The biggest steal in the 2025 NBA Draft is already painfully obvious

The 2025 NBA Draft class is miles ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft in terms of talent, top to bottom. That is part of why so many questioned Kam Jones' decision to return to Marquette for a senior campaign when a first-round selection was in the cards last season.

Jones was electric during the Golden Eagles' last NCAA Tournament run, which led to a sharp spike in NBA interest. He went from on the radar to on the radar, wowing scouts with a blistering 3-point shot, crafty handles and an endless well of confidence.

He went back to school, though, and now the logic behind Jones' decision is abundantly clear. Not only has Jones embraced a larger workload in the absence of Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro, both of whom left for the NBA. He has also completely changed his approach: Jones is basically responding directly to scouts' criticisms of his game, showcasing an expanded skill set with very few noticeable holes. That, and the production is absurd.

Through 13 games, the 22-year-old senior is averaging 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists on .540/.361/.718 splits. He's one of the very best guards in the country, and his NBA Draft stock is appropriately on the rise. Jones ranked 19th in our most recent big board.

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Kam Jones has 2025 NBA Draft steal written all over him

I am generally wary of hyping up seniors who needed several years to find their footing in college, but Jones has been an impact starter averaging 15-plus points for three years now. The shot-making has never been in question; he shot 40.6 percent from deep in 2023 and is down to 36.1 percent in 2024, with his career average falling smack dab in the middle.

There are some red flags there, as Jones is a middling free throw shooter and his 3-point volume is actually down this season, despite an increase in overall shots and usage. But, that mostly speaks to Jones' commitment to penetrating the defense and finishing around the rim, where he's unusually efficient for a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard.

Equipped with a potent mid-range pull-up and endlessly creative when it comes to mixing speeds and exploiting angles as a ball-handler, Jones has legitimate three-level equity as a scorer. The buckets alone warrant serious consideration from NBA teams late in the first round, but what is most impressive about Jones' senior season to date is the passing.

He's averaging 6.4 assists, up from 2.4 a season ago. This uptick has occured with only a mild increase in turnovers (1.4 to 1.5), which means Jones is seeking out teammates more frequently without sacrificing ball security. This is not a simple spike in usage. Jones' assist rate has gone from 16.6 percent to 42.0 percent, which is utterly comical. He is putting an extra emphasis on his ability to set up the offense and elevate those in his orbit.

That ought to catch the attention of even his most ardent skeptics. It's one thing to question Jones as an upperclassman who is somewhat one-dimensional as a skinny, score-first guard. It's another thing entirely to doubt the potent, versatile shot-maker who is also shouldering the lion's share of offensive responsbility for a very good Marquette team.

The last Bleacher Report mock draft has Jones as the 35th pick. The folks at No Ceilings have him going 20th. That is a wide range, but it's also an incredibly valuable range. Contenders looking for immediate contributions from a well-rounded, multi-faceted prospect would be lucky to stumble into Jones, who should be adaptable in different schemes and scalable depending on the situation he lands in.