.5 blocks and 7.5 rebounds per game to begin the 2024-2025 college basketball season.

Tankathon projects that Newell will be a late lottery pick in the 2025 draft. In fact, Tankathon has Newell landing with the Atlanta Hawks at pick No. 14 in their latest mock draft. Yes, it is very early in the process, but so far, so good for Newell.

Additionally, ESPN has Newell going a little bit later in the 2025 draft. ESPN projects (subscription required) that Newell will go No. 20 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which would be an excellent fit for the Georgia forward.

“His mobility, fluidity, explosiveness, body control and touch around the rim allowed him to dominate the interior while also making quite a few plays defensively,” said Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“Newell also has the green light to shoot 3-pointers, which is very interesting at 6-foot-11,” continued Givony. NBA teams are always looking for shooting.

Georgia Bulldogs forward Asa Newell had an impressive performance against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia basketball fans can watch the Bulldogs on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+ as Georgia takes on 3-0 North Florida.

The latest 2025 NBA mock draft from ESPN has Spurs with Kon Knueppel and Egor Demin

San Antonio would end up with two of the best freshmen in the NCAA.

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most interesting teams in the league due to Victor Wembanyama, and it will only get more fascinating.

San Antonio currently has two projected lottery picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, which could help them continue to retool around Wembanyama after picking Stephon Castle in the 2024 NBA Draft.

New predictions from ESPN have the Spurs with an absolute dream scenario, picking two of the freshmen who have had the best starts to the NCAA men’s college basketball season thus far: Duke’s Kon Knueppel and BYU’s Egor Demin.

Here is more from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo on the selections, including thoughts on Knueppel:

“Knueppel’s ability to shoot off screens, pull up off the dribble and spot up from deep vantage points with picture-perfect footwork and mechanics should keep him prominent in draft conversations, especially with the way he has contributed in other areas as well with his physicality, feel for the game and better-than-expected shot creation and defense.”

They also added that Knueppel is “arguably the best shooter” in this draft class.

Alabama freshman phenom projected to be first-round selection in 2025 NBA draft

Alabama’s Derrion Reid is yet to play a game of college basketball, yet he is still widely regarded as a first-round NBA draft talent

The start of the 2024 college basketball season is just 13 days away for the Alabama Crimson Tide as UNC Asheville comes to town to tip-off the season. With nine teams ranked in the AP Top 25, the SEC is going to be an absolute gauntlet this year, especially for the No. 2 ranked team Crimson Tide who enters the year with a target on their back.

The Crimson Tide will be led by some familiar faces like Mark Sears and Grant Nelson, but one name that Alabama fans will need to get to know fast is Derrion Reid. The former five-star recruit was the No. 17 ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class and has the talent to be a one-and-done kind of guy.

Over the summer, Reid earned a gold medal with the 2024 USA Men’s U18 National Team at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. During his time with Team USA, he averaged 10.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg in 16.5 mpg.

Even though he hasn’t played a minute of collegiate basketball yet, HoopsHype projects Reid to be the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2025 NBA draft saying of the freshman phenom,

“Reid has a strong offensive skill set, capable of scoring from three levels, creating his own shot, and rebounding well. Has to improve defensive awareness, and consistency, and avoid fouling. Strengths: Excellent offensive player with a diverse skill set, capable of scoring from mid-range and three-point range, effective in isolation, able to create his own shot, and strong rebounder on both ends. Weaknesses: Needs to improve defensive awareness and effort, inconsistent as an on-ball defender, struggles with foul trouble.”

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Aggregate 2025 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: International prospects rise

HoopsHype has updated where the top prospects stand for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling six mock drafts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY. A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft: * Some …

HoopsHype has updated where the top prospects stand for the 2025 NBA Draft by compiling six mock drafts from ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation, and USA TODAY.

A couple of quick notes on our aggregate mock draft:

* Some freshmen are missing because they weren’t listed on all the mocks we compiled, meaning scouts don’t see them as one-and-done prospects yet.

