Former Tennessee sharpshooter Chaz Lanier could be in the right range to link up with one of the league’s best young superstars, according to a new NBA mock draft on Tuesday morning.
Lanier proved himself to be one of the most effective perimeter shooters in college basketball last season, and followed that up with the second-best shooting performance at the NBA combine in Chicago in May.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft from Tuesday morning, Lanier was slotted at No. 38 to the San Antonio Spurs by analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo. That would make him teammates with budding star Victor Wembanyama and former first-round pick Stephon Castle.
Lanier sits above other former Tennessee foes, including Johni Broome at No. 40, Tyrese Proctor at No. 43, and Koby Brea at No. 47.
Lanier’s slot at No. 38 is a two-spot jump from Givony and Woo’s post-NBA combine mock draft from mid-May, where he landed at No. 40, and a four-spot jump from their pre-combine pick at No. 42. It seems clear that while it may not be by leaps and bounds, Lanier’s stock is rising with the draft rapidly approaching at the end of the month.
Lanier’s range looks to be set between No. 35 and No. 42, though a number of different variables could change things. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman tagged Lanier with the No. 35 overall pick earlier in June, which appears to be his highest projection so far.
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During his one season at Tennessee, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard set the Vols’ all-time single-season three-point shooting record with 123 made from long range. His impact was important and immediate with the Vols, giving Tennessee another strong shooter in their run to the Elite Eight in Indianapolis this past spring. Lanier finished the season averaging 18.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 38 games with the Volunteers.
“We knew Lanier would look like one of the best shooters entering the combine, and that carried over Tuesday,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello wrote about Lanier back in May, tagging the former Vol as one of the five standout players from combine workouts. “He has been one of the premier perimeter shotmakers in college basketball over the past two seasons, making 44% of his 3s in 2023-24 at North Florida and 39.5% last season at Tennessee. He finished in the top five in all three 3-point shooting drills, and his touch and agility also caught the eyes of scouts. He had the fifth-fastest time in the pro lane agility drill, the third-highest no-step vertical leap and the fourth-highest max vertical leap.”
The 2025 NBA Draft will take place on Wednesday, Jun. 25, at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Chaz Lanier is looking to become the ninth Tennessee player drafted during Rick Barnes’ tenure on Rocky Top:
Tennessee Basketball Draft Picks Under Rick Barnes
- 2019 – Grant Williams – Boston Celtics // No. 22
- 2019 – Admiral Schofield – Washington Wizards via Philadelphia // No. 42
- 2019 – Jordan Bone – Detroit Pistons via New Orleans // No. 58
- 2021 – Keon Johnson – Los Angeles Clippers via New York // No. 21
- 2021 – Jaden Springer – Philadelphia 76ers // No. 28
- 2022 – Kennedy Chandler – Memphis Grizzlies via San Antonio // No. 38
- 2023 – Julian Phillips – Chicago Bulls via Boston // No. 35
- 2024 – Dalton Knecht – Los Angeles Lakers // No. 17
