What do Tony Parker, Dennis Rodman, Jimmy Butler and Rudy Gobert all have in common? Well, yes, they're all great NBA players, each with several prestigious accolades to their names. But they were also selected between picks 25 and 30 in the NBA Draft, showing that diamonds in the rough do exist, even at the very end of the first round.
That's why it's never smart to discount these picks as pure shots in the dark, and our Audacy and LockedOn NBA experts are going through every single selection with their analysis and insight to show how teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets can make impact moves, even at this late juncture of the first round.
This is the final installment of our Ultimate NBA Mock Draft series, and you can check back on the first 24 picks throughout these rundowns:
— Picks 1-5
— Picks 6-12
— Picks 13-18
— Picks 19-24
25. Los Angeles Clippers: Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
Ayo Dosunmu led the Fighting Illini to a successful campaign.
(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
"Ayo Dosunmu from the Fighting Illini... love the kid, love his game, love the highlights. I love everything about this guy. I love his length, I think he can shoot, he's poised, a great passer, makes tough decisions look easy, doesn't force the issue. The big concern I have — which I have no idea because I don't know the kid at all — is he a maniacal worker? I'm not saying he's not, I don't know him, but if he is, he has a chance to be a future star of this league. He really understands how to play basketball, understands the league, can catch and shoot, make plays off the dribble. I think he's an underrated passer, I think this guy has a really good chance of being a star in this league, but he has to get to the right system. Think Oklahoma City, I can only imagine what they could do with a kid like this if they draft him. Love him, I hope it works out for him because I really enjoy watching him play." - Former NBA player Brian Scalabrine
"I really like Dosunmu, I thought he was one of the more underrated players in this year's draft. He's a combo guard, he put up really good numbers across the board, gave you 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists for the Illini who were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. I thought the biggest reason the Illini were the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament was because of Ayo Dosunmu, so he'll help the Clippers with their playmaking. I think they need more shot creation and more playmaking — Paul George was terrific in the playoffs — but without Kawhi Leonard next year, Dosunmu gives the Clippers a young guard, but one who has proven at the college level he can create plays for himself and others, so I really like this pick for Lawrence Frank and the Clippers front office getting Dosunmu at 25." — Former NBA GM Ryan McDonough
26. Denver Nuggets: Jaden Springer, Tennessee
Jaden Springer could make an immediate impact in Denver.
(Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
"If the Denver Nuggets had Jaden Springer on their roster this past postseason, 'Suns in 4' guy would've been wrong — probably would've been Suns in 5, or maybe even still Suns in 4 — but still, Jaden Springer would have been a massive help in this Denver Nuggets backcourt that was absolutely ravaged by injuries heading into the postseason. Most notably, of course, was the torn ACL suffered by star guard Jamal Murray. So Jaden Springer fits in very well in this Nuggets backcourt which needs some bodies, needs an injection of youth, and needs guys that can get it done on both ends, and Springer is an excellent defender, someone that can get it done. 6-foot 4, 6-foot-6 wingspan, an excellent defender in his one year in Knoxville. Scouts and coaches also like his offensive upside. He shot 43 percent from downtown in his one season in college, 81 percent from the line. Critics will say, 'hey, he only took 46 three pointers so it's a small sample size,' but Springer's one of the youngest players in the draft. He doesn't turn 19 years old until this fall, so if he gets good coaching — everyone thinks Michael Malone, the Nuggets coach, is a really good one — and he continues to evolve as a three-point shooter, we know he's already a good defender, then it's possible that Jaden Springer steps in as a rookie, as a rotation piece for the Denver Nuggets, and as we saw in the postseason, the Nuggets need guards that can score. The Nuggets need guards that can defend. And Jaden Springer, as a rookie, could be able to do both." — Nick Kostos, host of "You Better You Bet" on Audacy
27. Brooklyn Nets: Usman Garuba, Spain
Usman Garuba is an intriguing international prospect.
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
"The state of the Nets roster is heavily based on what the heck they're gonna do in free agency. Number one, Spencer Dinwiddie. Are they gonna pay him? Are they gonna re-sign him? Are they gonna pay a ridiculous amount of luxury tax to keep Spencer Dinwiddie around? if it was up to me, the answer would be yes, because it ain't my freakin' money — though I do spend a lot of money on season tickets — so I'd keep Spencer Dinwiddie, a guy that we've grown and developed. The other question's gonna be Bruce Brown. Bruce Brown, despite taking a shot he shouldn't have taken in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semis that still haunts me, was a key part of their rotation in the postseason. He was a gritty-minded defensive stalwart and he's a free agent. Is he gonna be on the roster? And the other question's gonna be Blake Griffin. Obviously, the draft occurs before these free agent decisions, but you hope Sean Marks has a pretty good idea if these three guys are gonna be back, and that's gonna determine, in my opinion, their biggest needs going into the offseason.
