Interesting Wing Fits in First Round of 2025 NBA Draft

The Brooklyn Nets are set to have an abundance of draft picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. This should give them the opportunity to add high level talent on team-friendly rookie scale deals. At pick 19, the Nets could make a swing for Cedric Coward if he is available at the pick.

At 6-foot-6 and a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan, Cedric Coward brings one of the best combination of athletic tools and shooting touch in the draft. Coward's biggest limitation is his handle and his strength, however the Nets offense could help circumvent theses issues with how they structure their offense. The Nets like to run a lot of actions with their bigs so that their ballhandlers can get downhill easily like Zoom actions. Coward's shooting touch and versatility as a shooter should open up better driving lanes in combination with the Nets scheme. The Nets have the blueprint with how they used Mikal Bridges, because Coward can similarly elevate fairly quickly into his shot with a high release point.

The defense is a concern with Coward, but a lot of his issues guarding on the perimeter can be cleaned up as they are mainly footwork related. Especially since the Nets have have had good buy-in from their roster this past season on defense, this would be a great fit for Coward's defensive and handle development while giving the Nets a highly capable wing on a rookie scale deal.

Drake Powell - Atlanta Hawks (Pick #22)

The Atlanta Hawks have done a fantastic job of supplementing Trae Young with more defensive structure this past season, with the likes of players such as Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. With the Hawks potentially targeting a big with the lottery pick they possess this year, a swing on Drake Powell at pick 22 would be a great way to add on to their defensive identity around Trae Young.

Powell measured as one of the best athletes at the NBA combine, with a 7-foot wingspan and a 43-inch maximum vertical at 6-foot-6. Powell's handle currently does not accommodate for any initiation but he has the shooting touch and event creation on defense to play a low usage role on the Hawks.

He was miscast in his role at UNC, but Powell showcased some intriguing shiftiness with his handle in high school, moving defenders with his twitch east to west. This showed up in a sense at UNC where he has fantastic lateral agility on the defensive end. Compounding his lateral agility and wingspan enables him to keep ball handlers in front of him. Additionally, with his vertical explosion, he exhibited the ability to cover ground and protect the rim as well.

The defensive versatility, being able to shoot, and attack closeouts will make Powell a seamless fit with the Hawks while not losing out on upside as his handle could continue to develop as a closeout creator.

Nique Clifford - Minnesota Timberwolves (Pick #17)

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a contending team, making back to back Western Conference Finals built around Anthony Edwards. With the Timberwolves potentially losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker this offseason, bolstering their roster with a swiss-army knife wing that can dribble, pass, and shoot at pick 17 would be a good idea.

Although Nique Clifford is 23.36 years old on draft night, he brings instant impact to a Timberwolves team that is losing some wing depth this offseason. Clifford can space the floor, make quick passing reads and attack closeouts which should give the Timberwolves another wrinkle to their offense while adding to their playoff depth.

Clifford can also effectively guard on the perimeter, while he's not a premier defensive prospect he will not actively hurt the defense as he can flip his hips and slide his feet to stay attached to offensive players. He lacks outlier length but the Timberwolves' backline rim protection and perimeter defenders like Jaden McDaniels should act as a safety net when Clifford does get beat on drives.

All in all, this would be a synergistic fit that would support the Minnesota Timberwolves' aspirations to play at the highest level next playoffs as they can add a NBA ready wing like Clifford on a team-friendly deal.