The 2025 NBA Draft cycle is officially here. International teams have tipped off their regular seasons, and college teams have started preseason practices. NBA scouts and executives are out and about, seeing teams practice and traveling worldwide to find players.
Much has been written about excitement regarding the 2025 draft. It does look drastically better at the top of the class than the 2024 iteration. There is plenty of room for excitement for tanking teams looking to replenish their youth.
But I will preach a bit of caution. I wouldn’t get hyperbolic and say this is a superclass. I would say it looks like a fairly average draft class. The depth remains a significant question for teams. Beyond that, there are some differing opinions about how good the top five of this class projects to be. Some love it and see multiple all-stars. Others believe there are real questions about players such as Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and V.J. Edgecombe. Can Edgecombe be a primary option? Can Flagg create enough for himself to be a worthy No. 1 pick? Can Bailey make anything easy for himself?
All these players have tremendous potential, but I tend to agree with the scouts who don’t see this group as a generational crop of talent right now. Coming into the season, I think it would be difficult to rate the top end of this class ahead of the 2023 group, which had Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson entering the year as potential franchise players, with Brandon Miller joining them in that projection. As great as Flagg looks, it would be hard to rate him within the same tier of player as Wembanyama, and I have yet to hear from a single evaluator within league circles who believes that.
So while there is every reason for enthusiasm about this group — and indeed, I am excited to watch these players as the season gets underway — I would pause before pinning your team’s entire hopes on this class the way many did two years ago when Wembanyama came through.
A few quick notes on the structure and format of this mock draft:
- The draft order here is based on the Vegas win total over/under projections. We used BetMGM’s lines. This felt like the fairest projection of standings before anyone has played a competitive game.
- Team needs are not taken into account. There’s not much reason to do that at this stage given that trades will likely occur throughout the year and rosters will look different than they do now.
- If you don’t see a freshman you think should be here, it’s likely because I’m a bit skeptical as to whether they’ll be able to go one-and-done in 2025. For instance, Duke’s Isaiah Evans has a difficult runway toward playing time given the Blue Devils’ depth. Alabama’s Derrion Reid also is playing on a loaded squad with two returning forwards from a Final Four team in Jarin Stevenson and Grant Nelson, an incoming center in Cliff Omoruyi, plus a couple of older wings and guards in Houston Mallette and Chris Youngblood. I’d like to know a little more about how the Crimson Tide’s rotation will shake out. Maryland’s Derik Queen has some defensive questions he’ll need to answer early. There are certainly others.
- Player ages are as of the projected draft day in 2025 (June 25).
1. Brooklyn Nets
Cooper Flagg | 6-8 forward | 18 years old | Duke
Since he reclassified into this recruiting class following his sophomore campaign, Flagg has been seen as the almost surefire player to go No. 1. I wouldn’t quite go as far as to say he’s a certainty, but he has the most qualities attractive to NBA teams as he enters his freshman season at Duke at just 17 (he turns 18 in December).
First and foremost, Flagg is among the best defensive prospects I’ve ever evaluated. He’s competitive beyond all belief, with a motor and tenacity that never ceases for a second on the court. He imposes his will upon the game on and off the ball defensively. He’s tremendous as a help defender, blocking a ridiculous number of shots and covering the opposite side of the floor, with serious skill for finding steals. On offense, his game has shown drastic improvement over the last couple of years. His handle has improved over his time in high school, and he’s capable of creating makeable pull-up jumpers, particularly from the midrange area. He is an awesome cutter and offensive rebounder. Just by being an elite transition player, cutting, and getting offensive rebounds, Flagg should average double figures.
Cooper Flagg’s Duke debut just the beginning in season full of highly anticipated steps
Whether he goes No. 1 will come down, in part, to how well-developed his ability to create for himself looks by the end of the year. NBA teams constantly look for players who can create advantages for their team. Flagg is not the best player in the class at doing that at this stage of his development, but it is important to remember how young he is. He’s quite early in his career, even more so than anyone else in this class because of his age. Still, evaluators would like to see a continuation of the growth he showed during his final season at Montverde (Fla.) Academy in attacking and creating shots off the bounce.
