NIGHT two of the 2025 NBA Draft has wrapped up, putting an end to the intake for this year as another 29 players joined the world’s premier basketball competition and have their dreams realised in Chicago earlier today.

Although the first round was full of surprises and trades, there were less moves made on the second evening, and a trend that came forth following the first round was a preference for experienced players. Remarkably, there were no Freshmen selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft after 18 were picked up on the first night, with teams looking to take less risks with proven talent seemingly with their later picks.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be running you through some of the biggest talking points to come out of the second round, starting with one of the biggest winners from the proceedings overall.

Suns make winning moves

A week ago, the Phoenix Suns were in a predicament when it came to their future. With stars in the back half of their respective careers and minimal draft capital, Phoenix was not in an ideal spot long-term. However, the Suns made their first move when they traded Kevin Durant for pick 10, which was used to select the best center in the draft in Khaman Maluach to anchor their defence in the frontcourt for the coming years, but they were not done yet.

Just prior to the second round kicking off on Friday AEST, Phoenix traded for pick 31, the first selection of night two, and found a value player in Rasheer Fleming to pair in the frontcourt. Fleming was expected to be a first round selection, and is a fantastic power forward who brings, hustle, spot-up shooting and physicality to the table, making him a big part of Phoenix’s future.

Sacramento gets a steal in Raynaud

One of the other big winners of the 2025 NBA Draft was the Sacramento Kings, who picked up a bargain midway through the second round on Friday morning. Heading into the second round, there were a few expected first-round prospects still on the board, and one of those was Frenchman Maxime Raynaud, and after sliding past the first 11 picks of night two, the Kings swooped on the talented big man at pick 42, in what could be considered one of the biggest steals of the night.

It seems to be a strong fit too, with Raynaud now able to learn from Domantas Sabonis, who has forged a career that would be ideal for the French draftee as a skilled center. Pairing him with earlier draftee Nique Clifford has seen Sacramento emerge with an excellent draft haul.

Aussies invade NBA with quartet drafted

It was a truly successful night for Australian basketball, with four players picked up as the development of the sport in the country was on full display. It all started with big man Rocco Zikarsky, who was picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 45th selection, although he will start his career on a two-way contract.

Four picks later, Tyrese Proctor was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 49th selection, while Alex Toohey was drafted by the Golden State Warriors at 52, and Lachlan Olbrich joined the Chicago Bulls with the 55th pick. It was a tremendous result for Australia, with all players graduating from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra and three of the four coming from the NBL, showing again that it is a legitimate pathway to the NBA.