NBA

2025 Mock Drafts

There's no wavering here on Flagg as the No. 1 prospect even as Dylan Harper Jr. and Egor Demin have looked exceptional this season in making their case as No. 1 pick contenders. He's anchoring Duke's elite defense at 17 years old and averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, and looks like the clear-cut best defensive prospect in this class.

No freshman has been more productive this season than Harper Jr. has been for Rutgers. He leads all freshmen in scoring and is fourth nationally among all college players in that category.

BYU first-year coach Kevin Young has a young star to build around in Demin, who hails from Russia. He's a silky shooter with a reliable shot who has excellent positional size and good passing vision.

There's a chance Bailey could blossom into a top-two talent in this class if he continues to build out his skill set at Rutgers. His shot-making skills in almost any situation at his size give off shades of Kevin Durant.

Preseason hype for Jakucionis has been matched by in-season production. He's leading the Illini in scoring and assists and has craftiness and size at the guard spot that makes him dynamic as an offensive weapon.

Edgecombe hasn't lived up to expectations this season for Baylor as he's struggled to find his shot and isn't playing with the same pace and confidence he did while at LuHi. There's still plenty to like here with his long-term prospects as a twitchy athlete who can get downhill.

Traore has transitioned from a starter to an off-the-bench piece for Saint-Quentin and seen his playing time reduced after some early-season struggles. Improvement hasn't been there with his outside shot, though his playmaking and passing is what has always been his biggest selling point.

Pate is in the midst of a strong season in the G League, building off his credentials as a potential lottery pick. His shot creation and ability to get to the cup as a do-it-all guard is what I love most, and he's showed some improvement with his vision and passing as well.

As an 18-year-old freshman, Fland is leading Arkansas in assists and is second in steals while making nearly 40% of his 3-pointers, showcasing his versatility as a two-way threat. Watching him pressure the ball on defense is a sight to behold.

The scouting report on Knueppel -- a natural scorer who wins with skill and finesse but doesn't have elite athletic upside -- has mostly proved true this season. His polish has translated to big production as Duke's second-leading scorer and assist man.

Johnson was someone I was higher on than consensus coming into the season, thus no change here in his projection despite him seemingly being a riser this season. He's someone who can score it from all three levels as a certified flamethrower dating back to his time in high school and that has translated well in his freshman season at Texas.

UConn hit on yet another five-star freshman in McNeeley, who is coming off a career-best 26-point explosion vs. No. 8 Gonzaga over the weekend where he showed off his versatility as a scorer, passer and rebounder. His all-around skill set and selfless style makes him a perfect Husky and a plug-and-play type prospect at the NBA level.

Coming off an All-MWC season as a true freshman at New Mexico, Toppin leveled up to Texas Tech and has leveled up his game in the process. He's averaging the third-most points per game among Big 12 players and leading the league in rebounds.

Karaban had the profile of a first-round pick last year before returning to school, and as a junior he is now playing a bigger role while averaging more points, assists, blocks and steals per-40 -- and shooting a career-best 42.4% from 3-point range.

A big multi-threat guard from Israel, Saraf is a creative playmaker with excellent passing vision and natural scoring instincts. He went for 16 points, two steals and two assists in an October exhibition vs. the Trail Blazers to help earn some notoriety.

An advanced finishing package is what has stood out to me when watching Philon. He can get to the cup and score with either hand with his body contorted all sorts of ways. He plays fast but not rushed and I love how he dictates the pace.

Jones has been one of the most productive players in college basketball this season as a senior and taken his game to a new level for Marquette as a shooter while soaking up a major role as a passer. His new role has unlocked previously-unrealized potential when he played next to Tyler Kolek.

Maryland is scorching teams this season in no small part because of Queen's instant impact as a true freshman big man. He's had four double-doubles in the early going (including a 22-20 game in the opener), and recently had his most complete games of the year against top competition when he had 26 points, 12 boards and two blocks in a close loss to No. 8 Purdue. His passing gives him the slight edge for me over the likes of Asa Newell and Khaman Maluach.

The rebounding instincts and consistently ability to fight on the offensive glass is Newell's biggest and best strength right now. He's top-30 in offensive rebounding rate as a true freshman and feasting as a dangerous transition big who can finish at the rim.

The decision for Clifford to come back to school didn't make sense to me until I watched him this season. He's on a mission and playing in a different stratosphere for CSU. He's someone who can play in the NBA a long time as a 3-and-D wing.

A bit of an old-school power forward with an advanced creation package in the post, Murray-Boyles is so far building off what was already a promising start to his college career as a freshman last season. He's also ventured out a bit taking more 3-pointers than last season, showing off some stretch big skills I wanted to see from him as he develops.