2. Washington Wizards
Ace Bailey | 6-9 wing/forward | 18 years old | Rutgers
Bailey is the name that comes up most often when you ask scouts, “Who could challenge Flagg at No. 1?” From a tools perspective, it’s easy to see why. The 6-9 wing looks and feels more like an NBA star than anyone in this class. He’s enormous for a pull-up shot creator and pairs that with some serious athletic explosiveness. He looks every bit like that Paul George-style wing whom teams scour the globe to try to find. Beyond that, his footwork and pick-ups as a pull-up shooter are well-developed for someone this young. In the last decade, I can count the number of players on one hand who are this big and can get into pull-up midrange and 3-point jumpers with as much flow, balance and efficiency as Bailey can.
So what are the issues? They’re two-fold. First, Bailey seems to tend to fall in love with the hard shots. He doesn’t seem to create as many easy shots as you’d like. His handle is creative and crafty; it’s just loose right now and can be a bit high, which results in him not getting the most out of his drives. He also plays upright, which means he doesn’t always access his athleticism. Defensively, he can be a bit hit or miss with taking full advantage of his tools, with some moments of high-flying blocks and others where he looks to disengage.
Every tool is there for Bailey to mount a serious challenge for the top pick. But he needs to prove he can be efficient at the college level with the style he plays first.
3. Portland Trail Blazers
Dylan Harper | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Rutgers
Harper is the more polished of the two top-three Rutgers prospects. His footwork is pristine, and his handle is creative, with the ability to craft multiple counters together off drives depending on how defenders play him. He’s often been deployed as a scorer early in his career, and he has that ability. His pull-up game has been quite good, but more than that, his ability to create crafty advantages out of ball screens has scouts excited. He’s an excellent passer and playmaker, something scouts have noticed since his performance at the Under-19 World Cup back in 2023 when he was often asked to run the show while playing up multiple years in terms of age group. He only averaged three assists but had a ridiculous seven-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio.
What are the worries? Mostly, it involves his athleticism, as he is not a wildly explosive player. He doesn’t have a ton of vertical pop, and his first step is not that impressive, meaning he needs to get by with that level of craft all the time. His footwork and polish are good enough to get consistent separation, but the finishing craft can sometimes let him down. Scouts also want to see what his level is as a shooter. There have been marked improvements in his pull-up game over the last 18 months, but scouts want him to confirm that ability.
4. Detroit Pistons
V.J. Edgecombe | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Baylor
Edgecombe is one of the most exciting prospects in this class, a highlight waiting to happen. There are few more explosive leapers within the greater basketball community worldwide; he’s a powerful athlete who will throw down thunderous dunks or rotate across the court for massive blocks at least once or twice per game. He’s also proven to be an excellent shooter off the catch to this point in his career, and his game off the bounce is developing. He plays well with his right hand in ball-screen situations now. Defensively, Edgecombe is terrific across the board in the backcourt. Similarly to someone like Cason Wallace, Edgecombe is skinny but has the power through his chest to hold up against multiple different player types and the quickness to defend the fastest players in the world.
But maybe the biggest swing skill in this class will be the development of his left hand. In high school, if you could force Edgecombe toward his left, it was a serious issue. His handle was drastically looser, as was his ability to control the ball through any sort of contact. He also struggled finishing around the basket with his left hand. That skill right now is the one that holds him back from being a primary lead option as opposed to more of a secondary playmaker, shooter, athlete and defender. Right now, he’s a bit more in the Wallace or Gary Harris mold (just with more explosiveness). That could all change, and Edgecombe is on an upward trajectory. He gets better and better every time scouts see him. But without the left hand, it’s hard to see Edgecombe challenging in any way for that top slot.
