Ryan Nembhard Reunites with College Teammate in Sports Illustrated's NBA Mock Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andy Patton | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 2:13 PM ET

The 2025 NBA draft is just a few days away, with the first round starting at 5:00 PM PT on Wednesday, June 25.

Duke phenom Cooper Flagg and Rutgers guard Dylan Harper are near locks to go No. 1 and No. 2, but the draft could go plenty of different directions after that, with trade rumors swirling around the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 overall.

Ryan Nembhard will almost certainly have to wait until Thursday to hear his name called during the second round, although his performance at the NBA draft combine - and the numerous talented players who opted to withdraw from the draft and return to college - drastically increased his chances of getting picked despite in-season mocks largely projecting him outside the top 60.

The latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated has Nembhard, college basketball's assist leader last season, going No. 51 overall and joining James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

SI also has the Clippers using their first round pick, No. 30 overall, on Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner - who was teammates with Nembhard for two seasons with the Bluejays.

The Clippers went 50-32 last year and earned a No. 5 seed in the playoffs, falling in seven games to the No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Los Angeles was led by a pair of future Hall of Famers in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, as well as Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac.

A contending team with a shrinking window should absolutely use their picks on players who can come in and contribute right away, and both Nembhard and Kalkbrenner are among the most league-ready players projected to be available in LA's draft range.

Harden is expected back next season, but veteran backup Patty Mills and former No. 1 pick Ben Simmons are both headed toward free agency, giving Nembhard an opportunity to compete for minutes at point guard right away.

Additionally, Amir Coffey's impending free agency clears a path for Kalkbrenner to play behind Zubac right away, making this a logical pair of draft targets for coach Tyronn Lue's team.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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