While the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t guaranteed a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, they are in a favorable spot to land within the top six, which would allow them to keep their selection away from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If that’s the case, the Sixers could consider Illinois Basketball star Kasparas Jakucionis as a potential prospect they could bring on. Recently, the star freshman has been a frequent link to Philadelphia in mock drafts.
Earlier this month, Jakucionis confirmed his plans to enter the draft to ESPN. As of late April, the Illinois guard is widely seen as a top-10 selection in June’s draft.
During a recent discussion with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Jakucionis revealed the player he’s been studying the most as he prepares for his NBA journey. Unsurprisingly, it’s Los Angeles Lakers superstar, Luka Doncic.
“[He’s] the main player I study in terms of how he reads the game,” Jakucionis said. “I watch the NBA, of course, how guards are attacking each other, defensive adjustments, and pick-and-roll reads.”
But it’s not just all NBA for Jakucionis. The incoming rookie revealed that he checks out Euroleague and ACB tape, getting a look at some of his former teammates from before his NCAA journey.
“Trying to follow my former teammates in Barcelona,” Jakucionis added. “For passing, I like to study Nick Calathes and Kostas Sloukas. The IQ level in the Euroleague is incredible.”
While Jakucionis is now a product of the NCAA, the Lithuanian guard has experience with Perlas Vilnius and FC Barcelona. He took a big leap on draft boards after a 33-game run at Illinois.
This past season, Jakucionis averaged 15 points on 44 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent shooting from three. He also produced five assists per game and came down with six rebounds per game. Coming from outside of the States, it’s no surprise that Jakucionis has taken a liking to Luka’s game. After all, the former Dallas Mavericks superstar has shown just how well an international prospect’s game can translate to the NBA.
