2025 PBA Mock Draft: Loaded, Not Lean
After the four-point line, the three-year ban, and the two points taken away from Mo Tautuaa’s “basket interference,” we have arrived at the singular event that kicks off every season of our pambansang liga: the PBA Draft.
Is this year’s pool a “lean” batch of rookies, as some observers claim? That, I think, is a strong word. To use it is to discredit these young men’s grueling years of growth and their sizable potential to thrive in our premier pro league.
I won’t deny the absence of Kevin Quiambao and Clint Escamis from the Sept. 7 proceedings, but I also refuse to believe that there is a lack of serious talent among the 128 applicants who have thrown their name into the hat. Look closely at the list of names, and you’ll find an assortment of prospects that can satisfy the roster needs of PBA teams: creative shot-makers, athletic wings, promising shooters, versatile court generals, and skilled bigs.
Do we have a pool filled with studs that have “main man” potential? Nope. Do we have a class consisting of ripe athletes that can help their teams win in more ways than one? You bet, and that’s what matters most.
So, the “L” word I’ll use is loaded. Yeah, I said it. Let’s get started with this mock draft.
ROUND 1
1. JUAN GOMEZ DE LIAÑO | TERRAFIRMA DYIP
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6’1”
Age: 25
Experience: UAAP, PBA D-League, Gilas, Japan, Lithuania, South Korea
Call me crazy, but I don’t think the top selection is staying with Terrafirma. Stay with me here: Juan Gomez de Liaño will be drafted first overall because of his refined skill set, deep bag, and tremendous upside, but he will end up playing for either Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia.
The Terrafirma franchise has a long history of dealing blue chip recruits to the SMC camp, including last year’s trade that allowed Ginebra to grab third overall pick RJ Abarrientos. You know what Ginebra could have used against TNT in their two Finals series last season? Steady shooting and shot-making outside of Justin Brownlee. The 25-year-old former UP Fighting Maroon brings both of those attributes with a swagger that would captivate the Ginebra fanbase.
And the Hotshots? Well, this ball club just picked up Juan’s older brother Javi, and if that’s not instant chemistry, I don’t know what is. The SMC group has a lot riding on LA Tenorio in his debut season as a PBA head coach, and acquiring two brothers who have toiled away in places like Lithuania, South Korea and Japan is one hell of an opening salvo.
2. JASON BRICKMAN | CONVERGE FIBERXERS (FROM PHOENIX)
Position: PG
Height: 5’10”
Age: 33
Experience: US NCAA Division I, Russia, Germany, ABL, Taiwan, MPBL
We’ve seen this happen time and time again, folks. A team trades up in the draft to ensure that they get their hands on a diamond that they’re eyeing.
In this case, I wouldn’t blame Converge for going the extra mile to get the one and only Jason Brickman. A highly accomplished court general in the ABL and the T1 League, Brickman is far and away the best facilitator in this draft. His excellent court vision and impeccable passing are a welcome addition to the FiberXers, who would have the luxury to play Alec Stockton off the ball. Converge also gives Brickman a host of pick-and-roll and pick-and pop options via Justine Baltazar, Justin Arana, and the newly reinstated Larry Muyang.
3. GEO CHIU | BLACKWATER BOSSING
Position: C
Height: 6’10”
Age: 24
Experience: UAAP, Gilas, MPBL
Tired of top-3 draft rights changing hands? Brace yourselves, then!
TNT Tropang 5G’s lack of a first-round pick is one particularly noticeable void, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they fill it via a transaction with frequent business partner Blackwater. Because TNT sorely misses the services of Poy Erram (ACL), I can absolutely see this team swinging a trade to pick up Geo Chiu. Standing at 6-foot-10 giant, the former Ateneo and Gilas center is literally and figuratively the biggest frontcourt prospect in this class. Chiu has a ways to go in terms of polishing his scoring skills, but he has a high ceiling as a rim protector and an offensive threat who plays above the rim.
