Which 2025 NBA Draft Prospects Could Make an Early Impact on a Winning Team?

The NBA Finals tips off later this week and will feature a few recent draft prospects.

Both the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder boast rosters with a handful of young players earning significant minutes. Cason Wallace has been one of OKC's top performers off the bench throughout his second postseason, while third-year player Jalen Williams earned All-Star and All-NBA honors this year.

For Indiana, second-year standouts Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have played important roles in the Pacers' run to the championship series.

While most young players won't be able to impact winning for a playoff team like the aforementioned prospects have early in their careers, there are a few players in this year's class who have the potential to make a difference right away.

Here are a few prospects in the 2025 cycle that could be strong additions for playoff teams looking to bolster their roster.

Noah Penda

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Penda is averaging 10.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals through 29 games with Le Mans in France's professional basketball league.

The 20-year-old forward is a versatile defender and strong passer who can guard multiple positions on defense and find open shooters on offense. While Penda needs to improve his perimeter shot, the likely first round pick has the skills to be a solid role player at the next level.

Draft Digest ranked Penda as the No. 19 prospect in the 2025 class on the website's big board.

Walter Clayton Jr.

Clayton is one of the more high-profile prosect's in this year's draft class after winning a national title at Florida this season.

A veteran who has expereince on the big stage, Clayton averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 44.8% from the floor and 38.6% from beyond the arc as a senior with the Gators.

Clayton is a talented scorer who has solid touch around the rim and good production from 3-point range. After measuring at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan at the NBA Combine, Clayton may get overlooked in the draft process due to his size, but the 2025 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstand Player could become a valuable rotation player if he lands in the right spot.

Collin Murray-Boyles

One of the best defenders in the 2025 class, Murray-Boyles ability to guard multiple positions is alone enough to make the South Carolina wing prospect an early impact candidate.

As a sophomore with the Gamecocks, Murray-Boyles averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 58.6% from the field. Like Penda, the former four-star recruit still needs to develop as a shooter, but if he can become more consistent from the perimeter, Murray-Boyles could be a key piece of a playoff team in the first few years of his NBA career.

At the combine, Murray-Boyles measured at 6-foot-6 and half an inch without shoes to go along with a 7-foot and three quarters of an inch wingspan.

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