Jaxson Robinson‘s name isn’t being mentioned on many — if any at all — mock drafts ahead of next week’s 2025 NBA Draft, but don’t be surprised if his name is called before the 59-pick event wraps up.
During a conference call with media members on Wednesday afternoon, ESPN’s Jay Bilas brought up Robinson as a potential second-round draft pick. After giving his reasoning as to why two of Robinson’s Kentucky teammates, Koby Brea and Amari Williams, are likely draft picks, he made sure to mention the BYU transfer.
“But I’m not sure those two are the only ones that will be drafted,” Bilas told KSR. “I think Jaxson Robinson, because of his ability to shoot the ball and shoot it from deep, has a very good chance of getting drafted
Bilas is, obviously, rather tapped into the college basketball and NBA worlds. He isn’t just saying this for show — there’s belief behind those words.
Robinson’s draft stock was tanked by his late-season wrist injury, which ultimately required surgery and forced him to miss the final month of the season. At the time of the surgery, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said it might not be until late May or early June before Robinson is healthy enough to compete.
That timeline was pretty close to being spot on.
According to a Tuesday report from Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, who covers the Phoenix Suns, Robinson was medically cleared for contact last week. That explains why Robinson’s name was rarely mentioned in the pre-draft conversation and why he missed out on the NBA Draft Combine. Now, he’s playing catch-up. Rankin reports that Robinson has either met with or plans to meet the following franchises leading up to the NBA Draft, which is set for June 25-26: the Kings, Warriors, Suns, Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics.
All five of those teams have picks in the second round, the Cavaliers actually having two of them (Nos. 49, 58). Robinson is ranked as the 72nd-best prospect in this year’s draft, per ESPN’s latest Big Board update.Just trying to take advantage of every opportunity,” Robinson said, according to Rankin. “I started late. I’m kind of playing catch-up as far as just workouts. A lot of guys have already had a lot of workouts. Just trying to make the most of this opportunity and hopefully see some success.”
Robinson, who turns 23 in December, played five college seasons, the fifth and final one coming at Kentucky. The 6-foot-6 guard started his career at Texas A&M (2020-21) before moving over to Arkansas (2021-22). Neither of those SEC stints proved beneficial, but that changed once he signed up to play for Pope at BYU. Robinson was a full-time starter as a junior in 2022-23 before being named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year in 2023-24.
Once Pope took the job at Kentucky, Robinson eventually followed after going through the pre-draft process the first time. In 24 games played as a fifth-year senior in 2024-25, the Oklahoma native averaged 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 28.1 minutes per outing. He shot 43.2 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from deep, and 76.3 percent from the free throw line. Robinson’s shooting numbers soared once he entered SEC play: 46.2/45.7/72.2 shooting splits in 11 league games.
Had it not been for that terribly timed injury in late February, Robinson’s name is likely much higher on the pre-draft boards. But he’s healthy now and looking to gain as much ground as possible between now and the draft, which starts exactly one week from today. Bilas is advising us to keep our heads on a swivel with Robinson once the draft dips into the second round.
