The 2025 NBA Draft was certainly interesting and had several surprises, but it has now come to a close. As with any draft, NBA teams and prospects drew a lot of reaction, good and bad. While Cooper Flagg is considered a “generational talent” and a ready-made star, there were some questionable decisions by teams. But who are the 2025 NBA first-round selections likely to be busts?
Egor Denim and Yang Hassan Among The 2025 NBA Draftees With the Biggest Bust Potential
The NBA is always a crap shoot with a few exceptions. It is about what teams and what the potential is in certain players. So, there are always players who overperform and underperform in their draft position. Hopefully, all the draftees can have long careers, but that is not always the case. That being said, here is a look at potential draft busts.
Egor Demin, Brooklyn Nets at No. 8
Egor Demin was one of the earliest surprises of the draft as the Nets took the 19-year-old Russian with the No. 8 overall selection. Demin arrived at BYU this past fall highly regarded. However, the 6-9 point guard struggled mightily offensively.
Demin has outstanding playmaking and instincts, though questions abound about his shooting. Turnovers are also an issue.
Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds with 2.9 turnovers while shooting 41.2/27.3/69.5. He played pretty well in the NCAA Tournament, reaching double-figures three of 19 total times. Additionally, he produced one double-double.
Demin should receive plenty of on-the-job training as the Nets are going full throttle with youngsters. He could end up starting at the one. But the Nets shouldn’t put too much on his plate.
“Demin capped an up-and-down season with a strong NCAA tournament and continued that momentum in the predraft process,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said. “His talent is undeniable, as his combination of size and passing ability is rare. He’s far away from reaching his physical potential, but his upside has obvious appeal, and time is on his side.”
Hansen Yang, Portland Trail Blazers at No. 16
Not sure what the Trail Blazers are doing. Portland moved down five spots with a trade with Memphis and unexpectedly selected Hansen Yang. The 7-1 Chinese center was projected to be an early second-round selection at best.
Yang, the 2024 Chinese CBA Rookie and Defensive Player of the Year, has dominated China’s domestic league and shown improvement in his second year as a professional. Dubbed the Chinese Nikola Jokic, Yang is certainly skilled and has fantastic size with a good touch around the rim. He has demonstrated to be a quality rebounder, but is not consistent on the boards.
Yang is an outstanding shot blocker. The 19-year-old needs to improve his shooting range, and turnovers are a significant issue. He also struggled during the NBA Summer League, although his work was of high quality at the NBA Combine.
Portland entered the draft with four centers already on the roster. Granted, DeAndre Ayton and Robert Williams are unrestricted free agents, but the Blazers also selected Donovan Clingan with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft.
“It’s hard to imagine a more surprising pick coming in the first round: The Trail Blazers moved back from No. 11 and took a huge swing on Hansen,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo said. “He is arguably the most gifted Chinese prospect to come along in some time, but also a player nobody around the NBA was readily expecting to go this high in the draft. Yang is a gifted offensive player plus passer for his position who was one of the standouts at the NBA combine. But for him to hear his name called this early is a fascinating decision by Portland.”
Will Riley, Washington Wizards at No. 21
Will Riley, a borderline first round pick, was chosen with the No. 21 pick and was part of the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz trade where the Jazz moved up three spots to take Walter Clayton Jr. Riley is a skilled offensive player who came on strong late in the year and earned Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.
Riley is an elite scorer who has shown the ability to facilitate. The 19-year-old is very good around the rim, but he needs to improve as a shooter and ball handler. His defense also has some areas for improvement.
Riley is not expected to have a massive role for the Wizards this year.
“Riley gives the Wizards another interesting young player to mix into their rotation,” Woo said. “He is a little ways away from impacting winning in the NBA and will need some time to add strength, but his game may take off from there. With Riley and Tre Johnson, the Wizards placed a heavy priority on fortifying the perimeter in this draft as they continue a patient rebuild.”
Drake Powell, Brooklyn Nets at No. 22
Like Riley, Drake Powell was selected higher than he should have been because of his potential. Powell is seen as a 3-and-D wing, and his defense is far ahead of his offense.
“Powell’s physical tools, instincts, and intensity give him a strong framework to build off on the defensive end, and he is consistently praised for his selfless approach and strong off-court intangibles,” Givony noted. “While he shot 3s relatively well in limited attempts, he is still developing his ballhandling ability and consistent aggressiveness to be a reliable enough contributor offensively.”
Ace Bailey, Utah Jazz at No. 5
Ace Bailey is seen as one of the top prospects in the draft, and he certainly has all the skills to be a star. But the 6-7 guard showed some questionable decision-making during the NBA Draft process. The big question is whether that was just Bailey trying to play where he wanted or if it raises questions about his maturity.
Now, there are rumors that Bailey may be unhappy about going to Utah, and questions are being raised about whether he will report next week. If this is true, there is a big problem.
Bailey, whose shooting ability has been compared to Kevin Durant and Michael Porter Jr. among others, also has defensive upside. However, he still needs to improve his decision-making, ballhandling, passing, and off-ball defense.
“Ace is a pure, pure talent,” Kevin Durant said.”Being able to shoot the ball with that type of touch from anywhere. It’s insane the shots that he can make over multiple people at that length.”
Photo Credit: Brad Penner, Imagn Images
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