The 2025 NBA Draft began on Wednesday night and the Big Ten was well represented, with multiple players landing in the First Round. A full list of the league’s selections is below and will be updated as the draft continues on Thursday.
-Big Ten In 2025 NBA Draft:
No. 2 - Dylan Harper to the San Antonio Spurs (Rutgers)
No. 5 - Ace Bailey to the Utah Jazz (Rutgers)
No. 13 - Derik Queen to the New Orleans Pelicans (Maryland)
No. 20 - Kasparas Jakucionis to the Miami Heat (Illinois)
No. 25 - Jase Richardson to the Orlando Magic (Michigan State)
No. 27 - Danny Wolf to the Brooklyn Nets (Michigan)
No. 30 - Yanic Konan Niederhauser to the Los Angeles Clippers (Penn State)
It was a solid performance for the league, despite a few Big Ten players “slipping” from their pre-draft projections. It certainly would have been nice to see players like Richardson and Wolf get closer to the Lottery range, but it’s hard to complain about a night where seven players land in the First Round, including two in the top five.
The most noteworthy selections were clearly Harper and Bailey, who landed in the top five after relatively forgettable seasons at Rutgers. Both project as major NBA prospects and have a chance to be on rosters for years to come, particularly considering where they landed. Harper has a massive opportunity in San Antonio with Victor Wembanyama and the Jazz could be set to elevate in another year or two, especially if Bailey hits the ground running.
Queen’s selection also turned a lot of heads, though it wasn’t necessarily about his skillset. The Pelicans decided to trade up in the Draft to secure Queen, giving up an unprotected First Round pick in the process. It’s a lofty cost, at least on paper, and doesn’t seem justified given where the pick fell. Queen will have a chance to prove the skeptics wrong, but it puts him in a tough spot where he’ll arrive in New Orleans amid plenty of criticism.
Of the four remaining picks, the most interesting is Richardson. He joins a Magic squad that seems poised to take the next step after narrowly falling in the First Round to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Magic have a loaded roster with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, but haven’t been able to overcome underwhelming backcourt production in the Playoffs. If Richardson can provide a boost there, Orlando could easily become a title contender.
The other three will likely have to fight for time amid mixed circumstances. The Heat and Nets are in rebuilding mode, which could given Jakucionis and Wolf more time, albeit in stressful circumstances. The Clippers were in contention this spring, but often focus on smaller lineups and had Ivica Zubac last season. As such, Konan Niederhauser will likely have to fight for time off the bench.