The 2025 NBA Draft class is loaded at the top thanks to elite prospects Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey and VJ Edgecombe. Unlike last year’s draft class, the collection of talent entering the NBA next season is deep, with lots of value to be had well past the lottery.
In every draft, there are a handful of players who draw a wide variety of opinions from NBA scouts. The best example from last year’s draft was Purdue’s 7-foot-4 senior Zach Edey, who ended up going ninth to the Grizzlies and is having a terrific rookie season. Such prospecs are often characterized as “polarizing.” Based on my conversations with numerous NBA scouts and executives, I have compiled a list of eight players projected to be in the 2025 draft class who have shown much potential but still face questions on how their game will translate to the NBA.
Presenting, the Polar Eight….
Derik Queen, 6-foot-10 freshman forward, Maryland
Queen was part of the monster Montverde (Fla.) High School team that went undefeated last season and won the Chipotle Nationals. He played alongside Flagg (Duke), Liam McNeeley (UConn), Asa Newell (Georgia) and Robert Wright III (Baylor), all of whom are doing big things for their respective teams this season. Queen came into Maryland a little overweight and knew his body was the biggest area of concern from NBA scouts and executives that were able to evaluate him at the McDonald’s All American game. He once tipped the scale at 262 pounds but has since slimmed down to 240.
Queen has great positional size in the front court. His footwork around the rim and in the mid-range is elite but he lacks verticality on both sides of the floor. Queen is currently averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game and had a two-game stretch early in February where he combined for 53 points and 26 rebounds. He hasn’t attempted a three-point jumper since Jan. 26 and has only made two this season. His size and immediate presence in the lane makes him an intriguing first-round prospect but his limitations from behind the arc and lack of athleticism could give teams pause come draft night.
Johni Broome, 6-foot-9 senior forward, Auburn
The Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 team in the country and a lot of their success has to do with Broome. The fifth-year senior is a frontrunner for National Player of the Year and has done a bit of everything on the court this season. Broome didn’t attempt a single three-pointer in his first two years at Morehead State but is now stepping into shots out of the pick-and-pop with confidence. NBA scouts and executives put a lot of value on youth and upside when drafting players, but Broome’s improvement proves he still has room to grow. One of his best games of the season came in a win over Georgia on Feb. 22 where he finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and only one turnover in 36 minutes.
Nique Clifford, 6-foot-6 senior guard, Colorado State
Clifford tested the NBA draft waters last season and made the right decision to return as a fifth-year senior for the Rams. He spent three seasons at rival school Colorado before transferring to CSU. What he has done at the mid-major level has been impressive, but scouts want to know if he can be just as effective against tougher competition. Clifford is averaging 17.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season. His draft range projects to be anywhere from the mid-first round to late second. His best strategy would be to stand out at the NBA Draft combine much like Jalen Williams did in 2022, when he entered the week as an unknown but ended up being the 12th pick in the draft. Clifford’s size, shot selection and defensive versatility could convince scouts that he can be a plug-and-play guy right away in the NBA.
Carter Bryant, 6-foot-8 freshman forward, Arizona
Bryant passes the eye test and can score from all three levels on the court. His freshman season under Tommy Lloyd has been surprisingly quiet, averaging only 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.6 minutes of action. Bryant first got the attention of NBA scouts during a scrimmage at the Nike Hoop Summit two years ago when he played up as a junior in high school and held his own. His career has been hot and cold since then but with his potential alone, he’s still drawing first-round looks.
Bryant is shooting 36.0 percent from three-point range on 2.7 attempts per game and had his best shooting game of the season in an overtime win over Iowa State where he finished with 14 points (4-for-5 from three). Bryant will likely test the waters after this season and wait to receive feedback from NBA teams before deciding whether or not to stay in this draft class.
2025 NBA Mock Draft: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey Are the Top Picks
Fast-rising freshman guard Jeremiah Fears cracks the top 5 and Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber enters the mix
Collin Murray-Boyles, 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, South Carolina
Murray-Boyles returned for his sophomore season even after receiving late first round buzz entering last year’s draft. He’s a little undersized at the forward position, but he makes up for it with his imposing strength in the post. He’s improved in almost every statistical category from last season to now and is averaging 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. The NBA game is becoming more positionless, but Murray-Boyles still doesn’t have a perimeter game. That could lead teams to pass on him.
Nolan Traore. 6-foot-3 point guard Saint Quentin (France)
Traore is one of the youngest players in this draft class. He turns 19 until May 28. Entering the season, he was a projected top-10 prospect but his stock has cooled off in the last couple of months. His passing and speed separates him from other guards in this class, but his three-point jumper has been a disaster at 28.7 percent. To be fair, Traore is playing in a tough French league as a teenager and needs some time to develop. He is averaging 11.8 points and 4.6 assists in 22 minutes per game.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, 7-foot-1 senior center, Creighton
Because of the NIL space and the COVID bonus year awarded to players, a lot of fifth-year prospects like Kalkbrenner elected to return for one more year. He has been a steady presence for Creighton this year, particularly after fighting through early season injuries. He’s not the most athletic big in this draft class but he does have a three-ball that will translate nicely to the NBA where he’ll be a real pick-and-pop threat. Kalkbrenner is currently shooting 40.5 percent from three-point range and is averaging 18.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Dink Pate, 6-foot-8 forward, Mexico City Capitanes
Pate is taking a unique path to the NBA. He reclassified up a grade when he was a junior in high school and elected to sign a two-year contract with the NBA G League Ignite. After the program folded, Pate had options to play overseas or join a different G League squad. Because he had already turned pro, he couldn’t play in college. Pate has struggled in the G League while going up against older, stronger players, several of whom have played in the NBA. He’s averaging 9.8 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Capitanes. Any team that chooses to take a chance on Pate will be drafting based on potential and upside as opposed to his ability to impact winning right away.
