Post-Combine Mock Draft Tags Duke Basketball Transfer as First-Rounder

Many experts now agree that recent Duke basketball commit Cedric Coward should be among the first 30 off the board.

Duke basketball transfer pledge Cedric Coward | James Snook-Imagn Images

When Cedric Coward revealed his commitment to fourth-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils back in late April, the 6-foot-6 veteran force looked like this year's high-impact transfer addition in Durham. A few weeks later, though, most signs now point to the 6-foot-6 guard, a clear-cut standout at last week's NBA Draft Combine, bypassing his final year of eligibility.

ALSO READ: Potential Finishing Piece to 2025 Duke Class Schedules Announcement

On Monday morning, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo became the latest to publish a mock draft with Coward, a chiseled 213-pounder boasting a 7-foot-2 wingspan, sitting in the first round. The pair of NBA insiders project the former Eastern Washington and Washington State sensation to hear his name at No. 30 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers (via the Oklahoma City Thunder).

Cedric Coward is EASILY one of the biggest winners of the combine

He’s shot well in drills, has a freaky 7’2” wing span at 6’5” and tested great athletically too with a 38.5” max vert

He’s a career 38.6% 3PT shooter in college and there’s a big chance he stays in the draft now pic.twitter.com/3t9hqfcLd7

— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) May 13, 2025

"Many NBA teams we spoke with are hesitant about his surprising rise," Woo wrote about the 21-year-old Coward, "given the fact that he played six games at Washington State before a shoulder injury ended his season. But his unusual trajectory from Division III to Eastern Washington to what appears to be guaranteed-contract territory is fascinating...

"Despite not having played competitively since November, his draft projection seems to be moving in his favor."

Coward has until May 28 to withdraw his name from the list of early NBA Draft entrants and retain his college eligibility.

With about five weeks until the 2025 NBA Draft begins in Brooklyn's Barclays Center on June 25, ESPN's Duke basketball product forecast calls for Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to the Dallas Mavericks, Khaman Maluach at No. 7 to the New Orleans Pelicans, Kon Knueppel at No. 8 to the Brooklyn Nets, Tyrese Proctor at No. 51 to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Sion James at No. 52 to the Phoenix Suns.

Stay tuned to Duke Blue Devils On SI for more Duke basketball news.