Re-Drafting the 2025 NBA Draft Class 1 Year Later
The 2026 NBA Draft is just days away, which means we're also approaching the one-year anniversary of last year's edition.
That makes this the perfect time to evaluate the 2025 class with the benefit of hindsight.
Cooper Flagg had some surprising challengers for Rookie of the Year honors and nearly lost the award to a college teammate. Will that impact who goes No. 1 overall? Beyond that, we'll get to see which lottery picks slide out of the first round and which selections from deeper in the draft make climbs into the top 10.
We're erasing trades, balancing need against best-player-available thinking and essentially trying to re-order the entire first round now that we've got a year's worth of information.
Let's get to it.
1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
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Original Pick: Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg's Original Draft Position: No. 1
The Dallas Mavericks stick with reality by selecting Flagg first overall. Even if Kon Knueppel had a real shot at winning Rookie of the Year, and even if Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe proved themselves in the playoffs, there's still not a serious case for Dallas to deviate.
In his age-19 season, Flagg ranked among the top five rookies in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. He put up those numbers while spending much of the year as the Mavs' primary shot-creator, something he never did in college.
Anyone worried about Flagg's elite defense slipping needs to check back in when he's in a role that doesn't also make him responsible for his team's entire offense.
In a class that has several potential superstars, Flagg's production, intensity and versatility earn him top billing.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
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Original Pick: Dylan Harper
Dylan Harper's Original Draft Position: No. 2
More chalk!
The San Antonio Spurs wouldn't change a thing about their draft-night decision, as Harper used a relatively limited role on a 60-win team to signal he, like Flagg, has superstardom in his future.
In just 22.6 minutes per game, Harper averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Neither those figures nor his per-36 marks—18.8 points, 6.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds—come anywhere close to capturing his impact and potential.
Harper has elite shot-making craft around the rim, exceptional strength, a breathtaking handle and a level of poise that most 10-year vets would envy. His performance during San Antonio's run to the Finals, complete with smothering on-ball defense and absolutely zero fear of the moment, suggest he has a future as a No. 1 option who can also defend the opponent's top scoring threat when called upon.
Shades of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dwyane Wade, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell show up in Harper's film. The gap between Harper and Flagg (if there is one) is smaller than the one separating Harper from the rest of the class.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: Kon Knueppel
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Original Pick: VJ Edgecombe
Kon Knueppel's Original Draft Position: No. 4
This might incite a revolt in Philly, where everybody is very happy with Edgecombe after the springy guard was one of three first-year players to earn all 100 votes for All-Rookie first team honors.
Knueppel was one of the others to earn that distinction, though, and he put up more total points and rebounds than Edgecombe, despite playing fewer minutes.
Athletically, few first-year players could hold a candle to Edgecombe. But Knueppel's scoring efficiency was historic. His 63.3 true shooting percentage was basically unheard of for a rookie perimeter player, and it was far superior to Edgecombe's 54.0 percent mark.
This is a close call. We're giving the Sixers Knueppel instead of Edgecombe by a hair.
4. Charlotte Hornets: VJ Edgecombe
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Original Pick: Kon Knueppel
VJ Edgecombe's Original Draft Position: No. 3
We've probably managed to upset Charlotte Hornets fans just as much as their Philadelphia counterparts by swapping Edgecombe and Knueppel. Both sets of supporters would quickly learn to love their new draft picks.
While Edgecombe fails to match Knueppel as a scorer and perimeter marksman, he has a level of athleticism and two-way viability that would endear him to Charlotte fans. If anything, his defensive potential would make him a cleaner fit next to LaMelo Ball. No rookie had more than Edgecombe's 107 steals, and his thievery would add a disruptive dimension in Charlotte that could trigger more breakout opportunities.
Edgecombe would also benefit from playing with a true setup man as opposed to more of a score-first guard in Tyrese Maxey. Just imagine the lobs he'd catch and the high-rise slams he'd throw down as a cutter with Ball dissecting the defense.
5. Utah Jazz: Cedric Coward
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Original Pick: Ace Bailey
Cedric Coward's Original Draft Position: No. 11
Cedric Coward beat Bailey out for All-Rookie first team, netting 29 first-team votes to Bailey's 11 and topping him total votes by a margin of 193 to 107. Voters' opinions aren't the only deciding factor here, but it's good to keep in mind the consensus take on who the Utah Jazz actually selected and who they could have taken instead.