* Additionally, the ages shown for international prospects reflect their draft-day age. These are preliminary scouting reports and are subject to change as we progress through the pre-draft process.

While some see future all-stars in Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, and VJ Edgecombe, others have doubts. We tend to agree with scouts who don’t see this group as generational. As the season unfolds, they’ll have a chance to prove themselves, but expectations should remain grounded.

NOTE: These rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for the overall consensus, not our own opinion. For example, if a player was the first pick on a publication’s mock draft, he received 60 points. If a player was second, he received 59 points, and so on. We then tabulated the total number of points for each player’s consensus ranking.

The New York Knicks forfeited their 2025 second-round pick due to tampering.

Tyrese Proctor: ‘I don’t think basketball is all about scoring, I’m just out there trying to make winning plays’

Tyrese Proctor, currently ranked No. 28 on ESPN’s Top 100 and No. 30 on HoopsHype’s latest Aggregate Mock Draft, has rapidly established himself as one of the best lead guards in college basketball. The Australia native is known for his playmaking, …

Tyrese Proctor, currently ranked No. 28 on ESPN’s Top 100 and No. 30 on HoopsHype’s latest Aggregate Mock Draft, has rapidly established himself as one of the best lead guards in college basketball. The Australia native is known for his playmaking, defense, and leadership on the court.

Proctor’s sophomore campaign saw him named a team captain, only the fourth sophomore to achieve this in Duke’s history. His 2.95 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 25th nationally, showcasing his ability to control the game while minimizing mistakes. He averaged 10.5 points per game and led his team in assists, asserting his role as the lead guard for the Blue Devils, who at times ran a three-guard lineup last year.

Recently, Proctor spoke with with HoopsHype to reflect on his basketball journey, his time in Australia’s NBA Global Academy, his thoughts on the modern game, his college basketball experience and more.

Jamir Watkins: ‘I feel like I could be a first-rounder, maybe even get into the lottery’

Jamir Watkins, currently ranked No. 59 on ESPN’s Top 100, has established himself as one of the nation’s top returning college players. After averaging 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in his first season with Florida Sate after transferring from VCU, …

Watkins is gearing up for his final season at FSU, where he has emerged as the team leader. Last season, he showed he was much more than a defender, he had 19 consecutive double-figure scoring games, as the 6-foot-7 wing continues to prove his versatility on both ends of the floor. After initially declaring for the NBA draft in April 2024 and entering the transfer portal in May, Watkins decided to return to Florida State, as he seeks to improve his game further with another season under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton.

The Trenton, NJ native recently sat down with HoopsHype to discuss his decision to withdraw from the NBA draft, his development as a player, and his expectations for the upcoming season.

ESPN analyst ranks Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg as the best 2025 draft prospect

ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony ranked his top 100 2025 NBA draft prospects on Wednesday, including an expected face at the top overall spot.

According to ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony, there’s no need to overthink the top spot in the 2025 NBA draft rankings.

Givony released his list of the top 100 prospects for next year’s draft on Wednesday, and Duke freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] predictably took the top overall spot.

“The 17-year-old’s versatility on both ends of the floor will make him an impact player from Day 1 despite his youth,” Givony wrote. “He’s already one of the best teenage defenders you’ll find with his exceptional combination of intensity, instincts and explosiveness.”

Flagg made his debut in a Blue Devils uniform at the Countdown to Craziness, and his defensive prowess lived up to the hype. Between his 6-foot-9 frame and exceptional agility, he looked comfortable meeting assignments on the perimeter and along the inside. He can guard each of the first four positions on the floor, and he might average at least one steal and one block per game this season.

The real cause for optimism came on the offensive end. The only question about Flagg, if you can count it, was whether he could develop into a complete scorer, and he’s made extreme strides in that department. The Maine native can finish through contact and take advantage of his speed against interior defenders, but he also showcased some neat ball-handling to create space for himself in the midrange.

Flagg was one of three Blue Devils inside Givony’s top 10, joining fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel (sixth) and Khaman Maluach (eighth).

