Maxime Raynaud headlines best 2025 NBA Draft prospects remaining after 1st round
The post Maxime Raynaud headlines best 2025 NBA Draft prospects remaining after 1st round appeared first on ClutchPoints.
The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft was nothing short of a whirlwind of excitement and movement up and down the board. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper kicked things off by being the first two players selected by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, respectively, but what happened inside the top 10 was madness.
Advertisement
Khaman Maluach, the best center prospect entering the draft, was drawing serious interest as high as the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets with the third and fourth picks, respectively. The Duke big man slid all the way to the 10th pick, where he ended up in a great situation with the Phoenix Suns.
However, the Suns then ruined this pick by trading for Mark Williams with the Charlotte Hornets. Williams and Maluach are very similar players, which now creates uncertainty about the rookie's role.
Ace Bailey ended up going fifth to the Utah Jazz, a spot nobody viewed as one of his prime destinations, the Brooklyn Nets didn't make any trades despite heavily being linked to Bailey and other potential moves, and the Portland Trail Blazers made the biggest reach of the draft by taking Hansen Yang at 16th overall.
Now, all 30 teams flip the page to the second round of the draft, where several notable names stand out after falling out of the first round. Maxime Raynaud, Rasheer Fleming, and Ryan Kalkbrenner were all receiving genuine interest from teams in the 20 to 30 region of the draft, yet they did not receive the golden phone call and await to see what the future holds for them on Day 2 of the draft.
Advertisement
Aside from a handful of really talented players being left out on Wednesday night, the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft featured quite a few surprises. Perhaps the two picks that had everyone stunned were a direct result of the trades that happened inside the top 10.
Biggest surprises from 2025 NBA Draft first round
Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
One of the biggest questions everyone was asking right before the draft began was where Derik Queen would ultimately end up. Although he was considered a top-10 talent by many scouts around the league, Queen slipped to the 13th pick. In this spot, the Atlanta Hawks made a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, who had eyes on Queen with the seventh pick.
Advertisement
Out of every selection, Yang going to Portland by way of Memphis with the 16th pick made everyone double take.
Although he put together great performances at the NBA Draft Combine and was said to have strong pre-draft workouts, Yang is by no means better than other center prospects taken behind him. The bottom line is that if Portland wanted Yang, they didn't have to waste a borderline lottery pick on him.
This selection sent shockwaves through NBA circles, as one executive texted ClutchPoints claiming this was one of the most shocking picks he's seen in recent memory.
'That is the wildest pick I've ever seen,' the source said. 'Those jobs up there are on the line.'
Advertisement
Portland taking the Chinese center is certainly a risky move. It will be interesting to see if it pays off for them.
Another shock was seeing Kasparas Jakucionis fall to the 20th selection. The Miami Heat are getting a high-potential guard with strong passing abilities, but Jakucionis was predicted to be a lottery pick. His fall was likely attributed to Jakucionis' lack of scoring and shooting skills, something the Miami Heat will look to polish.
Best prospects remaining entering second round
Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
There was much discussion surrounding Maxime Raynaud throughout the pre-draft process. Although several teams, like the Boston Celtics and Atlanta, showed interest in Raynaud during the pre-draft process as a potential first-round pick, he ultimately becomes one of the top players available entering Thursday night's second round.
Advertisement
While he is not the best athlete, Raynaud can be a decent rim protector who will immediately make a team's second-unit offense better. It is quite shocking that so many teams passed on him in favor of other frontcourt players since the Stanford product is a modern-day center who can step out on the perimeter and knock down multiple shots per game.
The Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers will be prime destinations for Raynaud since they have clear frontcourt needs.
Other prospects that now find themselves at the top of the draft board before the start of the second round are Adou Thiero, Noah Penda, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Rasheer Fleming.
Thiero is an intriguing wing with a 7-foot wingspan who made a name for himself at Arkansas for his tough perimeter defense. Teams are always looking for impactful defensive players, especially with Thiero's length, which is why he could wind up being a second-round steal should his 3-point shot come around.
Advertisement
Penda and Fleming are two forwards on the wing who were expected to be first-round picks. The French forward has the length and defensive instincts to be a plug-and-play wing right away in the NBA. If he can develop a consistent jumper, he will end up being a steal. As for Fleming, his 7-foot-5 wingspan was very intriguing to teams.
As a stretch forward, Fleming knocked down nearly 40 percent of his 3-point shots this season at Saint Joseph's.
Kalkbrenner was a fringe first-round pick, but it was a little surprising to see him fall into the second round given his size, shooting abilities, and defensive prowess. The Creighton product was a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and will immediately be ready to play as a second-round pick with a chip on his shoulder yet again.