The stats prefer Coward here as well.
His 4.1 Estimated Wins Added rank fourth in the class, trailing only Knueppel, Edgecombe and Flagg in that order. Bailey checked in at No. 26 among rookies.
Bailey won't fall far. His obvious two-way tools, size and scoring potential are all still there. In fact, there's a good case to be made that Bailey, 19 years old as a rookie, could blow past the 22-year-old Coward simply because he has much more growth ahead of him.
Utah, though, is shifting into win-now mode and would probably prefer Coward's maturity and more reliable production.
6. Washington Wizards: Collin Murray-Boyles
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Original Pick: Tre Johnson
Collin Murray-Boyles' Original Draft Position: No. 9
Murray-Boyles moves up three spots here because original selection Tre Johnson mostly looked like an empty-calorie bench scorer (which was pretty much the low end of his projections), and CMB flashed the potential to become a game-changing multi-position defender on a playoff team.
Murray-Boyles put up 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while also averaging just a shade under 1.0 block and 1.0 steal in 21.9 minutes during the regular season before improving on all of those averages in an expanded postseason role. His feel on both ends, high-energy play and rugged style often made him the Toronto Raptors' best option at center.
Shooting is still a real question, and it is unclear whether CMB knows he's allowed to use his right hand on offense. But it's far easier to see him playing a major role on a winner than Johnson or anyone else left on the board.
Bonus: If Alex Sarr's three-point shooting continues to improve, there's no fit issue between those two in the frontcourt.
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Ace Bailey
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Original Pick: Jeremiah Fears
Ace Bailey's Original Draft Position: No. 5
This feels like too much slippage for Bailey, who averaged 18.3 points per game in a full-time starting role after the All-Star break.
His loss is the New Orleans Pelicans' gain, as he is probably the last player we'll discuss with an outside chance of eventually rising into the Flagg/Harper/Knueppel/Edgecombe tier of future stars.
Bailey's elite size on the wing gives him real advantages if he continues to develop as a self-sufficient creator. Somewhat surprisingly, he provided flashes of better defense, rebounding and off-ball feel than many expected. Utah (and now New Orleans) can credibly look at Bailey's film and conclude that, somewhere in there, there's a legitimate two-way star at small forward.
8. Brooklyn Nets: Jeremiah Fears
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Original Pick: Egor Demin
Jeremiah Fears' Original Draft Position: No. 7
One of only two rookies to appear in all 82 games, Fears finished fourth in the class in total points and fifth in assists. The Brooklyn Nets burned several picks looking for playmaking guards last June, but maybe they would have stopped at one if they'd been able to land Fears in the first place.
Turnovers, shaky shooting and predictably immature on-court decision-making were all issues for Fears, but the guard's sudden athleticism and handle allowed him to get wherever he wanted on the floor. That's a threshold skill for a future star.
Even if the league is broadly turning away from smallish floor leaders not named Jalen Brunson, Fears has higher upside than the Nets' actual pick, Egor Demin.
9. Toronto Raptors: Derik Queen
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Original Pick: Collin Murray-Boyles
Derik Queen's Original Draft Position: No. 13
It was tempting to go with Maxime Raynaud here, as the big man who originally went No. 42 to the Sacramento Kings has more stretch potential and is a true center—two factors that might have prevented the Toronto Raptors from signing Jakob Poeltl to that disastrous nine-figure extension a couple of weeks after the draft.
Queen is ultimately the pick because of his multifaceted floor game, uncommon playmaking for a big and statistical production. He and Flagg were the only rookies to rank among the class' top four in total assists, steals and rebounds.
A missing jump shot and sub-center size are real problems for Queen—with the Raptors and in reality with the Pelicans. Those concerns didn't stop Toronto from taking Murray-Boyles last summer, so it's hard to argue they'd stand in the way of a Queen selection now.
10. Houston Rockets: Egor Dëmin
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Original Pick: Khaman Maluach (traded to Phoenix Suns)
Egor Demin's Original Draft Position: No. 8
The deal that sent the Houston Rockets' No. 10 pick to the Suns in a package for Kevin Durant was agreed to before draft night, but it's actually more fun to imagine Houston keeping the pick and taking Dëmin.
