2025 NBA Draft Combine Biggest Winners Include Emerging 7-Footer from China
The NBA Scouting Combine has become a meaningful event that offers teams new information based on measurements, athletic testing, interviews, medical reports and scrimmaging. A number of prospects in Chicago improved their standing with front offices, including high-profile names and ones who were seemingly deemed afterthoughts a week ago.
Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford and Stanford's Maxime Raynaud were the standouts Wednesday, and both potentially moved into the first round for certain teams. But neither of their performances were surprising given pre-combine projections and the buzz around them after the season.
Nobody at the Combine captured imaginations like 19-year-old Chinese center Hansen Yang, who might've played his way into the league with his performance last week.
The following six prospects all might have been fighting just to hear their names called in this year's draft. They're now in good position to get drafted and keep climbing the rankings.
Miles Byrd, G, San Diego State
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Miles Byrd impacted both scrimmages in similar ways, mostly by playing to his strengths as a catch-and-shoot weapon, passer and defensive playmaker.
Despite a high-arcing shot that seemingly takes forever to reach the rim, he buried multiple threes in both games, much like he regularly did throughout the college season. He showed his vision from inside the arc on cross-court passes. But nothing stood out more than his defensive activity and anticipation.
He was fun to watch on that end of the floor, constantly looking to jump lanes and predict ball-handlers' moves. None of this was surprising, as he registered a wild 4.3 percent steal rate at San Diego State.
Byrd still seems more likely to wind up in the second round on teams' big boards. Whether he stays in the draft or withdraws will come down to personal preference and goals, specifically how much he cares about securing a guaranteed NBA contract and/or playing in the G League versus returning to be a college star making NIL money.
But Byrd clearly has an attractive NBA archetype as a three-and-D wing who can create for others in ball-screen situations.
Cedric Coward, SF, Duke
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Cedric Coward played six games this season at Washington State—all in November—and skipped scrimmaging at the combine to preserve his injured shoulder. Yet he was one of the more talked-about prospects in Chicago.
Between his 6'5" height in socks, 213-pound frame, 7'2" wingspan, impressive shooting performances during drills and per-game averages of 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks this season, there is suddenly a serious level of intrigue around the 21-year-old. The mystery around his development/upside seems to be working for him, as that has snowballed interest. Scouts are now starting to predict that Coward will sneak into the first round.
With measurements that mirror Kawhi Leonard's from the 2011 combine, Coward has a standout NBA body to go with shotmaking skill, which is a favorable combination for predraft workouts. Buzz/interest like this tends to grow, which could lead to a unique and rapid rise for the former D-II forward.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Penn State, C
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Some scouts have admitted to missing or overlooking Yanic Konan Niederhauser at Penn State. One said he'd never seen a player go from mostly unknown to generating this much interest in a span of a few days this late in the process.
After being the talk of Elite Camp last week, Niederhauser got up for a 33-inch standing vertical and a 37-inch max vertical. The eye test backed up those numbers on his finishes during workouts and scrimmages.
Despite some moments during scrimmages that highlight a raw feel/game, he created a number of easy baskets off sheer physical and athletic talent. He had an eye-opening stretch in the second game where he dunked back a miss, converted a running touch shot and threw down a long-distance transition alley-oop.
NBA teams are sure to see him as a dangerous lob target as well as a defensive presence, particularly after reviewing more film of his career 10.2 block percentage in college. I got to see him for a private workout with potential first-round pick Alex Condon, and it wasn't obvious which prospect was more highly regarded.
Niederhauser has quickly gone from off the draft radar into the mid-second-round discussion.
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Lachlan Olbrich, PF/C, Illawarra
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Lachlan Olbrich double-doubled in both scrimmages and didn't look out of place in spite of his athletic limitations.
His instincts were evident and functional for timing dives to the basket, spin moves and offensive rebounds. He showed advanced footwork and body control to create separation and touch to convert from different angles.
Scouts asked about whether he could stay on an NBA floor defensively, but they also sounded optimistic due to his IQ.
Olbrich played meaningful, productive minutes in the NBL championships at 21 years old. He then came to G League Elite Camp and earned a call-up, and at the combine, he put up numbers against in consecutive days against Maxime Raynaud and second-round picks.
Olbrich has built a compelling case for teams looking for late-round value.
Jamir Watkins, SG/SF, Florida State
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Jamir Watkins had arguably a top-three performance from the week during Thursday's first scrimmage. He finished with 23 points, four boards and four assists, but his five steals stood out most.
Watkins was aggressive at the point of attack, allowing little room for opposing ball-handlers. His 6'11" wingspan earned strips and contested shots from on and off the ball. Standing 6'5" barefoot with a 215-pound frame and outstanding length, NBA teams will be drawn to Watkins' potential to lock down and guard multiple positions.
Offensively, he hit a pair of threes in both games, which was good to see from a player whose shooting has held him back from generating draft interest in the past. We saw some of the passing he demonstrated in a point-wing role at Florida State. And he used his physicality to earn buckets after contact in the paint.
The idea of a wing his size that can handle, attack and defend guards and forwards is obviously appealing, especially if he's able to knock down open threes at a respectable rate.
Considering he'll be 24 years old in July, the biggest question now is whether Watkins tries to ride this momentum deeper into the draft process, or if he returns to college, transfers and declares in 2026.
Hansen Yang, C, Qingdau, C
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Every scout likely saw the tape of Hansen Yang dominating in China, but the Combine gave them a chance to watch him perform against a higher level of competition in the 2025 NBA draft pool.
Yang looked like he belonged, playing with swagger and confidence and scoring instincts. He delivered a number of wow-factor plays, including a three-pointer, some fancy footwork from the post and a few beautiful dimes that highlighted obvious passing IQ and quick processing.
There are still some questions about how he'll be able to guard away from the basket in the NBA. But for a 19-year-old who's 7'1" barefoot with the class' second-largest hands, Yang showed enough physicality, skill and feel to look like a worthwhile gamble in the second round.
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