The NBA Draft is upon us, and, like the 2024 draft, the Vols should hear the name of one of their own called during the event, something that doesn’t happen every year.
That player this year will be guard Chaz Lanier, who led Tennessee in scoring on the way to the team’s second straight Elite Eight appearance this year. Lanier averaged 18.0 ppg on 43.1% shooting from the field and 3.9 rebounds per game.
However, the story will likely be different from 2024, when Dalton Knecht was drafted. Knecht was a projected lottery pick, although he fell to 17th with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lanier is projected by most outlets to be an early second-round pick. Here’s where several major outlets have him in their latest mock drafts.
ESPN: 38th overall to San Antonio Spurs
USA Today: 32nd overall to Boston Celtics
Yahoo! Sports: 41st overall to Golden State Warriors
SI.com: 35th overall to Philadelphia 76ers
None of those would be bad destinations in my opinion. The Celtics won it all in 2024. Getting to potentially play with Steph Curry in the Bay Area would be intriguing. The 76ers have been a perennial playoff team, although 2024-25 was a rare down year for them. The Spurs are undergoing a rebuild, but one with some good core pieces.
We’ll find out soon enough where Lanier goes, as the draft gets underway this Wednesday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.