Danny Wolf Position: Big Height: 6'10.5" Weight: 252 lbs Wingspan: 7'2.3" Age: 21 Team: Michigan

Offense Danny Wolf is a true unicorn of the 2025 class: a 7-footer who can bring the ball up the floor, initiate pick-and-rolls, thread live-dribble passes, and toss in step-back threes. That sentence alone is why he’s on NBA radars, but translating his flair-heavy college role into a defined pro context will be one of the most challenging projections of any big in this draft. At Michigan, Wolf functioned more like a jumbo point forward than a traditional big. He took nearly 17% of his possessions as the ball-handler in pick-and-rolls, often operating out of empty side actions or trail situations where he had time to build a head of steam. From a skill perspective, his handle is advanced for his size; he's coordinated, shows deceptive change-of-pace, and uses his length well to shield the ball on drives. His passing stands out more than his scoring. Wolf is comfortable making reads off the bounce, delivering skip passes, bounce feeds in the pocket, or threading live-dribble dimes in tight windows. His 22.5 AST% ranks among the best for bigs in this class. However, Wolf is a high-turnover player, and not in a vacuum: his giveaways are often the result of forced, high-difficulty passes, a high handle, or dribble drives that stall in traffic. His 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio is a bit of a red flag for someone who wants to be a playmaking hub, and he’ll need to dramatically tighten up his decision-making to earn trust at the NBA level. As a scorer, Wolf is best described as crafty but unorthodox. He shot nearly 60% at the rim in the halfcourt, largely relying on footwork, angles, and touch rather than vertical pop. He shows flashes of shot creation, including sidesteps, hesitations, and face-up drives from the top of the key. But his scoring toolkit is more about trickery than force: he lacks burst, doesn’t absorb contact well, and often picks up his dribble prematurely when cut off. Wolf’s shooting is a swing skill. His form is stiff and his release low, but the mechanics are repeatable. He’s made 33.6% of his threes in his career (29% this season), and while that’s not a bad number for a big, most of his attempts are of the difficult variety: off the dribble, popping, or coming off movement. From the line, he’s been inconsistent (career 64.6%), which raises some skepticism about his true touch. Still, his volume and versatility hint at untapped potential as a stretch big, especially in a simplified spot-up role. If Wolf isn’t going to be a primary on-ball playmaker at the next level, he’ll need to evolve his off-ball game. That means hitting more standstill catch-and-shoot threes, becoming more effective on rolls and short rolls, and connecting plays with quick reads. As a roll man at Yale, he graded out as “Excellent” per Synergy (1.448 PPP), but his struggles against length and contact are real. He rarely dunked the ball, and while he has soft touch, finishing through crowds will be a challenge without added strength. Defense Wolf’s defense is where the questions get louder. While he’s not a disaster positionally; he plays hard, moves his feet decently for his size, and can contain actions in a pinch, he lacks the footspeed and vertical athleticism to defend in space or offer serious rim protection. He posted modest stock numbers (1.3 STL%, 4.7 BLK%) and doesn’t have the instincts or tools to anchor a defense from the 5. More likely, he’ll slot into a 4.5 role; guarding bigger forwards in schemes that allow him to drop or zone up. At Michigan, he benefited from playing next to Vladislav Goldin, who handled most of the true rim protection duties. Without that support, Wolf’s limitations: slow recoveries, struggles on closeouts, and low ground coverage: become more evident. He can slide with some forwards and will contest shots with effort, but he gives up angles easily and won’t offer much deterrence at the cup. That said, his motor helps. Wolf competes on this end and gives consistent effort, even if the outcomes aren’t always ideal. He closes out under control, boxes out diligently, and uses his wide frame well in post defense. He’s also an excellent rebounder (25.5 DREB%, 9.2 OREB%), which gives him some utility in “grab-and-go” situations where he can initiate offense after securing a board. Looking Ahead Danny Wolf is not your conventional modern big. He doesn’t space the floor cleanly yet. He doesn’t protect the rim. He’s not a high-volume lob threat or a switchable 4. But he is one of the most inventive and uniquely skilled offensive bigs in the draft. The pathway to NBA impact runs through scaling his game appropriately. In a second-unit role, perhaps as a hybrid 4/5 who can run short-roll sets, space to the corners, or run inverted pick-and-rolls with guards, Wolf could carve out real value. Think of him as a possible modern-day Vlade Divac: not explosive, not dominant, but full of guile, touch, and passing feel. For that to happen, the shot has to come along, the turnovers have to come down, and the defensive issues have to be mitigated through scheme and support. He’ll need the right coach, the right structure, and the right expectations. But for a creative team looking to diversify its offense or get funky with its second unit, Wolf offers a rare blend of size, vision, and feel that’s hard to find,even if it comes in an unconventional package.