2025 NBA Draft: Sleepers to know

As the 2025 NBA Draft kicks off Wednesday, the names of several fringe prospects will begin percolating by the end of the night and fully simmer to the surface before the final selection is made Thursday.

Here are five players well below the radar we’d classify as “sleepers” to keep your eye on.

Bogoljub Markovic, Mega Basket (Serbia)
A Serbian big man who donned the same bright pink jersey as a young Nikola Jokic once did, Markovic is flirting with late first-round consideration. Déjà vu aside, the 6-11, 190-pound featherweight power forward posted 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game on 38.8 percent 3-point shooting in Serbia’s Liga ABA.

Bogoljub exhibits great post footwork, connects dots as a passer in the halfcourt, and is comfortable putting the ball on the deck to ignite fast breaks. Defensively, he is spatially astute and slides his feet nimbly for his size. Nevertheless, bulking up and filling out his frame will be priority number one.

Rocco Zikarsky, Brisbane Bullets (Australia)
Zikarsky’s measurables turned heads at the NBA Draft Combine, clocking in at 7-foot-3 barefoot with a nearly 10-foot standing reach. Both marks topped all other participants.

Rocco has spent the past two seasons off the bench for the NBL’s Brisbane Bullets. He was a mountain in the middle in a league littered with both blisteringly quick guards and physically inclined bigs. Despite his wiry frame, Zikarsky is an all-purpose pick and roll defender with immense defensive upside as a colossus who can execute coverages and guard in space. With little shooting or playmaking glimpses to speak of, Rocco has the makings of a defensive anchor who can relieve pressure in the halfcourt offensively with vertical spacing.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State
The Draft Combine worked wonders for Swiss-born Konan Niederhauser, who ultimately forewent his Senior year at Penn State. He dominated on the interior to the tune of 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks as a junior. Yanic is an explosive leaper with soft hands and a well-proportioned frame.

He typecasts as a reliable rim reader and play finisher in the painted area who leverages an array of touch finishes or rim-rattling dunks. Defensively, Konan Niederhauser is a swat machine who is able to close in on drivers with timely rotations. He projects as a mainstay in the mid to late second round.

Hunter Sallis, Wake Forest
A 6-5 combo-guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Sallis’ tools are undeniable. There are few in the class as crafty with the ball in their hands. Hunter is a herky-jerky dribble driver who can get by his man with either hand. A plethora of counters, from hesitations to crab dribbles, allow him to get to his spots inside the arc with aplomb. A slithery finisher and lethal pull-up shooter, the long ball remains his biggest question.

Sallis’ 3-point percentage dropped from 40.5 percent as a junior to 27.7 percent as a senior, the former of which appears to be the aberration. Hunter’s on-ball poise and point of attack defense measure up, but the iffy jump shot may relegate his draft stock to the second round.

Micah Peavy, Georgetown
Peavy vaulted himself into NBA Draft discourse by way of a breakout fifth year in college. He parlayed his newfound primacy at Georgetown into career bests in every major statistical category. A 6-foot-7, two-way wing who is a weapon in transition and isolation, Peavy can be a scoring threat from all three levels.

Much of Peavy’s allure stems from his defense, equipped with the base strength, quick feet, and rapturous energy to magnetize and shut down opposing wings. Micah displayed shooting upside for the first time as a super senior, drilling 40.8 percent of his 4.1 3-point attempts per game. His robotic shooting form begs the question of whether that mark was a flash in the pan.

–Ethan Ward, Field Level Media

More 2025 NBA Draft coverage from Sactown Sports

Just days removed from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship parade, the NBA world has moved on to Wednesday’s 2025 NBA Draft.

New Sacramento Kings general manager Scott Perry inherited no first-round picks this season, conveying to Atlanta from the Kevin Huerter trade. Their lone pick sits in the second round, 42nd overall.

Plenty of rumors are swirling that Perry could look to go in a wide variety of directions in his first offseason at the helm. Including potentially trading into the first round this week.

Vocal about their need for a point guard, the Kings could look to acquire a young, promising talent via the draft. How the would acquire the trade is another story.

Brooklyn owns five firsts (8, 19, 22, 26, 27) and would probably listen to offers. Miami owns the 20th. The Hawks are sitting at 22. Options will likely arise.

If they were to move up, there’s no reason for them to feel a need to take a guard. They need cohesive talent in any form, but accomplishing both at once wouldn’t hurt.

Here are three first-round projected guards Perry could consider trading up for.

Three guards Sacramento could trade up for in the 2025 NBA Draft

What’s next for the Sacramento Kings offseason?

Although the Sacramento Kings do not own a first-round pick, they are in the process of preparing for June 25-26th’s 2025 NBA Draft.

Sacramento’s first-round pick was finally conveyed to Atlanta in what was the final ripple effect from the 2022 offseason trade that brought Kevin Huerter to the Kings.

While they won’t select in the first round, Sacramento owns the 42nd pick in the draft, meaning they will select at least one player on Day 2 (June 26th) of the draft.

Be sure to keep up on all Kings offseason news right here on Sactown Sports 1140, with live on-air coverage every Monday-Friday from 6 am to 6 pm PT.

Upcoming offseason schedule for the Sacramento Kings:

• Wednesday, June 25th – 2025 NBA Draft
• Monday, June 30th – NBA free agent negotiations can begin
• Sunday, July 6th – NBA free agents can officially sign with teams
• July 10th-20th – Las Vegas NBA Summer League
• August TBD – Release of 2025-26 regular season schedule
• September TBD – Start of NBA training camps for the 2025-26 season

Thank you for reading sactownsports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

Jerry Reynolds: Ben Simmons could be worth the risk for KingsWhy Darius Acuff Jr.’s development matters more than the Kings’ recordStockton Kings release 2026-27 Season ScheduleWhat should Sacramento Kings fans expect from De’Andre Hunter?Which free agent guard would be the best fit with Darius Acuff Jr.?Sources: Kings GM Scott Perry in Florida to watch Ben Simmons workout