This is it. The NBA Finals are behind us and the NBA Draft is just hours away.
Actual basketball aside, how crazy have these last few weeks been? Desmond Bane was sent to Orlando in exchange for a package that includes pick 16. The Pacers made a trade in the middle of their NBA Finals run that gave New Orleans pick 23. The Suns and Rockets agreed on a blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston for a return of Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick and five second-round picks. Then, in 24 hours, Jrue Holiday, CJ McCollum, Jordan Poole, Kristaps Porzingis and Anfernee Simons were all moved.
These changes to the draft order have made for a particularly compelling lead-up to Draft Day. While we’ve come to expect the unexpected, let’s try to predict it one final time with our 2025 NBA Mock Draft.
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Final 2025 NBA Mock Draft
1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg (F, G – Duke)
Cooper Flagg will be joining Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving in Dallas to begin a new era of Mavericks basketball.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper (G – Rutgers)
The Spurs have reportedly been offered some packages to move off of pick two, but they seem set on staying put. Dylan Harper may not be the cleanest positional fit, but he’s the best player available.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe (G – Baylor)
Philadelphia has been the talk of the draft. After Ace Bailey and his camp declined a workout with the team, the rumor mill started churning.
Considering their championship aspirations, the Sixers are probably better off avoiding the Bailey headache by instead selecting Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, who offers elite athleticism, strong defensive instincts and enticing offensive potential.
4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel (G, F – Duke)
Kon Knueppel may not be the heavy favorite to land here at pick four, but the Duke product does seem to be a leading candidate. Knueppel would be a seamless fit in Charlotte thanks to his shooting prowess and playmaking flashes.
5. Utah Jazz: Tre Johnson (G – Texas)
Utah probably didn’t expect to be able to take their pick of Ace Bailey, Tre Johnson or Jeremiah Fears two weeks ago, but here they are. Per ESPN, Bailey recently declined a workout with the Jazz. Sensing a theme here?
Utah is looking to add a franchise cornerstone, and it would be strange to bring in a player who seemingly doesn’t want to be there. Tre Johnson has already completed a workout with Utah and appears to be the probable selection here.
6. Washington Wizards: Ace Bailey (F – Rutgers)
Ace Bailey’s slide ends here as the Wizards pick the polarizing forward from Rutgers. Reports indicate Bailey prefers to play on the East Coast for a team that can maximize his scoring abilities immediately. For better or worse, Washington fits the bill.
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears (G – Oklahoma)
New Orleans shoots for upside here by selecting their hopeful lead guard in Jeremiah Fears. Tuesday’s trade that sent CJ McCollum to Washington for Jordan Poole was a strange one, but it shouldn’t discourage the Pelicans from taking Fears. Dejounte Murray will be sidelined for most or all of next season, so the Oklahoma product could develop behind Poole.
8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach (C – Duke)
Like New Orleans, Brooklyn should be aiming for the player who can raise the ceiling of the roster to the highest level. Khaman Khaman Maluach is raw, yes, but possesses freakish measurables and has all the makings of a franchise big.
9. Toronto Raptors: Derik Queen (C – Maryland)
Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has positioned Toronto in such a way that makes them incredibly hard to read. They were reportedly in on the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, and there’s been a surprising amount of RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley trade noise.
I’ll elect to play it safe and give the Raptors Derik Queen, a quality backup big for now, with the potential to become a serious offensive threat down the road.
10. Phoenix Suns: Collin Murray-Boyles (F – South Carolina)
Phoenix does not seem set on tanking next season, as they do not have control of their own first-round pick. If the new-look Suns want to put forth a roster equipped to compete for the postseason, selecting Collin Murray-Boyles is a step in the right direction.
The Suns are hurting for help in the frontcourt, and Murray-Boyles’ strength, high feel and post scoring abilities combine to make him a clear fit.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Carter Bryant (F – Arizona)
The Jrue Holiday, Anfernee Simons deal tells us two things: Portland wants to continue to build on their defensive identity, and they want to give the Scoot Henderson/Shaedon Sharpe pairing more time to develop.
Carter Bryant, the athletic forward from Arizona, could contribute right away off the bench thanks to his defensive abilities.
12. Chicago Bulls: Thomas Sorber (C – Georgetown)
Chicago’s current trio of big men includes Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith. Vucevic (35) and Collins (28) are both free agents at the end of next season and Smith doesn’t project as the Bulls’ long-term plan at center.
In Thomas Sorber, Chicago would have a physically gifted center with high defensive upside.
13. Atlanta Hawks: Kasparas Jakucionis (G – Illinois)
With Caris LeVert hitting unrestricted free agency and Terance Mann headed to Brooklyn in the Kristaps Porzingis deal, the Hawks are left with little offensive talent in their second unit.
Kasparas Jakucionis could serve as a capable initiator off the bench and join Trae Young in some lineups for greater offensive versatility.
14. San Antonio Spurs: Asa Newell (F – Georgia)
San Antonio should be focused on optimizing Victor Wembanyama and making life easier for him. Georgia’s Asa Newell could play alongside Wembanyama and take on some defensive responsibilities thanks to his 6-foot-11 frame.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Noa Essengue (F – France)
Thunder general manager Sam Presti has always been willing to draft unproven players. Noa Essengue offers positional size and defensive versatility, but a mostly unrefined offensive game.
The Thunder may have a sneaky need in the frontcourt sooner than you may think. Kenrich Williams and Jaylin Williams are not under contract past 2026.
