Chaz Lanier heard his name called on Thursday night in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft when the Detroit Pistons made the selection with the No. 37 overall pick.
He has been slotted around pick No. 38, so it's no surprise he landed at No. 37 after a strong season in his lone year on Rocky Top.
Lanier becomes the tenth VFL to be drafted during the Rick Barnes era, following: Grant Williams (2019), Admiral Schofield (2019), Jordan Bone (2019), Keon Johnson (2021), Jaden Springer (2021), Kennedy Chandler (2022), Julian Phillips (2023), and Dalton Knecht (2024).
Lanier came to Tennessee in hopes of following in Knecht's footsteps and becoming Tennessee's premier scorer before heading to the NBA. Lanier flourished on Rocky Top just as Knecht did in his only season under Barnes, and now they will both have the opportunity to play in the NBA next season.
The career 11.4 points per game and 45% shooter, with a 40.2 shooting percentage from three-point range, played some of his best basketball this past season. Lanier averaged 18 points per game while shooting 43% from the field and 39.5% from three-point range.
Not only did he put together impressive numbers, but he also achieved this feat in the best conference in college basketball while being a significant reason Tennessee made an Elite Eight run for the second consecutive season.
Lanier was named to the John R. Wooden Award Men's All-America Team for his efforts with Tennessee this past season, and he continues to be rewarded for his hard work with an opportunity to play for a historic franchise in Detroit.
The Pistons finished 6th in the Eastern Conference this year with a 44-38 record. They finished the year 12th in points per game, 13th in rebounds per game, and 15th in assists per game. If they can find a couple more of the right pieces, Detroit could quickly become a championship contender in the next few years.
NBA.com's analysis and projection of Lanier has high hopes for the former Vol as he begins his NBA career with the hopes of becoming a mainstay with the Pistons and a notable player throughout the Association.
"Defenders have to get in Lanier’s jersey to prevent him from shooting 3s. More than half his shots came from deep across his collegiate career, notably going 256-for-621 (41.2%) during his final three seasons," [NBA.com writes about Lanier](https://www.nba.com/draft/2025/prospects/chaz-lanier).
"Lanier is not afraid to fire away on the move, flying off screens and launching up shots before his defender can turn the corner. The mid-range is in his arsenal as well, with some upside as a mid-post player against smaller opponents. He picks and chooses his spots when attacking the basket and can occasionally rise over a defender for a dunk. Defensively, Lanier is solid. He can guard a bit up and down relative to his size, but isn’t known as a switch defender."
Lanier will also have the opportunity to team up with fellow VFL Tobias Harris on the Pistons, who could be a great mentor for Lanier as he gets his feet wet.
He will likely earn hefty minutes in the NBA Summer League this year as the Pistons figure out where he can fit on their roster. Although the schedule has not yet been released, the NBA has announced that it will take place from July 10 to 20 in Las Vegas.