The Mike Woodson era at Indiana feels like it's quickly approaching an end, but lost amidst a disappointing season has been Mgbako's progression as a sophomore. His true shooting percentage is up to 62.8% on the year and he's improved across the board as a rebounder, passer, shot-blocker and shooter.

Gonzalez finally peeked out from behind a limited role with 25 minutes Sunday in his best game of the season for Real Madrid, scoring 14 points and adding five rebounds and two assists. He's a big guard who should be in the mix in this range with room to grow if he can build off that big performance.

Maluach's size and shot-blocking instincts are right now his best traits as a prospect. The way he can move and defend in space at his size gives him a chance to be a true terror on defense for a long time. The question long-term is what else he can add beyond that.

Once just a fringe starter at Kentucky, Thiero has been "the guy" for Arkansas this season enjoying a true breakout. He's always been a bulldog defender but has grown into a bigger role as a scorer and managed to add to his defense as a true playmaker on that end.

The son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, Richardson has burst onto the scene as a true freshman despite not being considered a one-and-done. He's still not in the Spartans' starting lineup but so far has been their best payer, leading the team in PER, BPM and Win Shares.

The sophomore leap we hoped for has so far come true with Lowe, who has a chance to be one of the best playmakers in this class. Hopefully his 3-point shooting will course-correct back to his freshman average, as he's struggled from distance this season.

The three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year is still on pace for his best of five collegiate seasons with Creighton. His defense and shooting skills could be of value to a team in this range.

The counting stats haven't yet -- and may not -- pop for Powell as a freshman this season at UNC. But he's a fun scout who does a few things each game that stick out. A two-way wing real upside you won't frequently find this late in drafts.

Armed with an improved jumper and better consistency as a finisher, Proctor has played his way back into the first round mix after failing to live up to lofty expectations the last two seasons.

Flagg continues to get better with each passing month for Duke and seems to have gained some separation from the field in the last few weeks because of it. Flagg's versatility and the totality of his overall impact have been off the charts, and if the shooting and self-creation keep trending in the right direction, he could end up being the runaway favorite for the No. 1 pick.

He was playing at an incredibly high level at the end of the calendar year but has recently been hampered by illness. The key with Harper is the shooting. If he's making 3-pointers, it unlocks so much else because of his size, strength, length and natural instincts with the ball in his hands — and he was 15 for 32 from behind the arc in December.

There's an increasingly wide range of opinions on Bailey, which is somewhat ironic considering he fits the athletic jumbo wing archetype that is in such high demand and also has some real shot-making to match. The concerns, which are the same as they were in high school, are based on his shot selection, decision-making, lack of rim pressure for such an athlete, and overall inconsistency.

It took him a few weeks to adapt to college basketball, but he's been playing at a very high level since the end of November. Jakucionis has backcourt size, skill, craft, a knack for operating out of ball screens, and on- and off-ball versatility. His high turnover rate is a bit of a concern, while scouts are still evaluating how well his defensive footspeed will translate.

This is where it gets very uncertain. Edgecombe hasn't played like the top-five prospect advertised just yet, but his athleticism, competitiveness and defensive upside are undeniable. He's 9 for 21 from behind the arc in his last five games. If he can keep that pace and eliminate some of those offensive no-show nights (four points vs. Gonzaga, two vs. New Orleans, four vs. Iowa State), he could appeal to someone like Danny Ainge.

Knueppel is skilled, he can score, and there are times when he's been Duke's primary facilitator and initiator. He's also exceeded expectations defensively, albeit surrounded by college basketball's best defense. The shooting is going to keep ticking up, and if he measures anywhere near his listed height, that's just one more box he'll check.

The biggest hiccup in Portland's rebuilding plans is that Scoot Henderson hasn't been anywhere near as good as expected through the first season-and-a-half. Picking Demin, who looks like the best passer in the draft but has inconsistent shooting and individual offense, gives them a contingency plan while simultaneously allowing them a look at playing the two lead guards together.

This is, admittedly, a little higher for Newell than I'm comfortable with, but he fits an archetype that OKC could value as a southpaw big who can, potentially, stretch the floor with his shooting and as a lob threat and simultaneously bring some defensive versatility.

This too may be higher than most have McNeeley at this point, but he's again proven to be more than just a shooter this year, as he can make decisions and facilitate some within the flow of offense. He's out now with an ankle injury but needs to prove he's a solid enough defender that he won't be targeted at the next level.

