The 2025 NBA Draft is still a little over two months away, but three Razorbacks showed up in one publication’s recent projection.
No Ceilings NBA released its latest mock draft Wednesday, and it featured Adou Thiero, Karter Knox and Boogie Fland as potential selections.
There’s no surprise for two of those names, as Fland and Thiero announced weeks ago they were entering the NBA Draft. Knox did the same last week, but also said he was maintaining his college eligibility.
Because of how recently Knox made his announcement, there aren’t many mock drafts that include his name. There certainly aren’t many — if any at all — that have him ranked as highly as No Ceilings does.
The mock draft has Thiero selected at No. 23 by the Indiana Pacers, Knox at No. 36 by the Brooklyn Nets and Fland at No. 41 by the Golden State Warriors. If it holds true, Knox will be sitting toward the top of the second round of the draft.
The NBA Rookie Scale, which sets a minimum and maximum salary for first-year players based on their draft position, only applies to first-round picks. So if Knox were to stay in the draft and get selected in the second round, there’s no hard-fast number he’d be beholden to.
For reference, though, former Razorback Jaylin Williams was selected in the second round in the 2022 NBA Draft and signed a four-year, $8,207,398 contract with $4 million guaranteed. Jordan Walsh was also a second-round selection a year later and signed a four-year, $7,639,303 contract with the Boston Celtics with $3,211,420 guaranteed.
In Thiero’s case, if he did get selected at No. 23, he’d be a first-round pick. According to the rookie scale, that pick has a value of roughly $13 million, though first-round picks can sign for as low as 80% of the Rookie Scale or as high as 120%.
As for Fland, in addition to declaring for the draft, he also entered the transfer portal Tuesday, according to a report from Jon Rothstein. He still intends to stay in the draft, but he wants to keep his options open. No Ceilings’ mock draft has him toward the middle of the second round.
There are still several weeks before any final announcement from Knox can be made, as the last day to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility is June 15. During that time, Knox will get the chance to get feedback from NBA scouts and front offices about where he could land in the draft, as well as learn what he needs to work on should he decide to return to Arkansas.
It’s also worth noting that No Ceilings isn’t the only mock draft out there. Bleacher Report updated its mock draft and had Thiero going to the Detroit Pistons at No. 37 and Fland going No. 42 to the Sacramento Kings, while Knox wasn’t listed at all. CBS Sports updated Tuesday and has Fland going No. 27 to the Nets, but it only mocked the first round.
The last day for college athletes to declare for the 2025 NBA Draft is April 26, so there will be plenty of fluctuation with every projection as other players decide to enter.
The 2025 NBA Draft will be held at the Barclays Center on June 25. Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest news surrounding Arkansas basketball.