ESPN NBA Draft expert says Koby Brea could go in the 30s, Amari Williams provides frontcourt depth

Kentucky’s Koby Brea and Amari Williams aren’t going to sneak their way into the lottery, but both are expected to hear their names called at some point during this year’s NBA Draft.

Where exactly will the former Wildcats land? Our most recent mock draft roundup has them both comfortably picked in the second round, Brea projected to go ahead of Williams by several spots. It’s certainly not a guarantee they end up as picks, but they’re trending in the right direction on draft day.

Brea, in particular, might even see himself rise in the draft once the time comes.

“Koby Brea could very well be the best shooter in this draft,” ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony told KSR this week. “I think he made 48 percent of his threes over the past two seasons. He’s got great size at 6-foot-7. He’s dynamic shooting it on the move, and that’s a skill that every NBA team covets quite a bit.“

In his latest mock draft update from Wednesday morning, Givony and his fellow draft expert, Jeremy Woo, mocked Brea to the Utah Jazz at 43rd overall. That being said, Givony says there’s a chance he jumps that projection. When you can shoot the ball as well as Brea can at his height, NBA teams will find a spot for you in the rotation. There’s a clear path to immediate playing time for the 23-year-old former Dayton Flyer, even with some obvious deficiencies in other areas of his game.

“He’s going to get drafted. He might even get drafted in the 30s, from what we’re hearing,” Givony added. “To stick long term, he’s gonna have to show that he can do other things too. That he can defend his position, that if people are running him off the line, that he can attack close outs, that he can make simple passes, but his bread and butter is always going to be with his shooting. And as long as he’s not a total liability on defense, I think he’s the guy that projects to have a good NBA career.”

Where Brea is an easier prospect to evaluate and project at the NBA level, the same can’t be said for Williams.

Clocking in at 7-foot, 260 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Williams possesses a unique set of skills as a 22-year-old big man. His lack of outside shooting is the main thing holding him back from being a potential first-round pick. But the former Drexel Dragon is still considered a high-level floor spacer due to his incredible playmaking skills and capable ball-handling. Williams is also an elite rebounder, a solid all-around defender, and a physical beast.

There’s certainly a path for Williams to carve out a role in the NBA, but how quickly it happens could depend in large part on the team that drafts him. Givony mocked Williams to the Utah Jazz with the 53rd overall pick. Utah, which posted the league’s worst record in 2024-25 (17-65), is not necessarily in the market right now for a backup big.

“Every team is looking for depth in the frontcourt. Just that kind of length that he brings and size, I think that’s intriguing,” Givony said of Williams. “To be like a third-string center, or a guy on a Two Way contract, he ticks some boxes with the way that he can protect the rim and the way that he can pass the ball. So those are two pretty good places to start.

“I think NBA teams are going to want to see him show a little bit more versatility defensively, in pick-and-roll, stepping outside the paint, making rotations, and anything he can do to improve offensively, I think would go a long way. Outside of his passing, he’s fairly limited.”

The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft will be held tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC, while the second round begins on Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both rounds will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.