NBA
5 Players In The College Basketball Transfer Portal With NBA Potential
Ben Pfeifer graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in Psychology and Journalism. He has worked in basketball scouting covering the NBA and the draft for over a half-decade, working for various outlets. Now, he covers the NBA, the draft and high school basketball.
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The transfer portal floodgates have opened, meaning hundreds of players will search for new homes next season. Plenty of these players will end up as eventual NBA prospects. Let’s break down five of the best long-term NBA prospects with pro potential in the transfer portal so far.
(Note — This list will exclude Drake guard Bennett Stirtz, who already committed to Iowa, as he could still end up declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft. Otherwise, he’d be far and away the top player on this list.)
Dailyn Swain, F, Xavier
Aside from Stirtz, Swain is the highest-ceiling NBA talent in the portal. Outside of his weak 3-point shooting — he’s shot 11-54 (20.4%) on threes across his two college seasons — Swain profiles like an ideal, two-way pro wing prospect. He’s a dynamic driver who wins with his speed, handling shift and power downhill.
Despite his obvious offensive potential, Swain is best on the defensive end, where he wrecks offensive gameplans with his elite length and twitchiness moving across the floor. Swain has one major NBA flaw, but he’s talented enough to develop into a top-20 pick if his shot can progress given his breadth of skills and physical traits.
Kam Williams, F, Tulane
(New team: Kentucky)
Williams has been one of my favorite underrated freshmen prospects throughout the year and he’ll have the chance to showcase that under Mark Pope next year. At 6’8, Williams has prototype size and athletic explosion for an NBA wing, and he shot 39.7% on his 8.2 3-point attempts per 100 possessions.
kam williams, 6’8 wing transfer to kentucky, 39.7% on 8.2 3pa/100, 3.9% blk, 2.7% stl, 1.6 a:to. tall, athletic movement shooting wing with a bit of passing feel. needs to scale up on O more, but this is a 2026 FRP if so
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 12:41 PM
To make the NBA, we’ll need to see Williams exhibit more physicality and scale up on offense. There aren’t many recent NBA successes with a free-throw rate (10.6%) and usage rate (12.2%) as low as Williams’s, but freshmen like Norman Powell, Kevin Huerter and Christian Braun provide pathways for him to follow.
In his first season in Lexington, Pope extracted the most out of each of his transfers and new additions. I’d expect him to do the same for Williams, who has the talent to end up as a first-round pick in 2026.
Magoon Gwath, F/C, San Diego State
There’s no ball of clay more intriguing than Gwath, a seven-foot sophomore oozing potential on both ends of the floor. Gwath’s 14.1% block rate ranked him fourth in the country, constantly erasing shots with his size, wingspan and mobility. Few human beings cover ground with Gwath’s speed, offering tons of defensive potential.
magoon gwath, 7’0 hybrid big/wing — 14.1% blk, 36.6% on 3.9 3pa/100. one of the freakiest movers i can remember, so much potential on both ends if he can clean up his decision making/strength
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Gwath is a raw offensive player, suffering from decision making, pace and physicality limitations. Some of his flashes are beyond tantalizing as a seven-footer with off-dribble shooting and driving potential. His future team must be patient with his growing pains, but Gwath has sky-high potential as a unique two-way force.
Donovan Dent, G, New Mexico
Dent might be the best college player entering the portal, but that shouldn’t lead us to underrate his NBA potential. He was one of two college players this season with an average of more than 20 points per game and an assist rate of more than 30%, acting as a bona fide primary initiator.
He’ll need to improve his jumper to stick at the NBA level as a 6’2 guard; Dent shot 40% from 3-point range this season but took under 3.0 attempts per 100 possessions. Still, Dent’s handling wizardry, explosive driving and creative playmaking are all pro-quality traits worth banking on.
Adrian Wooley, G, Kennesaw State
Wooley’s scoring volume and efficiency should immediately place him on NBA radars as he transfers up next season. As a freshman, he scored 18.8 points per game on a 62.7% true shooting clip, the only first-year player in the country to hit those marks.
He’s a 3-level scorer, threatening defenses from the exterior (41.4% on 8.4 3-point attempts per 100 possession) and capitalizes on his shooting with a robust driving cadence. Despite lacking high-end explosion, Wooley’s stop-start, handling and driving feel let him create advantages and maneuver all over the floor.
His usage will likely decline at his next stop, which should help him limit turnovers. Wooley already thrives as a spot-up shooter and closeout attacker, projecting him smoothly to a higher level of competition. He’s an NBA-quality creator with plenty of upside to tap into.
adrian wooley, 6’5 guard — 26% usage with 62.7% TS, 43.6% HC rim rate, 41.4% on 8.4 3pa/100. dizzying pace and cadence as a driver with great scoring touch and some passing feel. NBA talent
— Ben Pfeifer (@bjpf.bsky.social) March 28, 2025 at 1:25 PM