The Rockets' offense was unreliable late in games due to a lack of spacing and playmaking. While Dëmin wasn't a pick-and-roll spammer capable of breaking down the defense, he showed during his rookie season that he could fire off tons of threes and hit them (38.5 percent) while providing valuable connective passing.
That makes his fit with the Rockets intriguing—maybe to the point where they'd reconsider the Durant deal if given a do-over.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Maxime Raynaud
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Original Pick: Cedric Coward (traded to Memphis Grizzlies)
Maxime Raynaud's Original Draft Position: No. 42
If they'd known what was in store, the Portland Trail Blazers probably wouldn't have dealt away the No. 11 pick that became Coward for No. 16 and three future draft assets. The 2028 Orlando Magic first-rounder will have to turn into something pretty valuable to offset the difference between Coward and Yang Hansen, whom the Blazers took at No. 16.
With Coward off the board several picks ago, we're sending Portland a better center than they acquired in Hansen.
Raynaud vaults up from No. 42 on the strength of 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and hints of real offensive potential. The 7'1" Stanford product hit 32.4 percent of his deep attempts as a rookie, but an elite mid-range game and 78.6 percent free-throw shooting suggested the capacity to develop a real long-range-shooting profile.
Yes, Donovan Clingan is the man in the middle. But the Blazers clearly wanted a strong backup, and they get one here.
12. Chicago Bulls: Carter Bryant
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Original Pick: Noa Essengue
Carter Bryant's Original Draft Position: No. 14
Essengue played just two NBA games before a season-ending shoulder injury, so it's difficult to judge him against his peers. Even if healthy, it would have been hard for him to show more potential than Bryant.
Exceptional athleticism and a high-revving motor made Bryant a defensive force for the Spurs—one who might only be a little seasoning and a reliable three-point shot away from filling the highly desirable three-and-D wing niche. As an added bonus, Bryant's physicality and competitiveness also allow him to slot in as a small-ball center at times.
It's a lot of fun to imagine him rocketing all over the floor in support of Matas Buzelis, giving Chicago a wildly exciting forward combo for years to come.
13. Atlanta Hawks: Khaman Maluach
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Original Pick: Derik Queen
Khaman Maluach's Original Draft Position: No. 10
We've erased the Pelicans-Hawks trade from existence and are treating this as if Atlanta is drafting for its own needs at No. 13.
Following a brief postseason stint in which frontcourt size and depth were real issues, the Hawks are going with Maluach over a couple of other viable choices up front, including Ryan Kalkbrenner and Joan Beringer. Both of those bigs showed brighter flashes as rookies (especially Kalkbrenner), but Maluach deserves the benefit of the doubt.
He went ahead of those center alternatives in reality because evaluators believed in his ceiling, and the Hawks are buying into that thinking here. Maybe in a couple of years, his 12.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes will skew closer to his per-game averages.
14. San Antonio Spurs: Will Riley
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Original Pick: Carter Bryant
Will Riley's Original Draft Position: No. 21
Noa Essengue was a tempting option here, but the Spurs' offensive struggles in the Finals are still top of mind. That makes taking a flier on a raw but potentially star-caliber project less appealing, especially when a playmaker and scorer with frontcourt size is still on the board.
Riley's handle, perimeter skill and ability to create advantages in one-on-one situations address a key need for San Antonio. "Downhill Will" has a knack for getting into the lane, drawing contact and keeping defenders off balance. He ranked sixth among rookies in total free-throw attempts despite starting just 18 games.
Measuring 6'10" in shoes, Riley is essentially a point guard with forward size. If and when the Spurs move on from De'Aaron Fox, he could slot into the rotation as a bigger, younger, cheaper playmaker whose youth fits the team's timeline.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tre Johnson
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Original Pick: Thomas Sorber
Tre Johnson's Original Draft Position: No. 6
This is a pretty long slide for Tre Johnson, but given the success the Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed with Jared McCain's similar skill set, they seem like the team to end the slippage.
