Emerging Australian big man Rocco Zikarsky is looming as a potential early first round pick at the 2025 NBA Draft, with the Bleacher Report listing him as the seventh overall selection in their latest mock.

While it’s still 10 months until the next edition of the Draft, Zikarsky has already shown he can cut it at a professional level as a 17-year-old in NBL24, and with another year under his belt will only improve from the experience.

At 220 centimetres, he’s a commanding presence on the court at such a young age. 

“Offensively, touch around the basket and flashes of face-up drives create some optimism. But realistically, the draw to Zikarsky right now is on his interior defensive impact,” the report said. 

“Last played in April at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany, where he led Australia to gold and won MVP with averages of 18.7 points, 11 boards and 2.9 blocks on 73.1 per cent shooting.”

Zikarsky is set for more minutes in the Brisbane Bullets’ rotation this year, following the departure of Aron Baynes, and has already gained valuable exposure in the Australian Boomers and Emerging Boomers’ programs.

The 18-year-old fan-favourite averaged 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and an impressive 1.0 blocks in just 7.1 minutes per game across NBL24. 

Read the full story here >> 2025 NBA Mock Draft: Round 1 Predictions after Paris Olympics