Best available talent vs. best fit is an argument as old as time when it comes to the NBA Draft. My stance on this is clear: the draft should be about taking swings on long-term talent, while free agency and trades can be used to address specific holes in the team.
Most of my instant grades for the 2025 NBA Draft class were handed out based on my overall evaluation of the prospects, which was tied to my final pre-draft big board. Some fits between players and teams were just too good to ignore, though.
Everyone knows Cooper Flagg is a great fit for the Dallas Mavericks. Same goes for Dylan Harper with the San Antonio Spurs. Here are six other marriages between player and team on draft night that complement each other perfectly. These are the best fits from the 2025 NBA Draft.
Kon Knueppel to the Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in basketball last year, finishing No. 28 in three-point percentage by making only 33.9 percent of their looks from downtown. Poor shooting led to poor offense for Charlotte, who also finished No. 29 in offensive efficiency. Enter Knueppel, one of the best shooters in this class. The Duke freshman knocked down 40 percent of his threes last year, and fits perfectly as the connective tissue between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Charlotte still has a long way to go, but Knueppel has bankable skills at the NBA level that the roster desperately needs.
Khaman Maluach to the Phoenix Suns
Maluach was a ‘best player available’ slam dunk for the Suns at No. 10 because he was the No. 3 overall player on my board. He also helps fill the biggest hole on the team, which is at center. Phoenix’s big man play has been a disaster since trading Deandre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic a couple years ago, and Maluach gives them a prospect with elite length and finishing potential to grow alongside Devin Booker. While this pick was being announced, the Suns also traded for another center in Mark Williams from the Hornets to add more depth to the front court and take some pressure off Maluach’s development for next season.
Noa Essengue to the Chicago Bulls
The Bulls played in transition more than any team in the NBA last season. Essengue is the most effective transition player in the 2025 draft class. It’s easy to imagine the young French forward running the floor in transition and finishing feeds from Josh Giddey. Play-styles can change quickly in the NBA, but the Bulls seem committed to trying to copy the Pacers’ tempo, and that happens to be the best possible fit for Essengue’s skill set.
Carter Bryant to the San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs need shooters and defenders. Bryant checks both boxes all by himself. The Arizona freshman is an athletic forward with ideal length for the position who put up monstrous block and steal rates this past season. He’s also a good spot-up shooter who hit 37 percent of this threes. Bryant’s lack of creation ability is a little less concerning on a Spurs team that already has Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and De’Aaron Fox at the controls. He should be able to finish plays and provide elite wing defense in front of Wemby’s rim protection.
Walter Clayton Jr. to the Utah Jazz
The Jazz have a bunch of developmental young players on the roster, but they don’t have anyone with Clayton’s specific skill set. The Florida senior is a deadly pull-up shooter who believes he’s in range as soon as he walks into the gym. He splashed shots all over the floor on the March Madness run for the ages to carry the Gators to the national championship, and his skill set should translate to the NBA. Danny and Austin Ainge once found Payton Pritchard when they worked for the Boston Celtics. Clayton could have success in a similar role in Utah.
Jase Richardson to the Orlando Magic
I had Richardson rated as a lottery prospect on my board. The Magic got him with the No. 25 pick, and he’s exactly what they needed. The Michigan State freshman was a deadeye three-point shooter this past season. Orlando was the worst three-point shooting team in the league last year. The Magic already added one great shooter to the backcourt in Desmond Bane, and now they found another in Richardson. Orlando has the defensive backbone already in place to cover up for Richardson’s size deficiencies, too. What a great fit.
