NBA Draft: Purdue's Braden Smith Could be the Most Underrated Prospect

Despite his smaller frame, Purdue's Braden Smith combines elite court vision, scrappy aggressiveness and shooting upside to become one of the most underrated draft prospects in college basketball.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts after getting an assist Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Texas A&M-CC Islanders at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Purdue enters the season searching for a new identity following the departure of two-time National Player of the Year award winner Zach Edey.

While this is obviously a major loss for the program, not all hope is lost, as junior guard Braden Smith has shown he has the ability to keep the Boilermakers at the top of the Big Ten. While he is a bit undersized, standing at just 6-foot-0, he is one of the better playmakers in the country and could make a case to be the most underrated prospect in the 2025 NBA draft. Let’s take a look at Smith’s game and how his playstyle could translate to the NBA level.

Smith is an elite table-setter, as showcased last season with his average of 7.5 assists per game, which ranked second in the nation. Many credited this level of production to entry passes to Edey, but Smith has seemed to disprove this notion by accumulating 15 assists in Purdue’s season opener this year. His ability to make quick decisions and process the game at a higher level than opposing defenses is no small feat, and it appears that this skill will translate well to the next level. Jump passes are typically not considered smart plays, but Smith does this effectively, finding his teammates before elevating in order to quickly create passing windows and sling the ball all over the court.

Beyond his playmaking, Smith is also a very efficient scorer from all three levels. He connected on 37.6% of his threes as a freshman and improved to 43.1% last season on increased volume. His shooting mechanics are clean and smooth, regardless of how deep he takes these shots. He looks most consistent in catch-and-shoot opportunities but has also shown the ability to hit shots off the dribble in pick-and-roll sets. Continuing to develop an elite outside shot could be the difference in how much of an opportunity he gets at the next level, so he should make this a focal point throughout the upcoming season.

One of Smith’s strongest playstyles is when he is pushing in transition. While he consistently receives outlet passes, many of these opportunities are generated after he grabs the rebound and pushes the ball himself. Last season, Smith averaged five rebounds per game and gathered seven or more on 14 occasions. He is ultra-aggressive and rarely backs down from bigger opponents. While he did not record a triple-double last season, he was just two or fewer rebounds shy of one on five separate occasions.

Due to his smaller frame, it is easy to assume that he does not generate draft buzz for his defense, but this is yet another aspect of his game that may be undervalued. He is as pesky as they come along the perimeter and regularly disrupts ball handlers and jumps passing lanes, leading to two steals per game last year. While it’s difficult to assume he could become highly switchable at the next level, his ability to gather steals, along with his solid positional rebounding and advanced offensive game, could make him more than serviceable.

The road to the draft is undoubtedly long for Smith, but completely counting him out seems unwise. Elite-level processors typically find a way into NBA opportunities, regardless of size, so monitoring his development this year will be crucial for NBA teams. He is by no means a perfect prospect, but his over-valued shortcomings might make him the most underrated guard in the 2025 NBA draft.

⚫ PTS: 12
⚫ REB: 8
⚫ AST: 15

Braden Smith (@3bradensmith) starred in No. 14 @BoilerBall's season-opening win.

Watch all 1️⃣5️⃣ of his dimes 👇#B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/PkvUanYHHB

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 5, 2024

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