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So many 2025 NBA Draft prospects have pulled their names out of the draft since projections had them going in the second round. NBA teams will draft tons of talent in the lottery and the rest of the first round, but this class is thin when it comes to depth.
Because of that, there aren't as many sleeper picks as usual, but finding the hidden gems later in the draft will be even more advantageous than usual. So check out the gallery to see the best hidden gems in the 2025 NBA Draft that likely won't be picked until the second round but that have the potential to make a big impact at the NBA level.
Dink Pate, G-League
Originally a member of the 2024 high school class, Dink Pate graduated early and joined the G-League Ignite. Before reclassifying, he was one of the best prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft. Pate hasn't retained that elite prospect status. He had an underwhelming year with the Ignite and then played this past season for the G-League's Mexico City Capitanes.
In his second season in the NBA's developmental league, Pate averaged just 10.1 points per game. He has particularly struggled as a shooter, evidenced by his 25.8% mark from deep this past season. Pink also struggled with knowing where to be and what to do on defense.
The point is that he is extremely raw. These flaws have led to him becoming a likely second-round pick rather than a lottery-bound talent
Even so, Pate's ceiling is still very high. He stands 6-foot-8 and is an athletic specimen. Pate was the youngest American hooper to ever go professional, meaning he has been playing against grown men while just being a kid over the last two seasons. He is still just 19 years old.
Pate still has a lot to learn, but rarely do likely second-round picks have as much potential as he does. Pate may never man out, but a high-reward gamble could pay off for whatever team that drafts him.
Mark Sears, Alabama
The NBA's newest collective bargaining agreement and the financial restrictions that come with it have led to college players with years of experience being more coveted than they've been over the last decade or two before it. Teams need play-now players on rookie deals.
Additionally, there have been plenty of recent cases of talented players – especially guards – who produced for years at the college level, only to fall in the draft due to age and a perceived lack of potential, who then went on to become impact players in the NBA.
Jalen Brunson, Dalton Knecht, Andrew Nemhard, and T.J. McConnell are a handful of names who fit the description, the latter two of whom are playing key minutes in the NBA Finals. Mark Sears could be the next player who scouts view as too old, not athletic enough, and too small, who could just prove that his basketball skills are translatable at the NBA level.
Sears is ranked 55th on ClutchPoints' NBA Draft big board. The Alabama guard played five years in college and is already 23 years old. He is also listed at just 6 feet tall and isn't an explosive athlete.
He produced in a big way in four of his five collegiate seasons, though, and considering his Alabama teams always made deep March Madness runs with him as their leader, he can likely contribute to a playoff-caliber team right away.
Sears was an All-American in each of his last two seasons, and his game is eerily similar to Brunson's. The obvious similarity is that both players are left handed and have similar builds, but they operate in a similar manner as well.
Both players use their bodies well while attacking the paint, which makes up for their lack of size, and they can both get hot from deep, evidenced by Sears' 10 three-point makes against BYU in a record-setting performance in the Sweet 16.
Brunson wasn't drafted until the second round in 2018 despite being a National College Player of the Year. While becoming one of the best point guards in the sport is easier said than done, Sears does have the skill set to at least develop into a role similar to what Brunson did in Dallas before he became a megastar with the New York Knicks.
Tyrese Proctor, Duke
Ahead of Tyrese Proctor's sophomore season at Duke, a number of draft experts projected him to go as high as the top five in the 2024 NBA Draft. The guard's development didn't meet expectations, though, which caused his draft stock to fall and forced him to return for a third collegiate season.
Proctor took that expected step forward as a junior, and he did it under the spotlight of playing for a Duke team that had more eyes on them than any other team in the nation. Despite playing with lottery picks such as Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, and Kon Knueppel, Proctor still stood out.
Proctor is 6-foot-5 and has proven that he can be a reliable catch-and-shoot option. He shot 40.5% from deep for the season, and Proctor exploded for 13 combined 3-point makes in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. He has also shown some playmaking ability and great feel as a connective passer.
At the NBA level, Proctor will be able to flow between on-ball and off-ball duties. He is a versatile player with size, so he should be able to fit in a number of different lineups on most teams around the league. His floor is a surefire off-the-bench rotation player, but don't rule out him becoming a fourth or fifth option as a starter.
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Auburn's depth this season was obvious, as they were one of the best teams all season long and made it all the way to the Final Four. That led to Tahaad Pettiford coming off the bench for the Tigers. Pettiford isn't even ranked among the Top 60 prospects on a number of big boards, making him the ultimate hidden gem in this draft class.
Pettiford was one of the biggest standouts from the NBA Draft Combine, and he scored 23 points and added eight assists in the combine's scrimmage. Pettiford's numbers in his lone collegiate season are underwhelming. His efficiency, in particular, was far from spectacular.
He has the potential to compete at the next level, though, and he showed that against his draft-class peers. In a class with little second-round depth to speak of, Pettiford's combine performance may help him shoot up draft boards.
John Tonje, Wisconsin
Another older player who teams won't take until the second round, largely because of his age, is John Tonje. The difference between Tonje and Sears is the Wisconsin product wasn't highly productive until the very end of his collegiate career. Tonje was just a role player in four years at Colorado State, and he missed almost all of his lone season at Missouri.
However, in year six and while playing for the Badgers, Tonje became a superstar. He earned Second Team All-American honors after scoring 19.6 points per game. Tonje even scored 37 points against BYU in the NCAA Tournament in one of the best efforts that ended in a loss in March Madness history.
Tonje is a 6-foot-6, 212-pound shooting guard, so he has an NBA body. He likely won't be a star at the NBA level like he was at Wisconsin, but his experience as a role player could pay off at the next level.
Tonje is a solid athlete and can score from all three levels of the court. He is also proficient on defense. Without any glaring weaknesses to his game, Tonje is a worthwhile second-round gamble and one of the best hidden gems in the 2025 NBA Draft.