5. Chicago Bulls
Nolan Traoré | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Saint-Quentin
Traoré has had an up-and-down run since his terrific spring, when he impressed several scouts at Nike Hoop Summit, then went on to play well at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament and late in the 2023-24 season for Saint-Quentin. He was a bit uneven at the European Under-18 Championships, leading the competition in assists but struggling some with his efficiency as a scorer and his turnovers while being surrounded by a French roster with no shooting skill. Then in the early stages of his 2024-25 season for Saint-Quentin, he’s had a couple of monster games (a 20-point, 10-assist showing against Nancy and a 27-point outburst against Kolossos), and a couple of poor games (going 3-of-15 with nine turnovers in his first two games).
What scouts will be looking for more from Traoré is how his ability to score efficiently from all areas of the court develops. Can he become a dynamic, three-level scorer? He’s comfortable taking those shots, but can he consistently make them? He has not always been a consistent shooter, and his finishing leaves something to be desired at times with how far he’ll try to score away from the rim. Traoré doesn’t have a monster first step or a ton of vertical explosiveness, so he will need to be dialed in with the details of his game.
6. Utah Jazz
Kasparas Jakucionis | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Illinois
Jakucionis comes in at No. 6 because he is the player I’ve received the most positive feedback on outside of that top group from sources connected to both college basketball and the NBA. The 6-5 guard is expected to run the show for Illinois this season following a terrific Under-18 campaign with Lithuania this summer. The idea here is a big, multi-skilled guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands. He is a maestro in ball screens and a tremendous passer. He shoots it well both off pull-ups and off the catch. The concerns here are that he’s not overly athletic, but he knows how to use his frame in ways that allow him to maintain advantages when necessary out of those screening actions.
NBA teams see him as a great bet to have a tremendous season because of the intersection between his skill and feel for the game. Given the way the NBA is going, where those two things continue to prove themselves as being valuable, it’s easy to see the excitement building around him already. Expect a big season.
Georgia Freshman “Asa Newell” beating #2 Overall Pick in the 2024 NBA Draft “Alexander Sarr” off the dribble off of the closeout. pic.twitter.com/W198fAY2Ci
— Aidan Dawson (@aidandawson25) August 27, 2024
7. Charlotte Hornets
Asa Newell | 6-9 forward/big | 19 years old | Georgia
Newell is a terrific big man who played with Flagg at Montverde. He’ll get to step out of that shadow and potentially emerge as one of the primary options at Georgia, a team I think is quite underrated heading into the 2024-25 season. There are a lot of comparisons to be made here to a guy like Taylor Hendricks, who was taken in the top 10 a couple of years ago. Newell is a terrific athlete and shot-blocker at 6-9 and makes winning plays with his positioning and motor on that end of the court. On offense, he has a terrific, burgeoning perimeter game where he can knock down shots from the perimeter and straight-line drive to finish inside.
8. Toronto Raptors
Ben Saraf | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm
Of this cycle, Saraf is already one of the more complicated evaluations. He had an enormous Under-18 European Championships while playing for Israel, winning MVP of the event. He had multiple 40-point games and averaged 28 points, five rebounds and five assists. There aren’t many players quite like him on the world stage right now, a lefty with serious creation ability in large part because of his elite deceleration levels. His ability to use a slow step on his drives and gathers going toward the rim allows him to be impactful as a scorer. He’s also an excellent passer who makes plays for his teammates all over the place.
Yet it’s been a bit more up-and-down for Saraf so far this year with Ulm in Germany. He’s getting a significant number of reps as the team’s primary option at lead guard, and the inefficiency is showing. The jumper isn’t quite there yet; he needs to iron out the mechanics and make them just a bit smoother. That also leads to questions about what his role will be if it turns out he’s not quite good enough to be an on-ball creator in the NBA.
Saraf’s stock is polarizing. Most see him as a first-rounder at this stage, but I’ve gotten a blend from top 10 all the way down to the end of the first round.
9. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)
Kon Knueppel | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Duke
Knueppel is another player whom scouts continue to rave about after seeing Duke. He’s often noted as being the team’s second-best player behind Flagg, and some have even said he’s the team’s best offensive player right now. A tremendous scorer at the EYBL and high school levels, Knueppel, with a thicker frame, doesn’t necessarily look the part of a high-level draft pick, and he doesn’t look overly long. However, he knocks down shots at a high level. It wouldn’t be a stunner to see him shoot 40 percent from 3 this year. He can also drive and attack off the threat of that shot at a high level. Given the way shooting is valued in today’s NBA, it’s easy to see him being considered a lottery pick if he has a strong season.
10. San Antonio Spurs
Liam McNeeley | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Connecticut
McNeeley is entering the perfect situation at Connecticut. The Huskies have won back-to-back national championships and proven they know how to use players with the skill set McNeeley possesses. He’s an elite shooter for a teenager, and the third player from last season’s Montverde team to be projected here in the top 10. McNeeley can hit shots off movement, but more than that, he has a terrific feel for the game. He’s not the most athletic player in the world, but he’s big and makes the right decisions every time he gets the ball or is on the defensive end of the court. UConn is quite deep on the wing this year, but I would expect McNeeley to end up playing significant minutes as the Huskies go for a three-peat.
11. LA Clippers
Collin Murray-Boyles | 6-7 wing/forward | 20 years old | South Carolina
Murray-Boyles is a perfect encapsulation of this draft class in a lot of ways. Most of the scouts I speak with bring up Murray-Boyles as a player whom they see as a first-round pick. But few have him as a lottery grade and instead say that they’d love to select him in the back half of the first round. Why? As of right now, they see a guy who will likely play in the NBA for a while, but not a guy with a ton of star power. He’s 6-7 with long arms and has a massive physical frame that allows him to bully opponents even at 19 years old.
And yet, he hasn’t proven he can shoot from distance yet, and most of his offense tends to come on the block or in mid-post face-ups. Those aren’t actions NBA teams run all that much. However, the real reason they’re excited about Murray-Boyles comes on defense, where he’s outstanding both in one-on-one as well as in team settings. Still, the worry is that there isn’t a ton of upside here. He’s a good bet to be a first-rounder if he showcases any improvement with the jumper, but it might end up a bit lower than this after other players emerge.
12. Golden State Warriors
Donnie Freeman | 6-8 forward | 19 years old | Syracuse
Freeman was a riser later in his high school career, a late bloomer physically who was skinny (and still is, to some extent) before adding a bit of weight and a lot of twitchy explosiveness. The idea here is a big wing/forward hybrid who already has shown real ability to knock down midrange jumpers and is seeming to add the ability to knock down 3s. On top of that, he’s wiry and has a ton of bounce. He will put up some fun highlights throughout the season. Freeman does have a bit of a way to go, though. The handle is going to have to improve, as is his overall defensive awareness. But if you’re looking for an upside swing in this class, Freeman is one of the names scouts get most excited about before anyone has played this year.
13. Oklahoma City Thunder (via HOU)
Drake Powell | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | North Carolina
Powell is an athletic wing with long arms who looks to have a solid spot at North Carolina. It’s a perfect fit for him, as the team needs a strong two-way wing to play with R.J. Davis, Elliot Cadeau and Ian Jackson. Powell, at 6-6, has always profiled as a terrific two-way wing who is conscientious on defense (with upside to be a serious impact player on that end) in addition to being a shot-maker with some ability to drive off the bounce. I am a bit skeptical that we’re going to see that ability to drive and score all that much outside of transition this year in Chapel Hill, and Powell does need to prove he can consistently hit open catch-and-shoot 3s. But he profiles perfectly in-between the two guards in their starting lineup as well as Cade Tyson as a floor-spacing bigger wing in the frontcourt. Scouts who have been through to North Carolina have noted that he looks to fill the combination for the team of filling a need and of readiness to play.
14. Atlanta Hawks (via LAL)
Jalil Bethea | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Miami (Fla.)
