The NBA draft has taken a page out of the NFL’s book and now prolongs things to cover round one on night one and round two the following evening. And the fireworks are set to begin on Wednesday, live, from Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Michigan basketball has a couple of prospects who are set to hear their names called, both after having spent one year in Ann Arbor — and thus highlighting head coach Dusty May’s development prowess. Centers Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin are set to be hot commodities as big men who can rumble down low while also shooting from outside.
Wolf has the edge going into the draft given his ability to handle the ball like a point guard, despite being 7-feet tall. But Goldin won’t likely go without hearing his name called one of the two nights.
ESPN put out its final NBA mock draft with the festivities set to begin on Wednesday. And, unsurprisingly, it has Wolf going the first night, just a little below the halfway point.
18. Washington Wizards (via Memphis)
Danny Wolf, PF, MichiganJunior | TS%: 56.6
Height without shoes: 6-10½ | Weight: 251Standing reach: 9-1 | Wingspan: 7-2¼
Wolf has one of the wider ranges in the first round, with interest from several teams in the back half of the lottery as well as several potential landing spots in the top 20, including Memphis, Minnesota and Brooklyn. Washington is another team that could take a swing on him, with his playmaking ability at 7-feet a particularly intriguing experiment on a team that would have minutes to offer him immediately.
Wolf’s uncommon mix of size and skill set has been a polarizing evaluation for many around the NBA, but he has received strong reviews in private workouts, which has seemingly helped to stabilize his draft stock.
ESPN also has Michigan basketball star center Vlad Goldin going, but in the second round to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 49 overall.
The Wolverines will certainly have another name who will be selected early next year in UAB transfer Yaxel Lendeborg, who likely would have been a first-round pick this year had he not withdrawn to play one season in Ann Arbor.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: ESPN mock draft projects Michigan stars in 2025 NBA draft