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Nique Clifford (F – Colorado State)
Despite trading Desmond Bane to Orlando, Memphis hasn’t given any clear indication that it’s tearing things down. Nique Clifford of Colorado State could step into a young Grizzlies roster and contribute immediately.
Clifford draws comparisons to Josh Hart in that he impacts all aspects of the game.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Cedric Coward (F – Washington State)
Minnesota faces a potentially daunting offseason as Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent, while both Jaden McDaniels and Julius Randle have player options.
Selecting Cedric Coward, a well-rounded 21-year-old, could help assuage the feeling of losing key pieces later this summer.
18. Washington Wizards: Egor Demin (G – BYU)
After trading for CJ McCollum, the Wizards’ backcourt is already drawing comparisons to a retirement home, with both Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart in the fold.
On a more constructive note, these are great veterans to learn from. Adding a young guard like Egor Demin to a room like that could pay off huge dividends in the years to come.
19. Brooklyn Nets: Jase Richardson (G – Michigan State)
The only guard on the Nets roster drafted by Brooklyn is Dariq Whitehead. Jase Richardson is undersized, but he’s incredibly savvy and a capable scorer on and off the ball.
Depending on what happens with Cam Thomas and D’Angelo Russell, Richardson could start immediately in Brooklyn.
20. Miami Heat: Walter Clayton Jr. (G – Florida)
If the Heat want Tyler Herro to return to his role as a full-time shooting guard, drafting Walter Clayton Jr. would make for quite the offensive pairing in the Miami backcourt.
Terry Rozier‘s contract is abysmal, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be retained past next season. Clayton has an NCAA Championship pedigree and game-changing shooting abilities from beyond the arc.
21. Utah Jazz: Joan Beringer (C – France)
Walker Kessler‘s name has been involved in trade rumors for far too long to think the Jazz won’t heavily consider taking a center. Joan Beringer measured in at 6-foot-11 without shoes and plays with a fluidity not often seen by players of his size.
The young Frenchman could back up Kessler while the Jazz gauge potential trade interest across the roster.
22. Brooklyn Nets: Nolan Traore (G – France)
By acquiring this pick from Atlanta on Tuesday night, Brooklyn owns one-sixth of the first round. Hats off to general manager Sean Marks.
Nolan Traore is a lightning-quick guard with really solid passing chops. He’ll need to grow as a shooter and defender, but there’s no better place to do that than in Brooklyn, a team that can afford to develop Traore.
23. New Orleans Pelicans: Rasheer Fleming (F – St. Joseph’s)
Should Zion Williamson remain on the roster, new President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, needs to create a roster that suits the former first overall pick.
Rasheer Fleming, a 6-foot-9 forward with some freakish defensive tape, would be a suitable candidate to play next to Williamson while spacing the floor on offense.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Danny Wolf (C, F – Michigan)
Both Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are eligible to sign contract extensions that could total nearly $600 million after performance escalators this summer.
Neither extension would kick in until the 2026 season, but it’s never too early to plan for the future. In the Celtics, we just saw how the second apron can shake up a roster.
Danny Wolf is as unique a player as any in this class, and those aforementioned frontcourt needs for Oklahoma City could provide the Michigan product with a path to minutes somewhat soon.
25. Orlando Magic: Will Riley (F – Illinois)
Even after trading for Desmond Bane, the Magic are still in need of creators and shooters. Will Riley was something of a microwave scorer in his lone season at Illinois, but the offensive talent is undeniable.
Riley’s slight frame and defensive concerns could be well-hidden on a Magic roster full of solid defenders.
26. Brooklyn Nets: Liam McNeeley (F – UConn)
Liam McNeeley’s freshman season was hampered by an ankle injury and an inconsistent jumper. His inefficient outings towards the end of UConn’s season seemingly dropped the forward’s stock from late lottery to mid-late first round.
Still, hope remains that the highly recruited McNeeley can be a key off-ball offensive player and a hard-nosed defender in the NBA.
27. Brooklyn Nets: Noah Penda (F – France)
The selection of Noah Penda here gives Brooklyn a haul of Khaman Maluach, Jase Richardson, Nolan Traore, Liam McNeeley and the 6-foot-7 Frenchman known for his stingy defense. The fact that the Nets can acquire an entire bench unit in a single draft is hilarious.
28. Boston Celtics: Ryan Kalkbrenner (C – Creighton)
After shipping Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta, it remains to be seen if Boston retains Al Horford or Luke Kornet, who made up the Celtics’ frontcourt.
The 7-foot-1 Ryan Kalkbrenner enjoyed a successful collegiate career at Creighton thanks to stout rim protection and an ultra-efficient style of play. Kalkbrenner also hit over 34% of his threes last year for the Bluejays.
29. Phoenix Suns: Ben Saraf (G – Israel)
As it stands, the Suns have no plan in place for their point guard position next season. Unless, of course, they want to go back to Devin Booker manning the role, but that’s never meant good things for them.
Ben Saraf could provide a project for new head coach Jordan Ott to hopefully develop into a lead guard.
30. Los Angeles Clippers: Maxime Raynaud (C – Stanford)
To conclude the first round, Maxime Raynaud’s slide ends as he’s selected by the Clippers to back up Ivica Zubac. Raynaud has a rare handle for a big man and shot nearly 35% from deep in his final season at Stanford.
Perhaps Raynaud could play alongside Zubac to form a new “double-big” lineup that’s becoming increasingly popular.
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