Kasparas Jakucionis - NBA Mock Draft Roundup 1.0

Leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, we will track where Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kasparas Jakucionis appears in the latest NBA mock drafts.

Kasparas Jakucionis NBA Mock Drafts

Here are some of the latest mock drafts in which Kasparas Jakucionis has appeared:

For the Win — Bryan Kalbrosky

Round 1, Pick 3 — New Orleans Pelicans

Lithuania's Kasparas Jakucionis is one of the hottest names in draft circles right now, recording 19 points with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in just the first half against Indiana on Tuesday night. He has an effective pull-up jumper and currently leads all freshmen in unassisted 3-pointers, per CBB Analytics, while shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc. As a point guard, he also leads all freshmen in assists distributed at the rim per game.

CBS Sports — Adam Finkelstein

Round 1, Pick 4 — Charlotte Hornets

It took him a few weeks to adapt to college basketball, but he's been playing at a very high level since the end of November. Jakucionis has backcourt size, skill, craft, a knack for operating out of ball screens, and on- and off-ball versatility. His high turnover rate is a bit of a concern, while scouts are still evaluating how well his defensive footspeed will translate.

Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman

Round 1, Pick 5 — Utah Jazz

Kasparas Jakucionis is currently out with a forearm injury, but he recently added more late-game execution to the scouting reel during Illinois' win over Washington. His game and poise continue to radiate pro vibes, with Jakucionis using skill, IQ, improvisation and shotmaking to make plays without any advantageous athletic trait.

At 6'6", he does seem to offer enough offensive versatility for teams to picture an interchangeable combo guard. But the primary draw to Jakicionis is his lead-guard potential, based on the command he's demonstrated in pick-and-rolls and his ability to balance/generate offense with self-created offense and playmaking.

Some scouts have moved him into the next tier behind Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper.

The Athletic — Sam Vecenie

Round 1, Pick 4 — Charlotte Hornets

Jakučionis has been among the most impressive players in the country this season, and more importantly, he's been getting better throughout the season. He's averaging 16.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting an incredibly efficient 49.2 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from 3 and 87 percent from the line. However, over his last nine games, he's averaging 19.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field, 46.3 percent from 3 and 89.8 percent from the line. Most impressively, that stretch has come against the strongest portion of Illinois' schedule so far, including games against Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Oregon, Northwestern, Washington and Missouri. Illinois has played a top-30 schedule in the country, per KenPom. It will only get tougher, too, as the Illini play a monster Big Ten schedule plus a showcase game against Duke in February.

Jakučionis is a crafty, creative ballhandler who dominates the ball and consistently creates open shots for both himself and his teammates. He's a maestro out of ball screens, sees the court pristinely in transition and consistently knocks down shots both off the catch and off pull-ups. The turnover rate is quite high, a product of not being a monster athlete and playing in tight quarters. He turns it over nearly four times per game and will need to get that under control. But I had Jakučionis in the top six in the preseason, and he's exceeded every expectation while a large portion of prospects have struggled. I have him at No. 3 on my board ahead of Bailey, and I think he has the look of a terrific long-term NBA player who can thrive on or off the ball and potentially develop into a highly skilled primary creator if given time to iron out the tightness of his handle.

ESPN — Givony/Woo

Round 1, Pick 5 — Charlotte Hornets

Having won two games since Nov. 22, the Hornets appear headed toward another high draft pick. Despite the presence of LaMelo Ball, Jakucionis' size, feel for the game and ability to play on or off the ball will be attractive to any team selecting in this range.

The 6-foot-6 Lithuanian is playing fantastic basketball, controlling games with outstanding pace as a scorer and passer, getting to spots on the floor and playing through contact or finishing skillfully around the basket while making high-level pick-and-roll reads and hitting 3-pointers off the dribble.

The 18-year-old has made significant strides physically over the past 18 months and is on an impressive trajectory, making the transition from Europe to college look easy. He has been showcasing his talent on one of the best teams in college basketball. -- Givony

Fox Sports — John Fanta

Round 1, Pick 4 — Toronto Raptors

The Lithuanian guard can be a lead ball handler, terrific shooter and everything in between. At 6-6, he possesses great length and versatility and has a pro background, having played for European power FC Barcelona. He posted a combined 34 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in wins at Oregon and Washington this past week. I love his feel for the game and think he's applying pressure to Bailey to be the third pick.

MORE: NBA Draft Prospect Roundups