4. WILL GOZUM | NORTHPORT BATANG PIER
Position: PF/C
Height: 6’6”
Age: 26
Experience: UAAP, NCAA, MPBL
Wait, should I call this team “Pureblends” now? Anyways…
There will be several College of Saint Benilde Blazers picked in this draft, and Will Gozum will be the first taken off the board. If it weren’t for a nasty ACL + MCL tear combination that he sustained in the 2024 MPBL season, the 6-foot-6 center would have been banging bodies with PBA bruisers for a year now. Still, better late than never, right? The former NCAA MVP might be a bit undersized in the PBA, but his agility, footwork, and inside-out game make him a top commodity.
5. DALPH PANOPIO | NLEX ROAD WARRIORS
Position: PG
Height: 6’1”
Age: 25
Experience: US NCAA Division I, Gilas Youth, India
We’ve all seen surprise draft picks, but what about surprise applicants to begin with? I did not have Dalph Panopio joining the PBA Draft on my 2025 bingo card, but I’m stoked to see him come to the motherland. Panopio, in case you haven’t heard of him, is a top-tier combo guard who can take over games with his scoring and playmaking. While the Road Warriors’ most pressing need is rim protection, I find it unlikely that NLEX will pass up the opportunity to select this former Gilas competitor. His backcourt learning tree, by the way, currently consists of Robert Bolick, Baser Amer, and Kevin Alas. Not bad, eh?
6. CHRISTIAN MANAYTAY | MAGNOLIA HOTSHOTS
Position: PF
Height: 6’5”
Age: 25
Experience: UAAP, MPBL
If my working theory of Magnolia grabbing the no. 1 pick doesn’t pan out, they’ll still have a heck of a first round if they get to select Christian Manaytay. The stretch big out of UST can knock down shots from beyond the arc and in the midrange, but if LA Tenorio needs to establish the Hotshots’ inside game, Manaytay has a nice selection of post moves that can get him a bucket. The 6-foot-5 forward would be a great addition to Magnolia’s bubbling young core, which currently boasts Jerom Lastimosa, James Laput, and the newly acquired Javi Gomez de Liaño.
7. JAKE GASPAY | MERALCO BOLTS
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6’4”
Age: 24
Experience: NCRAA
Cliff Hodge is still a relentless workhorse that outhustles opponents every night, but it would be nice if Meralco could have a succession plan for the role of “do-it-all forward.” Enter Jake Gaspay, the best wing prospect in this year’s pool. Standing at 6-foot-4, the incoming CSB Blazer is blessed with athleticism and motor that PBA scouts are looking for, but he also possesses something that a rookie Hodge didn’t have in 2012: silky smooth offensive skills. Gaspay won’t just defend and grab rebounds; he’ll also finish at the rim and swish long-distance jumpers.
8. CHRIS KOON | PHOENIX FUEL MASTERS (FROM CONVERGE)
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6’5”
Age: 24
Experience: UAAP
Shooters with size tend to have an easier time finding roster spots in the PBA. It’s a safe bet, then, that Chris Koon will be off the board in the middle of the first round. Koon, who was a co-captain of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in his final UAAP season, is one of the better snipers in this draft—an attribute that makes him a great fit in the high-octane offense of Phoenix. At 6-foot-5, he can guard positions one through three and even take on point guard duties when needed.
9. YUKIEN ANDRADA | SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN
Position: SF
Height: 6’5”
Age: 24
Experience: NCAA, PBA D-League
As usual, San Miguel is so incredibly stocked that it’s hard for me to pinpoint a single weakness with a straight face. The only thing I can come up with is “another big wing,” which is why I’m opting for Yukien Andrada with the ninth pick. A member of San Beda’s title-clinching squad in NCAA Season 99, the 6-foot-5 Andrada can get buckets all around the perimeter, as well as through paint touches and putbacks. He’ll have to be patient, though, as heavy minutes won’t be guaranteed in the extremely deep rotation of the defending Philippine Cup champions.