Aside from those outlined, here is a full list of the best remaining players available ahead of the second round based on rankings from ClutchPoints 2024 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0:
Advertisement
Rasheer Fleming – PF (Saint Joseph's, ranked #26)
Maxime Raynaud – C (Stanford, #28)
Noah Penda – SF/PF (France, #29)
Ryan Kalkbrenner – C (Creighton, #31)
Adou Thiero – SF/PF (Arkansas, #33)
Chaz Lanier – SG (Tennessee, #34)
Bogoljub Markovic – PF/C (Serbia, #35)
Tyrese Proctor – PG (Duke, #36)
Sion James – SG (Duke, #38)
Kam Jones – PG/SG (Marquette, #39)
Alex Toohey – SF (Australia, #40)
Alijah Martin – SG (Florida, #41)
Jamir Watkins – SG/SF (Florida State, #42)
Koby Brea – SG (Kentucky, #43)
Rocco Zikarsky – C (Australia, #44)
Johni Broome – PF/C (Auburn, #46)
Vladislav Goldin – C (Michigan, #47)
Hunter Sallis – PG/SG (Wake Forest, #48)
Eric Dixon – PF (Villanova, #49)
John Tonje – SG/SF (Wisconsin, #50)
Kobe Sanders – SG (Nevada, #51)
Javon Small – PG (West Virginia, #52)
Dink Pate – SG/SF (USA, #53)
Amari Williams – C (Kentucky, #54)
RJ Luis Jr. – SG (St. John's, #55)
Lachlan Olbrich – PF/C (Australia, #56)
Mark Sears – PG (Alabama, #57)
Ryan Nembhard – PG (Gonzaga, #58)
Brice Williams – SG/SF (Nebraska, #59)
Max Shulga – PG/SG (VCU, #60)
Chucky Hepburn – PG (Louisville, #61)
Tamar Bates – SG (Missouri, #62)
Izan Almansa – PF/C (Spain, #63)
Grant Nelson – PF (Alabama, #64)
Payton Sandfort – SF (Iowa, #65)
Micah Peavy – SG/SF (Georgetown, #66)
Viktor Lakhin – C (Clemon, #67)
Caleb Love – PG (Arizona, #68)
Caleb Grill – SG (Missouri, #69)
Clifford Omoruyi – C (Alabama, #70)
The second round of the 2025 NBA Draft will take place at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, June 26 in Barclays Center. Deputy NBA commissioner Mark Tatum will take over for NBA commissioner Adam Silver and announce the remaining 29 picks in this year's draft.
Related: Pelicans, Hawks trade grades for 2025 NBA Draft deal
Related: Elle Duncan makes hilariously embarrassing Cooper Flagg-Ace Bailey blunder before 2025 NBA Draft
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
2025 Sixers summer league schedule: Salt Lake City and Las Vegas
Now that the 2024-25 NBA season is in the books with the Oklahoma City Thunder taking home the Larry O'Brien trophy, now is the time to head into the offseason and move into the summer. The NBA draft has come and gone and now is the time for the youngsters to make an impression on their new teams. The Philadelphia 76ers will participate in both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas summer leagues. The Sixers will give themselves an opportunity to see what they have in the likes of VJ Edgecombe, Johni Broome, Hunter Sallis, and there is a small chance Jared McCain could be ready to go after playing only 23 games in his rookie season due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. The NBA released the schedule for the summer league and, for the Sixers, it looks like this: Salt Lake City summer league Las Vegas summer league The Sixers will be granted at least one more game in Vegas so this is all an opportunity for the younger pieces to make an impact in Philadelphia.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce on the identity of the next great Boston Celtics team
What will be the identity of the next great Boston Celtics team? The Celtics are currently in the midst of retooling their roster on the fly this offseason, making moves to cut salary without losing too much salary in the process. Now under the NBA's dreaded second apron, Boston has added talent to the team on the offensive end in former Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons and ex-Atlanta Hawks backup forward Georges Niang. Niang is not known for his defensive chops at age 32 so much as his perimeter shooting, and Simons, an especially good shot from beyond the arc, is known to be a poor defender. Will Boston's next contender identity keep leaning into offense, or are these moves a temporary shift in team dynamic? Advertisement Few people are better positioned to talk about the identity of a Celtics contender than Hall of Fame champion Boston forwards Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who weighed in on these questions on a recent episode of their 'Ticket and the Truth' podcast. Check it out below! This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce on identity of the next great Celtics team
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Plaschke: Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick should be safe under Dodgers regime … for now
Rob Pelinka, left, the Lakers' general manager and president of basketball operations, and coach JJ Redick will have a new controlling owner in Mark Walter that they will answer to. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Memo to Mark Walter: Check your swing. Now that you're the majority owner of the Lakers, everyone is expecting you to whack their two most prominent leaders in hopes of transforming the basketball team into your baseball team, but you should instead initially act in terms your Dodgers would understand. Advertisement Take a pitch. Keep Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick in their jobs … for now. Agreed, this might be a tough call, and certainly there could be temptation to immediately can the two Lakers employees who most epitomize the incestuous decisions that have dragged the once-shining championship organization into dull mediocrity. Read more: NBA free agency: What to expect from the Lakers and Clippers Pelinka, the president of basketball operations and general manager, was hired eight years ago because he was the agent and confidant of Kobe