NBA · 6 months ago

Hidden Gems: 5 Sleeper Prospects to Watch in 2025 NBA Draft

David Connelly

Host · Writer

5) Koby Brea, Kentucky
Koby Brea is the best shooter in this class, and it is not close. The former Dayton and Kentucky forward was a career 43.4 percent three-point shooter throughout his four-year career, including a ridiculous 49.8 percent in 2023-24 with the Flyers. He can knock it down off the dribble and catch-and-shoot, utilizing his length and size to rise and get clean looks, even if there is a contest. While he is an older prospect at 22 years old, he is a plug-and-play shooter who should help a team stretch the floor with his knockdown ability.
1) Egor Demin, BYU
Despite being a freshman throughout the 2024-25 season, Egor Demin looked every part of a senior at BYU. His feel for the game, anticipation, and decision-making made him one of the most enjoyable players to watch in the country when he was at his best. A product of Real Madrid, Demin has the professional level of experience to pair with his raw potential based on his size, passing, and shooting to make him one of the best prospects in this draft.
2) Cedric Coward, Washington State
Just a few months ago, Cedric Coward was preparing for the 2025-26 college basketball season, one he had committed to spending with the Duke Blue Devils after transferring in from Washington State. Coward chose to throw his hat in the ring for the NBA Combine, and it changed everything. Perhaps the best performance among all the participants in Chicago, Coward never ended up setting foot on Duke's campus and is now fully committed to heading to the next level. He may be the best three-and-D prospect in this class, and there's plenty of reason to believe he could be selected in the lottery.
3) Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
It's difficult to believe that the best player in the 2025 NCAA Tournament is a sleeper in the NBA Draft, but there seems to be some hesitation on whether or not Walter Clayton Jr. is going to be able to flourish at the next level. We have none here, as he showed time and time again in clutch moments that he was the best player on the court in every stage of the Big Dance. His rise to stardom from being under Rick Pitino's wing at Iona has been nothing short of incredible, and we're going to err on the side of productivity and accolades to determine Clayton's success in the NBA.
4) Nique Clifford, Colorado State
Nobody in the country was playing like Colorado State's Nique Clifford did during the final six weeks of the college basketball season. Across his final 14 games of the year, Clifford averaged 21.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 36.1 minutes per game. Not only did he display an all-around skill set that impacts the game in nearly every facet, but he also showed an endless motor and durability that saw him play in 107 games across the past three seasons. Clifford feels like a no-brainer, best available selection for whichever playoff team is lucky enough to scoop him up just outside of the lottery on Wednesday night.
5) Koby Brea, Kentucky
Koby Brea is the best shooter in this class, and it is not close. The former Dayton and Kentucky forward was a career 43.4 percent three-point shooter throughout his four-year career, including a ridiculous 49.8 percent in 2023-24 with the Flyers. He can knock it down off the dribble and catch-and-shoot, utilizing his length and size to rise and get clean looks, even if there is a contest. While he is an older prospect at 22 years old, he is a plug-and-play shooter who should help a team stretch the floor with his knockdown ability.
1) Egor Demin, BYU
Despite being a freshman throughout the 2024-25 season, Egor Demin looked every part of a senior at BYU. His feel for the game, anticipation, and decision-making made him one of the most enjoyable players to watch in the country when he was at his best. A product of Real Madrid, Demin has the professional level of experience to pair with his raw potential based on his size, passing, and shooting to make him one of the best prospects in this draft.

Hidden Gems: 5 Sleeper Prospects to Watch in 2025 NBA Draft

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