Drake Powell
Drake Edward Powell, born on September 8, 2005, in Durham, North Carolina, is an American professional basketball player currently with the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His personal life is deeply rooted in athletics; his father, Dedric, played baseball at UNC, and his mother, Cherice, was an all-state high school basketball player who also attended UNC. His sister, Cera, played volleyball at Virginia Tech and UConn, and his brother, Deuce, was a three-sport standout in high school who played basketball at Louisburg College and also attended North Carolina A&T. Notably, Drake Powell is also a cousin of UNC head coach Hubert Davis. He played two seasons of high school baseball.
Powell’s collegiate career saw him play college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2024 to 2025. He was a highly rated prospect, a consensus five-star recruit, and one of the top players in the class of 2024. During his junior year of high school, he averaged 18.6 points, seven rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. In his senior year, he improved his averages to 17.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. He was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game. In his freshman season at UNC (2024-25), his performance included leading UNC with a season-high +2 in 35 minutes against Duke, hitting three 3-pointers and tying his personal best of three assists against Virginia Tech, and scoring 16 points with six rebounds, shooting 5 of 6 from the field in another game. He averaged 7.4 points, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, shooting 48% from the field and 38% from three-point range.
Drake Powell declared for the 2025 NBA draft after his collegiate season. He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 22nd pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. His draft rights were subsequently traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he is currently a rookie. He plays as a shooting guard/small forward for the Nets, wearing jersey number 4. His listed height is 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) or 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) and he weighs 195 lb (88 kg).
