Key Takeaways:
–Global, Data-Driven Operations: Teams like Portland and Charlotte (along with generally improved success rates in recent drafts) demonstrated in 2025 how modern sports organizations are deploying advanced operations worldwide to uncover hidden value through innovation
–Smart Audience Development: The NBA's expanded second-round coverage demonstrates how overlooked stories can become powerful fan engagement tools—turning lesser-known prospects into compelling narratives that reach niche communities and build deeper connections
–Strategic Brand Building: The NIL impact reveals how today's athletes are brands requiring sophisticated development strategies – organizations that recognize and nurture these personal brands early create sustainable competitive advantages in an increasingly fragmented media landscape
Teams Are Upping Their Game to Get Top Talent
The biggest surprise of the 2025 NBA Draft came at the 16th pick, when the Portland Trail Blazers (courtesy of the Memphis Grizzlies) selected Yang Hansen, a 20-year old from Shandong who played his last two seasons for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball League. The Blazers left plenty of talent on the board to take the 7 ‘2 Yang; so amidst some shock and awe from the Barclay's crowd, he took the long walk down from the top bleachers to shake Adam Silver’s hand. While the internet was quick to give the Blazers an "F" for their pick, it was soon reported that they’ve been following him for over two years. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer quoted a Denver Nuggets source as dubbing Yang the “Chinese Jokic,” and with a feathery touch around the rim and a keen passing ability you can see why.
Over in Charlotte, new owners Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall are trying something new in their first season in the head office after taking over from Michael Jordan. They’re hoping that innovation will help turn the team around, hiring a new analytics team and system that incorporates data analysis with traditional scouting. Team sources said that it was a significant voice in their decision making, and indeed, the Hornets got rave reviews from league insiders on their picks. They drafted a total of 4 players, in positions and skills where their roster was thin, who have the ability to benefit the team both in the near and far term.
These two anecdotes tell a bigger story: in today’s high-stakes market there’s little room for error. Whether it’s putting in years of film-time and effort in old-school scouting tactics, or embracing new technologies to help eliminate room for doubt—teams are doing whatever they can to make sure they get the top talent.
Second-rounders deserve their flowers
The 2024 NBA draft was the first time the event was split into two evenings–each round on a separate day. Whether or not the new format was designed to give teams more time to recalibrate and reorganize after the first round, or cynically, was a way of shining a brighter light on Bronny James actually carries weight. Some of today’s biggest stars, including Nikola Jokic and Jalen Brunson, were 2nd-round picks.
In addition, a new salary exception was granted to teams in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, enabling them to give second-round picks a guaranteed contract of up to 4 years at the league minimum. More than anything, it’s a low-risk, high-reward way of giving a prize to teams who select the right players and develop them properly. And they definitely took advantage of the opportunity: 12 of the first 15 picks in the second round were given a guaranteed contract, either before or during the season. One of them, Memphis’ Jaylen Wells who was selected 39th, made the all-rookie team. Others, like Miami’s Pelle Larsson (44th pick), Toronto’s Jonathan Mogbo (31st) and Jamal Shead (45th) and Utah’s Kyle Filipowski (32nd), were awarded with substantial playing time.
In the second round, teams now have four minutes to make their selection (up from the previous 2-minutes). The teams can more carefully deliberate each pick, while fans at home have more time to learn about the new players—where they’re from, and what their story is. This is an era where the last man on the bench can still have an impact, and when even the G-League is offering up some intriguing NBA talent. Finding these diamonds in the rough is no longer an afterthought; it’s becoming strategic.
This evolution mirrors a broader shift happening across sports storytelling itself: the realization that every player has a story worth telling, and that today’s audiences—fragmented, yet passionate, and always online—gravitate toward the players they can relate to. Giving these moments proper screen time isn’t just good for the game; it’s how sports organizations build deeper connections, reach niche communities, and strengthen their own fan relationships beyond the big headlines.
The NIL had its first major impact on the draft
The NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules that have revolutionized the NCAA are still new, but we’re starting to see its effect on the NBA starting with this draft. Players like Arkansas’ Boogie Fland, Florida’s Alex Condon, Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford and Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams, who were first round prospects, withdrew their names weeks before the draft preferring to go back to school (Fland and Pettiford are opted to transfer schools).
Could NIL be the end of college players entering the draft prematurely? Now that they can legally get paid as a student athlete they have room to be more conservative for themselves and their families. But the NBA (and fans) miss out on more big names in the draft. Combined with a downtick in international talent entering the league and there’s cause for concern. Yet analysts also argue that the league will benefit in the long-run from players honing their skills longer in college. Whether or not there will be a long-term impact remains to be seen, but it’s not outrageous to believe that drafts like 2025, where the first 8 picks were “one and dones” will be more of a rarity in the future.
Just as today’s teams are starting to behave more like proper media companies, college athletes are doing the same. They’re nurturing relationships, working deals, and building their own brands both on and off the court. The winners will be the ones that create enduring value—by capitalizing on those key moments that define their stories, and sharing them with the world—because that has the potential to create enduring value, rather than just a fleeting moment.
Eran Soroka is a Product Marketing Manager at WSC Sports and is also an NBA analyst and broadcaster for the Israeli Sports Channel, a position he’s held since 2012.
