The 2025 NBA draft is coming up tonight, and here at Timberwolves On SI, we're going to help you get ready with previews of each of the three major position groups. To wrap up the series, it's time to look at the guards.
Last year on draft night, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly made a bold move, trading a future first-rounder and pick swap to get into the lottery and take Rob Dillingham with the eighth overall pick. Dillingham played sparingly as a rookie, seeing most of his rotation time when teammates were out with injuries, but the 20-year-old may still have a bright future. Nonetheless, Connelly and the Wolves could certainly be in the market for another guard option in this year's draft, given that Mike Conley's career is winding down and Dillingham remains somewhat of an unknown.
With Minnesota holding picks 17 and 31, here are the names to know at the guard spot.
Harper is the expected No. 2 overall pick, with Edgecombe and Johnson probably not far behind. All five of these guys appear to be lottery-bound, and likely top-ten picks. But hey, we've seen Connelly trade up into the lottery before...
Demin may not make it to 17 either, but it seems plausible enough that he belongs in this tier. The Russia native is a fascinating prospect as a 6'9" point guard who played at Real Madrid before spending one season at BYU. He's an outstanding passer and processor of the game who has some questions around his shooting and defense. Traore is another intriguing foreign-born point guard yet to turn 20 years old. He's a shifty playmaker with a quick first step and all kinds of upside if his three-point shot is there.
Richardson is less of a point guard and more of a scoring-oriented combo guard. The son of Jason Richardson, he's an undersized lefty who averaged 12.1 points per game on excellent efficiency for Michigan State last year. The size is a bit of a concern, but Richardson is a lot of fun to watch as a three-level scorer. Clayton was the breakout star of this year's NCAA Tournament, helping lead Florida to the national title with all kinds of clutch shooting during their tourney run. He's undersized too, but he's an explosive athlete who can shoot the lights out of the ball.
Saraf would be a very interesting option for the Wolves if they go with a big/forward/wing at 17 and he makes it to 31. He's been a high-level player for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany this season at just 19 years old. Saraf has excellent feel, body control, vision, and touch around the rim. A variety of productive collegiate guards could also be in play to start the second round. Jones was a big-time scorer at Marquette. Proctor and James were both excellent shooters on last year's dominant Duke team. Nembhard's stock might legitimately be boosted by how well his brother Andrew played for the Pacers in this year's playoffs. Small is an undersized guard who had a huge season as a scorer and playmaker for WVU last season.