The Top Ten Player/Team Fits in the 2025 NBA Draft

It’s time for my favorite reactionary blog to publish every year, if for no other reason than its origins. In 2022, I made the inaugural version of this and placed Paolo Banchero in the middle of the top ten, with the claim:

 “Now sure, you could make the argument that any of the top three picks would have all found themselves in funky situations in central Florida, and whoever got picked at that slot, as a "big", would have been fighting an uphill battle, and it's just Banchero's draw. Amidst Franz Wagner, Terrence Ross, Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba, and whatever's left of Jonathan Isaac, there's a bit of "this is my ball when it's out of Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs' hands" attitude he'll have to take…”

Bro was just chatting, seriously. I cannot believe I thought that Paolo was going to have to fight for shots with Terrence Ross and Mo Bamba. It was never more obvious that he was going to be “the guy”, and I put four guys higher than him. So, every year since, I’ve had to make an attempt at redemption, and this year will be no different. 

One note worth mentioning: Cooper Flagg will not be included in this list anywhere. As I said about Victor Wembanyama in 2023, there are certain prospects that I believe improve the team they get selected by, regardless of the team or the situation they’re landing in. This list also assumes that these players’ careers pan out in the best-case scenario. So, without further ado, 

10. Thomas Sorber, C/F, Oklahoma City Thunder (Pick 15)

Insert “he can’t keep getting away with this” meme. The Thunder, fresh off their sparsely attended parade for their well-deserved championship (Celtics still on top), were able to select one of my favorite prospects in the draft as, essentially, Isaiah Hartenstein insurance. Regardless of what happens with their newly minted big guy, Sorber brings a very similar physical presence and potentially (likely?) a higher skill ceiling. The Thunder don’t really have any holes or needs, and Sorber brings more interior presence and floor spacing that’s truly just more in an embarrassment of riches. 

9. Nique Clifford, F, Sacramento Kings (Pick 24 via OKC)

Clifford was one of the great risers of the draft throughout the collegiate season, sort of a theme of this list this year, and his fit in Sacramento is pretty seamless. There’s a player who will be on this list later (spoiler) picked shortly after Clifford who could have filled a point guard-shaped hole on that roster, but that second unit in Sacramento is a very athletic bunch, and Clifford has athleticism in spades, and a ceiling on both sides of the ball that many in this draft do not have. The Kings’ situation is…weird, but Clifford will give them meaningful minutes in year one, I do believe that. Between him and Valanciunas, good luck to benches trying to rebound (even if Clifford looks like he’s Kobe Bryant-sized on the court).  

8. VJ Edgecombe, G, Philadelphia 76ers (Pick 3)

Even as a Celtics fan, I have to acknowledge when good picks are made and when I start to sweat a little bit as an Atlantic Division participant. I have no doubt that we’ll be talking about VJ vs. Knueppel vs. Ace (mostly that last one) at pick three for years to come, but given the choice between the three, I think that choosing to pair Tyrese Maxey with another ludicrously athletic backcourt mate both shows that they’re not committed to Joel Embiid as the franchise centerpiece anymore, at least in theory, and shows that they’re not easily influenced by…interesting agents and their decision making tactics. These sorts of stable decisions by the 76ers don’t exactly make me super excited, but commendations are due where they’re deserved. Edgecombe’s ability to translate as an off-ball scorer, and really, a shooter, will likely determine his early role, but it’s hard to imagine that this doesn’t work out. 

7. Asa Newell, F/C, Atlanta Hawks (Pick 23 via NOP)

Newell was up and down boards all year, but his landing in Atlanta (and not having to move his stuff too far when it’s time to find an apartment) seems like an ideal situation for someone like him. He’ll have mentors on both sides of the ball, especially with Kristaps Porzingis’ recent arrival in Atlanta. There also won’t be immediate expectations for him to contribute, since he’ll find himself in the midst of Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, and Clint Capela. Newell’s selling points are largely in his athleticism and potential wing crossover appeal. On a fringe playoff team that all of a sudden is looking a lot more interesting with the continued development of Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, whatever the Hawks can get from an athlete like Newell at selection 23 is a huge bonus. Side note, Joe Dumars, if you need some GM advice, I’ve played NBA 2K’s GM mode, and it seems like you could have even put some of these draft-night trades into the 2K sim and seen that uh, maybe they weren’t such a good idea. 

