Alabama basketball's Mark Sears, Grant Nelson both land in final NBA mock drafts
The 2025 NBA draft is here, and former Alabama Crimson Tide players Mark Sears and Grant Nelson are two names to watch in the second round of this year's draft festivities at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Neither Sears oor Nelson are locks to be taken in the draft, which has produced some guesstimating from NBA analysts over which has the advantage over the other as potential late-round picks.
Some favor the undersized Sears, Alabama's leading scorer in each of the past two seasons, while others see Nelson's 6-foot-11 frame and athleticism as factors that can make him a serviceable NBA player.
One such analyst who favors Nelson over Sears is CBS Sports' Kyle Boone, who projects the North Dakota native to land with the Memphis Grizzlies late in the second round at No. 56 overall.
Boone says of Nelson:
"The fluid movement and sheer athleticism of Nelson is NBA-caliber, though the holes in his game as a below-average shooter are tough to totally ignore. He plays big in big games and competes hard on both ends."
Bleacher Report's final 2025 NBA mock draft favors Sears, the Crimson Tide's most recognizable face on the court the past two years. B/R's mock draft has Sears going to the Los Angeles Clippers with the 51st pick.
NBA analyst Jonathan Wasserman said:
"Mark Sears led all players in shooting drills at the combine before combining for 31 points and 11 assists in two scrimmages. Late in the second round, teams figure to see a gamble worth taking on an undersized scoring guard with Sears' production, shotmaking and toughness."
One NBA analyst who favors both Sears and Nelson is For The Win's Bryan Kalbrosky. In his updated final mock draft Wednesday, Kalbrosky kept Sears as the projected No. 45 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls, with Nelson the final player chosen at No. 59 (by the Phoenix Suns).
The draft will be televised on ABC and ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
ESPN final NBA draft big board rankings
ESPN unveiled its final big board rankings of the top 100 draft prospects over the weekend. Here's how analyst Jonathan Givony ranks the three Alabama players who attended the NBA draft combine in Chicago.
CBS Sports NBA draft big board rankings
CBS Sports' full draft prospect rankings favor Nelson over Sears as the Alabama player most likely to be drafted Wednesday night.
The Athletic
The Athletic's Sam Vecente (subscription required) broke down the top 100 draft prospects into eight tiers. Tier 1 players are defined as "All-NBA" talent, while Tier 8 players are listed as "two-ways, stashes and exhibit 10s." An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, minimum salary agreement that isn't guarantee. Sears and Nelson fall into the latter category.
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