The Charlotte Hornets used the first of their early picks in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Duke forward Sion James. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, James was named an All-ACC defender, averaging 8.

Duke’s Sion James (14) celebrates after hitting a three-pointer during the first half of Duke’s game against Arizona in the Sweet 16 round of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Thursday, March 27, 2025. Ethan Hyman [email protected]

The 7-foot-1 center led the Big East in blocked shots per game with 2.7, rebounds per game with 8.7, and field goal percentage with .653. He was ranked third with 19.2 points per game.