2025 NBA Draft Combine: Winners and losers

This draft cycle has been a wild ride for fringe prospects. With this year’s class considered a step up from last year’s historically weak one and one of the smallest draft pools in recent memory, we’re seeing significant volatility. Several prospects projected as early second-rounders just weeks ago now have legitimate paths to cracking the Top 25, especially after heating up in scrimmages and shining in athletic testing at the Draft Combine.

One of the biggest storylines this year is the visible impact of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness). We’re hearing about legitimate seven-figure offers for players to return to college instead of heading for the pros. In a section below, we’ll break down the tough stay-or-go decisions, as many prospects must now weigh NBA opportunities versus high-profile, well-compensated returns to school if they still have eligibility.

Most projected lottery picks and top-tier prospects sat out the scrimmages at the Combine, so our evaluations are heavily based on measurements (think wingspan, standing reach, hand size, and agility drills). It’s worth emphasizing that labeling these guys as “losers” or “winners” based on a few days of testing and tape is a misnomer. Basketball is a game of development, and most of these players are still just scratching the surface of their potential.

In any other profession, it’d be odd to call young adults “losers” after a single week on the job, so here, we’re simply spotlighting those who failed to meet public or front-office expectations in Chicago.

This is a winners-and-losers breakdown, but let’s keep perspective. A poor vertical, below-average standing reach, or a slow lane agility drill shouldn’t define a player’s ceiling or future in the league. What we’re highlighting are the key moments and data points that shaped Combine buzz and shifted the draft board – not passing final judgment on these prospects’ careers.