One of the best scorers in the 2024 recruiting class, Bethea can put the ball in the bucket. He’s a terrific pull-up shot-maker with range already out to the NBA 3-point line. If you get him some space, he has a ton of shiftiness to be able to get to his spots. The key for Bethea is how it all looks in half-court settings when he has to try to get paint touches this year. He’s still quite skinny. He’s explosive when he has a chance to load up, but I haven’t yet seen that ability to play through contact at a high enough level. If that comes along — as well as the passing and decision-making — Bethea could end up as an upside swing in the top 10 for someone looking for serious scoring punch. But there’s a bit more risk here until we see what he looks like on a college court playing against significant athletes every single night.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA)
Dink Pate | 6-6 guard | 19 years old | Mexico City Capitanes
Pate is truly one of the swing guys in this draft. His upside is immense if he can figure out how to efficiently score in the G League this season — the dissolution of the G League Ignite program has resulted in him playing with the Mexico City Capitanes. Pate has serious on-ball skill and is a real playmaker in ball screens. He can pass and make plays for his teammates in addition to getting real paint touches. But the key for Pate is the jumper. It’s never looked clean, and that showed up last year. He posted just a 43.1 true shooting percentage last season, in large part because the half-court finishing also hasn’t quite translated. If he can figure out to put the ball in the hole with consistency and efficiency, he’ll be a high draft pick. If he doesn’t, then it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up.
16. New Orleans Pelicans
Hugo González | 6-6 wing/forward | 19 years old | Real Madrid
González is coming off a solid Under-18 European Championships in which he showcased much of what has made him such a highly sought-after prospect but also some of the flaws teams are concerned about heading into his pre-draft season. González is known as a tremendous defender who plays with immense tenacity and a high motor. All of that played up in those games on the wing, where he showed the ability to guard multiple positions and make high-level plays on that end. He averaged a ridiculous 2.7 steals and two blocks per game. González’s anticipation on defense is absurd, as he seems to see things a split second before they happen. Having said that, the jumper remains the question. González doesn’t project as a particularly high-level creator in the NBA, so he’ll need to knock down 3s. He made just 20.8 percent from distance taking seven attempts per at the Under-18s. The volume and his willingness to take them, however, drastically exceeded anything he’d shown previously. But that will be his swing skill as an overall prospect. González has to make 3s to showcase he has a role on offense in the NBA.
17. Houston Rockets (via PHX)
Motiejus Krivas | 7-2 big | 20 years old | Arizona
Another super giant, Krivas looks like an awesome breakout bet based on how he played as a backup behind Oumar Ballo last season. Big men aren’t supposed to move the way he does. He has great coordination and footwork and showcases outstanding touch. He’s also willing to initiate contact and play through it. He seals his man when he can on the block and also moves well in ball screens when rolling to the rim. He also makes his free throws and has soft hands that seem to catch everything in his area. He rebounds well on both ends of the court. In this Arizona scheme that accentuates big men, Krivas has a chance to be the best one who has come through in Tommy Lloyd’s tenure.
18. Indiana Pacers
Hunter Sallis | 6-5 guard | 22 years old | Wake Forest
One of two players on whom I had a first-round grade last season who did not declare for the draft, Sallis is a former five-star recruit who had a breakout third collegiate season at Wake Forest, following a transfer from Gonzaga. He averaged 18 points, four rebounds and 2.5 assists, but more importantly, he saw an enormous leap with his 3-point jumper. He hit 40.5 percent of his 3s last season after two years below 26 percent at Gonzaga. NBA teams want to see him consolidate that 3-point number, as well as get back to being the high-energy defender he was at Gonzaga early in his career when he came off the bench. It also wouldn’t hurt if he started to showcase better passing vision. But overall, there’s a lot of reason for Sallis optimism entering the year.
19. Sacramento Kings
Alex Karaban | 6-8 wing | 22 years old | Connecticut
Karaban is the other player who had a first-round grade on my personal board last season but returned to school. I had him in the late 20s, and it’s easy to see what his role will be in the NBA. He’s a terrific shooter, having made 39 percent of his 3s over his two years at Connecticut. But more importantly, he’s a consummate winner. He does all of the little things you can ask a player to do on the court. He’s a terrific team defender who is cutting off angles and passes on the weak side. He cuts well off the ball on offense. He is in motion within that Connecticut offense. On top of that, his experience is tremendous, as he started 77 of his 78 games for the back-to-back national champions. It’s easy to say, but he looks like a guy who will slot into an NBA rotation for a while. UConn will be counting on him to be more than that this year, as he’ll step into the spotlight following the departure of most of his teammates. Any growth that he could show with the ball in his hands would be a real positive for him with scouts.