Every pick San Antonio makes should be about what's best around Wemby, and Johnson has some shot-making and scoring punch that could help lighten the load for the sophomore sensation. If the Spurs think they can get him to buy into being a more willing ball-mover, cutter and defender, this pick could make a lot of sense.

Saraf may end up being the best international player (as in non-college basketball player) in this draft, which was not the expectation just a few months ago. The southpaw has the requisite feel to play in Golden State's system but needs to figure out the shooting.

If the Spurs look to solidify the point guard spot, Fland gives them the shooting necessary to space the floor around Wemby. He's added an extra dimension of burst to his game this year and proven he's capable of creating for others. Building up his body will be a requisite to withstanding the physicality of the next level.

The Rockets have arguably more young pieces than any franchise in the league, with essentially all five positions covered. While Maluach is admittedly still a project, particularly on the offensive end, he'd provide a complement to Alperen Sengun as a backup with size and length who can rim run, block shots, and move reasonably well laterally.

Traore came into this draft cycle billed as a top-five pick but has not had a good season thus far in France. He's still a high-upside swing with solid size, very good speed, and real playmaking instincts for a lead guard. Defense, shooting and ball security are the swing skills that could impact his stock in the coming months.

Essengue is one of the youngest players in the draft. He's viewed as a highly versatile defender who needs to define his translatable offense, but still has a way of impacting the game without needing significant offensive volume. If Julius Randle isn't in Minnesota past this year, the Wolves could use another frontcourt piece.

All Queen has ever done is produce. It started when he was a freshman at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, continued with Team Thrill in the Under Armour Association, and now at Montverde Academy. There will be questions about how his game will translate, especially defensively, but his hands, touch, rebounding and passing are all assets.

Fears is the most pleasant surprise in this freshman class so far. The question is whether he can sustain it. He's a big, playmaking lead guard who needs a ton of volume and isn't always especially efficient but has playmaking tools. It would be a big swing for an OKC team that is very comfortable betting on its player development.

Jones may be the best guard in college basketball this year and is uniquely qualified to come into a Brooklyn program that could have significant minutes available in the backcourt and crack the rotation as a rookie.

A late-blooming big wing with a 7-foot wingspan and 39% shooting from behind the arc for his career, Coward began his college career at the Division III level and only played six games this season before a shoulder injury.

Jackson has averaged over 23 points per game through his last six games. He's always been hyper-competitive and made great strides with his shooting in high school. Now it's just the feel and shot selection that scouts want to see.

Karaban is a smart and skilled forward who can provide some much-needed floor spacing for an Atlanta franchise that is gradually picking up some quality young assets.

There will be questions about how his game fits with his lack of floor spacing, but Murray-Boyles is a long, strong and rugged forward, or maybe even small-ball five, who could thrive in a more supporting role.

As the Mavs continue to build around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Fleming gives them a long athlete who is averaging 1.5 blocks per game this season but is still accurate from 3-point range.

If Orlando doesn't think Jett Howard is the long-term 3-and-D wing they hoped for, Powell could offer them a prospect from that archetype, albeit one who won't be ready to make an impact just yet.

Philon has exceeded all expectations this year with his two-way instincts and competitiveness to match his lead guard size. He could be an understudy for Marcus Smart in Memphis but needs to shoot it consistently.

Gonzalez is a high-IQ wing with an equally high motor, yet he's very difficult to evaluate this year because he doesn't get a ton of minutes. Brooklyn has enough picks to make the risk worth the reward.

Another home-run swing for Brooklyn with this potential jumbo guard in the making. It will be a bet on player development, though, as he'll have to develop his shooting and total floor game.

Al Horford can't play forever. Broome is the best big man in college basketball and may have just enough shooting potential to make it work in Boston.

He's strong, athletic, potentially versatile defensively, and competes with a high motor. If the shooting ever becomes reliable, he would be a very nice role player, which is what the Clippers would love to find here.

An ascending Frenchman, Penda is strong, skilled and very smart. It's very possible he continues to trend up in the coming months and isn't available by this point.

Whichever franchise secures the No. 1 pick would be wise to seriously consider all options, obviously. But, ultimately, they should land on Flagg, who would then become the first player born and raised in Maine to ever be selected first overall in the NBA Draft — and the sixth Blue Devil to do it following Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019) and Paolo Banchero (2022).

Reasonable minds can disagree on which of Rutgers' two five-star freshmen is the superior prospect — but I lean slightly toward Bailey, the 6-10 wing who has a chance to be the best scorer from this class. As folks sometimes say, Bailey simply does some things you cannot teach most players his size, and his shot-making ability is unmatched in college basketball (although the inconsistency connected to it can be concerning, specifically the way he might have a 13-of-15 effort from the field one week, then a 3-of-15 effort the next).

