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Where ESPN projects Chaz Lanier to be picked in second round of NBA Draft

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey06/26/25GrantRamey
Chaz Lanier
USA TODAY IMAGES/Jordan Prather

ESPN projects Chaz Lanier to be the seventh player selected in the second round of the NBA Draft Thursday night, with the former star Tennessee Basketball shooting guard going to the Detroit Pistons with the 37th overall pick.

The second round begins at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Thursday on ESPN.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Saint Joseph’s forward Rasheer Fleming at No. 31 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves to start the second round, then Stanford center Maxime Raynaud (No. 32, Boston Celtics), Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 33, Charlotte Hornets), French forward Noah Penda (No. 34, Charlotte Hornets), Duke guard Tyrese Proctor (No. 35, Philadelphia 76ers) and Arkansas forward Adou Thiero (No. 36, Brooklyn Nets) selected ahead of Lanier in the second round.

Chaz Lanier last season: 18.0 points per game, 43.1% FG, 39.5% 3FG 

Givony describes Lanier as “a true late-bloomer” after he averaged 3.7 points per game over his first three college seasons at North Florida.

“Lanier turned a corner with his jumper as an upperclassman to complement his solid size, frame and 6-foot-9 wingspan,” Givony wrote. “He is not much of a ball handler and will need to use his tools better defensively, but he has a clear niche to fill with the way he can space the floor and shoot off screens.”

Lanier spent one season at Tennessee after transferring from North Florida. He averaged 18.0 points per game with the Vols last season while shooting 43.1% from the field and 39.5% from the 3-point line. He made 123 3-pointers in 38 games, breaking the previous record of 118 held by Chris Lofton.

He had a breakout senior year at North Florida in 2023-24, averaging 19.7 points per game and making 108 threes in 32 games, shooting a career-high 44.0% from the 3-point line.

‘He has questions to answer with his feel for the game’

“Lanier is a dangerous movement shooter with solid physical tools,” Givony wrote. “He has proved himself as a prolific shotmaker in the SEC after he transferred from North Florida to Tennessee.”

Lanier won the Jerry West Award in April, given annually to college basketball’s best shooting guard, and was also named third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and The Sporting News. 

Lanier was also named an All-American by the Wooden Award, was First Team All-SEC and won the SEC’s Newcomer of the Year award.

“He has questions to answer with his feel for the game,” Givony wrote of Lanier, “passing and defensive prowess after struggling to impact games when his outside shots weren’t falling.”

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