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Michigan Basketball: Where Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin may go in 2025 NBA Draft

Originally posted on Michigan Wolverines on SI
By Trent Knoop | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 8:58 AM ET

It's Day 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft and Michigan basketball forward Danny Wolf should hear his name called on Wednesday evening. Wolf, who transferred from Yale, played just one season with the Wolverines, but he starred in Ann Arbor. The 7-foot do-it-all big man averaged 13.2 points, led the team with 9.7 rebounds, and was second on the team with 3.6 assists per game.

Wolf's draft stock has fluctuated since entering the draft. At one point, he was a lottery pick, but as time has passed, it appears he will go anywhere from the late teens to the early twenties.

In CBS Sports' final mock draft, analyst Kyle Boone has Wolf going No. 17 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Minnesota has very few holes on its roster but Julius Randle and Naz Reid have upcoming player options on which to decide, so the front office may be wise to consider stacking frontcourt talent either as insurance or for future investments. Wolf is a 6-foot-11 big who has skills of a point guard with his passing and playmaking. Unique prospect who can add value on both ends of the floor," CBS Sports' Boone wrote.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo aren't far off. In their final update, the pairing has Wolf going No. 18 to the Washington Wizards.

"Wolf has one of the wider ranges in the first round, with interest from several teams in the back half of the lottery as well as several potential landing spots in the top 20, including Memphis, Minnesota and Brooklyn," Woo of ESPN wrote. "Washington is another team that could take a chance on him, with his playmaking ability at 7 feet a particularly intriguing experiment on a team that would have minutes to offer him immediately.

"Wolf's uncommon mix of size and skill set has been a polarizing evaluation for many around the NBA, but he has received strong reviews in private workouts, which has seemingly helped to stabilize his draft status."

What about Vlad Goldin?

Wolf wasn't the only stellar big man Dusty May pulled from the transfer portal. Michigan had a pair of 7-footers that dominated down low. Former Texas Tech and FAU big man Vlad Goldin was the other piece to the puzzle. He led Michigan scoring 16.6 points and grabbed seven rebounds per game. But between his age, and NBA trajectory, analysts say he doesn't have a chance of getting into Round 1 of the NBA Draft.

CBS Sports has Goldin going No. 59 -- the final pick -- to the Houston Rockets.

"Goldin was part of a unique two-big rotation at Michigan last season and held up his end of the bargain as a rim protector who rated out very well on the defensive end. He blocked 1.4 shots per game for the Wolverines, who had a top-12 defense," Boone wrote.

ESPN didn't write a blurb on Goldin, but they have the big man going No. 49 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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