Why Kasparas Jakucionis, Liam McNeeley and Danny Wolf fell on draft night

It was an action-packed first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center with loads of surprises — risers, fallers, trades and some head-scratching picks.

Of the fallers, none fell harder than freshmen Liam McNeeley and Kasparas Jakucionis, both of whom were projected as lottery talents throughout their college basketball season. Michigan’s Danny Wolf, a breakout star for a surprise team after transferring in from Yale, also went several spots below where many projected him. Wolf’s slide was tough to watch considering he was in attendance at Barclays Center, but his family’s emotional reaction to the pick was one of the highlights of the night. 

Here are the reasons for the three notable draft night sliders. 

Liam McNeeley (UConn), selected No. 29 by Phoenix; traded to Charlotte

Entering the night, there was a chance UConn’s Liam McNeeley could get taken in the lottery, but sliding nearly all the way out of the first round was a big surprise. The 6-foot-7, 19-year-old is a polished forward with a high IQ for the game, a skilled shooter who can also operate as a connector, and checks all the boxes off the court.

However, his reputation as a shooter coming out of high school didn’t necessarily hold up at UConn, where he hit just 31.7% of his 3s — and even worse, scored on just 38.1% of his total field goals.

He’s an average athlete by NBA standards with question marks on his isolation and perimeter defending, lacking lateral quickness. With his hindered efficiency, teams were clearly concerned as to his ultimate potential.

At UConn, McNeeley had to carry a bigger offensive burden than he is equipped for and projects as a complementary role player who specializes as a shooter on the perimeter, can push a break and operate as a connector with his high IQ and passing.

The defensive questions and his lack of upside are what appear to have ultimately resulted in the slide, as there were an array of lower-floor but higher-upside picks taken ahead of him.

Charlotte got McNeeley by way of one of the surprise trades when it sent Mark Williams to the Suns, receiving the No. 29 pick and a 2029 first-rounder early in the night. It’s a big win for the Hornets, getting a skilled, high-IQ and high-character shooter/connector as they look to continue turning their locker room around.

For McNeeley, though, coming in alongside Duke star Kon Knueppel could hinder his opportunities at a similar position.

Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), selected No. 20 by Miami

Illinois’ international star Kasparas Jakucionis entered the night ranked as a top-10 player on the board across the industry. He’s a 6-foot-5 playmaker who is highly skilled and savvy with the ball, able to score from all three levels and create for others with vision and talent as a passer.

He’s not overly explosive, but his skill set and craftiness with the ball — the passes he made and the shots he hit over the course of the season — were intoxicating.

However, over the course of the college basketball season, one area became a glaring concern, which ultimately played out on draft night: his exceptionally high turnover rate at 25.4%.

To go with the sky-high turnover rate, Jakucionis also didn’t shoot the ball at an efficient clip, connecting on just 31.8% of his 3s on the season.

There are questions as to how his game will ultimately translate in the NBA, but he found a home with one of the league’s best franchises and best selectors in the draft in the Heat.

For Jakucionis, this is a big win. In Miami, he’ll be playing for one of the best coaches in the league in Erik Spoelstra and will be baked into an elite culture. 

There’s a case to be made that Jokucionis’ game — with his ability to operate in space, create out of ball screens and think the game — will be better suited in the NBA than in college. But then again, that is a very high turnover rate.

Danny Wolf (Michigan), selected No. 27 by Brooklyn

One of the more polarizing players in this draft was Wolf. The 6-foot-11 big man was must-see TV in his one year at Michigan last season (he transferred in from Yale), where his unique game with guard-like skills and passing provided a major offensive weapon for Dusty May.

There is no one quite like Wolf in this draft. He can handle the ball on the perimeter, create off the dribble, make every pass on the court, rebound, block shots and show flashes of potential as a shooter. But with uniqueness comes polarization. And there are certainly questions, too, about Wolf’s defensive capabilities because of his athletic downside. There is also a high turnover rate at 23.9% and questions about his shooting stroke (33.3% from 3).

Wolf poses risk given his age of 21 along with the list of questions as to whether his game will translate in the NBA and his ultimate upside. No. 27 is about where I’d have pegged him, though some mock drafts had him in the mid-teens. 

Brooklyn is in complete rebuild mode (again) and had a very interesting draft night, selecting four players that all are most impactful with the ball in their hands and none of whom are proven shooters.

It was clearly emotional for Wolf and his family, and the Michigan star should get his fair share of opportunity to prove himself with the Nets in the years ahead.