Potential 2025 NBA Draft Candidates To Watch in the NBL Playoffs

The NBL playoffs are here, and with it, some potential 2025 NBA draft candidates have a chance to raise their stock if they can find a new gear for the postseason. Of course, not all of the league’s young talent made it to the playoffs with only four of the league's ten teams qualifying. Some of the most well-known prospects in the NBL came up short of making the semifinals.

Rocco Zikarsky, who has struggled most of this season, and the Brisbane Bullets came up short. Zikarsky, a 7-foot-3 center who made a name for himself with dominant play in youth competitions for Australia has yet to translate that level of impact to the professional level. He is still incredibly young, he’ll still be 18 for the 2025 NBA Draft, and thus still has time to grow and develop as a player. But his inability to carve out a solid and reliable role for the Bullets this season was disappointing for him, the Bullets, and scouts and front offices across the NBA.

Karim Lopez - a top prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft - and the New Zealand Breakers also came up short of the NBL postseason, finishing ninth in the league standings. Lopez battled injuries early in the season and struggled to find his rhythm, but blossomed and exploded as a player in the later stages of the season. The Breakers started the season strong, and coming up short has been a disappointment, but for Lopez personally, if he’s able to pick up where he left off for the 2025-26 season, he’ll be making a play for a top-five selection in 2026.

Alex Toohey and the Sydney Kings also came up short of the playoffs, losing to Montrezl Harrell and the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL’s play-in phase. The Kings were seen as contenders coming into the season and failing to even make the semifinals can only be described as a major disappointment. Toohey finished the NBL season averaging 10.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 45/30/73 shooting splits. He will likely be a second-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Izan Almansa and Ben Henshall of the Perth Wildcats will face Melbourne United in the playoffs. Both players have been valuable in their roles for the Wildcats and provided incredible support to star guard Bryce Cotton. Almansa has averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and played the four and the five while also being tasked with some perimeter matchups for the Wildcats.

Henshall has averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and one steal per game on 42/36/85 shooting splits. He has been a great partner to Cotton in the backcourt and also helped steer the offense when Cotton needs to come out of the game. If Almansa and Henshall can help the Wildcats beat Matthew Dellavedova and Melbourne United that won’t go unnoticed by NBA teams monitoring them for June.

With a victory over the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL play-in, Malique Lewis and Owen Foxwell of South East Melbourne Phoenix qualified for the playoffs and will take on the top-seeded Illawarra Hawks. Against the 36ers, Foxwell finished with a solid nine points, six assists, and five rebounds to help his squad prevail. Lewis had 12 points and five rebounds in the first play-in loss against the Perth Wildcats.

Foxwell has capitalized on the increased opportunities he’s received since starting point guard Derrick Walton Jr. went down with a season-ending injury. His ability to rise to the occasion and thrive with added responsibility is something that has already helped his draft stock. If he does it again in the semifinals, he may guarantee himself a late second-round selection.

While the biggest prospect names in the Australian NBL came up short of the semifinals, there is still plenty to watch for NBA Draft fans when they tip-off on Thursday, Feb. 27.

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