The NBA Draft is always full of surprises and each draft cycle there are players that end up completely outplaying their draft slot. NBA executives love finding the diamonds in the rough hidden somewhere in the draft and there will undoubtedly be a few that emerge this year.
Last year it was Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells. The Grizzlies selected Wells with the 39th pick and he quickly became an instrumental rotational player once the season started. Second-round picks typically sign two-way contracts but Memphis found their sleeper and signed Wells to a four-year, $7.9 million deal.
2025 NBA Mock Draft
Cooper Flagg is a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick, but how is the rest of the Draft shaping up?
This year’s class has a lot of talent across the board and it’s one of the main reasons NBA teams have circled this draft class as one they want to prioritize. Cooper Flagg will be the first one off the board, but there are a few players that have teams going back to film and rethinking where they have players on draft boards after individual workouts and meetings.
Here are seven potential sleepers to keep an eye on during draft night.
Nolan Traore: 6-foot-4, point guard, Saint-Quentin (France)
Traore had an up-and-down season playing in the LNB Pro-A league in France. But he was one of the best guards at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit and entered the season as a projected lottery pick. Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe played alongside Traore for Team World and told Hoops HQ, “He’s the best point guard I’ve ever played with. He’s so quick, his passing is insane. He’s the real deal.”
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Traore only shot 31.4 percent from 3-point range and was turnover prone at times in the beginning of the season. He settled in towards the end of the season and showed his true potential in a pair of games early in May where he scored 21 points (four threes), seven assists and only two turnovers in 28 minutes. The very next game, Traore followed with 25 points and four assists in a win over Union La Rochelle. Traore is one of the youngest players in the draft, turning 19 on May 28, and has shown growth and adversity playing against professionals overseas. Traore was a projected late first-round pick all season and could sneak up into the late lottery or mid-first round on draft night.
Walter Clayton Jr., 6-foot-3, point guard, Florida, Senior
Clayton is a pseudo-sleeper after he completely dominated competition in the NCAA Tournament. He led Florida to a national title and did it in commanding fashion, averaging 22.3 points and 3.3 assists during the tournament. During the semifinal game, Clayton finished with 34 points (5-for-8 from three) and took over the second half hitting shots from all over the court. “It was a hell of a last impression before the pre-draft process,” one NBA scout said. “He’s so tough and as an older guard, he can come in right away and contribute to any program.”
Clayton had a solid pro day with Klutch Sports last month and his most recent workout was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Clayton is one of the biggest draft risers going from late second round to projected first-round pick in a few short months.
Danny Wolf, 7-foot, center, Michigan, Junior
Wolf transferred from Yale to Michigan for his junior season and was one of the best passing bigs in the Big Ten. He moves well for a 7-footer and even though he didn’t attempt many threes during the season, he shoots the 3-ball extremely well. During his pro day with CAA, he rarely missed a shot from behind the arc. He has real pick-and-pop potential and is a threat as a trailing shooter in transition. “Playing at Michigan really helped me with the physicality and just the speed of the Big Ten and I think it really prepared me for the league,” Wolf said at the combine.
Wolf averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and his draft range has been all over the place from late lottery to end of the first round. Wolf has the versatility of a modern NBA big with the way he can pass, dribble and shoot the ball, and he could be a player that makes an impact right away next season.
Micah Peavy, 6-foot-7, combo guard, Georgetown, Senior
Peavy is a fifth-year player that previously played at Texas Tech and TCU before transferring to Georgetown for his last year. He has excellent positional size and has shown steady improvement every season throughout his college career, averaging 17.2 points and 3.6 assists per game last season. “If I would’ve gone early (to the NBA), I don’t think I would’ve been ready and I would be fighting for my life in the G League,” Peavy told Hoops HQ. “Staying five years and going through all the adversity has built me into the player I am today and I think I can help impact winning right away once I get to the NBA.”
Peavy was one of the best players on the court during the combine scrimmages and projects to be a plug-and-play guy in the NBA. Scouts and executives value youth and upside in the draft but Peavy is a player that could surprise a lot of people next season with his production and playmaking. Peavy has recently worked out for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans.
Maxime Raynaud, 7-foot-1 power forward,Stanford, Senior
Similar to Wolf, Raynaud has a lot of characteristics to his game that teams like at the NBA level. He brings rim protection and can space the floor with his 3-point shooting. He has a great touch around the rim and has improved his lateral speed throughout his four years at Stanford. Raynaud made 67 3-pointers this season, more than any other 7-footer in college basketball, and shot 34.7% from deep. He turned some heads at the combine with how well he played during the first day of scrimmages and is a player that could really blossom into a long-term big for an NBA franchise. Raynaud is projected as a late first-round to mid-second round pick.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, 7-foot power forward, Penn State, Junior
Niederhauser has been one of the buzziest names over the last month and is a player who could sneak into the first round and surprise a lot of people as a rookie. Originally from Switzerland, Niederhauser spent two seasons at Northern Illinois before transferring to Penn State. He made a huge jump this season and averaged 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Niederhauser is a true rim-runner who possesses a 37-inch vertical and is a lob threat in both transition and the half-court set. He’s fast in the open court and can create for himself off switches and mismatches. His 3-point jumper remains an area of improvement, he only attempted 11 threes all season. Penn State ran a guard-heavy offense and his shooting mechanics show promising signs of growth as an outside threat in the NBA. Look for multiple teams to target him in the back half of the first round.
Adou Thiero, 6-foot-7 wing, Arkansas, Junior
Thiero is one of the best athletes in the draft and is deadly in transition with his second burst and how well he finishes at the rim. He spent two seasons at Kentucky before following head coach John Calipari to Arkansas for his junior season. His 3-point jumper is something he continues to work on after shooting just 25.6 percent from behind the arc. Where he really thrives is on the defensive end with his length and how well he can guard positions one-through-four. He’s so good at jumping to the ball, anticipating drives and is a solid rebounder. Thiero averaged 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game and he could have a similar rise and rookie season to Phoenix Suns wing Ryan Dunn, who was the 28th pick in last year’s draft.