Johnson's game was mostly as advertised, which is to say he provided quick-trigger scoring and not much else in an undersized shooting guard's frame. He hit 35.8 percent of his threes and showed self-sufficient scoring by converting 56.4 percent of his two-pointers without the benefit of a teammate assist.
A limited playmaker who doesn't project to add much defensively, Johnson's most likely future is as a spark-plug bench weapon.
The Thunder can always use more lights-out shooters to space the floor for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and might be persuaded to pivot away from their original choice of Thomas Sorber.
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Noa Essengue
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Original Pick: Yang Hansen (traded to Portland Trail Blazers)
Noa Essengue's Original Draft Position: No. 12
With just two games of NBA data to go on, Essengue comes off the board on the strength of a pre-draft profile that marked him as a project with star potential.
Just three days older than Flagg, Essengue is basically a wing player with a center's length and a track record of drawing fouls in bunches overseas. Rangy 6'9" athletes who play aggressively in one of the best international leagues should intrigue every team, but Essengue ought to be especially interesting for the rebuilding Grizzlies.
Few organizations have more incentive to take a swing on a mystery-box prospect than they do, and Essengue is basically the last risky, high-upside option left on the board.
Unfortunately for Memphis, it was always going to be tough to do better in a re-draft than reality. Coward was clearly worth trading up to acquire. Essengue at least comes with the benefits of great physical tools and a mostly blank slate due to his rookie-year injury. No one can say he's definitely a bust because he's barely played.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kasparas Jakucionis
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Original Pick: Joan Beringer
Kasparas Jakucionis' Original Draft Position: No. 20
Minnesota Timberwolves fans are happy enough with Beringer's upside as a potential successor to Rudy Gobert, but Jakucionis is a hand-in-glove fit on a team that desperately needs more secondary playmaking.
It's hard to be certain his 42.3 percent shooting from long range is real, but Jakucionis also hit 87.9 percent of his free throws as a rookie for the Miami Heat. Foul-line accuracy like that bodes well for his jump-shooting future, and perimeter efficiency is only part of the reason Jakucionis makes so much sense in Minnesota.
The real carrying skill he brings is in the passing department, where his vision, creativity and ability to diagnose defenses make him one of the best facilitators in the class. He'd be a massive help as an outlet and second-side weapon against defenses that force the ball out of Anthony Edwards' hands.
18. Washington Wizards: Hugo Gonzalez
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Original Pick: Walter Clayton Jr. (traded to Utah Jazz)
Hugo Gonzalez's Original Draft Position: No. 28
The cosmetic stats—3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists—don't exactly scream that Hugo Gonzalez deserves a 10-spot jump in our re-draft, but the gritty forward's overall impact might even suggest he should climb higher.
Gonzalez played wildly intense defense, chased down loose balls and cranked up the energy whenever he was on the floor for the Boston Celtics, characteristics that produced the 11th-best Estimated Wins Added figure in the class.
When they made their selections a year ago, the Wizards didn't have Anthony Davis or Trae Young and might have been less interesting in a gap-filling hustle player who can change the game without scoring. Now, though, Gonzalez's game is a perfect fit.
If he could improve the Celtics' net rating by 9.5 points per 100 possessions when on the floor as a rookie, it stands to reason his intangibles could make an even bigger difference in Washington.
19. Brooklyn Nets: Joan Beringer
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Original Pick: Nolan Traoré
Joan Beringer's Original Draft Position: No. 17
The Nets grabbed Jeremiah Fears as their point guard at No. 8, and now they add a potential lob-catching counterpart who can also anchor the defense (in theory) at No. 19.
On paper, this approach seems preferable to the Nets' actual course of action, which involved taking a bunch of duplicative guards.
There's a case for Ryan Kalkbrenner here, but he's five years older than Beringer and doesn't have the Frenchman's mobility or physical upside. With 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes and flashes of dominant rebounding, Beringer would give the Nets a potential starter to replace Nic Claxton and a perfect partner for Fears.
Surround those bookends with some shooting and perimeter defense, and Brooklyn becomes one of the more interesting young teams in the league.
20. Miami Heat: Sion James
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Original Pick: Kasparas Jakucionis
Sion James' Original Draft Position: No. 33
Sion James is on the older side for a rookie, having played his first year as a 23-year-old, but the rugged defender appeared in all 82 games for a good Charlotte Hornets team and would fit well with the Miami Heat's current roster.
