In a piece published last week, Bleacher Report’s crew conducted an NBA re-draft utilizing only the draft classes of 2019–2023. Players like Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Victor Wembanyama are included in this pool.

Bleacher Report gave the Detroit Pistons the first overall pick in their re-draft, going to Wembanyama, who is currently with the San Antonio Spurs. They also had the Spurs choose Anthony Edwards, a standout player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, with the No. 2 choice. Though these are intriguing conjectures, the No. 3 pick is likely the one that Pacers supporters should be most concerned about.

With the third overall pick, Bleacher Report redrafted Haliburton to the Washington Wizards. Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and fellow Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (who they had going No. 27 to the Philadelphia 76ers) are the players selected before this one.

The writer for Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes, who “drafted” Haliburton, gave an explanation for his decision to select him above other promising potential.

“Haliburton is a logical choice for this piece’s base. He is an incredibly selfless passer who is programmed to look for opportunities for teammates. That will be important for a team like the Wizards, who are just starting their reconstruction,” Hughes remarked.

“Haliburton’s picture-perfect settings will be very helpful to young players who might otherwise find it difficult to get a foothold. Even better, his presence practically guarantees an energetic, fast-paced style.”

Tyrese Haliburton has the potential to be a star.

Haliburton first appeared in the real NBA after being selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 12 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. But the Kings sold Haliburton to Indiana less than two years later, and since then, he has developed into an All-NBA player.

The Wisconsin native has averaged 19.9 points, 10.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in his stint with the Pacers thus far. Haliburton was chosen for the All-Star Game and placed in the top 10 players in the voting for Most Improved Player in both of his complete seasons with the Pacers. He has so far been better every year in Indiana and ought to keep getting better.

To date, the Wisconsin native has averaged 19.9 points, 10.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while playing for the Pacers. Haliburton was voted into the All-Star Game each of his two complete seasons with the Pacers, and he placed among the top 10 players in the Most Improved Player poll. He has so far gotten better every year in Indiana, and this should only continue.

Is the standout guard for the Knicks a candidate to earn Sixth Man of the Year in 2025?

His probable reassignment to the second unit is the source of his resentment. After former Knicks wing Quentin Grimes left him in the starting lineup last autumn, DiVincenzo rode it to a career 2023–24 season that had him considered for the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

With 283 three-pointers made in a single season, he broke the Knicks record. He also completely redesigned the team’s offensive system, encouraging more fluid ball movement with his precise floor spacing and incessant half-court activity.

How DiVincenzo’s benching could be extremely beneficial in 2024–2025

The opportunity for the Villanova product to compete for another end-of-season award—which might be more attainable than the MIP honor—is the sweetness that could emerge from the forthcoming campaign. Next time around, DiVincenzo most likely to be the first player off the Knicks’ bench. He’s already a top choice for head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Knicks. Despite Mikal Bridges being the current starting two-guard, he might prevent a significant decline in minutes and put up stats comparable to the winners and runners-up of the previous two years’ Sixth Man of the Year awards.

Even though he did not play a lot of minutes in the previous season, the record indicates that the Delaware native made an impression. In 2023–2024, DiVincenzo participated in 24 games, averaging between 20 and 29 minutes of action each game. He averaged a strong 14.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in those 24 games, good for his greatest clip among his four-minute splits, with a true shooting percentage of 65.7 percent. With an average of 24.2 minutes per night, he accomplished all of that. The former NBA champion from 2021 is likely to experience time that is similar to that average, which will provide insight into his potential.

How DiVincenzo compares to the NBA’s top sixth man for the 2025 6MOY

The previous two winners, Malcolm Brogdon of the Portland Trail Blazers, who won while playing for the Boston Celtics in 2022–2023 and reigning 6MOY Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves, both averaged less than 15 points per game on their way to the title. Reid scored 13.5 points per game, and Brogdon added 14.9 points. DiVincenzo, who plays for the Knicks and is one of the league’s top three-point shooters, might land exactly in that bracket.

DiVincenzo will not be able to establish himself as a major playmaker off the bench because of New York’s acquisition of Cam Payne, but he can still be a serious candidate if he plays well in his areas of strength.

A preliminary examination of additional contenders who may dethrone Reid in the upcoming season includes Russell Westbrook of the Denver Nuggets, Alex Caruso of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Bennedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers. Additionally, the Milwaukee Bucks’ Bobby Portis and the Toronto Raptors’ Immanuel Quickley are perennial contenders.

After all 82 games have been played, it is very possible that DiVincenzo will emerge victorious.