6. Jase Richardson, G, Orlando Magic (Pick 25)

Okay, so the biggest question I’m asking here is, what was it about Jase Richardson that the Kings didn’t like? Nique Clifford is going to be a great King, but there’s hardly a real point guard on that roster (I still believe in you, Markelle Fultz). Richardson is definitely a score-first type point guard, and might need a bit of time to further develop his playmaking (the floor is good, and I want to be sure that’s clear), but the fit in Orlando is great. Maybe it’s “great” because lots of mock drafters were hoping for the fit once the draft order was solidified and the Combine more or less determined where people were going to land. Regardless, more outside shooting and another fearless player continue to make Orlando one of the scariest teams in the East. 

5. Carter Bryant, F, San Antonio Spurs (Pick 14)

If anyone was wondering, I’m pretty sure that the Spurs are doing the thing again. It’s not as quietly as they did it last time, with low picks like Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker becoming staples of championship rosters, but it’s starting to happen again. They’re making smart, “correct” draft night decisions, and, almost more importantly, making picks that will allow them to shed contracts of guys who aren’t fitting the timeline anymore who might play the same position. The Spurs were reportedly fielding a lot of calls about both this pick and the second overall pick, and I think another sign of a clear plan and a focused front office is the fact that they clearly had guys that they wanted, and they stuck to their guys. 

4. Joan Beringer, F/C, Minnesota Timberwolves (Pick 17)

This year’s “king of the measurables” and probably the second greatest riser overall (I hope the Hansen Yang thing works out so we can reflect on it someday), Beringer next to Naz Reid off the bench in Minnesota is super fun. The frontcourt in Minnesota is firmly in the running for the biggest and scariest in the league with the addition of Beringer. Julius Randle had another extremely Julius Randle year last year, but as a complementary piece to a “real” star like Anthony Edwards, you really see the appeal of the Julius Randle-type player. Quick aside, it is fascinating that Randle has hardly evolved as a player since he was a rookie, and that’s just…okay. But with another rim-runner, shot blocker, and 7-footer, the Wolves are going to be able to scrap with the Thunder down low if they come across each other in any early-summer playoff series, and if they can do that, OKC might not run the West forever like it might seem right now. 

3. Egor Demin, G/F, Brooklyn Nets (Pick 8)

At this point in the blog, it’s my responsibility to remind people that this blog assumes the best-case scenario for all of these prospects. Demin has been one of the most polarizing prospects all year, with some calling him barely first-round worthy, and some saying he could be one of, if not the best player in the class when we look back on it. One of the things that I think makes this fit so perfectly for both parties is D’Angelo Russell. Another tall (not as tall as Demin) point guard, one of the things that’s been the biggest selling point of him as a player is his ability to play with pace and control the tempo of a game. Should Demin pick this up, and should he pan out, we could be talking about a real jumbo-sized playmaker on a team that really, REALLY needs someone to help that ball swinging around and not someone who fills the same role as someone like Cam Thomas or Cam Johnson. Demin is someone who could be on triple-double watch regularly and provide some long-term stability for a team that needs it. 

2. Kon Knueppel/Liam McNeeley, F, Charlotte Hornets (Picks 4, 29)

For the first time in four years of this draft, I’m lumping two picks by one team into one of the ten slots on this list. Lots of factors contributed to their moving in opposite directions leading up to last week’s draft, but (perhaps lazily), Duke’s Knueppel and Connecticut’s McNeeley were lumped close together in the middle of round one during much of the predraft process, and for Charlotte to land them both feels like a great pair of front office decisions. The decision to not select Ace Bailey, a “better” prospect than Kon Knueppel who wouldn’t have fit next to Brandon Miller at ALL, shows that they’re really trying to surround LaMelo Ball with truly complimentary pieces that are trying to change the course of a franchise that’s been little more than a punchline for a good portion of their existence. 

1. Dylan Harper, G, San Antonio Spurs (Pick 2)

The greatest argument against Dylan Harper is that the Spurs drafted Stephon Castle last year, who is an oversized guard who promptly won Rookie of the Year. The greatest argument in favor of Dylan Harper is that he’s really, really good, and there aren’t any other prospects who would have made much sense at pick number two. Thank you to the Spurs for not actively trying to convince the Celtics to give them Jaylen Brown for a package surrounding the Dylan Harper pick, that feels important to say. I think that Castle will be able to slide to an off-ball, rim-assaulting role, and the Harper/Wembanyama high pick-and-rolls are going to be absolutely horrifying for the rest of the NBA.