In today’s NBA, several offenses have reached a new level thanks to forwards and centers who can play make for others. We have seen players like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis and Draymond Green force defenses into uncomfortable positions with their vision and willingness to share the ball. The 2025 draft class features a number of forwards and centers who could excel at this relatively new play style.

Let’s look at four interior prospects who bring interesting playmaking potential to their teams:

Alex Karaban is one of the more versatile forwards in all of college basketball, as he can score from all three levels and is also extremely switchable on the defensive end. Although he averaged just below two assists per game last season, his playmaking numbers do not tell the whole story. His ability to make quick decisions out of the high post and off designated handoffs is very noticeable on film. He clearly has a good understanding of UConn’s offensive system and shows promise for fitting into NBA sets while helping their systems run smoothly. His willingness to make extra passes has been great for the Huskies in the past and should continue to stand out as they pursue a third straight national championship.

Derik Queen is the only freshman on this list, thanks to his vision while playing out of the low post. He is a powerful presence in the paint, using his combination of strength and footwork to regularly gain position inside. Offensively, his standout ability is finding cutters and shooters with his back to the basket. In his two seasons at Montverde, Queen had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio, highlighting his decision-making despite hardly ever initiating the offense. Queen should be able to play make more during his freshman season due to his apparent role for the Terrapins. Slinging crosscourt passes after defenders collapse has been one of the more impressive aspects of his passing. While his productivity is still hypothetical, he will be one of the most interesting prospects to monitor throughout the upcoming season.

Hansen Yang has been the most productive passer on this list, averaging nearly five assists in FIBA play last season. He is physically massive; while he is not particularly impressive athletically, he makes great reads out of the post and creates opportunities for others moving off-ball. Yang will likely not play big minutes due to his lack of mobility, but he can be effective in spot minutes thanks to his dominant interior presence and willingness to move the ball for the best looks. He prefers to work slowly out of the low post and fires the ball out to shooters as soon as their defenders help too much into the lane. Yang can be a constant double-double threat if given the opportunity but will need to improve his mobility to showcase his unique skill set.

Coleman Hawkins has a well-rounded offensive skill set and has shown the ability to expand the offensive games of his teammates while playing alongside productive guards and bigs. Last season, Hawkins averaged nearly three assists along with 12 points on efficient shooting splits of 45%/37%/79%. Transferring to Kansas State will offer him the opportunity to create a new role for himself; while he will still be relied on to score, the Wildcats have done a good job of playing unselfishly, which should highlight his ability to create for others. He has good vision while playing along the perimeter but excels after attacking the high post, gathering and finding open teammates at the rim or relocating for catch-and-shoot threes. Hawkins’ combination of size and skill has landed him on draft radars over the past few seasons, and he should take another leap during the upcoming season.

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