The NBA Draft is less than a week away as teams and players scramble to find the right fit in this year's class.
With the event set for Wednesday, June 25, teams are putting the finishing touches on their draft boards. One player who hasn't received much public attention that could be valued by front offices is Duke wing Sion James.
James didn't produce eye-popping numbers in 2024-25 and wasn't the first, second or even third option on his Blue Devils' team that reached the Final 4. Still, James showed enough in his time at Duke and Tulane to earn a spot in the 2025 NBA Draft, and potentially a position in the top 40 overall selections.
NBA Draft on SI's most recent mock draft saw the five-year college player go off the board at No. 38 to the San Antonio Spurs.
In his lone season at Duke, James averaged 8.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 51.6% from the field and 41.3% from beyond the arc on 1.9 attempts per contest. Prior to his transfer, the former 3-star recruit averaged 14 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc at Tulane.
With strong shooting splits and a good all-around game, James has the skill set to be a solid role player at the next level. After playing alongside Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach in college, James should have plenty of experience operating as a role player and be able to adjust to his role in the NBA quicker than other players who were stars on their college teams.
After 153 college games and 139 starts, James has plenty of experience as a primary option and a role player, which should help prepare him for likfe in the pros.
At the NBA Combine, James measured at 6-foot-4 and half an inch without shoes, weighing 217 pounds and recording a 6-foot-6 and half an inch wingspan. To go along with his solid height and weight, James also recorded impressive athletic testing numbers in Chicago.
The Buford, Georgia, product had the fastest three-quarter sprint time at 2.97 seconds and tied with Karter Knox for the fifth-highest max vertical leap. With good athleticism to go along with his experience and production, James could be an valuable role player at the next level.
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