20. Orlando Magic
Khaman Maluach | 7-1 big | 18 years old | Duke
I’m not quite as high on Maluach as many seem to be in the preseason after having seen him at Nike Hoop Summit earlier this year. I just have some concerns about his readiness for the college game. He struggled to catch and finish on the move at the higher speed of the game he faced against better competition all week in practice. On defense, it’s clear Maluach is still learning the intricacies of drop coverage and in ball screens. He doesn’t quite have a great feel yet for managing the space between the roller and the ballhandler.
Here’s the thing, though: Maluach is enormous. It’s hard to overstate how big he looks out there. Many NBA scouts were also impressed with his play for the South Sudanese national team this past Olympic cycle during the actual event as well as in warm-up games. They mentioned his ability to slide his feet and move along the perimeter at his size. I’m a bit lower on him than this, but I don’t think it would quite be an accurate representation of where the NBA scouting community is currently to have him outside of the top 20. They’re interested in him and will be at Duke early and often to check him out.
21. Memphis Grizzlies
Tre Johnson | 6-5 wing | 19 years old | Texas
Johnson is a serious shot-maker. Few players in this recruiting class can get buckets at the level he can. He’s aggressive, constantly probing and attacking defenses to see if a crease is available. If not, he’s comfortable pulling up in the midrange area and has started knocking down shots from distance. The concern here, though, is that Johnson isn’t a great athlete compared to other shot-creators in this mold. He has long arms and is willing to use his frame to play through and even initiate contact. But he’s not all that explosive. And the defense has left something to be desired. The good news is that he’s an aggressive rebounder for a guard, but he needs to showcase this year that his game without the ball in his hands can keep up at the NBA level, given that no NBA team is going to roll out the ball for him early in his career.
22. Utah Jazz (via CLE)
Rocco Zikarsky | 7-3 big | 18 years old | Brisbane Bullets
Zikarsky is one of the most intriguing big prospects in the world right now, a legitimate 7-3 giant of a human who also moves well and has excellent hands. In his second season for the Brisbane Bullets in the NBL, Zikarsky hasn’t quite found his footing yet. He dealt with a few minor ankle injuries early in the season that didn’t allow him to get quite as many reps in practice as you would have hoped, and you can see just how raw he is in games. He needs to get more experience to keep improving upon the intricacies of being a big man, like his screening, positioning in drop coverage against ball screens, and his closeouts. More than anything, though, I think he’s just a bit of a project. I believe in him being an NBA player at some point, but it might take some time for him to reach that potential. He’ll be 18 on draft day this year, so he’s one of the youngest players in the class. It’s worth being patient and checking back later this year to see how he’s developed. I broke all of that down in a video with tape from his recent game against Sydney here.
23. Dallas Mavericks
Egor Demin | 6-8 guard | 19 years old | BYU
This is higher than where I would have Demin. But much like with Maluach above, it wouldn’t quite be an accurate description of where scouts are at this stage if I didn’t rank him in the top 30. There is significant interest in Demin’s ability to be a 6-8 point guard and playmaker at BYU this season. Where I’m worried is that I’m not totally sure how he scores the basketball yet. At any level, he’s never proven the ability to finish consistently on the interior or knock down shots. He’s willing to take them, but there hasn’t been much efficiency. I believe in the passing and vision in a big way, and that’s why he shows up here. The novelty of a potential point guard at this size makes him one of the players I’m most interested in watching this season. But there are some real questions scouts are looking for him to answer, even with their interest levels.
