Utah Jazz select Will Riley in 2025 NBA Draft, trade to Washington Wizards

Illinois F Will Riley, after reclassifying up, was one of the top freshmen and reserves in the Big Ten. With that, he’s made his way all the way up into being a one-and-done selection in the NBA Draft.

The Utah Jazz have selected Riley in the 2025 NBA Draft, but will flip him to the Washington Wizards. They did so with their No. 21 overall pick.

Riley made 35 appearances, just nine being starts as he primarily came off the bench, as a freshman for the Fighting Illini. He averaged 12.6 points (43.2% FG, 32.6% 3PT on 1.3 makes), 4.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in those outings, which would have him as their third-leading scorer after taking the most shots this season for Illinois. With that, Riley would go on to win Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.

That’s after Riley, a native of Kitchener, Ontario in Canada, came down to play in high school at The Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania. He, following his re-class, would finish as a Top-30 recruit as a four-star prospect in the 2024 cycle. He also finished rated as the No. 10 SF and the No. 2 player out of the state, behind only Jalil Bethea (Miami, Alabama). That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NBA Draft experts are saying about Will Riley

With his re-class, Riley is among the younger names in this draft class. That, per On3’s James Fletcher coming out of the NBA Draft Combine, makes him a great development piece, especially considering where his offensive game already is.

“Will Riley is a high-powered offensive prospect, who is also one of the youngest players in the class this year. He slowly grew into his role in college, ending his freshman year with offensive firepower worthy of watching,” wrote Fletcher in May. “The defense remains a work-in-progress, but he possesses all the physical traits needed to add strength and improve there.”

RotoWire.com saw much of the same, despite him not playing as much as a reserve, in their draft profile of Riley. They see a wing scoring prospect, at six-foot-eight, with other tools and time still to become a quality pro in the association.

“Riley was expected to be a 6-foot-8 point guard in college, but he didn’t have the chance to play as a floor general at Illinois, so his handling and vision didn’t develop as one would’ve imagined. Despite the limited minutes he had as a bench player, Riley showed the ability to score near the rim and handle isolation plays, and his frame will help him succeed at the next level in individual duels, particularly if he stays as a guard and is not moved to a forward role,” they wrote. “He reads the game very well and tends to make himself available in offensive situations due to his smart cutting to the rim. He has an above-average IQ and can make plays with ease on both ends of the court. He’s also an efficient defender, and again, his size will allow him to become an above-average defender, or even better, if he continues to evolve and gain strength.”

“Riley didn’t have the chance to be a regular for Illinois, but he didn’t need to log heavy minutes to show the kind of player he might be at the next level,” they wrote. “He’s a player who has all the physical tools to be a solid player across the board, but his shooting and handling aren’t top-tier yet. However, he compensates for that with excellent IQ and solid defensive skills across the board. He may have to earn his stripes as a wing defender before being given more offensive responsibilities at the NBA level.”