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Clippers Select Kobe Sanders at 50 in the 2025 NBA Draft
With the 50th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Clippers selected Kobe Sanders, a 23-year-old wing from the University of Nevada. They traded up from 51 to 50 to make the pick, sending the rights to an international player and cash to the Knicks to make the selection
Kobe averaged 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 31.7 minutes per game at Nevada as a fifth-year senior (he played his first four years at Cal Poly), shooting 46% from the field, 34.2% from three (3.6 attempts), and 79.5% from the free throw line (5.9 attempts).
Kobe is tall for a wing, standing at 6’7, though he’s fairly skinny at just over 200 pounds. He scored mostly with midrange jumpers and at the free throw line, as his three-point shooting in college was not very good for a scoring wing. On offense, his best skill by far is playmaking – 4.5 assists for a guy his size is pretty good. He is good at manipulating defenses and making quick reads to open teammates. The ability to dribble, pass, and kind of shoot is valuable, and Sanders does check those boxes for an NBA wing. If he can stretch his range from the midrange to three, he could have a real NBA future.
The downsides to Kobe are fairly obvious. He’s on the older side (already 23), the three-point shot seems very shaky (at best), and his athleticism and defense are below average for an NBA player. But at 51, it is what it is.
I don’t imagine that Kobe Sanders will get a full contract from the Clippers, as they already have a pretty full roster and a lot of guards/wings ahead of him. Thus, I’d expect him to get a two-way deal, joining Trentyn Flowers and Patrick Baldwin Jr. as the Clippers three two-ways.
I’ll be honest, I don’t have a ton of thoughts on Kobe. He seems like a fine enough pick at this point in the draft, as nearly every player who I had real thoughts on were gone by pick 40 or so. There is real talent, and Kobe appears to be quite good at basketball – the question will be whether he’s athletic enough to make it in the NBA. Welcome to the Clippers, Kobe!
Clippers Select Kobe Sanders at 50 in the 2025 NBA Draft
Robert Flom