Lead ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas expects Arizona freshman forward Carter Bryant to be the first 3-and-D player to be selected in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. Bryant showed the ability to shoot three-pointers efficiently, finish at the rim and guard three positions in his sole season with Arizona.
ESPN projected Bryant to be selected 10th in the 2025 NBA Draft by Phoenix immediately following the Kevin Durant trade to Houston on Sunday. Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN project Bryant 11th in the 2025 NBA Draft to Portland in their update posted on Tuesday morning.
Bilas also named Rasheer Fleming of Saint Joseph's and Cedric Coward of Washington State as his top three three and D players in the 2025 NBA Draft. Givony and Woo projected Coward 16th to the Memphis Grizzlies and Fleming 27th to the Brooklyn Nets.
Bryant is currently 12th on the ESPN Big Board and the third-best forward. Cooper Flagg from Duke, who will be the first player selected in the 2025 NBA Draft and Noa Essengue from France, who is ninth on the big board, are the only forwards ranked ahead of Bryant.
"Bryant, 19, is an outstanding athlete who finished in the top 5 in vertical leap and sprint time at the combine. He has size and impressive length and can hit a standstill 3-pointer. Almost half of his points last season came from made 3s, and 82% of his shot attempts were catch-and-shoot 3s or finishes at the rim."Jay Bilas, ESPN
The performance Bryant had at the NBA Combine will help his stock in the draft. Without shoes on, Bryant measured 6-6½ with a weight of 214 pounds, a standing reach of 8-10 and a wingspan of 6-11¾. Bryant is projected to be able to guard both forward spots and shooting guard early in his career.
As he develops and adds mass to his frame, Bryant could guard all five positions. Where Bryant is drafted could have a major impact on his development. Houston is an NBA title contender after finishing second in the Western Conference during the regular season. Portland needs time to develop their corps.