James is a wing in the Lu Dort mold, which is to say he's built like a linebacker and uses that strength to root underneath taller opponents and manhandle like-sized assignments. Limited offensively, James at least keeps the ball moving and understands his role as a supplementary player. Early in the year, he couldn't miss from long range but ultimately settled in at a good-enough 35.2 percent on 236 three-point tries.
Grit and physicality play well in Miami, but James' game would have made him an ideal role player next to defensively flimsy scorers Tyler Herro and Norman Powell.
21. Utah Jazz: Thomas Sorber
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Original Pick: Will Riley (traded to Washington Wizards)
Thomas Sorber's Original Draft Position: No. 15
The presence of Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams didn't stop the Thunder from taking Sorber at No. 15, so the Utah Jazz shouldn't be deterred from adding him to a similarly crowded frontcourt rotation that included Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen on draft night and later added Jaren Jackson Jr. via trade.
Sorber missed the entire 2025-26 season due to injury but showed enough rebounding, clever passing and defensive disruption at Georgetown to land in the lottery. He could have gone that high again, but several other bigs actually produced as rookies and moved ahead of him. It's generally a good idea to trust OKC's talent evaluation, though, and Sorber could make this six-spot slide look ridiculous once he's healthy.
Utah adds physicality and depth at a discount.
22. Atlanta Hawks: Drake Powell
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Original Pick: Drake Powell (traded to Brooklyn Nets)
Drake Powell's Original Draft Position: No. 22
Over a dozen picks have passed without one matching reality, but we're breaking the streak with Powell coming off the board at No. 22. Of course, the real-life Hawks shipped Powell to Brooklyn, so even this selection fails to line up exactly.
Powell didn't put up encouraging rookie numbers, finishing with averages of 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Flashes of defensive playmaking and open-floor athleticism shone through occasionally, but it remains to be seen if Powell is going to turn those into real rotation-level productivity.
Early in the season, the 6'5" guard was efficient on tricky mid-range floaters. Perhaps the rookie wall was too much to overcome, as Powell's true shooting percentage fell from 56.0 prior to the All-Star break to 46.3 percent after it.
We're deep enough into the first round where a player's high points and athletic potential are worth gambling on. Powell might never establish himself, but the tools are there.
23. New Orleans Pelicans: Ryan Kalkbrenner
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Original Pick: Asa Newell (traded to Atlanta Hawks)
Ryan Kalkbrenner's Original Draft Position: No. 34
The fit here isn't ideal because the Pelicans would benefit most from a floor-spacing center, but Ryan Kalkbrenner has already fallen way too far.
The leading shot-blocker among rookies and the best offensive rebounder in the class, the 24-year-old big man was extremely productive and even started 31 games for the Charlotte Hornets.
Though limited offensively, Kalkbrenner generates extra possessions and finishes pretty much everything he touches around the rim. On the year, he converted 75.3 percent of his field-goal attempts, including 82.0 percent of his shots inside three feet.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Javon Small
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Original Pick: Nique Clifford (traded to Sacramento Kings)
Javon Small's Original Draft Position: No. 48
OKC's search for supplementary playmaking continues here. Even though Ajay Mitchell took on that role expertly, we're going to operate on the theory that there's no such thing as having too many players capable of creating shots for themselves and others.
Small shot 42.3 percent from deep and handed out 3.7 assists in 20.2 minutes per game, production that still matters even if it came during a stretch of the Memphis Grizzlies' season where the team was actively trying to lose games.
An older prospect at 23, Small comes with the kind of poise and experience that could earn him actual minutes on a team as good as the Thunder. Best of all, he'd have off-ball value because of his shooting. Almost exactly half of his 288 field-goal attempts were threes.
25. Orlando Magic: Ryan Nembhard
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Original Pick: Jase Richardson
Ryan Nembhard's Original Draft Position: Undrafted
It took 25 picks, but we finally get our first undrafted player in the top 30, as point guard Ryan Nembhard lands with the offensively challenged Orlando Magic.
Undersized and merely a solid three-point shooter at 35.6 percent, Nembhard proved capable of running a team across 60 games with the Dallas Mavericks. He spent some time in the G League but ultimately still finished tied for first among rookies in assists, dead even with teammate Cooper Flagg at 316 dimes.
