With the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz selected Illini forward Will Riley on Wednesday night. Despite being chosen by Utah, Riley will head to the Washington Wizards as a part of a draft-night trade. He was picked immediately after teammate Kasparas Jakučionis was drafted by the Miami Heat at the No. 20 spot.
Riley and Jakučionis made history being drafted together in the first round. They are the first pair of Illini to be selected in the first round in 20 years. The last time the program had two first round picks was in 2005 when Deron Williams and Luther Head went No. 3 and No. 24 overall respectively. Illini head coach Brad Underwood was with both players in the green room in Brooklyn to celebrate the occasion.
The trade that will send Riley to the nation’s capital will also move Washington’s No. 18 pick, Walter Clayton Jr., to Utah. Riley will join a Wizards team that had the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the second worst record in the entire NBA last season. He will team up with young stars, such as last year’s No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr, and learn from experienced veterans, like wing Khris Middleton, as the Wizards work to build from the ground up.
During his sole season at Illinois, Riley developed into a multi-level scoring threat that led the team’s offense toward the end of the year. After starting his freshman campaign off hot with a 31-point debut, Riley hit a wall for a couple months where he struggled to shoot the ball or be a meaningful contributor. However, that eventually changed, and he blossomed during the final stretch of the year. In the final 15 games of the season, Riley shot 48% from the field, scored in double-figures 13 times and had five 20-point games.
Riley also made major strides physically. The 2024 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year came into Illinois as a very skinny 18-year old, but with the help of strength coach Adam Fletcher, Riley put on 20-plus pounds by the end of the season, filling out his 6-foot-8 frame. That physical growth, along with on-court adjustments, allowed Riley to be more aggressive and effective against physical defensive teams later in the season.
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The next step for Riley on his basketball journey will be NBA Summer League, which kicks off in just a few short weeks. From July 10-20 in Las Vegas, Riley will play five games alongside other young players, draft picks and players hoping to earn an NBA deal. As a first round pick, he will have the ball in his hands a lot and be given plenty of opportunities over the course of summer league to showcase how his game translates to the pro level.
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