The 2025 NBA Draft felt like it was about to get a little boring when the first 10 picks went by and we didn't get a single trade. That was not the case. As soon as Memphis traded up to No. 11 to select Cedric Coward, all hell broke loose. Some of the most shocking risers and fallers in recent memory belong to the 2025 draft.
In the coming paragraphs, I will do my absolute best to highlight the best and worst value picks from Wednesday and Thursday. There needs to be a cutoff point, of course, so I'll run through a few quick honorable mentions first.
Kasparas Jakučionis (the No. 12 prospect on FanSided's big board) falling to Miami at No. 20 was a shocker. We don't need to manufacture any more luck for the Heat, y'all.
Collin Murray-Boyles (FS's No. 3 prospect) went ninth to Toronto. While the fit is a bit complicated with so many athletes and so few real shooters, Murray-Boyles is the best defender in the draft and he was the perfect amalgamation of traits that Masai Ujiri values in a prospect. Naturally, Toronto's president was canned the next day.
Noah Penda (No. 17 prospect) fell to Orlando at No. 32 in the second round, which is a massive steal. Penda is a lights-out defender with excellent physical attributes on the wing. He's also a smart connector on offense, although he'll need to improve his shooter.
Now let's get into the exceptionally good (and the exceptionally bad) of a hectic 2025 NBA Draft.
FanSided's NBA Draft Central has you covered from every angle with rankings, detailed notes on every top prospect and more.
Worst value in 2025 NBA Draft: Yanic Konan Niederhauser to Clippers at No. 30
FanSided big board ranking: 61
Penn State's Yanic Konan Niederhauser was the big winner of the NBA Draft Combine. This dude was not on draft boards during the season. Now he's a first-round pick with a four-year NBA contract. The Los Angeles Clippers need frontcourt depth behind Ivica Zubac, so the idea behind this pick is better than the execution.
Konan Niederhauser is definitely an NBA-level athlete, with long arms and incredible agility for a 7-footer. He can defend in space and he led the Big Ten in blocks, wiping out countless drives to the rim. But he's also extremely raw at 22. He needs to improve his hands, better navigate traffic and add layers to his scoring beyond vertical finishes. The JaVale McGee comps are understandable, but L.A. could've found a far more well-rounded and polished interior anchor to spell Zubac for 15 minutes a game. Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 25 prospect) and Maxime Raynaud (No. 33 prospect) were both on the board still.
Best value in the 2025 NBA Draft: Adou Thiero to Lakers at No. 36
FanSided big board ranking: 16
The Los Angeles Lakers aggressively maneuvered up the board from No. 55 to No. 36 to select Arkansas wing Adou Thiero. While many expected the Lakers to target a center, the chance to add Thiero was simply too good to pass up. Thiero is a 100th percentile athlete on the wing. The dude has the same physique as the hulk and he's a total try-hard in the best way, mucking up every possession on defense and putting his body on the line to block shots or hunt down 50-50 balls.
He needs some patience on offense, but Thiero is remarkably explosive and coordinated on drives to the rim. His ability to cut through tight spaces (or plow through smaller defenders) before elevating for a dunk in traffic is exceedingly rare. The 3s don't fall often enough and Thiero is behind the eight ball in terms of feel, but the baseline tools and work ethic made him a borderline lottery talent. Him falling to a needy contender like L.A. in the second round feels like highway robbery.
Worst value in the 2025 NBA Draft: Hansen Yang to Blazers at No. 16
FanSided big board ranking: 32
The Portland Trail Blazers zagged in a wholly unexpected way at No. 16, selecting Hansen Yang of the Quigdao Eagles. He's the sixth Chinese player ever drafted in the NBA and the highest since Yi Jianlian in 2007. That is an incredible accomplishment and a cool story. Yang is a super cool player and he deserves the patience and support of Portland fans.
But, despite my own affection for Yang, he was generally viewed as an early-to-mid second round pick for a reason. He's slow-footed on defense and will face a steep learning curve against the physicality of NBA athletes. While his touch and passing vision at 7-foot-2 does hold extra appeal in the age of Nikola Jokić, Yang does not have Jokić's brute force or slo-mo maneuverability. Portland also has a lottery pick center on the roster in Donovan Clingan, who figures to stand in Yang's way. The Blazers passed on several day-one impact prospects to essentially stash a fourth-string center in the G League for a couple years.
Best value in the 2025 NBA Draft: Jase Richardson to Magic at No. 25
FanSided big board ranking: 13
The Orlando Magic dealt the No. 16 pick to Memphis in the Desmond Bane trade. Before that deal, Jase Richardson was basically the dream outcome, but there was no way he'd fall to their second pick at No. 25... right? Well, the draft has a funny way of working out for teams. Richardson fell right into Orlando's lap. This is the perfect match of prospect and team. I'm not sure there was a more obvious fit on the board.
Richardson has natural limitations as a 6-foot-2 combo guard, but the Magic are loaded with long, versatile wings who can insulate him defensively. On offense, Richardson is an ultra-polished off-ball scorer. He relocates into open space, attacks downhill with a purpose, and unfurls one of the best floaters out there. His touch, instincts and general processing skills are all elite for a 19-year-old. Richardson should adapt well to more on-ball duties at the next level, too. He will play early and often for a Magic team trying to win the East.
Worst value in the 2025 NBA Draft: Egor Demin to Nets at No. 8
FanSided big board ranking: 37
This was the low point of the lottery. The Brooklyn Nets put together one of the strangest drafts in recent memory, selecting five players in the first round. Three of them are tall international guards with shooting concerns. Another, Danny Wolf, effectively operated as a 7-foot point guard at Michigan. Demin was ranked the lowest of Brooklyn's prospects on the FanSided big board. He was also their highest selection.
It's not hard to see the vision in Brooklyn, stacking multiple high-feel playmakers who can set up teammates and elevate those around them. But the lack of scoring among their picks is glaring, especially with Demin at No. 8. He confidently steps into 3s, but the Russian 19-year-old hit 27.3 percent of his attempts at BYU and he has never been particularly efficient from deep. He also struggles with physicality as a driver and tends to settle for contested jumpers when he's not passing. Off the ball, Demin rarely does much. He's not a great defender. It's just hard to understand why this was the pick at this stage in the draft.
Best value in the 2025 NBA Draft: Noa Essengue to Bulls at No. 12
FanSided big board ranking: 4
Don't look now, but the Chicago Bulls made a smart pick. Noa Essengue is the perfect fit for Billy Donovan's system. The 18-year-old French wing loves to get out in transition, where his agility really shines at 6-foot-11. It's more than fair to be skeptical of Josh Giddey as Chicago's primary engine, but he is going to get out on the break and spoon-feed Essengue on a lot of easy finishes at the rim.
Moreover, Essengue is the defensive backbone Chicago has gravely lacked in recent years. He will need time to actualize his ceiling on that end, with a major focus on adding strength, but Essengue's movement skills and instincts with a 9-foot-2 standing reach are rare. He covers so much ground, whether it's swatting shots from the weak side or mirroring guards at the point of attack. Essenuge thinks the game at a high level for his age and puts himself in a position to impact winning despite the rough edges of his skill set. This is both a great fit and a long overdue upside swing for the Bulls.