Winners and Losers from the NBA Draft Combine: Who's Staying, Who’s Going?
The 2025 NBA Draft Combine significantly influenced NBA teams' futures and helped shape the landscape of the upcoming college basketball season. A large pool of players who participated in this year's testing retained college eligibility, forcing them to weigh their draft stock against the opportunity to return and improve. While few final decisions have been made yet, performances from Chicago have already started to separate the winners and losers of this critical evaluation period. Some prospects boosted their stock with standout showings, while others left with more questions than answers.
Washington State wing Cedric Coward was one of the consensus winners of the draft combine amongst NBA front offices. In just six games before injury, Coward dominated for Washington State, averaging 17.7 points off 55.7% from the field and 40% from long range. Experts anticipated a return to college basketball after Coward committed to Duke University to join Jon Scheyer's stacked rotation. However, Coward wowed scouts with his measurements and performances this past week. Measuring at six-foot-six with a seven-foot-two wingspan, Coward showcased the kind of length, athleticism, and two-way potential that NBA teams covet on the wing. At age 23, teams anticipate Coward as a prospect ready to handle the NBA's fast pace and increased physicality. Coward will likely not step foot in Durham this Fall, as he's nearly solidified himself as a first-rounder.
Another consensus and predictable winner of the combine was Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford. Pettiford's decision may have had the most weight out of any prospect, with the guard playing a crucial role in Auburn's dominance last season. His testing and performance in scrimmages led him to build first-round momentum, as his craftiness with the ball, quick first step, and ability to create space off the dribble stood out among his peers. Pettiford put up 23 points in his first scrimmage, shooting four-for-eight from deep, accompanied by eight assists. Despite only measuring six feet tall, Pettiford makes up for it with an impressive max vertical of 42 inches. Whether teams are willing to select a small guard with a first-round pick will be pivotal in Pettiford's decision.
Jamir Watkins has been a tantalizing prospect for the past two years, with impressive athletic intangibles and a high motor. His feel for the game was on full display on day two. He took full command of the scrimmage and finished with 23 points, four rebounds and assists each, and five steals. Throughout the session, Watkins demonstrated his two-way versatility by locking down opponents on-ball, using his off-ball awareness and active hands to disrupt plays, all while exhibiting unselfish play and relentless energy on both ends of the court. With a six-foot-eleven wingspan, Watkins is a plug-and-play wing that fits numerous NBA rosters while boasting potential as a consistent, contributing role player.
Unfortunately, RJ Luis has fallen short in massive moments throughout his basketball career, and the combine was no exception. Teams have wondered how Luis would bounce back from his awful three-for-17 shooting night against Arkansas in the Round of 32, and his performance in Chicago did little to ease those concerns. Struggling to find rhythm during drills and scrimmages, Luis failed to showcase the consistency and confidence scouts expected. He went a combined 11 for 29 shooting off a -41 box plus minus. Returning to college basketball at a new program may revitalize Luis's stock, allowing him to rebuild his confidence and demonstrate his true potential away from the pressure of the draft.
Since entering the transfer portal, Darrion Williams has been all in on the NBA combine, not talking to any schools. However, the junior failed to stand out and increase his stock significantly. His back-to-back underwhelming performances in the live scrimmages, lackluster shooting, and limited impact on the offensive end have reinforced doubts about his readiness for the next level. As a fringe prospect likely to go in the second round, Williams faces an uncertain future without guaranteed contract security, making a return to college basketball a potentially smarter path to rebuild his value and improve his draft stock.
