Charlotte resident Jay Bilas is normally seen at courtside calling college basketball games. But this time of year he always turns into an NBA Draft expert. Bilas started broadcasting the draft on television in 2003 (the LeBron James draft) and has done so ever since, this year analyzing the two-day draft for both ABC and ESPN.
The Charlotte Hornets will hold the No. 4 pick in the draft when it begins June 25. With that in mind, Bilas rated his top eight players, in order, for me in an interview Wednesday and then broke down the pros and cons of each.
“I think the draft really starts at No. 3,” Bilas said. “That’s where it gets interesting.” He was referring to the fact that Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper are seen as the near-certain first and second picks, respectively.
For the Hornets, Bilas said, they shouldn’t worry about how any incoming player would fit with Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball or anyone else.
“Charlotte needs more than just a need-based pick,” Bilas said of the Hornets, who finished 19-63 last season and missed the playoffs once again. “They need the most talented player. They need the best asset they can have.”
If the draft goes in exactly the order of the way Bilas ranks the players, the Hornets at No. 4 will wind up with 19-year-old former Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe. One note about Bilas’s “Great Eight” players: Half of them are from the Carolinas (three from Duke, one from South Carolina).
Here are a few comments from Bilas about each of his top eight players, in order of how good he thinks they are. His comments are lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
Duke wing Cooper Flagg: No. 1
Bilas says: “The no-brainer No. 1 pick. He is the most complete player in the draft, and he’s just 18. I think his defense is just as interesting and enticing as his offense.
“Very good feel with the ball. Can handle it. Very good passer. Shot the ball well from the middle of the season on. Shooting isn’t a headline strength of his, but it is certainly nowhere near a weakness. A terrific finisher.
“Not a ‘me-first’ stat guy. Dallas lucked into a talent that is going to be on the masthead of their franchise for a long, long time, and I cannot imagine a scenario where they would trade that pick.
“There are 30 teams in the NBA, and all 30 would pick Cooper Flagg at No. 1. Hard to imagine he won’t be an All-NBA player. There’s just not a thought in your head that the guy could fail. That’s not going to happen.”
Rutgers guard Dylan Harper: No. 2
Bilas says: “He’ll be the second pick. I mean there’s a possibility that the Spurs could trade the pick … But to whomever they were to trade it to, theoretically, that team would also take Harper. He’s got a combination of length, feel, playmaking and scoring.
“Good on and off the ball. He can handle it. He’s excellent in pick and roll, and he can create for himself. He’s not a great shooter. His shooting consistency, especially off the dribble, is not where I think it will be in the future, and I think he can become a more committed defender. But he’s built for the NBA.”
Rutgers wing Ace Bailey: No. 3
Bilas says: “There’s a lot of talk about him right now as a polarizing prospect. He’s not working out for a lot of teams. But his upside is tremendous.
“He’s one of those players that can make you look bad if you pass on him, or make you look bad if you take him and he doesn’t turn out to be what you project him to be. So there’s a little bit of fear. But he’s a scorer. He can shoot it from three and hit floaters and runners and turnaround jumpers. A seven-foot wingspan.
“Super-talented. Turnover ratio was high in college and he doesn’t shoot a great percentage from the foul line. His talent is so enticing, but there’s a little voice in the back of your head going, ‘But what about this?’”
Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe: No. 4
Bilas says: “I compare him favorably to a guy like Victor Oladipo or Dwyane Wade — not Dwyane Wade with the Heat, but Dwyane Wade in his second year at Marquette. He’s 19, he’s from the Bahamas, and he’s really talented.
“Probably the best athlete in the draft. His explosiveness really makes him a standout on both ends. He can be both a great defender and a fabulous transition player. His vertical (jump) is ridiculous. Decent passer. He’ll need to improve his shooting off the dribble, but he will. He’s one of those guys who’s going to get better and better.”
Former Texas guard Tre Johnson might be the best pure shooter in the 2025 NBA Draft. Petre Thomas USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas wing Tre Johnson: No. 5
Bilas says: “Johnson and Kon Knueppel are the best shooters in the draft. Johnson is probably the best 3-point shooter; he can really shoot it, off the catch or the dribble. He’s got a good mid-range game. He’s 6-5 with a wingspan close to 6-11.
“He’s not a great rim finisher yet and he’s nowhere near as good a defender as he should be with that length. And I think he needs to get stronger. He’s thin. Not crazy thin, but he could certainly put on some strength. But you just don’t find shooters like him very often.”
Duke wing Kon Knueppel: No. 6
Bilas says: “I think his skills will translate very well to the NBA, because he can really shoot it. Great percentages from three and from the free-throw line. When he catches it, he’s ready to shoot, and you’ve got to take the shot away from him. And he’s strong. Always around the ball, too. He gets a ton of loose balls.
“The negative is he’s not a guy who’s going to take a super-athletic wing and shut him down. Defense is not his best attribute. But I always think of Kyle Korver. When Kyle Korver was coming out into the draft, the the question was, ‘Well, who’s he going to guard?’ And Korver played 15-plus years in the NBA. So I’m not concerned about Knueppel. He’s not Scottie Pippen defensively, but he can hang, and he’s tough.”
Duke center Khaman Maluach: No. 7
Bilas says: “He’s a vertical spacer, an interior shot blocker and a lob threat. So incredibly long — his wingspan is close to 7-foot-7. I think (former Duke center) Dereck Lively was a better athlete, but Maluach can run. He can set a screen and roll hard to the basket, and the ballhandler can throw it as high as he wants and he’ll go get it.
“He’s also got a pretty good shooting stroke. No one is going to mistake him for Larry Bird, but if he works on it, he can make them. He’s also an excellent offensive rebounder. And centers are back now (in vogue in the NBA), and so is offensive rebounding.”
USC forward Collin Murray-Boyles: No. 8
Bilas says: “He just knows how to play. A lefty who’s a really versatile defender, is very energetic, and plays hard. He’s a good scorer, but not a 3-point shooter. Can score in mid-range and in the post. Good passer.
“Where he stands out to me, though, is that he’s a really good defender who gets a lot of deflections and a lot of steals. And he played on a (South Carolina) team that had such a rough year. If anything, he’s undervalued. I would be shocked if Collin Murray-Boyles is not a top 10 pick.”