NBA Draft: Wake Forest's Hunter Sallis Looks to Solidify a First-Round Selection

Hunter Sallis looks to make one final push during his senior season at Wake Forest to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft.

Feb 12, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Deamon Deacons guard Hunter Sallis (23) drives to the basket as Duke Blue Devils forward Sean Stewart (13) defends during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images / Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Upperclassmen leap up draft boards every year leading up to the NBA draft. This season, one of the most coveted players will be Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis. Whether he is selected in the lottery or picked up by a contending team later, his value is very high, and after one more year of improvement, the sky's the limit.

Hunter Sallis is an exciting, score-first guard with elite creativity. During his junior season, Sallis finished in the top five in scoring within the ACC, averaging 18 points per game. After such a strong showing throughout last season, many expected him to test his luck in the widely considered weaker 2024 draft. Regardless of projections, it was clear that Sallis had unfinished business in the NCAA and decided to return to Wake Forest for his senior season.

Transferring from Gonzaga to Wake Forest helped Sallis evolve from a limited role player into a member of the First Team All-ACC. His offense exploded as he became dangerous from all three levels, shooting efficiently with 48%/40%/78% splits. Since his shooting did not develop until he was an upperclassman, Sallis will more than likely need to carry over this efficiency to secure a highly coveted first-round selection.

He excels offensively in various aspects. When he has the ball in his hands, his first option is typically to attack the rim. Sallis has a very quick first step and is able to blow by defenders. Once he reaches the rim, he elevates well and finishes with powerful dunks over defenders. If a dunk is not possible, Sallis has a great touch on softer finishes inside, making him nearly unpredictable in the paint.

His ball-handling is tight, and he uses a variety of moves to consistently get to his spots. Last season, Sallis was deadly on step-back threes and created space in the mid-range for pull-ups. His scoring versatility is a major factor that makes him a tantalizing draft prospect, but his playmaking could also allow him to expand his role at the next level. As the clear first option for Wake Forest last season, he averaged just over two assists per game. Despite these numbers being relatively low, he showed flashes of making great reads after defenders helped off their man to stop his drives. Sallis often got these help defenders off their feet before dumping off to his bigs or swinging the ball back outside to the perimeter.

Defensively, he does not necessarily stand out due to his slightly smaller frame. On the bright side, Sallis is a great lateral athlete and remains active. His disruption in passing lanes is even more impressive on tape than his average of one steal per game suggests. Being able to help on defense while tracking his man along the perimeter is a skill many top scoring options may lack, but Sallis excels in this area. He never stops moving his feet and often tempts bigs into forcing outlet passes directly into congestion and double-teams.

Sallis is also a solid rebounder who excels at grabbing and going. Averaging just over four rebounds per game, he takes advantage of any opportunity to fly in for boards while his interior teammates box out opponents. This aspect of his game has impressed the most, as he not only moves quickly in transition but also makes good reads while the defense is still in disarray.

Entering his final season of eligibility, Sallis faces a make-or-break year in terms of draft value. His draft range will vary based on team interest, but if he makes another leap, a first-round selection seems likely for a highly skilled and athletic guard like Sallis.

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