With the NBA Draft fast approaching, the offseason outlook begins to take shape as discourse around the league’s next wave comes to the forefront.
The May 28 draft decision deadline saw more than a dozen projected top-60 prospects opt to return to college. As a result, numerous slots on the board were vacated as new blood entered the fray.
The 2025 class boasts high-end talent with the depth to match. As the NBA cohort continues to diversify with the global feeder system ever-growing, it is no surprise that the incoming crop of athletes hails from both domestic and international programs. With hidden gems to be unearthed and prospective suitors aplenty, here are five prospects flying under the radar as draft day looms.
Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Serbia)
A Serbian big man who donned the same bright pink jersey a young Nikola Jokic once did, Markovic is flirting with late first-round consideration. Déjà vu aside, the 6-foot-11, 190-pound featherweight power forward posted 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on 38.8% 3-point shooting in Serbia’s Liga ABA. Markovic exhibits great post footwork, connects the dots as a passer in the half court, and is comfortable putting the ball on the deck to ignite fast breaks. Defensively, he is spatially astute and slides his feet nimbly for his size. Nevertheless, bulking up and filling out his frame will be priority No. 1.
Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
Zikarsky’s measurables turned heads at the NBA Draft Combine, clocking in at 7-foot-3 barefoot with a 9-foot-6½ standing reach — both tops among participants. Zikarsky has spent the past two seasons coming off the bench for the NBL’s Brisbane Bullets. He was a mountain in the middle in a league filled with both blisteringly quick guards and physically inclined bigs. Despite his wiry frame, Zikarsky is an all-purpose pick-and-roll defender with immense defensive upside as a colossus who can execute coverages and guard in space. With little shooting or playmaking glimpses to speak of, Zikarsky has the makings of a defensive anchor who can relieve pressure in the half court offensively with vertical spacing.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State
The Draft Combine worked wonders for Swiss-born Konan Niederhauser, who ultimately forewent his senior year at Penn State. He dominated on the interior to the tune of 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game as a junior. Niederhauser is an explosive leaper with soft hands and a well-proportioned frame. He typecasts as a reliable rim reader and play-finisher in the painted area who leverages an array of touch finishes or rim-rattling dunks. Defensively, Niederhauser is a swat machine who closes in on drivers with timely rotations. He projects as a mainstay in the mid-to-late second round.
Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
A 6-foot-5 combo guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Sallis’ tools are undeniable. Few in the class are as crafty with the ball in their hands. Sallis is a herky-jerky dribble driver who can get by his man with either hand. A plethora of counters — hesitations, crab dribbles and more — allow him to get to his spots inside the arc with aplomb. A slithery finisher and lethal pull-up shooter, the long ball remains his biggest question. Sallis’ 3-point percentage dropped from 40.5% as a junior to 27.7% as a senior, the former of which appears to be the outlier. His on-ball poise and point-of-attack defense measure up, but the iffy jump shot may relegate his draft stock to the second round.
Micah Peavy, Georgetown
Peavy vaulted himself into NBA Draft discourse with a breakout fifth year in college. He parlayed his newfound primacy at Georgetown into career bests in every major statistical category. Peavy is a 6-foot-7 two-way wing who is a weapon in transition and isolation. He is a scoring threat from all three levels, whether finishing with purpose at the rim or stopping and popping for elbow jumpers. Much of Peavy’s allure stems from his defense, equipped with the base strength, quick feet and rapturous energy to magnetize and shut down opposing wings. Peavy displayed shooting upside for the first time as a super senior, drilling 40.8% of his 4.1 3-point attempts per game. His robotic shooting form begs the question of whether that mark was a flash in the pan.
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