Bryant. Redick, the head coach, was hired last summer because he was LeBron James' podcast bro. Advertisement Neither man came to their current positions with strong qualifications. Both men were beneficiaries of a post-Jerry Buss culture in which daughter Jeanie would surround herself with friends and family. It is a culture that led to outsized decision-making roles for the likes of Linda and Kurt Rambis. It is a culture that is diametrically opposed to the meritocracy that has made this town's other glamour team so great. Now that the Dodgers have basically swallowed the Lakers whole, it might be a foregone conclusion that Pelinka and Redick would be among the first to disappear. Memo to Mark Walter: Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Dodgers, recently became a majority stakeholder in the Lakers. (Emma McIntyre / Getty Images) Hold up rounding third. Advertisement Both Pelinka and Redick have earned a chance to show their strengths in a new system in which there will certainly be increased scouting, advanced analytics and a new professionalism for an infrastructure that had been difficult for any official to succeed. Ned Colletti was the Dodgers' general manager when Walter's group bought the team in the spring of 2012. He lasted two more seasons, Guggenheim Partners pouring money into the team and giving him every chance to succeed before firing him. Pelinka deserves at least half that chance. Don Mattingly was the manager when Walter bought the team. He lasted four more seasons, finally parting ways after the 2015 season. Advertisement Redick deserves at least a portion of that leash. Although both men have been viewed as overmatched both in this space and by NBA insiders across the landscape, each has done well enough to not be summarily beheaded the minute Walter walks through the door. Start with Pelinka. You do know he has an NBA championship on his resume, right? While Alex Caruso dismissed the 2020 title as phony last week after he won another ring with Oklahoma City, that first one still counts, and Pelinka still deserves credit for overseeing it. Read more: Magic Johnson: 'Mark Walter is the right person' to take over the Lakers Advertisement Yes, Pelinka is the villain who ruined everything by letting Caruso walk while gutting the title team to acquire Russell Westbrook. But he's also perhaps the only executive in NBA history to acquire three players the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis. He had lots of help there — Magic Johnson recruited James, and James recruited Davis, and Nico Harrison handed him Doncic — but still, he was the final cog in making it happen. Pelinka also engineered the splendid undrafted free agent signing that was Austin Reaves, which led to the Lakers finishing this season as the third seed in the West. You don't fire a decision-maker the same year his rebuilt team finishes third in basketball's most competitive neighborhood. You don't fire a decision-maker two years after his team reached the Western Conference finals. And you certainly don't fire a decision-maker until you know what's happening with his best employee. Advertisement It seems clear that James is going to opt in to his $52.6 million contract this week and remain with the team — and son Bronny — for at least one more season. If that's the case, then Pelinka should get the chance to add the rim protector he's been seeking to maximize Doncic and give James one more opportunity at a ring. However, if James unexpectedly turns down the money to seek better title opportunities elsewhere — not a bad decision for the Lakers, honestly — then the ensuing roster chaos will not be the right time to make a change at the top. Either way, the situation is fluid enough that Pelinka should be allowed to see it through. The same goes for Redick, who did an admirable job in his first regular season before melting down in the playoffs. Advertisement Granted, some would consider his first-round series game management against the Minnesota Timberwolves a fireable offense, particularly in Game 4 when he used the same five players for an entire second half. He didn't do himself any favors when he later reacted to criticism of that decision by bristling at a reporter's question before stalking away from a pregame news conference. During the most important moments of the season, Redick was in over his head. But as he admitted, he'll learn, he'll grow, he'll get better, and he did well enough during the regular season to believe him. Redick coached one team before the arrival of Doncic and the departure of Davis. He coached another team afterward. He deftly handled both of those teams while smartly disarming the potentially divisive distraction that was Bronny. Redick also empowered Reaves to become a legitimate third threat before Reaves joined his coach in a playoff disappearing act. All of which brings this surprisingly sugary piece to this upcoming week, the start of the NBA's summer madness, and the pressure is on. Advertisement Like it or not, Pelinka and Redick are a pair now, a tandem joined by the appearance of a new owner with new expectations. Pelinka needs to find a big man who can help carry them deep into the playoffs. No matter who Pelinka acquires, Redick has to scheme around Doncic and make it all work. They won't get many chances under a new Dodger regime that demands sustained success, but they deserve at least one chance to take advantage of the massive changes that this new ownership group will surely create in returning basketball's greatest franchise to new glories. Memo to Mark Walter: Keep Pelinka's and Redick's names in the lineup card. In pencil. Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
