The National Basketball Association announced its list of 75 participants for the 2025 NBA Draft Combine, which will be held from May 11-18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
As part of thge league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, all invited players are required to attend and participate in the NBA Draft Combine.
Drake Powell will be among this year’s participants, being the lone former UNC basketball standout to receive an invitation.
Drake Powell invited to the NBA Draft Combine. #UNC pic.twitter.com/1Z7wof2kme
— R.L. Bynum (@rl-bynum.bsky.social on Bluesky) (@RL_Bynum) May 2, 2025
In what looks like his lone season in Chapel Hill, Powell averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He shot 48.3% from the field and 37.9% from three-point range, the third-highest percentage from beyond the arc on the team.
While Powell’s invitation shouldn’t be a surprise, you might be surprised to hear that former Tar Heel guards RJ Davis and Caleb Love did not receive an invitation to the event.
Notable College Basketball players that did not receive an invite to the NBA Draft Combine:
Caleb Love
RJ Davis
Kadary Richmond
Will Richard
Jaden Akins
Julian Reese
Cliff Omoruyi
Julian Newman
Curtis Jones
Chase Hunter
Jahmyl Telfort pic.twitter.com/S9zIMwmdYs— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) May 2, 2025
At this point, we all know how the NBA operates: the younger prospects are held in higher regard. Teams are looking for talented players who they can mold for years to come, as players who may have stayed four (or even five) seasons at the college level seem to be at a disadvantage due to their age.
College resumes don’t mean as much anymore as they used to in the past. Of course, there are some exceptions to the rule, but most older prospects struggle to convince NBA teams that they deserve a shot.
We’ve seen this narrative before with the likes of Armando Bacot and Brady Manek. You could make the case that both players belong in the league, but the opportunity hasn’t presented itself. In the case of Bacot, his stat line in the G-League this season speaks volumes of how much his game has improved, but yet, not a single call-up came his way.
Even though they didn’t receive invites to the NBA Draft Combine, Davis and Love should still attract interest from NBA squads. While they might not get selected in the upcoming NBA Draft, both still have an chance to play professionally, whether in the G-League or overseas.
In the case of Powell, this is a big week of events, as the former Tar Heel must prove that he made the right choice in entering his name in the 2025 NBA Draft.
