Three potential steals from the second-round of the NBA Draft
The history of the second round has been highlighted more and more over the last few years due to the number of championship-caliber catalysts that saw their careers unfold when they were selected in the second round.
This year’s finals MVP, Jalen Brunson, was the 33rd overall selection in the 2018 draft. Guys like Nikola Jokic and Draymond Green are also some of the notable second-round picks that have carved out very nice careers.
Even in the 2025 NBA Draft, the All-Rookie second-team contained a second-rounder: Sacramento’s Maxime Raynaud, who has asserted himself as a potential cornerstone for the franchise.
This year, the draft contained tons of talent. Several guys with first-round grades that I believe fell and became steals for the franchises that selected them.
Cincinnati’s Baba Miller was selected 36th by the LA Clippers
The Clippers are building a really nice haul so far in this draft. Started with the fifth overall selection in Keaton Wagler. Miller brings a very unique set of tools. At 6-foot-11, this kid moves like a gazelle. He averaged a double-double and was a star for Cincinnati this year.
He has very fluid movement, and he is a kid with first-round talent. He can score it, rebound it, dish it, and move at his size extremely well. Can his jumper improve at the NBA level? This could be a steal for the Clippers.
Not many guys with his frame can have the motor he has and the skill set to go with it.
The Clippers are a team that needs a jolt on the boards, and Miller could be someone who improves the rebounding. He was one of the best rebounders in the entire Big 12, and that brings a need to the Clippers that they’re looking for.
I think that, despite going 36th overall, Miller was touted by teams in the late stages of the first round. He was immediately one of the top-rated players once the first round ended, but finds himself headed to the Clippers, where he can compete for minutes from day one.
Kentucky’s Otega Oweh was selected 41st by the OKC Thunder
The fit here is perfect. Oweh is a guy who has carved a role as a two-way prospect. He entered the collegiate ranks as an elite defender with a firm offensive game. This year for Kentucky, his offense evolved in ways it hadn’t during his college career.
Oweh averaged 18.6 points per game this past season and was an unstoppable force down the stretch in March, where he was the catalyst for his Kentucky squad.
Kentucky AC Cody Fueger told me this on Oweh ahead of the second round:
“Otega works really hard, and he just keeps getting better. With all the space in the NBA, it will open up for him.”
The shooting needs improvement, but he’s very efficient in his scoring downhill. He’s explosive, can defend at an elite rate, and improved his offensive game towards the end of the season.
With Lu Dort’s future with OKC in question, Oweh fits the mold of what OKC is looking for.
Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel was selected 47th by the NY Knicks
Nickel shot 40% from three-point range this season and attempted 275 of them. He’s steadily been one of the nation’s most efficient three-point scorers and also spaces the floor well and has good size at 6-foot-7.
He’s got a wicked fast release on his jumper and improved his defense tons this year. He works hard on the defensive end of the floor, and I think will continue to improve on that side of the floor.
The obvious was his shooting ability and being able to score in a multitude of ways. With the possibility of Landry Shamet leaving, you have a guy like Nickel in the organization that can provide that shooting and spacing needed for the defending champs.
Nickel shot 39% from three across his college career on nearly 7 attempts. With the way the movement is in a Mike Brown offense, Nickel could thrive and become one of the steals out of this draft.
