NBA Combine 2025 Prospects Who Boosted Their Stock Ahead of Draft
The NBA draft combine might be the most important audition in the basketball world.
Some handle it better than others.
Perceptions on the top handful of prospects may have been fairly cemented before this year's combine tipped off this week, but the event still allowed for ample movement behind them. Draft boards are fluid at this time of year, so let's spotlight a few players who took advantage of that and improved their outlook for the upcoming talent grab.
Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford
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Raynaud accomplished so much during the combine's first day of scrimmages that he opted out of the second.
His week was already off to a great start after measuring above 7'0" without shoes and showcasing a 9'2" standing reach. But he upped the ante in his only scrimmage, flashing both the finesse skills in his offensive bag but also the ferocity needed to succeed around the basket.
He needed just 12 field-goal attempts to net 20 points, going 2-of-5 from three and 4-of-4 at the foul line. His perimeter game showed a sure shot and smooth handles, while his post game featured strength, footwork, soft touch and smart passing. More importantly, he was just as active on the glass and the defensive end, snagging nine rebounds in 25 minutes and verbally leading the back line of the defense.
Raynaud was the 29th pick in the latest mock from B/R's Jonathan Wasserman, and it feels distinctly possible Raynaud's performance this week earned him a first-round promise.
Tahaad Pettiford, PG, Auburn
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This wasn't quite a banner week for Pettiford, but he should have helped his draft stock a lot more than he hurt it.
While concerns about his size took center stage early when he measured a hair over 6'0" and just 169 pounds, he also showed how he's capable of working around them. It doesn't hurt having a 6'5.5" wingspan or enough springs to launch into a 42" vertical, but it's even more helpful being among the most diverse shot-makers in this draft.
He arguably authored the most impressive individual performance of the combine scrimmages on Wednesday. He had 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting (4-of-8 from three) and eight assists against one turnover in his 26 minutes.
Pettiford, the 27th pick in Wasserman's mock, couldn't carry his momentum into Thursday, but he may have already done enough to lock himself into the first round.
Miles Byrd, SG/SF, San Diego State
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Byrd probably needed a productive week in Chicago to feel good about his draft outlook.
He may have given himself exactly that.
Defensive disruption is his strongest selling point, and he provided plenty of that. He played 52 minutes over the two scrimmages and racked up five steals and four blocks in his floor time. Perhaps more importantly, he impacted the games on offense, too, averaging 12 points and four assists while shooting 5-of-11 from three.
If teams are convinced Byrd will find an offensive niche, there will be a spot for him in this league. Basically, teams need to buy his outside shot, but the creative ones will also take note of his vision, processing and ingenuity.
