Tiered Big Board 2025

[CFAN38]

My highest non green room guys are Penda #12, Raynaud #17, and Flemming #20. This draft is so hard to predict with the likely hood of trades but if the green room is any indication and one of those three are available at #28 I see them as great fits for the Cs.


Penda: I am really high on him because I can see him fitting nicely into a playoff rotation. His combination of perimeter defense and passing at his size is unique. He is roughly the same size as the Morris twins. Making him big enough to play the small ball 5 while he moves well enough to stay with most smaller wings. Physically he reminds me a bit on Antoine Walker. He also has very quick hands for a player of his size. He also brings guard like passing ability to the position and should thrive moving the ball on the perimeter. Like a lot of players in this draft his 3pt shot is his swing skill

Rayaund: I have already posted about him a lot. I just think he is a clear rotational center in the NBA with real upside to start on a good team. Defense is a question mark but he has the size to be a solid drop defender. On offense his has a diverse skill set that will allow him to attack mismatches while also spacing the floor out to the 3pt line. I will not be surprised if 3 seasons from now he is a 15pt 10rb per game starting 5 for a playoff team.

Fleming: He is a guy who I am really surprised wasn't invited to the green room. I have gone back and worth on him as a prospect and have settled at #20 knowing that on the right team (like the Celtics) he could return top 10 value. The wrong team will draft him with the vision of making him a 4/3 "big wing". For me the clear path to his ceiling is playing the 5. He is 1/2" shorter and 10lbs lighter than Bam Adebayo but with a 3" long wingspan. With his frame I see no reason why he cant add some weight and easily hold up in the paint vs 95% of the centers in the league. At the 5 he brings a very real 3pt shot and the ability to switch onto smaller players. There is a path where he is a Myles Turner level starting 5 who isn't has good a shot blocker but is a much better switch defender. That is a very valuable archetype.

Other guys I like who are not green room invites

Gonzalez
Kalkbrenner
Powell
Thiero
Richardson***

*** I am not a fan of drafting small guards and for that reason I have Jase ranked 30th however if drafted with the realistic expectation of being a 3rd guard/6th man type he is a real value in the early 2nd.   

[CFAN38]

Any red flags with Ace Bailey, Cfan?

I think his handling of the draft process in general is concerning but I also think age and maturity have to be factored in. My take on his lack of workouts and his less than stellar interviews all falls back on the idea that Ace didn't make the right choice with his agent. This feels like a a kid just being misguided in a very complex process.

I still am really high on Ace because his ceiling is really high. Drafting a player in the top 5 and seeing him develop into a solid 5th starter is great but not franchise altering. If your a team that is in the lottery more often than the playoffs and needs a foundational piece the value of being in the top 5 is taking the swing for a cornerstone player. Ace is that swing and brings risk but a higher ceiling than Tre, VJ or Kon.

If I'm a GM and draft Ace I would make sure the roster is filled with rock solid vets who also form a logical roster. Make sure he has a PG or primary creator who will command the ball and hold him accountable for shot selection. Make sure he has guy who will play defense and expect the same from him. If he goes to a team looking to hard tank for 2026 I think his development will be stunted. 

[Ilikesports17]

I never watch much college basketball and since we haven't owned any highly projected picks in a while I've really not payed much attention.

A few guys have caught my eye:

Raynaud -> 5 that can shoot it and showed massive improvement each year in college

Clayton Jr. -> drafting smaller guards is never exciting, but college veteran smaller guards are the easiest path to finding an NBA player late in the draft(Pritchard, Brunson, Nemhard spring to mind).

Flemming -> Strength, length and 3 point shooting make him really appealing. Although I do prefer taking guys that show more ability as passers or on the ball as I think that indicates feel for the game which is important even if you only project as a roleplayer in the NBA (see Semi Ojeleye)

Drake Powell -> This is a Danny Ainge pick. Highly touted high school prospect whose stock dropped after a tough freshman year. But the difficult season can slightly be excused by an uncomfortable situation around him in Chapel Hill.

Not sure if any of these guys will be there at 28. There are a few interesting Euros as well.