Will Zakai Zeigler get drafted into the NBA in 2025? A look at Tennessee star's eligibility

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional-Kentucky at Tennessee - Source: Imagn

Tennessee Volunteers and Zakai Zeigler are in the middle of their spirited March Madness run. They will play Houston in the Elite Eight on Sunday. He is in his fourth season with the team and is out of NCAA eligibility after this season. As a result, he will enter the NBA draft in the spring. However, it is unclear whether he will be drafted.

Is Zakai Zeigler eligible for the 2025 NBA draft?

Yes, Zeigler is eligible to be selected in the 2025 NBA draft. Players must be at least one year removed from high school. However, Zeigler is undersized at 5-foot-9 and not a great 3-point shooter. As a result, if he is drafted, it will likely come towards the end of the second round.

Zakai Zeigler NBA draft landing spots

#1 Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are in a rebuild and have the best odds to get the first pick in the 2025 NBA draft. As a result, they should have the opportunity to pick up a star in the first round. If that happens, they could look at Zeigler as an option on defense with one of their second-round picks.

#2 Phoenix Suns

The Suns are in an intriguing situation with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on their roster. It's unknown whether they'll return, and even if they do, it doesn't appear that this lineup of players can lead a team to victory. The Suns have struggled with defense as part of their roster composition, so adding Zeigler could be a possibility.

#3 Washington Wizards

Few teams have been worse defensively this season than the Washington Wizards. As a result, after using their first-round pick on an offensive star, they should look at a defensive player in the second round, like Zeigler.

#4 Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have struggled to stay relevant in recent years. One of the biggest reasons for that has been the team's defense. Adding someone like Zeigler would not solve their problems, but it would be a step in the right direction.

#5 Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets could be an interesting fit for Zeigler. He would join a young team with strong offensive talents, but has struggled defensively. He could be a useful piece for the Hornets in their rebuild.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Krutik Jain