Round 2 of NBA Draft: Here's where most of best available players landed

Yahoo

18 hours ago

The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft wrapped with Cooper Flagg going No. 1 to the Dallas Mavericks as expected, two of his Duke teammates also selected in the lottery, and the Brooklyn Nets making a league-record five first-round picks.
Plenty of prospects remained for Thursday's second and final round. Here's a look at where some of the top names from our Big Board landed and who will enter the league as free agents:
Update: The Milwaukee Bucks drafted Marković with the 17th pick in Round 2
Marković is a modern stretch forward who also offers skill as a passer and post scorer. But to handle the rigors of the NBA and become a positive defender, he needs to add a ton of muscle.
Sallis is a poised, efficient scorer with body control, defensive tenacity and the passing feel to hint at more upside. If the jumper proves real, he could play a much larger offensive role than his current projection.
Update: The Orlando Magic drafted Penda with the second pick in Round 2
Penda plays with a veteran's mind and a winning mentality, offering connective playmaking, switchable defense and high-level feel. He'll need to improve his jumper to stick long term, but his unselfish game and defensive utility give him a strong foundation.
Update: The Sacramento Kings drafted Raynaud with the 12th pick in Round 2
Raynaud has leveled up every year at Stanford, turning into a player who pops 3s, slashes to the rim with a smooth handle and makes eye-popping passes. As a talented passer who also offers solid defense, there's little reason to think the Frenchman won't carve out an NBA role.
Update: The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Thiero with the sixth pick in Round 2
Thiero is a slasher with a jacked frame and an explosive first step, but he has severe limitations on offense as a shooter. If he's able to figure out the shot then his length and versatility would make him a classic 3-and-D role player.
Update: The Charlotte Hornets drafted Kalkbrenner with the fourth pick in Round 2
Kalkbrenner is a throwback 7-footer who owns the paint, swatting shots with his giant wingspan and dunking everything in sight. It's a bit strange he isn't a better rebounder. But as a super senior, he's also developed some sneaky passing and shooting skills that hint at higher upside.
Update: The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Small with the 18th pick in Round 2
Small is an undersized guard who plays bigger than his body, thanks to his excellent athleticism and gritty nature. He's a knockdown shooter off the catch and a solid lead guard, though his lack of size puts a natural cap on his upside.
Update: The Utah Jazz drafted Tonje with the 23rd pick in Round 2
Tonje will enter the NBA at age 24 with some readymade skills as an off-ball movement scorer and shooter. But his athletic ceiling and defense will determine if he's more than just a backup.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MARCH 29: Tyrese Proctor #5 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the East Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Prudential Center on March 29, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by)
(Patrick Smith via Getty Images)
Update: The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Proctor with the 19th pick of Round 2
Proctor is a tall combo guard with great passing vision who was expected to go one-and-done but has taken until his junior year to look ready for the NBA. At this point, he's sharpened his jumper and become an even better defender.
Dixon is a burly forward who brings a toughness and physicality to the game. As Villanova's all-time leading scorer, he showed versatile scoring skills, but in the NBA his lack of athleticism will put a limit on the type of usage he can receive.
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Nembhard is an excellent floor general who excels in pick-and-roll situations and made great progress as a scorer during his senior year. But with his small stature, the younger brother of Andrew Nembhard has natural limitations that put a cap on his upside.
Update: The Washington Wizards drafted Watkins with the 13th pick of Round 2
Watkins is a versatile player who can run the show, slash to the paint and switch across positions on defense. But the development of his jumper is stuck in quicksand, which raises questions about his ability to excel in a less prominent on-ball role.
Update: The Phoenix suns drafted Fleming with the first pick of Round 2
Fleming is a hustler who drains spot-up jumpers and brings energy on defense, swatting shots and snagging boards. But he has some real warts as a ball-handler with a lack of experience against high-level competition, so teams will have to feel real confident his role-player skill set will translate.
Update: The Detroit Pistons drafted Lanier with the seventh pick of Round 2
Lanier transferred to Tennessee after four years at North Florida and immediately thrived as a knockdown shooter with shot-making creativity. But without great size or playmaking at his age, he's a second-round prospect.
Update: The Toronto Raptors drafted Martin with the ninth pick of Round 2
Martin is a hyper-athletic, high-energy guard who plays bigger than his size and impacts the game with his toughness, rebounding and defensive grit. But his positional tweener status, streaky shooting and limited creation ability complicate his path to carve out a specialized role.
Update: The Phoenix Suns drafted Brea with the 11th pick of Round 2
Brea projects as a shooting specialist who has a clear path to becoming a rotation player because of his highly sought after skill. But in order to avoid being a weak link on defense, he'll need to make improvements to his athleticism.
Update: The Indiana Pacers drafted Jones with the eighth pick of Round 2
Jones offers crafty combo guard skills with advanced shot creation and a blossoming playmaking feel. But his so-so athleticism and streaky shooting paint him as just a cog rather than the rare star upperclassmen set to enter the league.
Update: The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Broome with the fifth pick of Round 2
Broome is a super senior who brings a ready-made game as an interior finisher with a passing feel and tone-setting defense. But his shaky jumper hasn't progressed as much as NBA teams would hope.
Update: The Charlotte Hornets drafted James with the third pick of Round 2
James is a versatile defender who sets a tone with his hustle, and after years of laying bricks he's worked hard to become a dead-eye, spot-up shooter. He brings much more than shooting as a crafty playmaker who keeps the ball moving. But without the handle of a primary creator, it's critical he sustains his newfound success as a shooter.
Micah Peavy, G/F, Georgetown
Update: The New Orleans Pelicans drafted Peavy with the 10th pick of Round 2
Peavy is a switchable wing stopper with NBA-ready defense, instincts and passing feel. If his improved jumper proves real, he's a rotation-level player for a decade.