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Par Joël Pütz | Journaliste sportif
With the playoffs in full swing, we’re also getting closer to the 2025 draft. The latter should be exceptional with a feat not seen since 2015 and according to several experts, this ought to be a very good sign for basketball in the USA.
For American fans, it’s high time to put an end to French hegemony. For two years now, the first pick in the draft has systematically gone to a player from France, namely Victor Wembanyama and Zaccharie Risacher. The latter was even followed by Alexandre Sarr as the second pick last june… but barring a huge turnaround in fortunes, France is unlikely to repeat that in 2025.
Indeed, the big favorite of this year’s draft is from the USA, namely freshman Cooper Flagg. For a while, his presence in the draft was in doubt, as he had considered staying on at Duke University for another year. But in the end, the call of the big league proved too strong for the man some hope will become Victor Wembanyama’s great rival in the years to come.
Very few players in the 2025 draft
As mentioned above, Flagg is the overwhelming favorite for the first pick. You could even say he lacks competition, not so much in terms of quality as quantity. As it happens, the 2025 draft class will be much smaller than in previous years, as recently revealed by expert Jonathan Givony. NCAA expert Myron Metcalf sees this as a very positive development:
Jonathan Givony : Only 106 players entered the 2025 NBA Draft, per the NBA. That’s the lowest number of early-entrants since 2015, down from a peak of 363 in 2021, just before the NCAA’s NIL era officially started. Incredible boon for college basketball to retain so much talent.
Myron Metcalf : This is the real NIL story. Guys knowing they don’t have to turn pro to make money. Top earners in CBB making money comparable to late first round picks. Players getting more time to develop. This is a great thing for everyone: players, teams, coaches and the NBA. This matters.
After decades of being forbidden to earn money in college, NCAA players can now fill their wallets before even landing in the NBA. Will this soon put an end to the one-and-done trend, when the urgency to turn pro is no longer as strong as it once was? It’s quite possible, which would give young athletes time to develop before moving on to the next level.
