The NBA held its annual draft lottery on Monday, formally setting the order for the 2025 NBA Draft next month. And almost instantly, a slew of outlets that cover college and pro basketball put out an updated set of mock drafts to reflect who is picking when.
And though the order of teams at the top changed, what didn’t was the consensus around Arizona’s Carter Bryant, that he is not only projected to go in the first round but possibly be a lottery pick.
Bryant, who came in at 6-foot-6.5 (despite being listed on the UA roster as 6-8) during the NBA Draft Combine, has the option to return to the Wildcats and has until May 28 to decide to do that. But judging by these mock drafts, a second year of college hoops isn’t likely. How he does during the combine, which runs through the weekend, may determine his future:
“Bryant is the type of player who could help his standing in the predraft process as teams get a better look at him in workout settings, and he ticks several boxes NBA teams actively seek at his position,” wrote ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who projects Bryant going 14th overall to the San Antonio Spurs, who have two lottery picks including No. 2 overall. “He’s an easy fit with his desirable combination of size, length, perimeter shooting, passing and defensive versatility, sliding all over the floor for the Wildcats this season and seeing time at both forward positions.”
Before the lottery, several mock drafts had Bryant going as high as 8th, but no longer. The highest projection seems to be from The Ringer, which has the Houston Rockets taking him 10th though that outlet also thinks Houston would trade that pick
Here’s a look at where Bryant falls in a selection of mocks:
- Bleacher Report: 16th, Orlando Magic
- CBS Sports: 16th, Orlando
- ESPN: 14th, San Antonio Spurs
- Opta Analyst: 14th, San Antonio
- SB Nation: 14th, San Antonio
- Sports Illustrated: 15th, Oklahoma City Thunder
- The Ringer: 10th, Houston Rockets
- Yahoo! Sports: 15th, Oklahoma City
According to Spotrac, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft—it’s going to be Cooper Flagg, don’t even bother reading or listening to anyone who says otherwise—is eligible to sign a contract worth $62.7 million over four seasons, with the ability to get as low as 80 percent of that and up to 120 percent. The “rookie scale” drops significantly from there, but every first-round pick could get a deal of at least $14 million over four years.
For picks 10 through 16, Bryant’s range, the scale ranges from $21.7 million to $24.7 million over four years. Hard to see someone passing up that kind of money for another year in college, especially since those rookie deals are guaranteed.