Need a big man that can set screens, score efficiently around the basket, protect the rim and do all the dirty work? Michigan’s Vlad Goldin is your man. Here is our NBA Draft Profile on him:
Two Michigan big men are hoping to hear their names called on draft night next week: Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin. The latter is not being talked about much by the national media, but he has the tools to have a lengthy NBA career.
We already evaluated Wolf earlier this week, so now let’s dive into what Goldin can bring to the NBA.
Counting stats
Starting all 37 games for the Wolverines last season, Goldin was Michigan’s leading scorer and second-leading rebounder. He averaged 16.6 points, seven rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 63.4 percent from the field, 33 percent from three on 0.9 attempts per game, and 73.1 percent from the free throw line.
KenPom Stats
NBA Combine measurements
Michigan’s Vlad Goldin’s official measurements from the NBA Draft Combine:
7’0″ barefoot, 253.4 lbs with a 7’5 ¼” wingspan and 9’3” standing reach
Russian big definitely has the size/length/reach/bulk to battle with NBA bigs from day one. pic.twitter.com/KnBl3GyfKm
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 12, 2025
Highlights
Strengths
His sheer size is imposing, and he uses that size well by being the aggressor on both ends of the floor. Goldin embraces physicality around the rim and can finish with a quick hook-shot in the post. He gets good positioning in the middle of the lane, which often leads to easy finishes. He’s a reliable finisher around the rim on put-backs and dump-down passes.
Goldin has broad shoulders, which is partially why he was Michigan’s most effective screener. His chemistry with Wolf led to plenty of easy baskets off lobs. Goldin rolls hard to the rim, keeps the ball high and finishes with ease. In terms of fundamentals, he’s a great example for high schoolers learning to be big men across the country.
He also uses his dribble effectively and can dive to the rim from the free throw line. After not attempting an in-game three in the first four years of his college tenure, Goldin shot about a three per game at Michigan, making them at a decent clip.
Defensively, Goldin served as Michigan’s anchor and was one of the better rim protectors in the Big Ten. He’s a smart defender who didn’t fall for pump fakes often and timed jumps well to block shots.
Goldin didn’t average as many rebounds as Wolf, but that’s partially because Goldin was usually tasked with boxing out the other team’s best rebounder. He boxed out well, crashed the boards well on both ends, and ran the floor well in transition.
He does everything NBA teams want from a center who will likely come off the bench. Goldin does the dirty work by setting screens, grabbing boards, protecting the rim and occasionally being rewarded with a lob or a paint touch.
Areas of Improvement
Goldin is a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none. He struggled offensively to start the season, and got thrown off his game by swarming physical defenses like Maryland’s .
Like Wolf, Goldin lacks the quick-twitch athleticism NBA teams often covet in big men. He often had a size advantage in college, but that won’t be the case in the NBA. While he was capable of hitting an occasional three, it was a small sample size and he’s not a prolific enough shooter to be a threat to NBA defenses.
Goldin looked his best next to an elite shot creator in Wolf, and he often won’t share the front court with a player that big and that good of a passer. You could argue with Michigan’s roster construction, Goldin was in the best possible position to succeed, which makes it hard to project what he can be in the pros.
Like Wolf, turnovers came in bunches for Goldin. While he could get a bucket driving from the free throw line, Goldin needs to be around other shot creators to succeed in the NBA.
Perhaps the biggest drawback to Goldin is he’s already 24 years old, and while he can be a capable NBA player, I don’t see much room for improvement or a large leap in terms of his offensive capabilities.
What Goldin needs around him to succeed
Pretty much every team could use another dirty-work big man. Goldin will need to be with NBA teams that love to use the pick-and-roll, and one with shot creators who can get him going with easy looks.
In the NBA Finals now, traditional big men like Isaiah Hardenstein and Tony Bradley have carved out a role for themselves because of their rebounding, defense, and efficiency on offense. That’s Goldin’s best path a career in the NBA.
Projected draft range
Among the recent NBA mock drafts , the highest I’ve seen Goldin selected is the middle of the second round (48th). There’s a good chance he doesn’t get drafted due to his lack of upside. If that’s the case, I could see him ending up on a Summer League roster and fighting to play his way into a two-way contract, splitting time in the G-League and the NBA.