Front Office Intel, Player Buzz, and Why This Draft Could Get Chaotic
Inside workouts, rising prospects, and the teams quietly loading up for big moves
The NBA Draft is just two weeks away, and the chatter is growing louder. Yesterday, the NBA reportedly issued the first wave of green room invitations for the 2025 NBA Draft — a list that includes 13 names: Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, Derik Queen, and Asa Newell.
Now, I’m not the best at math, but 13 players were invited — and if the invites were based on projected lottery range or simply the 14 players with the most executive votes, I’d bet that French prospect Noa Essengue, who’s still in the middle of a playoff run in Germany, would’ve been the 14th name — if he wasn’t still playing.
Still, a couple of names caught my attention. First: Asa Newell. I’ve consistently had him projected in the late teens, so for him to be among the first 13 invitees is a sign that his stock is trending up. The other surprise? Carter Bryant. For the Arizona wing to be among the initial wave, voted in by top executives across the league, is absolutely a positive signal — and could suggest he’s creeping closer to lottery range.
The green room, for context, is the staging area at the draft where players and their families sit at tables, waiting to hear their names called. It’s an honor — and an indicator — and with 11 more invites expected to go out in the coming weeks, it’s worth keeping tabs on who’s next.
For more on the surprises, snubs, and scouting debates surrounding the first wave of green room invites, check out the latest episode of Locked On NBA Big Board with James Barlowe.
With the draft around the corner and trade chatter picking up steam, let’s take a pulse check on how the top of the 2025 draft is shaping up — and what names are circulating in the rumor mill. There’s a lot of smoke, and in some cases, fire.