Florida State's Jamir Watkins slipping in NBA Draft could be a blessing in disguise

After some early predictions had Jamir Watkins possibly surging into the first round, it appears that the 6-foot-7 wing player is being widely projected to end up being selected early in the second round in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The updated mock draft at ESPN.com has Watkins going to the Spurs with the 38th overall pick. And the general consensus has Watkins being selected between the 35th-40th picks. The CBS Sports mock draft has Watkins going to the Pelicans at the 40th pick. Kyle Boone goes on to say the following about Watkins:

"Watkins is an older prospect having spent four years in college but his athletic profile and aggressive scoring acumen should land him a spot in Thursday's draft in the 30s or 40s. He averaged a career-best 18.4 points per game last season at Florida State."

CBSSports.com's Kyle Boone

Watkins began his college career at Virginia Commonwealth, playing two seasons with the Rams before transferring to Florida State. He proved to be a major offensive presence with the Seminoles, averaging 15.6 points per game on 45.7 percent shooting as a junior and 18.4 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting as a senior.

There are several promising situations for Watkins early in the second round. The Spurs are looking at taking a big leap in the 2025-26 season behind former top pick Victor Wembanyama and All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox. Watkins has also been mocked to the Pistons, who made the playoffs this past season behind the efforts of Cade Cunningham.

Jamir Watkins could be paired with another Seminole in Detroit

If Watkins ends up with the Pistons, he could be on the same roster as swingman Malik Beasley, who played for FSU from 2015-2016. Beasley signed a one-year deal with the Pistons last season and averaged 16.3 points per game while shooting 41.6% on 3-pointers, knocking down 319 shots from the arc this season. He is scheduled to be unrestricted free agent, but recent reports have him signing a new deal with Detroit.

"Should Detroit be determined to keep Beasley in the fold, they can offer him up to $60.6 million over four years this summer. Given the connections Beasley has to the city and the success he has already enjoyed playing under J.B. Bickerstaff and alongside Cade Cunningham, there are plenty of reasons to think the sharpshooting guard would be more than open to running things back in Detroit."

Michael Bohlin of Detroit Jock City

As for Watkins, we'll find out soon enough where he'll be playing ball at the next level. While he wanted to be a first-round selection, ending up with either San Antonio or Detroit would indeed prove to be a blessing in disguise for him.