Will Caleb Love get drafted in 2025? Exploring Arizona star's NBA draft selection chances

Caleb Love had a brilliant college basketball career with North Carolina and Arizona, helping the Tar Heels reach the national championship final in 2022. However, he transferred to the Wildcats in 2023 amid rumors of a possible beef with RJ Davis.

The 6-foot-4 St. Louis, Missouri, native publicly denied the speculation and played well for Tommy Lloyd's team over the last two seasons. He posted 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game during his Arizona stint.

Love's on-court exploits earned him a third-team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year in the 2023-24 season and First-Team All-Big-12 when Arizona transferred conferences.

All in all, Love played 174 games for North Carolina and Arizona and tallied 15.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg and 1.1 spg. He shot 38.0%, including 32.6% from the 3-point line, and made 83.5% of his attempts from the foul line.

The Arizona star opted to declare his eligibility for the 2025 NBA draft after his stint with the Wildcats. However, he missed the NBA draft combine after having an inconsistent performance in the G-League camp.

Is Caleb Love eligible for the 2025 NBA draft?

Yes, Caleb Love is eligible for the 2025 NBA draft after spending five years in college basketball. Per NBA rules, a draft applicant is required to have at least one year of college basketball experience before declaring himself eligible for the draft.

However, his age of 23 years and eight months might deter his chances of getting picked. Currently, most NBA teams prefer to sign younger prospects over aging talents due to their longer career potential, team control and development.

Though there's hope for a late second-round selection, Love might fall to the free agents list, as it's also possible that he might get snubbed in the NBA draft.

Caleb Love's NBA draft landing spots

#1 Houston Rockets

The blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston resulted in an open spot in the off-the-bench combo guard position. Although Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard are the team's primary gunners, Caleb Love can make it a three-headed monster in the combo guard spot thanks to his ability to score and shoot consistently on the foul line.

Speaking of consistency, Love needs to provide an excellent performance under Ime Udoka's watch to secure him a rotational spot this coming season.

#2 Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers could use a shooting guard who would fit in as a reserve this season in case Luka Doncic or LeBron James get sidelined by injury or opt to rest for a game. Picking Caleb Love in the second round is an awesome choice, as he can provide the scoring and playmaking for the Lakers when the two guys are resting.

If he gets picked in the NBA draft, Love can contribute right away and give a sudden shot in the arm for a shallow Lakers' second unit.

#3 Cleveland Cavaliers

Superstar point guard Darius Garland could miss significant time in the first half of the season for the Cleveland Cavaliers due to his toe injury, forcing Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome to take turns in the playmaking role.

Garland's absence could give the Cavaliers the opportunity to pick a combo guard capable of scoring and making plays for the team. The Cavs could get a bargain late in the second round if they choose a proven commodity like Caleb Love.

Edited by Geoff