If Sion James comes off the board at the 2025 NBA Draft in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 25-26, chances are it’ll happen in the second half of the second round and mark either the fourth or fifth Duke basketball name to get selected this year, depending on where three-year Blue Devil treasure Tyrese Proctor lands.
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However, the 22-year-old James, a major backcourt force for last season’s Final Four Duke basketball squad after developing into a Tulane standout across four years with the Green Wave, should be approaching the center of the radar for any franchise hoping to find a chiseled lockdown defender and seasoned overall talent potentially prepared to earn minutes off a bench right away.
In fact, given James’ defensive efforts across his first two NBA Draft Combine scrimmage outings in Chicago’s Wintrust Arena this week, one could now easily argue that he appears more than ready to be the “steal” of this year’s second round.
Showcasing his intimidating frame and relentless competitiveness on both ends of the floor, James has proven consistently excellent in the steals department, recording four in each scrimmage. He’s done so while averaging 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks.
Sion James has been a defensive stalwart in today’s combine scrimmages.
6’6, 8’4 reach — exceptional instinct, physicality + defensive playmaking on display. A surefire impact player that’ll be a STEAL in the 2nd round. pic.twitter.com/YCz4i9lM7T
— Mohamed (@mcfdraft) May 15, 2025
Sion James stacks up at No. 53 on ESPN’s ranking of this year’s 100 best NBA Draft prospects, one notch below Tyrese Proctor. Duke basketball one-and-done starters Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, and Kon Knueppel check in at No. 1, No. 7, and No. 8, respectively.
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