Drake Powell

Drake Edward Powell (born September 8, 2005) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class.

Early life and high school career Powell grew up in Pittsboro, North Carolina and attended Northwood High School. He averaged 18.6 points, seven rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game as a junior. He put up averages of 17.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game along with 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks during his senior year. Powell was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.

Recruiting Powell was considered a five-star recruit by most major recruiting services and was one of the top players in the 2024 class. He committed to playing college basketball for North Carolina over offers from Florida State, NC State, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Miami (Florida), and Georgia. Powell signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Tar Heels on November 16, 2023, during the early signing period.

College career In his freshman season, Powell played in all 37 of the Tar Heels' games, starting 24, becoming a main piece in the rotation down the stretch of the season. Noted for his defensive versatility and ability, Powell anchored a Tar Heel defense that struggled at times during the 2024–25 campaign. This was highlighted by his season averages of 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks. Offensively, he averaged 7.4 points per game, shooting 48% from the field and 38% from three-point range. Following the season, he declared for the 2025 NBA draft.

Professional career Powell was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the 22nd pick in the 2025 NBA draft. His draft rights were later traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

Career statistics

NBA

College

Personal life Powell is the son of Dedric and Cherice Powell. His father played baseball at UNC, and his mother was an all-state high school basketball player and also attended UNC. His sister, Cera, played volleyball at Virginia Tech and UConn. His brother Deuce was a three-sport standout at Northwood, who played basketball at Louisburg College and also attended North Carolina A&T.

Powell is a cousin of UNC head coach Hubert Davis. His grandmother is Davis's aunt.