With the 2025 NBA Draft less than a week away, most of the buzz surrounding Duke basketball prospects is centered around the three rookies who are projected lottery picks: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach. It's been known for a while that Flagg will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to the Dallas Mavericks, and both Knueppel and Maluach are projected to be selected in the top ten. However, there are two more Blue Devils projected to be taken on draft night in the veteran starting guard duo from this past season, Tyrese Proctor and Sion James.
Proctor just wrapped up his junior season in Durham, and James spent a graduate year with the Blue Devils in 2024-25 after playing four years at Tulane. Both are viewed as mid-to-late second round guys, so let's see where the latest ESPN mock draft has them going.
Tyrese Proctor - 43rd overall - Utah Jazz
ESPN slots Proctor to Utah in the middle of the second round. The junior had a tough decision to make regarding entering the NBA Draft or returning to college for a nice NIL payday. Still, the Australian ultimately decided to fulfill his NBA dreams. Proctor is coming off of his best scoring season as a Blue Devil, tallying career-highs in points per game (12.4), field goal percentage (45.2), and three-point percentage (40.5). The 6'6 two-guard has the skillset to help an NBA team win now with his defensive capabilities on the perimeter and shooting prowess off the ball. His passing numbers were a bit down, but he displayed his potential as an elite scorer, especially in the NCAA Tournament.
Sion James - 45th overall - Chicago Bulls
James has a chance to be a "diamond in the rough" type of prospect in this year's draft, coming off of his fifth season in college. He's the perfect backup guard type of player: elite perimeter defender, doesn't make mistakes, physical finisher at the rim, and an elite motor. The 6'6, 220-pound guard is built like a linebacker and has fantastic touch finishing at the basket through contact while also being a fantastic passer. James totaled 115 assists to just 47 turnovers as a super senior at Duke while also showcasing his ability to shoot it from outside, connecting on 41.3% of his threes on about two attempts a night. With his motor and feel for the game, he could be one of the biggest steals on draft night in the middle of round two.