Nembhard would make for a decent fit next to any of Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black or Desmond Bane in the backcourt, providing secondary creation and reliable ball security. Alternatives like Walter Clayton and Nolan Traoré are still on the board, but neither of those two came close to matching Nembhard's production.
26. Brooklyn Nets: Nolan Traoré
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Original Pick: Ben Saraf
Nolan Traoré's Original Draft Position: No. 19
What a heist for the Nets, who land Traoré seven spots later than they did in reality.
It's tough to justify the selection on the strength of Traoré's numbers, as he managed just 8.9 points and 3.8 assists in 22.2 minutes per game. A 47.9 true shooting percentage and 129 turnovers in 56 games reflect the point guard's youth and inexperience, but you can imagine the Nets excusing those negatives in a player who spent the entire year as a 19-year-old.
To recap, Brooklyn is taking Traoré after already adding Fears and Beringer, slotting him into a backup role that feels more suitable than the full-time starting gig he shouldered after the All-Star break.
27. Brooklyn Nets: Rasheer Fleming
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Original Pick: Danny Wolf
Rasheer Fleming's Original Draft Position: No. 31
Fleming started seeing regular rotation minutes in March and produced five double-digit scoring efforts across his final 18 games. That may not sound like much, but it matters that Fleming played a real role on a playoff team.
A physical profile marked by a massive wingspan on a 6'9" frame give the 21-year-old an edge over actual pick Danny Wolf, even if the 6'11" Michigan product put up more points, rebounds and assists per game. It's hard to imagine how Wolf would fit into a quality rotation due to his defensive shakiness and athletic deficiencies, while Fleming already looks the part of a prototypical two-way combo forward.
Given the small samples we're working with on virtually every player in this range, it absolutely matters that Fleming hit eight of his final 16 threes across the last two games of the regular season and his playoff debut against the Thunder.
28. Boston Celtics: Kobe Sanders
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Original Pick: Hugo Gonzalez
Kobe Sanders' Original Draft Position: No. 50
A couple of other 23-year-old rookie wings would make sense here, but Kobe Sanders beats out Nique Clifford and Will Richard on the strength of his three-point shooting.
The Boston Celtics love to trust the math on offense, and Sanders' 40.8 percent clip on a very heavy diet of threes makes him the best fit among available players. Though most of his reps came in 46 games before the All-Star break, Sanders shot the ball far more efficiently down the stretch. Across his last 22 games, the 6'8" guard averaged 8.1 points on a 53.3/47.8/89.5 shooting split.
That kind of accuracy will play on a Boston team that finished second in the league in three-point attempt frequency and quietly needed another wing-sized contributor—even after Jayson Tatum returned.
29. Phoenix Suns: Ben Saraf
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Original Pick: Liam McNeeley (traded to Charlotte Hornets)
Ben Saraf's Original Draft Position: No. 26
Collin Gillespie was a revelation this past season, but he wasn't enough of an every-possession playmaker to spare Devin Booker from way too much facilitating responsibility.
Ben Saraf, a left-handed setup maestro with good size at 6'5" for a point guard, would change all that.
No, Saraf didn't score the ball with anything close to league-average efficiency, but it's easy to look past his 39.6 percent shooting overall and putrid 21.1 percent hit rate on threes when considering his obvious skills as a passer. The film tells the story better than Saraf's 5.7 assists per 36 minutes, as he had plenty of games littered with crafty finishes and next-level dimes.
If not for the questions about his shooting, Saraf would have come off the board a long time ago. Good value here for the Suns.
30. LA Clippers: Asa Newell
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Original Pick: Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Asa Newell's Original Draft Position: No. 23
Asa Newell looked a little overqualified for the G League (22.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game) but wasn't quite consistent enough to stick in the Hawks' rotation. He falls a few spots to No. 30 but feels like a great get for the Clippers here.
After hitting at ridiculous rates early in the year, Newell cooled off from the perimeter and struggled to crack the Hawks' deep forward rotation. A larger role would likely have been available elsewhere.
Newell has good size at 6'10" and flashed highly encouraging outside shooting. He's too good to get shut out of the first round entirely.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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