2025-26 NBA Season

Per ESPN


Standouts from Wednesday's scrimmages​



Cameron Carr, SG/SF, Baylor

My highest-ranked player to take the floor on Wednesday, Carr had his full offensive skillset on display right away, making four 3s in the first quarter of his scrimmage, scoring 19 in the first half, and finishing with 30 points, making 6-of-12 from deep. A high-flying athlete who improved his comfort level on the ball and shot 37% from beyond the arc this season, Carr did well to reinforce his upside as a high-flying 2-guard who can score from long range and has the length to be a positive defender. While he did have some errant passes, the positive far outweighed the negative.

I viewed Carr as a clear candidate to rise coming into the predraft process, due to his plus-8¼ wingspan and a level of explosiveness that typically plays up well in team workouts. Wednesday was a step in that direction, and reinforced his case as a current projected top 20 selection who could get looks in the late lottery. -- Jeremy Woo

Matt Able, SG, North Carolina
Able had plenty of buzz entering his freshman season at NC State, generating speculation as a potential one-and-done player. He had an up-and-down campaign in Raleigh (8.8 PPG), but moved the needle on Wednesday with 15 points in less than 20 minutes of playing time. He shot 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 5-for-9 from the field, also adding three rebounds.

Able's shooting ability is intriguing as a potential separator, but he also showed some ability with the ball in his hands. He doesn't turn 19 until July, and while he has the potential to be a breakout performer for Michael Malone and North Carolina next season, Able's stock could quickly tick up to a back-end first-rounder. (He told ESPN that he's "back and forth" about his decision.) He entered the week at No. 39 in ESPN's post-lottery mock draft. -- Jeff Borzello

Baba Miller, PF/C, Cincinnati
Miller was a standout in the first scrimmage, showcasing his versatility and comfort level on the perimeter at 6-foot-11. He scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds and knocked down a pair of 3s -- an area that will be key to both his growth (he shot just 29% over four college seasons) and to his ability to play the four in the NBA. The progress he made this year at Cincinnati, coupled with a continued predraft push, has put him back on the map at the right time. Miller also tested well earlier in the week, reinforcing his case to get drafted and potentially earn guaranteed money. Late-blooming bigs with his size and skill level are simply difficult to find, and tend to earn the benefit of a developmental runway in the NBA. -- Woo

Jaden Bradley, PG, Arizona
All season long, Bradley was a steady force who made winning plays at both ends of the floor. It wasn't flashy, he didn't have gaudy stats, but he won Big 12 Player of the Year as the most consistent player on one of college basketball's elite teams. Wednesday featured more of the same. He finished with 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists, and consistently found his way to the rim using his strength and body control. Bradley also excelled on the defensive end, going against former Purdue guard Braden Smith. Bradley is a projected second-round pick but has the potential to help a team from day one. -- Borzello

Ja'Kobi Gillespie, PG, Tennessee
Another college veteran with a second-round projection, Gillespie had an incredible first-half performance on Wednesday. He had 24 first-half points, including multiple deep 3s over outstretched hands, while also creating space to get into the lane and score inside the arc. He measured in at under 6-feet earlier this week, which is a concern, but his shooting and playmaking ability could mitigate some of those worries.

Gillespie stood out at three different schools during his college career, spending his first two seasons as an ultra-efficient offensive player at Belmont before shooting better than 40% from 3 in one season at Maryland, then eventually averaging career-highs in both scoring (18.4 PPG) and assists (5.4 APG) at Tennessee this past season. He snuck into ESPN's post-lottery mock at 60th.
-- Borzello

Jeremy Fears Jr., PG, Michigan State
While Fears is testing and will likely be better off financially returning to school, where he has two years of eligibility remaining, he had several nice moments in the scrimmage -- an environment that typically favors guards with his level of playmaking feel and decisiveness. In a scrimmage that featured few pure point guards, Fears' vision, ability to organize and play vocally stood out. He also recorded 17 points and five assists.

While not the biggest or fastest, Fears plays with sufficient pace. If he can hone his jumper over the next year or two, there's a place for him in the NBA as a second-unit floor leader. -- Woo
 
ratkinson said:
Lol, I think he might have been trolling you at the end there.
Click to expand...
Nah. The discussion started out when I made a comment about the Spurs and tanking and it ended somehow into him asking me a pretty vague non-related question.
If a question isn't clear to you it's always good to get clarification. It might have been clear to him but it wasn't to me.
 
ratkinson said:
Lol, I think he might have been trolling you at the end there.
Click to expand...
Also adding that I did answer his question, but he was looking for another answer. That's why I probed for what he was looking for. (It was to vague)
 
Vintage said:
Maybe. I’m high on Wilson, but he doesn’t have the outside shooting Boozer has. Boozer is so fundamentally strong. He can swerve as the offensive hub. I’m not sure Wilson gets there.

I’m happy with any of the 4. But I’ll feel a tinge of disappointment if Boozer is gone (unless Peterson is on the board - which there is a minimal chance).
Click to expand...
I’ll
Be honest….i don’t see it with Boozer. Good player for sure. Easily could see a Elton Brand type
Career. I think Wilson has a star ceiling though. Jumper isn’t the best but he can develop that.
 
Bamx said:
Also adding that I did answer his question, but he was looking for another answer. That's why I probed for what he was looking for. (It was to vague)
Click to expand...
I literally asked you name another bad front office other than the Mavs and when I saw you be obtuse I gave up. Couldn’t do it anymore. I knew then I’d been trolled by the guy who claimed I was trolling lol.
 
Bamx said:
Nah. The discussion started out when I made a comment about the Spurs and tanking and it ended somehow into him asking me a pretty vague non-related question.
If a question isn't clear to you it's always good to get clarification. It might have been clear to him but it wasn't to me.
Click to expand...
It doesn’t get much clearer than name another bad front office. If you can’t do that either you didn’t want to or was being obtuse. I bowed out gracefully.
 
TheMarathonContinues said:
It doesn’t get much clearer than name another bad front office. If you can’t do that either you didn’t want to or was being obtuse. I bowed out gracefully.
Click to expand...
I answered your original question and you didn't like it. That's on you. Anyhow, lets move on.
 
Bamx said:
I answered your original question and you didn't like it. That's on you. Anyhow, lets move on.
Click to expand...
Keep the breakdowns of the draftees coming. I'm trying to figure out who might be a fit for my Warriors.
 
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