"As far as who I'd like to see them draft, keep this in mind. Nicolas Claxton this year was a second-year player, and Nicolas Claxton was awesome during the regular season — he even played well during the postseason — but we saw this in Game 7 against Milwaukee and we saw this throughout the postseason: they didn't trust him, and that's the thing to keep in mind. I don't think the Brooklyn Nets are eyeing guys that they're going to play big minutes in the postseason. So the kind of guys I would eye are projects, young guys who can learn, who maybe 2-3 years down the road, if these stars aren't on this roster, can then become something. But I don't think you look at this draft and say, I can insert this guy, he's gonna play big minutes in the postseason, because they're not gonna trust any rookie to play big minutes in the postseason. So I think this draft is gonna be an opportunity to either recoup some of the picks for future years, trading back into next year and the year after's draft, and maybe finding diamonds in the rough that you can develop over the next couple of years." — Evan Roberts, WFAN
28. Philadelphia 76ers: Herbert Jones, Alabama
Herbert Jones could develop into a nice stretch big.
(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
"When I think of the Sixers' roster depth and this whole situation as we head toward the NBA Draft, the one thing that stands out to me is how much this team needs more help in the front court with their depth. Dwight Howard is not a long-term solution — he might not even be back next season — and Mike Scott... please. The less I see of him the better it is moving forward. This team needs another big man or at least another 4 that can play behind Tobias Harris, and this will be accentuated if Ben Simmons is indeed moved in a package to get a lead guard or whatever they do to move him. That's another 6-foot-10 player that won't be here to help with rebounding, to help with defense on the interior — not that that's Ben's strength, but they just need more there. And I look at the NBA Draft, the Sixers have drafted a lot of guards in recent years and wings and it's worked out. Tyrese Maxey last year, Matisse Thybulle has developed into a really, really nice player, and assuming they keep those guys, I would now target — and I think Daryl Morey would target — a big. Maybe a 4 that would learn to be a stretch 4, shoot a little bit, give some defense, rebounding on the interior. I think that's important as the Sixers try to address their needs." — Joe Giglio, WIP
29. Phoenix Suns: Nah'Shon Hyland, VCU
Nah'Shon Hyland showed improvement over his career at VCU.
(Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
"A welcome addition to this Suns rotation. They had to spend veteran picks on shooters and backcourt pieces to back up Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Cameron Payne during this season. You can easily see Hyland fitting into that — Not only his three-point efficiency and volume, but also his two-point. He only shot 43 percent as a freshman from two, came back to school for VCU this past season, and upped that past 50 percent, answering a lot of questions. He can finish with either hand, he has a floater package in addition to his main event, that pull-up shooting, that spot-up shooting. Just a devastating shooter, took almost eight a game, had the green light, and really made his coaches happy for giving it to him. Defense is gonna be a question, frame is going to be a question, but the good thing is the Suns don't need a player to come in and play right away. Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Cameron Payne — those guys are rotation pieces, you don't need much behind them right away. You want to have pieces you can trust to grow, develop behind those players. Chris Paul is a guy you can learn from, Devin Booker is a guy you can learn from. I think the stage is set to bring in a player like Hyland who can learn the NBA game, get bigger and add this shooting that the Suns covet so badly as he matures as a player." — Brendon Kleen, LockedOn Suns
30. Brooklyn Nets: Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky
Could the Nets trade up to pick again at the end of the first round?
(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Trade with Utah Jazz: Jazz receive 2021 picks No. 44, 49 and 59 from Nets.
"Go back to last year's draft when coming into the season, the Nets were going to anticipate having not only veteran DeAndre Jordan and rising star Jarrett Allen, but also developing young big man Nicolas Claxton. However, through the Harden trade, the Brooklyn Nets ended up ultimately sending Jarrett Allen to the Cleveland Cavaliers. DeAndre Jordan's role diminished over the course of the season and while Nicolas Claxton did develop, the acquisition through the buyout market and ultimate retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge made it clear that the Brooklyn Nets still need more size and more length at the five position. Conventional wisdom would say to find that typical paint-protecting big. When you think about the lead-footed nature of DeAndre Jordan inside of this offense, it's clear that the Brooklyn Nets are not going conventional. Isaiah Jackson is a natural athlete, and probably has not even fully recognized all of his potential. With a 6-foot-11 standing height and 9-foot-5 reach, he's an incredible athlete, rim protector and rebounder on the defensive end with the agility and footwork to range over on switches in coverage. Offensively, he's going to be a floor-spacer, a respectable passer and certainly someone who can run the court and throw down the lob. At just 206 pounds, he certainly needs to build out his frame and is regarded as more of a developmental prospect, but again, inside of a draft class where he can be regarded as high as the mid-teens to 20s, the Nets felt it was worth taking a look at a short-term development and long-term prospect for the Brooklyn roster." — Adam Armbrecht, LockedOn Nets
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