2025 Draft Ranks: Wing Forwards, Tier 3
The Basketball Notebook is back for the 2025 NBA draft. Over the course of the next month, I’ll be releasing tiered rankings by position, culminating in a final overall big board in mid to late June.
Links to Previously Released Rankings:
On-Ball Guard (Tier 1) / On-Ball Guard (Tier 2) / On-Ball Guard (Tier 3) / On-Ball Guard (Tier 4)
Wing Guard (Tier 1) / Wing Guard (Tier 2) / Wing Guard (Tier 3) / Wing Guard (Tier 4)
Wing Forward (Tier 1/1.5) / Wing Forward (Tier 2) /
Click here for a few important reminders about how I structure my rankings and write-ups.
TIER 3:
Will Riley / Illinois
Height/Wingspan: 6’9” / 6’9”
Rookie Season Age: 20
Player Type: Movement Scorer / Shot Creator
Game Reminds Me Of: Tristan Da Silva / Kyle Kuzma / Michael Porter Jr.
ESPN’s #12 recruit in the high school class of 2024, Riley was named the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year in his freshman season at Illinois. He’s a skilled and versatile scorer with above-average positional size, but his lack of top-end athleticism may limit his NBA ceiling.
Riley had a number of big scoring games for the Illini, but he struggled with inefficiency (53.7% true shooting) and inconsistency (12 games of 7 points or fewer). He’s got a very smooth looking jumper and the ability to string multiple dribble moves together, but he has a tendency to settle for difficult mid-range looks. He shot 16-50 (32%) on off-dribble two-point jumpers, and just 34.4% of his field goal attempts came at the rim. Riley is capable of creating separation off the bounce, but he’s not quick enough to consistently blow by his defender and get downhill. While Riley isn’t an explosive mover, he is a graceful and coordinated athlete with good hands and footwork. He’s an effective off-ball mover, and he’s adept at getting to the line (14.3% free throw attempt rate).
I’d be surprised if Riley doesn’t shoot better in the NBA than he did in college (32.9% 3FG, 5.8 attempts per 36 minutes). He aggressively hunts his shot off both the catch and the dribble, and his range extends out beyond the college three. He has a high release and clean mechanics, save for a slight hitch in his lower body that I expect to be ironed out as he gets stronger. An easier shot diet might help Riley’s efficiency, but he wasn’t great on his catch-and-shoot looks (33.3% 3FG) at Illinois. Riley’s NBA utility will require him to grow into a knockdown shooter with his feet set who can also threaten defenses out of handoffs and pin-downs.
With a 14.3% assist rate and just a 9.5% turnover rate, Riley was a competent playmaker in college. When his off-ball movement as a cutter draws multiple defenders, he’s able to make the right reads and find the open man. He also had some nice finds out of isolation, where he’s able make interior feeds after the defense rotates to take away his shot. My main concern with Riley’s passing is his tendency to be a ball stopper. Although he is willing to create shots for his teammates, his inclination is to put the ball on the floor every time he catches it. His assists rarely come within the flow of the offense, and he’s not efficient enough (yet) as a scorer to be worthy of as many on-ball creation reps as he would like.
The defensive end of the floor was a struggle for Riley. He’s not awful in isolation against smaller players when he can keep his chest in front and use his length. However, he doesn’t play hard enough and he’s a limited athlete. At 186 lbs., Riley gets bullied in the paint by bigger wings and interior players. He’s consistently late on closeouts as a result of losing focus off the ball. He’s a mediocre rebounder (5.8 reb. Per 36) and offers zero defensive playmaking (0.8 steals+blocks per 36 minutes). Riley has room to improve as he matures both mentally and physically, but I’m projecting him to be a below-average defender.
If Riley makes improvements as a shooter while maintaining his versatility as a cutter and foul-drawer, he’ll find his way to 15 points per game sooner rather than later. However, his lack of athleticism makes it hard to imagine he’ll be anything but a defensive liability, which puts a lot of pressure on his ability to score.
Projected NBA Role: Quality Reserve
NBA Upside: Quality Starter
Nique Clifford / Colorado St.
Height/Wingspan: 6’6” / 6’8”
Rookie Season Age: 23
Player Type: Shot Creator / Secondary Playmaker
Game Reminds Me Of: Jaime Jaquez Jr. / DeMar DeRozan / Naji Marshall
After three seasons of moderate impact at the University of Colorado, Clifford transferred to Colorado St. in 2023. He was rock solid in his first year with the Rams, but his true breakout came this past season when he finished second in the Mountain West in both points and rebounds per game. Clifford is an older prospect, but he offers a well-rounded, pro-ready game and has multiple pathways to nightly NBA impact.
Clifford was a very efficient scorer (60.6% true shooting) while shouldering a heavy workload (27.7% usage). He averaged 1.09 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ball handler, 95th percentile efficiency among Division I players. Although Clifford doesn’t regularly blow by his defender off the dribble, he’s a bruising driver with good footwork around the basket. He made 65.9% of his field goal attempts at the rim and drew fouls at a 14.8% rate. Clifford is also very comfortable as a pull-up jump shooter and does a good job of snaking ball screens and methodically maneuvering to his spots. He shot 47.3% on off-dribble twos and 38.8% on off-dribble threes, ranking in the 88th percentile for off-dribble jump shot efficiency overall. Clifford also likes to work from the mid-post, where he has an effective jab step and enough power to bully smaller defenders.
