National media outlets grade Nets’ first-round selection of Danny Wolf

Michigan Basketball’s Danny Wolf is headed to Brooklyn. Here is how national media outlets graded the Nets’ selection of the 7-footer in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft:

Former Michigan big man Danny Wolf had to wait a little longer to hear his name called than some expected, but his NBA dreams came true Wednesday night when the Brooklyn Nets selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft .

Wolf spent one season in Ann Arbor after his transfer from Yale and quickly became one of Michigan’s most important offensive players. He averaged 13.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while helping lead the Wolverines back to a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

While questions remain about his defensive ceiling and shooting consistency, the consensus among draft experts seems to be Wolf represents one of the more intriguing upside plays late in the first round.

Here’s a look at what the major outlets had to say about the pick.

SB Nation (Ricky O’Donnell) – B

“I wasn’t a big Danny Wolf guy, but this is a good range for him when I thought he could have gone 10 picks higher. Wolf is interesting because he’s as big as a center (7-foot, 250 pounds) but essentially played point guard for Michigan by running pick-and-rolls and hitting step-back threes. I am skeptical that he can stay in an on-ball role in the NBA, and I don’t trust his shooting enough to play off the ball. But hey, at No. 27. this is a good swing if the shooting comes around, or if he can cut down the turnovers.”

CBS Sports (Adam Finkelstein & Kyle Boone): B+

“Wolf is highly skilled at nearly 7-feet tall, especially as a ball handler and passer. He was Michigan’s primary initiator for significant stretches last season and was a real playmaker. He has terrific hands and terrific touch and his ability to pass the ball is very rare at his size. He didn’t shoot it well from outside in college, a common theme with the picks from the Nets in Round 1. There are also questions about his defense.”

Yahoo Sports (Kevin O’Connor): B

“He’s a unique, funky ball-handler. It’s clear in the Nets’ draft that they want players of all sizes to be able to handle the rock. Wolf is 6-foot-11 but ran point for Michigan, playing a slick style with risky passes and step-back jumpers that made him a highlight factory. But he’s also a turnover machine and his shooting numbers are shaky, making him more of a raw bet who needs time to prove he can match his flash with substance.”

USA Today (Bryan Kalbrosky): B+

“The Nets clearly valued size and playmaking in their talent evaluation process. Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf are all great passers. Each of those players have wingspans of at least 6-foot-8, and, aside from Traoré, each measured at least 6-foot-6 barefoot. Wolf is not a natural five in the NBA, but this late in the first round, it’s a fun experiment for the Nets.”

NBC Sports (Kurt Helin): C+

“Wolf is the most stable of the Nets’ picks. He’s not an explosive athlete or a good defender, but he has NBA center size, a great feel for the game, a good basketball IQ, and he’s a quality passer. He can be a backup NBA big this coming season.”

The Athletic (John Hollinger): No Grade

“Wolf is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft class given the direction of the modern NBA. The goal in today’s league is to get as much skill and size on the court as possible. Offensively, you want to make the defense cover as much ground as you can. Then on defense, you want to be able to cover as much ground against the offense as possible. Unsurprisingly, the bigger players get, the harder it is to find guys who are skilled enough to allow you to play five-out on offense. Wolf has a standing reach over 9 feet, possesses guard skills and isn’t a total stiff defensively.

And yet, there are significant flaws. His turnover rate is sky high, which tends to be a bad indicator. He needs to iron out inconsistencies in his jumper. Then defensively, he might not be quick enough to guard effectively once he reaches the NBA level, with increased space in driving lanes and a wider court to cover.

Drafting Wolf is a risk. There is a chance that his game just doesn’t quite work out at the next level. But given how hard it is to find skilled players like him, and given their value if their defense ends up being even remotely tenable, I’m probably going to be higher on Wolf than consensus. I believe that NBA teams need a five-out look to win a title in today’s era. Wolf might not be perfect, but the upside of betting on him hitting is worth the gamble. There are some Naz Reid-style outcomes to his game if his development goes right over the next few years.”

ON3 (James Fletcher): A-

“The Brooklyn Nets decide to make all five picks in the first round, getting their first frontcourt player in the class here. Landing On3’s No. 20 prospect gives great value and puts him into a great situation to showcase his skillset on a team building its core.

Danny Wolf comes to the professional ranks after making an interesting two-big lineup work in college. The success of different jumbo lineups across the NBA could make him a valuable commodity for certain franchises looking to add frontcourt versatility. The ability to shoot and pass from the top of the key gives immense offensive value, even if rim protection or guarding in space will never be his strength on defense.”

Sports Illustrated (Kevin Sweeney): A-

“The Nets somewhat surprisingly made all five first-round picks, rounding out a massive class with Wolf, perhaps the most unique player in this draft. He’s a jumbo 7-foot ballhandler that can really pass and has a crafty offensive game. He likely won’t get the same freedom in the NBA as he did in college, but Brooklyn clearly valued his size and feel for the game.”