Last June, as front offices around the league groaned about a down draft class, they all pointed to next year — the 2025 NBA Draft would be stacked.
Is it? And who are the names at the top?
Here is a 2025 NBA mock draft of the top 10 picks, a big board of the top players (this order does not consider which teams might select which players, which is pointless before the NBA Draft Lottery). It was put together talking to scouts, college basketball media and front office personnel around the league, and particularly with the help of Markques Ramirez, a freelance scout for grassroots/college players.
It’s worth noting that the top five seem pretty much locked in, although the exact order of 2-5 could depend on the lottery. From six on, the field is much more open, with different teams eyeing different players.
1) Cooper Flagg, 6’9″ forward, Duke
Flagg has established himself as the clear, unquestioned No. 1 pick in this draft (irrespective of who wins the lottery). He showed out last summer as a member of the USA Select Team going up against the future gold medal winning USA squad in training camp — by the final day of scrimmages, he might have been the best player on the Select Team. He’s got a genuine competitive fire, and his defensive and rim-protecting skills have always been his strength.
The question scouts asked heading into his freshman season at Duke was how good he would be at creating his own shot — he has answered that emphatically. He’s averaging 19.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game, and his handles and shot creation have taken a big step forward. Flagg is going to be a foundational player going forward for whichever team drafts him.
2) Dylan Harper, 6’6″ guard, Rutgers
Harper’s size as a ball-handling guard and feel for the game stands out, and it’s the reason he has locked down the No. 2 pick in the minds of most front-office people NBC Sports has spoken with. Harper always plays under control and has shown an ability to find cracks in the defense and get to the rim, which is especially impressive on a Rutgers team lacking floor spacing. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game this season, and he’s a creative passer. There remain some concerns about his off-the-bounce jump shot, but that was the concern with another big lead guard he gets compared to in Cade Cunningham coming out of college, and that’s worked out pretty well.
3) Airious “Ace” Bailey, 6’10” wing, Rutgers
Bailey is a polarizing prospect for a guy this high up on draft boards. The question isn’t the potential, Bailey checks the all boxes of a prototypical modern NBA wing and/or stretch four. He’s a freak athlete who can create his own shot and is a tough shot-maker, also hitting 36.7% from beyond the arc this season. He’s averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game and plays with a high motor.
Bailey may have the highest ceiling of any player in this draft, but some scouts question how much of that potential he is going to live up to. His handle isn’t good enough yet to create much space at the next level, and he doesn’t really create shots for others much. While he makes tough shots in college, will that translate to the next level?
Bailey has a fan in Paul George, who would take Ace with the No. 1 pick, saying on Podcast P: “I think Ace Bailey is a little bit more raw talent with still a ton of upside. I think Cooper Flagg, not to say he doesn’t have upside, he has amazing upside as well but I think Ace Bailey has a little bit more upside to him. I think Ace Bailey can scratch a little bit more off of his surface than Cooper Flagg can. Which I think both will be All-Stars… but I’m going to go with Ace Bailey.”
4) V.J. Edgecombe, 6’3″ guard, Baylor
Edgecombe is an elite defender and athlete, but what has impressed scouts is his improved shot this season—he is hitting 36.4% from 3. His defense was always going to keep him high in the draft and on the court for whoever takes him, and he’s shown he knows how to use his athleticism as a cutter or in transition to get buckets. However, it looks like his improved shooting is real, and with that, he reaches another level.
5) Kasparas Jakucionis, 6’5” guard, Illinois
Jakucionis knows how to score and understands how to run an offense as a floor general, he’s got a good feel for the game and can play on or off the ball, which helps him fit a lot of places. He’s a very creative passer who can dish out dimes with either hand off the bounce. He is Lithuanian and came out of the fabled FC Barcelona program before coming to Illinois, where he has averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists a game. The concerns at the next level are his shot (32.6% from 3, but his form is good) and defense. His best NBA role might be being paired with another high-level shot creator at the guard or wing, with Jakucionis acting more like Austin Reaves role with the Lakers, but a guy who can take over and control a game when needed.
6) Liam McNeeley, 6’7″ wing, UConn
Teams don’t go wrong when taking the best shooter on the board, and the UConn wing has shown he can do that at a high level (although he is hitting just 35.2% from 3 this season, due to a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for a while, and the fact the Huskies lack other shot creation so he has been asked to do too much at times). McNeeley moves well without the ball, but when he has it can get downhill and get to the rim, where he doesn’t shy away from contact. His handle needs to improve if he is going to do more at the next level, but he’s a solid wing with a high floor — draft him and it’s not going to be a miss. The biggest concern is that he is not an explosive athlete at the NBA level, playing at a position filled with explosive athletes across the league, and he can be exposed defensively because of that.
7) Kon Knueppel, 6’7” guard, Duke
A quality defender, Knueppel was a known product as a shooter — he is hitting 39.6% from 3 this season — but has become an important shot-creator for the Blue Devils, which has helped his draft stock. Knueppel is averaging 13.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game this season. He has excellent size as a guard, an impressive feel for the game and has surprised scouts with his passing ability. The bottom line is that he looks to be a 3&D guy who can do more with the ball in his hands, which will get him taken in the top 10.
8) Tre Johnson, 6’6″ wing, Texas
Johnson is an old-school bucket-getter, averaging 20.9 points a game and shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc (although that has dipped in conference play). He’s just 19, has good size with long arms, and has a swagger — he will not shy away from taking the big shot at the end of games. In a sport where the name of the game is to get baskets, Johnson can do that. The concern from scouts is he doesn’t do much beyond scoring, he’s not a guy setting the table for teammates consistently nor is he a good defender. One person NBC Sports spoke with sees him more as a classic sixth man. It will be interesting to see how he fits and accepts a role at the next level.
9) Derik Queen, 6’10” center, Maryland
One of the more skilled, gifted offensive players in the country, regardless of position, Queen is a guy who can get a bucket. He can do that by finishing a pick-and-roll or facing up and beating his guy, showing a rare combination of strength and body control. He is averaging 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game, shooting 53.6% from the floor (however he does not space the floor out to the arc). The concern is the defensive end of the floor, where he doesn’t put his athleticism to use, he’s not the rim protector NBA teams are looking for in a big. However, the offensive skills are too much for teams to pass up.
10) Khaman Maluach, 7’2” center, Duke
In an NBA where the pendulum is swinging back toward size, with teams looking for big men who can protect the rim and are a vertical threat on pick-and-rolls, Maluach is going to fit right in. Born in South Sudan and part of the NBA Academy Africa, he is 7’2″ with a 7’6″ wingspan and has proven a solid anchor for the Duke defense much of this season. He moves his feet well and defensively can switch onto a guard/wing on the pick-and-roll and hold his own. He had some rough outings early in the season but has come along and is seen as a solid, high-floor pick for whichever team takes him. His counting stats are not eye-popping — 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds a game, although he is shooting 70.8% when given a chance — but for a team looking for a center, he can be a quality fit in the rotation.
Other names to watch (who could crack top 10):
• Asa Newell, 6’9” power forward/center, Georgia
• Egor Denim, 6’9” guard, BYU
• Collin Murray-Boyles, 6’7″ wing, South Carolina
• Jeremiah Fears, 6’4” guard, Oklahoma
• Ben Saraf, 6’6” guard, Germany
• Nolan Traore, 6’3” guard, France
