Following Tuesday night’s NBA Draft lottery, Labaron Philon now knows the draft order of the teams he’s looking to impress this week. The Alabama guard is currently participating in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. The one-week event, which began Sunday, will be influential in Philon’s draft decision as he’s looking to elevate his stock into a potential lottery pick.
Philon measured in at 6-foot-2.75, 174.6 pounds on Monday. He also posted a 6-foot-6.25 wingspan and an 8-foot-3.5 standing reach. While the rising sophomore wasn’t one of the players listed as competitors in the five-on-five scrimmage portion of the combine, he’ll still look to impress NBA teams with his skills during workouts this week.
Philon has until May 28 to withdraw his name and return to Alabama. The star guard is coming off a breakout freshman season that saw him average 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 45.2% from the floor and 31.5% from beyond the arc. He also led the team with 1.4 steals per game.
"We're getting really good feedback from the NBA,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said of Phillon during an appearance at the Senior Bowl Charities Celebrity Golf Classic in Mobile last week. “He's got to go to the combine. He's got to test well. He's got to do well in the workouts. From what I'm hearing, I think he's going to get drafted. Shoot, it will be a great success story. He comes in, he's not on anybody's draft board, he plays well for us and ends up getting drafted after a year with us. That's the plan right now."
With the top half of the NBA draft order now set, here’s a roundup of where Philon is projected to land in seven recent mock drafts.
CBS Sports — Kyle Boone
Projection: No. 28 overall (first round), Boston Celtics
What Boone wrote: “There's likely to be signifiant interest from smart teams late in the first round and early in the second round in a young talent like Philon, who flashed major potential in spurts at Alabama as a true freshman. He's an exciting on-ball defender with burst and ball skills to grow into a starting guard. That's hard to find this late in the draft, even if he isn't ready to do so as a rookie.”
For The Win — Bryan Kalbrosky
Projection: No. 29 overall (first round), Phoenix Suns
What Kalbrosky wrote: “Alabama freshman Labaron Philon was named SEC All-Freshman and he is an excellent decision-maker with one of the most effective floaters in college basketball. As a playmaker, Philon distributed shots to his teammates beyond the arc fairly frequently. His jump shot could still use some work, though it did improve a bit as the season progressed. Philon unfortunately opted to not participate in five-on-five scrimmages at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine.”
ESPN — Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo
Projection: No. 36 overall (second round), Brooklyn Nets
SB Nation — Ricky O’Donnell
Projection: No. 17 overall (first round), Minnesota Timberwolves
What O’Donnell wrote: “Philon started for an elite team all year as a true freshman and made big contributions despite not having a reliable outside jumper yet. The 6’4 guard has one of the better handles in the class, and he does a tremendous job manipulating pace to punch holes in the opposing defense. He’s a solid live-dribble passer who can kick out to teammates for threes, and he has a developing mid-range/floater game to score even when he doesn’t make it all the way to the rim. Philon’s defense is also intriguing with quick hands that generated the most steals on the Crimson Tide by a big margin. The catch with Philon is he isn’t a great outside shooter yet (31.5 percent from deep) and he has trouble finishing over length. If the shot comes around, his game feels built for the playoffs.”
Sporting News — Gilbert McGregor
Projection: No. 44 overall (second round), Oklahoma City Thunder
The Ringer — J. Kyle Mann
Projection: No. 26 overall (first round), Brooklyn Nets
What Mann wrote: “Philon’s gait with the ball is a bit unorthodox, but he’s quick and attacks open space, frequently reminding me of high-processing game managers like Mike Conley or Rajon Rondo. His shot will have to evolve so that he can avoid inevitably being dared to shoot in important games, but I trust that Philon will figure out how to coexist well enough with Brooklyn’s bucket-lusting guards to become a playoff series regular.”
Yahoo! Sports — Kevin O’Connor
Projection: No. 24 overall (first round), Oklahoma City Thunder
What O’Connor wrote: “OKC has a plethora of guards already on the roster, but Philon presents so much long-term upside at this point of the draft as a shifty point guard with a buttery floater, advanced pick-and-roll playmaking and a deceptive handle that lets him control the tempo. His feathery touch teases untapped shooting potential, but he’s got to prove it to become an offensive maestro.”
