Jay Bilas: Eight prospects I like in this NBA draft

• Jay BilasJun 24, 2025, 07:15 AM ET Close College basketball analyst for ESPN and ESPN

• Expert Played and coached at Duke
• Practicing attorney

The 2025 NBA draft will mark my 23rd straight year sitting on the main desk for ESPN. In all of those years, there have actually been hits and misses out on, we’ve been ideal and incorrect, however every year, I acquire more regard for the procedure. When I initially started, after investing long hours on player evaluations, I probably believed I knew which prospects would strike. I quickly learned that I didn’t know. Nobody knows.All anyone

does is “think.” Hands up all for any of those who thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a future MVP when he was drafted No. 11 out of Kentucky? The number of pegged Jalen Brunson as All-NBA and Clutch Gamer of the Year when he came out of Villanova? Practically every draft, we will recall in 5 years and rank the players far differently than on draft night. Maybe that holds true in every sport, but it is specifically true in basketball, where choices are made on brief track records of 18- and 19-year-olds.

Players stand apart in every draft. There are never warranties– though this year’s draft (Wednesday and Thursday nights, 8 ET on ABC and ESPN) has as near to a certainty as we have actually seen in a long time– however when you see something from these players, they make you a follower. Here are a few in this draft whom I actually like.The no-brainer This is the Cooper Flagg Draft. If any of the 30 NBA groups had the top pick in the 2025 draft lottery game, all 30 would take Flagg and never ever recall. Flagg is the very best Duke freshman ever and the most complete player in this draft.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Though Flagg has room to enhance in specific locations, no other player checks as many boxes. Couple of players I have actually hunted over the previous thirty years are as proficient in as numerous areas as Flagg. He is a legit 6-8 with a 7-0 wingspan. He is athletic, long, can move his feet laterally and has good speed. Defensively, he has terrific awareness, gets steals and blocks, and is great on the glass. Flagg is an elite transition finisher and playmaker. He is an excellent motorist and finisher, and an exceptional cutter.The knock on him early was his shooting … is he a consistent boundary shooter? Throughout ACC play, Flagg shot 44%

from deep and practically 39%last season. Can he tighten up his handle? Yes, but his shot is hardly a problem; it just isn’t the lead story.Flagg has All-NBA potential, and I believe that he will reach it. As long as he stays healthy, he

will not stop working in the NBA. He is just different. Putting aside the skills and quantifiable qualities, Flagg is one of the most competitive players I have actually seen at this age. Yes, a lot of potential customers are competitive, however this guy is on the highest tier of rivals. At just 18, Flagg is mature beyond his years– far beyond many 22-year-old potential customers in this draft.Flagg does not go into a game trying to find numbers. Rather, he makes every effort to make the ideal play– and by stacking the best play over and over, he puts up remarkable numbers across the board.The shooters This draft has its share of excellent shooters, and freshmen entries Tre Johnson of Texas and Kon Knueppel of Duke blaze a trail.2025 NBA draft

– New mock draft! Forecasts off trades, intel – Our last leading 100 big board: 1 to 100 – Draft’s leading players at 20 abilities, characteristics – NBA comps for 14 players: Flagg to Tatum? – We offer prospective trades for Mavs, Flagg – 2025 draft guide is here|More Johnson is the much better shotmaker and athlete. With a 6-10 wingspan, he led the SEC in scoring at 19.9 points per game and shot 39.7%from beyond
the arc, hitting 89 3-pointers last season.Despite his length and
physical qualities, Johnson did not have the anticipated
protective impact, however his speed and agility will serve him well in

the NBA. Knueppel is the best catch-and-shoot guard in the draft.He hit almost 41%from deep as a freshman in Durham, N.C., making 84 threes. Last season,

Knueppel struck 48%on corner 3s, and canned 91.4%of his totally free throws. Kneuppel’s defense and physical tools are the concerns. But though Kneuppel is not likely to be called to the NBA’s All-Defensive Group, he isn’t a piece of cake and is always getting loose balls.The 3-and-D guys Length appears to translate well to the NBA, and its significance can not be overemphasized. A player who can safeguard several positions, switch, interfere with and get deflections, steals and blocks can discover playing time for any NBA team. Include a dependable boundary shot, and you are even more valuable. This year, three 3-and-D guys are rather under the radar but will be yearned for on draft night.Carter Bryant of Arizona, Rasheer Fleming of Saint Joseph’s and Cedric Coward of Washington State are the most alluring prospects in this valuable category. Bryant is expected to be first of all the board among the 3. Bryant, 19, is an outstanding athlete who finished in the top 5 in vertical leap and sprint time at the combine. He has size and impressive length and can strike a standstill 3-pointer. Practically half of his points last season came from made threes, and 82%of his shot efforts were catch-and-shoot 3s or finishes at the rim.Fleming, 20, has excellent versatility and a 7-5 wingspan. He’s a multi-positional protector and flooring spacer who hit 62 threes on 39%shooting. His shot preparation is good, he can really alter ends, and he’s an outstanding rebounder.Coward is the mystery male. After beginning his profession as a Department III player, he moved to Eastern Washington, then to Washington State. Coward played just six games in Pullman, however he scored 20 or more in 3, consisting of 30 points versus Northern

Colorado. Coward is not as tall as Fleming, but he’s got a 7-2 wingspan, speed, strength and terrific instincts on both ends of the flooring. Coward was great at the integrate, finishing in the top 6 in the sprint, vertical leap and standing vertical leap. Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are amongst Jay Bilas’leading potential customers in this year’s draft– as long as teams look previous Rutgers’losing season. Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire The wild cards Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey would go No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, if talent and upside potential were the only variables. However the 2 finest prospects after Flagg played together at Rutgers and had a losing record. The Scarlet Knights went 15-17 and 8-12 in the Big 10. Though it is reasonable to question why neither contributed more to winning, especially with a talented point guard in Harper, I question the team’s record will factor into the draft position of either prospect.Harper is the second-best prospect in this draft– a long-armed, three-level scorer who is a sleek offending player with terrific footwork and a shot developer. Harper is great in pick-and-roll situations and makes excellent reads. He is not a constant deep shooter, hitting just 33% from 3-point distance, but he has good mechanics. He is a worker, however not yet an impactful defender, despite his length and body.Bailey is one of the high-risk, high-reward guys in the draft. Few have a greater ceiling and few can match his shotmaking capability, specifically tough, pull-up jumpers under pressure. Bailey had 39 points against Indiana and 38 against Northwestern. Bailey has actually faced questions about his maturity, however he is just 18 years of ages, and his talent is indisputable. With Harper’s skill and ability profile, no one passes him up at No. 2– not even San Antonio, which needs shooting, something Harper does not provide. Bailey ought to follow him quickly, going anywhere from No.

3 to No. 8.