10. LADIS LEPALAM | RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS
Position: C
Height: 6’9”
Age: 25
Experience: NCAA, MPBL
Let me know if there’s a “Shawn Umali to RoS” campaign to keep Extra Rice Inc. in business. Till then, I wouldn’t be surprised if coach Yeng Guiao takes an interest in Ladis Lepalam, a 6-foot-9 center who took his talents to the MPBL after playing for CSB. I misfired with my Ben Phillips prediction in last year’s mock draft, but I’m not budging: Lepalam fits the mold of a Yeng Guiao big man as he brings physicality and a sweet stroke from the perimeter. With Beau Belga possibly leaving the team as an unrestricted free agent, the Elasto Painters won’t miss a beat in restocking their supply of big men by taking the former Muntinlupa Cager.
11. KYLE TOLENTINO | BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6’3”
Age: 23
Experience: NCAA, MPBL
There’s an argument to be made that Kyle Tolentino is the best shooter in this year’s draft. Whether he’s doing catch and shoot or pulling up, his mechanics stay the same: a bit of a wide base, plus a high release to ward off shot-blockers. If Ginebra doesn’t make a play for one of the combo guards headlining this class, they’ll still find great value with the 11th pick by scooping up Tolentino, who won multiple titles with the Letran Knights before torching the nets in the MPBL.
12. MARK SANGCO | RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS (FROM TNT)
Position: SF
Height: 6’4”
Age: 25
Experience: NCAA
Mark Sangco reminds me a lot of Mark Borboran, a long-limbed lefty who can hound ball-handlers on the perimeter, help out from the weak side, and swish outside jumpers. As it turns out, Borboran has just been released by RoS, leaving a spot open in the small forward rotation. Sangco, who runs the floor well, would have a field day with the Elasto Painters’ patented transition attack.
ROUND 2
13. MARIO BARASI | BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL
Position: PF/C
Height: 6’7”
Age: 25
Experience: UAAP, MPBL
Ginebra is likely bolstering their perimeter firepower in the first round, so it makes sense that they’ll beef up the interior in the second round. Actually, why not both? Mario Barasi had the green light to shoot those midrange jumpers when he was with Adamson, so the 6-foot-7 big guy makes sense here as a Prince Caperal-type stretch five off the bench.
14. JACK CRUZ-DUMONT | PHOENIX FUEL MASTERS
Position: SG
Height: 6’3”
Age: 24
Experience: Canada, UAAP
What makes Jack Cruz-Dumont stand out in the long list of viable wings in this year’s draft? The clutch gene, that’s what. Watch his highlights as a gunner for University of British Columbia and University of the East, and you’ll see an awful lot of moments when he anchored comebacks and broke deadlocks. Cruz-Dumont’s release is a bit unorthodox, but the Fuel Masters wouldn’t give two hoots about aesthetics, so long as his jump shots go in.
15. TONY YNOT | BLACKWATER BOSSING
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6’1”
Age: 25
Experience: NCAA
Throughout his stint in CSB, Tony Ynot has proven that he can work wonders once he gets the ball in his hands. For a constant cellar-dweller like Blackwater, Ynot won’t find it hard to get touches, earn the coaching staff’s trust, and get a feel for the PBA style. His 6-foot-1 frame isn’t ideal against taller shooting guards in the league, but nevertheless, he’s deadly in the open court and highly creative in drawn out possessions.
16. CJ AUSTRIA | NORTHPORT BATANG PIER
Position: SG
Height: 6’3”
Age: 24
Experience: UAAP, MPBL
CJ Austria’s signature spin move looks like it was meant to be unleashed in the pro ranks. Now, the former La Salle Green Archer will get to say “Panis” in the face of seasoned PBA defenders. And yes, I fully expect Austria to bring his signature mind games to Batang Pier games. You think the 24-year-old guard will be intimidated by vets that try to put him in place? Not in the slightest.
