SI:AM | What We’re Watching at the NBA Draft

Good morning, I’m Tyler Lauletta. Like the rest of the NBA, I too fear the dreaded second apron.

In today’s SI:AM:

🏀 Underdog Turnaround
🏉 Gridiron Crossover
🏈 Frost’s Return

On the clock…

The first round of the 2025 NBA draft begins tonight, setting the stage for the next generation of superstars to join the brotherhood of professional basketball.

While the very top of the draft feels pretty set in stone—barring something seismic, Cooper Flagg will be taken by the Dallas Mavericks—things get far tougher to predict pretty quickly from there. Here’s a look at some of the storylines we’ll be watching throughout Wednesday night’s first round.

Which process will the Sixers trust?

If not for the Mavericks jumping all the way to the first pick of the draft, we might be discussing the Philadelphia 76ers as having the best luck at the lottery. Philly jumped up two spots from the fifth pick to No. 3, and most importantly were able to hold on to their own pick, which would have gone to Oklahoma City if it had dropped below No. 6.

Having the third pick in what many viewed as a three-player draft seemed like pretty easy business, but that business was complicated last week when Rutgers’ Ace Bailey, who was pencilled in as going third, canceled a workout he was scheduled to have with the 76ers.

A canceled workout is by no means a dealbreaker—plenty of successful NBA relationships start off with a somewhat awkward draft day—but it undoubtedly has Philadelphia thinking of other ways they could use the pick.

Do the Sixers grit and bear it and take Bailey, trusting that he’s the most talented player available? Do they look to deal the pick to some other team more eager to add the Rutgers star? Or do they hold on to the pick and simply look elsewhere on the board?

SI Mock Draft Prediction: 76ers take VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) at No. 3

What are the Nets going to do with all of those picks?

The Nets were already loaded with picks heading into the 2025 draft, and grabbed yet another on Tuesday in the three-team deal that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Hawks.

As of Wednesday morning, the Nets have five first-round picks (Nos. 8, 19, 22, 26 and 27). Should they choose to hold on to them, they could pick a brand new starting lineup if they so desired.

But a team with that many assets feels unlikely to stick and pick where they are. Instead, those assets give you the flexibility to move around and make the draft your own. The Nets could move up, down and all around this year’s draft and future drafts with the amount of chess pieces they have on the table.

It’s likely that no general manager will be busier than Sean Marks of the Nets.

SI Mock Draft Prediction: Nets take Khaman Maluach (Duke) at No. 8, Will Riley (Illinois) at No. 19, Liam McNeeley (UConn) at No. 22, Nolan Traore (France) at No. 26, Rasheer Fleming (Saint Joseph’s) at No. 27

Will another superstar be on the move?

The 2025 offseason is not even a week old, and we’ve already seen several star players shipped to new teams and franchises completely retool their rosters. Given the fluidity of the environment on draft night, will we see another big move go down as the clock is ticking?

Further, should such a deal arise, what sliding doors will we look back on at this year’s draft?

Some of the biggest franchise cornerstones the league has ever known came to their team via a draft day trade—Luka Doncic and Trae Young landed with the Mavericks and Hawks respectively after a draft day swap in 2018. Dirk Nowitzki was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but never donned the jersey, as he was moved to Dallas before the night was over.

On draft night, it feels as though at least one player takes the stage to shake the commissioner’s hand wearing one hat, only to learn moments later that they are actually set to don another. Which player and team will dance this brief dance this year?

The best of Sports Illustrated

Kevin Sweeney writes that Jeremiah Fears, once an unranked high school freshman with a standout work ethic and self-belief, reclassified early to join Oklahoma, quickly emerged as a freshman impact player and has now soared into the top‑10 range of NBA draft projections.
In honor of Wednesday night’s draft, Gilberto Manzano unveils his 15-person team of NFL players who could have played in the NBA.
Bryan Fischer writes that Scott Frost has returned to UCF—where he previously led the team to a perfect 13–0 season in 2017—and is aiming for a resurgence in the Big 12 by blending the winning fundamentals from his previous tenure with fresh lessons learned.
The Celtics are reshaping fast. They are trading Kristaps Porziņģis to the Hawks in a three-team salary dump and reportedly fielding offers for Jaylen Brown, with multiple teams showing strong interest. The surprising post-championship purge signals a major financial reset in Boston.
Caitlin Clark’s shooting slump persisted Tuesday night in Seattle. She went 0-for-6 from three-point range and finished with just six points, extending a rough stretch on the West Coast trip.