ESPN Prediction: Illinois' Will Riley and Kasparas Jakucionis to Reunite in NBA

ESPN experts have Riley and Jakucionis going to the San Antonio Spurs in latest NBA Draft lottery projections

Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA: Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) drives to the hoop past Xavier Musketeers forward Jerome Hunter (2) during the second half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Are Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley really done as teammates?

Don't get your hopes up Illinois fans – both Jakucionis and Riley are still bound for the June 25 NBA Draft. But as Monday's draft lottery approaches and the selection order is settled, insiders can begin formulating a better idea were eligible players may go based on fit, need and the long-term plans of teams picking near their projected selection range.

In fact, some have already gotten started.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo published their 2025 NBA Draft lottery odds and potential picks, which made news from the jump in that Riley was included at all. Widely projected to go in the late teens to early 20s in the first round of the draft, Riley was projected at No. 14 in ESPN's projections.

Granted, there are a lot of variables that must fall into place for these specific dominos to fall just so, but the most interesting part of the exercise (especially if you're an Illini fan) is that Givony and Woo predict both Jakucionis (No. 8) and Riley (No. 14) to go to the San Antonio Spurs.

"Jakucionis enters the NBA with the caliber of offensive creativity, intangibles and international background that have traditionally been attractive to the Spurs organization," Woo wrote of Jakucionis, an 18-year-old, 6-foot-6 guard from Lithuania.

"Adding shooting both on the perimeter and in the frontcourt likely will be a priority for the franchise long-term, with the likes of Jakucionis, [Kon] Knueppel, Riley and Carter Bryant (Arizona) all likely to get long looks with the 8th and 14th picks," wrote Givony.

Went to watch Illinois' Will Riley working out in Los Angeles. The Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year has a big week coming at the NBA Combine in Chicago. The 19-year-old Canadian is building his frame while maintaining his guard skills at 6'8. pic.twitter.com/TfuhkcBxhl

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 6, 2025

Keep in mind, these projections assume not only that the Spurs wind up with the No. 8 and 14 picks (the second of which is conveyed to them by the Atlanta Hawks) and choose not to trade out of those spots, but also that the rest of the teams in the lottery land in the prescribed order and don't make moves out of their spots. We're gonna need to put in a quick phone call to NASA for the odds on that particular scenario falling into place.

But it would be interesting to see Jakucionis and Riley continue to grow side by side, especially as part of arguably the top developmental organization in the NBA. Jakucionis, in particular, is exactly the kind of player the Spurs have coveted over the years. We'll be watching to see in what order the ping pong balls are pulled during Monday's lottery proceedings.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Why Illinois Should Target Oklahoma Transfer Guard Duke Miles

Is Incoming Freshman Brandon Lee a Hidden X-Factor for Illinois Next Season?

Illinois Basketball: Which Current and Former Illini Got NBA Draft Combine Invites?