Labaron Philon Declares for 2025 NBA Draft

Labaron Philon will declare for the 2025 NBA Draft, he told League Him. The 6-foot-4 point guard swiftly emerged as a potential one-and-done prospect this season, helping Alabama navigate a grueling schedule with his savvy playmaking and considerable versatility on both ends of the floor.

Philon put together an All-SEC freshman campaign, averaging 10.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game — converting 54% of his twos and 32% from three. The 19-year-old’s advanced feel for the game, positional length, open-floor speed, fluid athleticism, and downhill craft give him the tools of an NBA lead guard.

While his three-point shot was inconsistent, he’s confident he’ll be able to prove he can shoot the ball better than he did this season during the pre-draft process — and there were signs of progress, as he climbed from 26% from three over his first 12 games to 34% over his final 12.

We spoke with Philon about adjusting to impact winning on a veteran team, how his game translates, and the pro guards who’ve influenced his development.

How his game translates

“I think my two-way ability is going to translate the most — the feel for the game and me being able to show I can shoot the ball better than I did this season.”

Adapting to impact winning as a freshman

“Playing on an older team, it was great to be around guys like Mark Sears, Cliff Omoruyi, Grant Nelson, and Chris Youngblood. They taught me the ropes as soon as I got to campus because they knew I could help them in the long run. So we all poured into each other and wanted to get better.”

Pro influences

“The players I study and take bits and pieces from are Jrue Holiday, De’Aaron Fox — good defensive point guards with a lot of speed. I used to watch a lot of Derrick Rose when I was young. I watch a lot of Steph Curry, even though I don’t shoot the ball as well as him, but just his overall impact. Andrew Nembhard from the Pacers — I like his game. I’ve been studying him lately, getting to the rim, knowing how to finish around or over guys with length.”