ESPN gives Duke freshman Cooper Flagg more than a 50% chance to be the No. 1 overall pick

While other candidates remain, a Wednesday article from ESPN said there’s a great chance that Cooper Flagg is the next No. 1 overall pick.

Five-star phenom [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] makes his Duke basketball debut at the Countdown to Craziness on Friday night, but everyone who knows the Maine native already has an eye on the 2025 NBA draft.

ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony wrote about the upcoming draft class on Wednesday, and while some other first-year stars remain viable options for the No. 1 overall pick, Givony gave Flagg a 51% chance to be the first name off the board.

Flagg, initially a Class of 2025 prospect who reclassified, led Montverde Academy to an undefeated season last year before going to Team USA Olympic training camp as a member of the Select Team. He went viral for a sequence of consecutive baskets while scrimmaging against the Olympic roster, prompting some national analysts to say NBA teams should intentionally tank for the future Blue Devil.

“An explosive athlete, Flagg does everything on both ends of the floor,” Givony wrote. “Offensively, he is a much-improved 3-point shooter and an outstanding passer. He is impactful on defense, playing with intensity while covering ground, making plays at the rim and guarding on the perimeter.”

At 6-foot-9, Flagg’s athleticism shines on tape consistently. The Blue Devils have only been practicing in Cameron Indoor Stadium for a little more than a week, and the social media team has already shared multiple dunks from the first-year star. He said on The Brotherhood Podcast earlier this offseason that he takes pride in doing the little things correctly, and his defensive effort in high-school exhibitions and scrimmages shows that’s not a performative sentiment.

The scariest part of Flagg’s game is his ability to blend forward size with perimeter skills. He can use post moves to create space for himself inside, but he has the lateral quickness and basketball IQ to keep up with guards near the 3-point line.

With three games against the Kentucky Wildcats, Arizona Wildcats, and Kansas Jayhawks in November, expect to know whether Flagg will go No. 1 overall quickly.

ESPN provides optimistic NBA draft outlook for Duke freshman Khaman Maluach

ESPN basketball writers Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo wrote about top 2025 draft prospects on Friday, including some optimism on Khaman Maluach.

Duke basketball brought in top-ranked freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] this offseason, the presumed No. 1 pick in next summer’s NBA draft, but he isn’t the only key prospect on the Blue Devils roster this year.

Head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] landed commitments from three other five-star prospects, including South Sudanese 7-footer [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag]. The NBA Academy Africa product represented his country at the 2024 Olympic Games, and at 17 years old, he was the youngest player in the competition.

ESPN basketball writers Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released a Friday article elaborating on the most important college players to watch in 2024-25, and Woo sounded pretty bullish on Maluach’s chances to establish himself this fall and spring.

Woo pointed out that, while Maluach played pretty limited minutes in Paris, the incoming Blue Devil held his own against NBA MVPs and champions during a one-point exhibition loss to Team USA in July.

“Maluach’s above-average speed gives him a chance to be a high-impact player on defense,” Woo wrote. “He needs to work on positioning, awareness and patience as he habitually leaves his feet early to contest shots. But he has more tools than most players his age and size, pointing to his immense potential on that end.”

https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1834589737526411658

The optimism is a welcome change from recent trends around Maluach’s draft stock. When the rim protector first committed to the Blue Devils back in March, he was considered a slam-dunk top-five pick in the 2025 draft thanks to his tape and defensive ceiling. However, some uneven performances at exhibitions like the Nike Hoop Summit made fans question his learning curve for Division I basketball.

Combine that with the emergence of [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag], another five-star Duke signee and the darling of offseason workouts, and plenty of sites don’t even list Maluach as the second-best prospect on the Blue Devils anymore.

Even if Maluach looks more like his floor than his ceiling in November, he should be one of the best defenders in the country from the opening bell. He’ll be a shoo-in to average at least 1.5 blocks per game, and fans just need some patience if he looks rough around the edges before conference play.