Clifford made 37.3% of his threes while attempting 4.9 per 36 minutes, but he was actually worse off the catch (35.8%) than on self-created looks. His release is a little slow, and he’s definitely looking to put the ball on the floor rather than fire away when he catches on the wing. Clifford strikes me as a rhythm shooter who prefers to work to his step-back and pull-up, and he’s effective with those shots. However, I worry about how he’ll handle more spot-up reps, as he’s inevitably going to spend more time off the ball in the NBA than he did in college. I believe Clifford will make shots at an acceptable rate, but I don’t anticipate him being a real asset as a floor spacer.
Clifford is an above-average positional playmaker, posting a 19.1% assist rate at Colorado St. He’s a capable pick-and-roll operator, but where he really shines as a passer is from the post. He regularly finds cutters from unorthodox angles and can throw passes with both hands. Clifford did have some ball-stopping tendencies in college, but I think that was more a function of CSU’s reliance on his scoring than his own makeup. He should be effective attacking closeouts and keeping the ball moving within the flow of an NBA offense.
Clifford doesn’t have standout physical tools as a wing defender, but he doesn’t have any major weaknesses either. He plays with effort and intelligence, and he’s an excellent rebounder (9.8 per 36 minutes). He’s an average lateral mover, but he uses his length well to bother smaller guards. He can be overpowered by size on the interior, but he’s quick enough to harass those players on the perimeter and keep them from repeatedly backing him down in the post. I don’t expect Clifford to be an impact defender (other than as a rebounder), but he should offer some switchability on the wing and won’t be a guy who gets targeted by opposing offenses.
Clifford may not offer tremendous upside, but I believe he’s ready to immediately step into an NBA rotation and provide capable minutes on the wing. He doesn’t have a single defining NBA skill, but he does a lot of things well and plays with consistent energy, intelligence and toughness.
Projected NBA Role: Quality Reserve
NBA Upside: High-End Reserve
Liam McNeeley / UConn
Height/Wingspan: 6’8” / 6’8”
Rookie Season Age: 20
Player Type: Movement Scorer
Game Reminds Me Of: Bojan Bogdanovic / Jake LaRavia / Dalton Knecht
A teammate of Cooper Flagg’s at prep powerhouse Montverde Academy, McNeeley was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school. Starring for a depleted UConn team coming off of consecutive national titles, there was probably too much put on his plate in terms of both expectation and workload. McNeeley struggled with inefficiency (53.7% true shooting) as a result, but there’s enough skill there as a shooter and scorer to make him an intriguing prospect.
McNeeley did a fair amount of on-ball creation this past season: His highest usage play type was as a pick-and-roll ball handler (18.4% of his possessions). He’s got solid positional size and strength, and he likes to get downhill and seek contact. McNeeley drew fouls at an impressive 16.7% rate at UConn, and converted 86.6% of his free throws. However, McNeeley struggled as a finisher with the Huskies, averaging 0.91 points per rim field goal attempt (12th percentile efficiency). He’s a decent vertical athlete but not a great one, and he needs to work on his footwork and fundamentals around the basket. McNeeley also showed very little as a mid-range shooter, attempting just 10 off-dribble two-point jumpers for the entire season. He’ll need to get more comfortable as an intermediate scorer because I don’t think he’s a good enough athlete to make a living at the rim in the NBA.
McNeeley entered college with a reputation as a high-level shooter, but he shot just 32.4% from distance at UConn. I believe he’ll be better at the next level: His shot mechanics are pure, and he should have an easier shot diet in the NBA. In addition to his on-ball reps, UConn relied on McNeeley to create shots with off-ball movement. He ranked in the 93rd percentile for the number of his possessions generated by off-ball screens, and 92nd percentile for number of possessions generated by handoffs. McNeeley shows some ability to shoot on the move, but once he puts the ball on the floor he much prefers to get all the way to the basket. He shot just 3-23 (13%) on off-dribble three-point attempts compared to 44-120 (36.7%) on catch-and-shoot looks. Given the time and space to set his feet and square up to the rim, I don’t doubt that McNeeley is going to make threes at a high rate. However, the case for him as a true difference maker requires the threat of his shot to be ever-present in the mind of the defense.
McNeeley shouldn’t be relied upon as a lead creator, but he’s a capable playmaker (12.7% assist rate). He’s a good passer off his own drives to the rim, and he’ll move the ball and make the right reads on the perimeter more often than not. He’s got a solid understanding of how to string out the defense out of handoffs and pin-down actions, and his timing on lobs and interior feeds to the rolling big is above-average.
McNeeley plays with effort on the defensive end, but he’s limited by his mediocre lateral quickness and below-average (6’8” wingspan) length. He allowed 1.25 points per possession in isolation (6th percentile efficiency), and I expect him to continue to be targeted by NBA offenses. Perhaps more concerningly, McNeeley is a major liability closing out to the perimeter, frequently allowing himself to get blown by. He’s got decent help instincts, but he’s not a playmaker (0.8 steals+blocks per 36 minutes) and he struggles to execute multiple defensive rotations. He’s actually better chasing players over ball screens and off handoffs, as he is willing to get in a stance and has good court awareness.
Assuming McNeeley grows into a knockdown spot-up shooter who can also wreak some havoc as a movement scorer and foul-drawer, he could be a very useful offensive player. However, even that level of impact requires a decent bit of projection, and his defensive outlook is a major limiting factor.
Projected NBA Role: Quality Reserve
NBA Upside: Quality Starter