24. Brooklyn Nets (via MIL)
Alex Toohey | 6-8 wing | 21 years old | Sydney Kings
Toohey has been one of the early-season breakout players on the international scene, playing well for the Sydney Kings. Throughout the summer, he was the player who I got the most positive feedback on from sources among the younger players who went through the Australian Olympic camp, and that includes recent Indiana Pacers draft pick Johnny Furphy. Starting for a team considered the favorite in the NBL this year, Toohey has averaged 16 points per game while shooting 54 percent from 3-point range. The shooting won’t quite hold at that number, but Toohey does look to be a serious shooter after having added significant strength throughout both his upper and lower halves this offseason. He’s also turned into a good defender in a team construct who is rarely out of position and whose length (at 6-8, he posted a 9-foot standing reach at Hoop Summit in 2023) covers a lot of ground.
25. Orlando Magic (via DEN)
Kwame Evans Jr. | 6-8 wing/forward | 20 years old | Oregon
Evans is a player whom scouts were enthused about at different points last season because of his length and willingness to play with effort and energy on the defensive end. He was a defensive playmaker at the four position last year, averaging a steal and a block in just 21 minutes per game. On top of that, he rebounded the ball well on both ends while playing next to a terrific big man in N’Faly Dante. The key for Evans will be the development of the jumper. Believers within NBA circles will point to his 79.5 percent mark from the foul line as signs of his serious touch, whereas those more concerned will point to his 26.7 percent mark from the 3-point line. Showcasing the ability to fire from distance will be the swing skill that either pushes Evans into the first round, or sees him return to college again.
26. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI)
Jaland Lowe | 6-2 guard | 20 years old | Pittsburgh
Lowe played next to first-round pick Bub Carrington last season and was quite good in his own right as a freshman guard. He came into his own as the season progressed, averaging 12 points and 3.7 assists versus 1.6 turnovers during ACC play last year while hitting over 40 percent from 3. He’s a steady presence out on the court with real speed who can make excellent decisions. He’ll get a chance to run the show for Pitt this season without Carrington around. I’d expect a serious jump in production, with 15 points and five assists per game not in any way out of the question. The key number will be his 2-point percentage and percentage at the basket. Scouts want to see him consistently finish on the interior given that his size is a real question mark heading into the year.
27. Utah Jazz (via MIN)
Noa Essengue | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm
Essengue has already shown to be one of the more productive European prospects this season. Similar in age to Flagg, Essengue won’t turn 18 until December. And yet he’s averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for Ulm. There is excitement about the 6-9 athlete’s blend of production and coordination, and he was also quite good at the Under-18 European Championships for France next to Traoré. The concern here is what his best position is. With a 6-11 wingspan according to the Basketball Without Borders camp this past all-star break, Essengue isn’t quite big enough to be a five. However, he’s also not really a four, as his jumper needs a ton of work and his ballhandling leaves some real questions. Defensively, scouts do see some real switchability on defense that brings excitement, though. Essengue is a player whom scouts are just interested in tracking his progress more than anything throughout the season. At such a young age, he has a ton of time. If he shows he’s answered some of these concerns by the time June rolls around, he’ll have a real shot to go in Round 1.
28. Brooklyn Nets (via NYK)
Michael Ruzic | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Joventut
Ruzic is one of the more experienced rising draft prospects, having already seen close to 700 minutes in the ACB and Eurocup competitions for Joventut in Spain. A Croatian big man, the idea behind Ruzic is pretty simple: he’s a skilled big man who can step away and shoot as well as play with the ball in his hands a bit for a bigger player. He averaged about five points and three rebounds in 17 minutes per game last year in Spanish league competition and has the kind of skilled, fluid athleticism NBA teams covet from potential developmental bigs. He also seems to have long arms, which should allow him to find more success defensively given that he moves well and has solid instincts in team concepts.
