2025 NBA Draft Offers Strong Guard Class

After a few down years, the 2025 NBA Draft is set to roll out a strong class of guards.

Dec 10, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Long Island Lutheran guard VJ Edgecombe (1) against Wasatch Academy during the HoopHall West basketball tournament at Chaparral High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Near-every year at the NBA Draft, a few teams get franchise-altering guards to add to their backcourt. In the past few seasons, though, that hasn’t necessarily been the case, and the 2025 NBA Draft should see a return to form.

In the recent 2024 draft, the first guards selected were Reed Sheppard and Stephon Castle at No. 3 and 4, respectively. While both great players in their own right, both were looked at as more complimentary than future-altering adds.

In 2023, former Ignite guard Scoot Henderson was looked at as that player, but through his rookie season has yet to live up to the hype. In 2022, Jaden Ivey was the first guard taken off the board at No. 5, and he’s seen a similar trajectory.

The incoming class, though, is going to have a myriad of options near the upper ranks of the draft. Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, to this point the consensus top guard among draft experts, leads the pack as a 6-foot-6 do-it-all combo guard.

VJ Edgecombe, who gained social media acclaim with a fiery debut against NBA players in Olympic practices, could also shoot into that echelon with ease. 

Other options will include French guard Nolan Traore, soon-to-be Texas standout Tre Johnson, Illinois’ Kasparov Jakucionis and more.

The guard spot is typically one of the harder ones to break into in the big leagues, but there will be several teams at the top of the 2025 NBA Draft in need of one, starting with the Nets and Wizards.

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