17. BRYAN SAJONIA | NLEX ROAD WARRIORS
Position: SG
Height: 6’0”
Age: 25
Experience: UAAP, NCAA
After shoring up their frontcourt in the first round, NLEX can pick up another sharpshooter with their next pick. Bryan Sajonia would be theirs for the taking. The graduating guard from San Beda has shown his NCAA and AsiaBasket opponents that he isn’t afraid of the moment, and his steady shooting could help propel the Red Lions to another championship en route to his PBA debut.
18. ROYCE MANTUA | TERRAFIRMA DYIP (FROM MAGNOLIA)
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6’4”
Age: 23
Experience: UAAP, PBA D-League
On the one hand, I wish that Royce Mantua had spent one more year with the burgeoning Adamson program. On the other hand, he does have the size and the skills to take the leap, so why not jump into the pros now? Mantua can inject some more vigor into Terrafirma’s perimeter offense.
19. ETHAN GALANG | MERALCO BOLTS
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6’4”
Age: 24
Experience: US NAIA, UAAP
Remember the hot streak that the UE Red Warriors were on last year? Ethan Galang played a role in those five consecutive wins, which means that PBA scouts have more than enough video evidence of his potential. In UAAP Season 88, the Fil-Am forward transitioned from bruiser in the paint to a threat from beyond the arc. Time will tell if he can complete this metamorphosis in the PBA, but I’ll go ahead and predict that Galang will have an easier time adapting compared to his UE predecessor Alvin Pasaol.
20. GJERARD WILSON | RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS (FROM CONVERGE)
Position: PG/SG
Height: 6’0”
Age: 24
Experience: US NCAA Division II, UAAP
Gjerard Wilson is another prospect who could have flourished further if he had been able to spend more time in the UAAP. I’m confident, though, that PBA teams will be able to recognize that his wing span, athleticism, and playmaking can eventually translate into steady guard play at the next level. Wilson’s scoring skills can use some polish and his frame badly needs to bulk up, but he has a solid foundation to work on.
21. LJ GONZALES | CONVERGE FIBERXERS (FROM SAN MIGUEL)
Position: PG
Height: 5’11”
Age: 26
Experience: UAAP, MPBL
This, my friends, could be the biggest steal of the draft. In fact, LJ Gonzales could go in the late first round and it would still be highway robbery. The only thing I can see holding back the former FEU Tamaraw is his size—everthing else is pretty much a green flag. He can finish at the rim, score from the midrange, light it up from outside, and set up his teammates. Pairing Gonzales with Alec Stockton would be the latest genius move from Converge team manager Jacob Lao.
22. SHAWN UMALI | RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS
Position: PF/SF
Height: 6’4”
Age: 24
Experience: NCAA
Wait, Shawn Umali might actually be on the board in the late stages of the second round of the draft? Get him, RoS! Umali is built like a tank, and he’s got plenty of ammunition from three-point territory. Never mind that he’s giving up a few inches in height to a typical power forward in the PBA. In coach Yeng’s system, the Belga-esque Umali will get to shine exactly as he is. (Maybe Beau can stick around to teach Shawn that insufferable shot fake.)
23. JOSHUA YERRO | BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL
Position: SG/SF
Height: 6’2”
Age: 25
Experience: UAAP, MPBL
Adamson coach Nash Racela is pretty good at developing fundamentally sound players who can find ways to crack a rotation. Joshua Yerro is a prime example of the San Marcelino pipeline. He’s a two-way player who can disrupt passing lanes, score in transition, and do some outside sniping in the halfcourt. Oh, and don’t forget catching lobs and scoring above the rim with 0.3 seconds left.
24. GAB COMETA | RAIN OR SHINE ELASTO PAINTERS (FROM TNT VIA BLACKWATER)
Position: PG
Height: 5’11”
Age: 24
Experience: NCAA
Gab Cometa is too talented to be left on the board after the first two rounds. Never mind that the spitfire guard will be going up against bigger backcourt menaces in the PBA—Cometa can shoot the lights out and wax hot in a hurry. (Also, is Bayan ng ROS hosting a CSB reunion? That may or may not be the case.)