29. Brooklyn Nets (via OKC)
Ian Jackson | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | North Carolina
Jackson is one of the more interesting top-10 recruits in the class, heading to North Carolina this year to add to what is already a loaded backcourt with R.J. Davis and Elliot Cadeau. Jackson is about as aggressive a guard as you’ll find, constantly looking to attack and pressure the basket. He just always seems like he’s trying to get downhill and trying get paint touches, either in transition or in half-court settings as a driver. The good news is that he also brings that high-level intensity to the defensive end, as well. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to the shot. Jackson makes shots in bursts but doesn’t always have the kind of consistency that you’d hope for. My guess is that this ends up leading to him being a superb sixth man for the Tar Heels this year, with his ability to change the tempo of the game by entering off the bench. That seems like the tailor-made role for him on this team.
30. Boston Celtics
Kam Jones | 6-4 wing | 23 years old | Marquette
Jones is a polished scorer who enters the college season as a real candidate to make an All-America team. He has superb touch from all three levels, and he made 67 percent of his shots at the rim and 39 percent from 3 last season. He also showed some real potential at lead guard during Tyler Kolek’s late-season absence, averaging 4.5 assists per game during that six-game stretch. NBA scouts would love to see him be more consistent as a playmaker as well as a better defensive presence. That’s the big question. Who does Jones guard? Can he prove he can guard ones? Is he big enough to guard wings? Showcasing real improvement there will be the key to solidifying his stock. But he seems like a good candidate to be drafted this season.
SECOND ROUND
31. Brooklyn Nets: K.J. Lewis | 6-3 guard | Arizona
32. Washington Wizards: Mackenzie Mgbako | 6-7 wing | Indiana
33. Sacramento Kings (via POR): Boogie Fland | 6-1 guard | Arkansas
34. Detroit Pistons: JT Toppin | 6-9 guard | Texas Tech
35. San Antonio Spurs (via CHI): Jarin Stevenson | 6-9 forward | Alabama
36. Minnesota Timberwolves (via UTA): Johni Broome | 6-10 big | Auburn
37. Charlotte Hornets: Bogoljub Marković | 6-10 forward | Mega
38. Dallas Mavericks (via TOR): Xaivian Lee | 6-3 guard | Princeton
39. Portland Trail Blazers (via ATL): Adou Thiero | 6-7 wing | Arkansas
40. San Antonio Spurs: Milan Momčilović | 6-8 wing/forward | Iowa State
41. Los Angeles Lakers (via LAC): Tyrese Proctor | 6-4 guard | Duke
42. Golden State Warriors: Payton Sandfort | 6-7 wing | Iowa
43. Memphis Grizzlies (via HOU): Dailyn Swain | 6-7 wing | Xavier
44. Los Angeles Lakers: Jamir Watkins | 6-7 wing | Florida State
45. Brooklyn Nets (via MIA): Mark Sears | 6-0 guard | Alabama
46. San Antonio Spurs (via NOP): Darrion Williams | 6-6 wing | Texas Tech
47. Washington Wizards (via PHX): Cade Tyson | 6-7 wing | North Carolina
48. Indiana Pacers: Nique Clifford | 6-6 wing | Colorado State
49. Sacramento Kings: Ryan Kalkbrenner | 7-1 big | Creighton
50. Orlando Magic: Rasheer Fleming | 6-9 guard | St. Joseph’s
51. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MEM): Baye Ndongo | 6-9 big | Georgia Tech
52. Cleveland Cavaliers: Sion James | 6-4 guard | Duke
53. Dallas Mavericks: Ben Henshall | 6-5 guard | Perth Wildcats
54. Cleveland Cavaliers (via MIL): Izan Almansa | 6-9 big | Perth Wildcats
55. Denver Nuggets: Tucker DeVries | 6-6 wing | West Virginia
56. Charlotte Hornets (via PHI): Saint Thomas | 6-6 wing | USC
57. Atlanta Hawks (via MIN): Michael Ajayi | 6-8 forward | Gonzaga
58. Houston Rockets (via OKC): AJ Storr | 6-7 wing | Kansas
59. Orlando Magic (via BOS): Noah Penda | 6-7 forward | Le Mans
(Note: The New York Knicks have forfeited their 2025 second-round pick due to free-agency shenanigans.)
(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photos of Dylan Harper, Cooper Flagg and V.J. Edgecombe: Lance King, Cameron Browne / Getty Images)