Big lead guards are desirable in the NBA -- and Harper is the best one in the class. He's the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and a 6-6 playmaker who is still averaging 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game even though an ankle injury suffered in late January limited him on the court before ultimately sidelining him for each of Rutgers' past two contests.

Another lead guard with size who should go in the top five is Jakucionis, the 6-6 Lithuanian who projects as this class's best foreign-born prospect. Athleticism concerns might keep Jakucionis out of the conversation to go first overall, but it shouldn't lead to too many franchises passing on the 18 year-old.

Edgecombe started the season as more of a prospect than a player but has been flourishing in recent weeks — starting with a 30-point effort in a win over Kansas State. He's an explosive athlete who has averaged 3.5 made 3-pointers over Baylor's past four games to help get the Bears a single-digit seed in Jerry Palm's latest projected bracket for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Maluach is a 7-2, 250-pound center shooting 74.7% from the field and showing the ability to guard in space. Those things alone make him a reasonable option in the top 10, especially considering he's one of the youngest prospects in the draft with lots of room for growth.

Newell was a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2024 who is now the leading scorer for a Georgia program that entered the AP poll earlier this season for the first time in 14 years. He has shown the ability to move his feet well enough on defense to switch, and is comfortable shooting jumpers even if the 3-point percentage isn't great.

Knueppel is shooting 37.7% from 3 on 6.2 attempts per game — and most scouts will tell you he's a better shooter than that. The 6-7 guard is Duke's second-leading scorer at 13.5 points, and even if he never develops into a better-than-average shot-creator in the NBA, his elite jumpshot and solid defensive instincts have turned him into a top-10 option.

Johnson got 29 points in the season opener, 28 more four nights later and is now leading the SEC in scoring at 19.0 points while making 37.7% of the 6.5 3-pointers he's attempting a game. If Bailey is the best scorer in this class, Johnson might be next on that list, and there are always millions of dollars waiting for guards with size who can get buckets like him.

In a break from recent norms, I have each of the first 10 picks in this mock projected as college players — but Saraf should be the prospect who breaks the string. The guard from Israel doesn't possess elite athleticism or a great body, but he's effective with the ball in his hands as a playmaker and consistently performing well as a professional in Germany at the age of 18, which has bolstered his status with evaluators.

Fears has gone from the 65th-best prospect in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, to a serious lottery option. The guard plays at a different speed than most prospects, which is among the reasons he's rising on some draft boards despite shooting below 28% from beyond the arc.

McNeeley has been sidelined for a month but was starting to get comfortable in UConn's offense prior to the ankle injury that's complicated the Huskies' season. He entered college with a reputation as a solid all-around prospect who can really shoot it, and nearly everything he did in UConn's first 14 games supported that assessment.

BYU should have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (AJ Dybantsa) — and perhaps a top-10 pick in this one thanks to the presence of Demin, a freshman from Russia who is averaging 10.7 points and 5.9 assists. The vision and playmaking ability at his size is clearly intriguing, but subpar shooting, basically from anywhere outside of the paint, including at the free throw line, leaves some questions.

Fears might be the only freshman who has helped himself more this season than Sorber, who has gone from a borderline top-50 prospect in the Class of 2024 to a one-and-done lottery option. Georgetown has had lots of great bigs — among them Patrick Ewing and Roy Hibbert — and Sorber, a New Jersey native, looks like he could be the next.

Jones has long been established as a long-distance threat — but this season has seen him emerge as a real playmaker who is averaging 6.2 assists per game with a better than 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Most juniors who return to college for their senior years barely improve their draft stock, if at all, but Jones has gone from a projected second-round pick to a possible top-20 pick through the first three months of Marquette's season.

Fleming played at Camden High in New Jersey with multiple five-star prospects and also on the EYBL circuit — point being he was very visible but still a zero-star recruit, according to 247Sports. That should illustrate how much the 6-9 forward has developed under Billy Lange at Saint Joseph's, where he's now averaging 15.5 points while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range and emerging as a legitimate option in the top 20.

Traore has mostly experienced a rough season in France as an 18 year-old playing against professionals. He likely won't be picked in June where he would've been picked in October — but somewhere in the top 20 remains a possibility.

Jackson had a terrific seven-game stretch from late December to mid-January in which he averaged 19.9 points while North Carolina went 6-1. The 6-4 guard hasn't shown much playmaking ability, but he's an obvious scorer off the bounce or from beyond the 3-point line, where he's making 37.6% of his 4.6 attempts per contest.

It's been an up and down season for Richardson, the son of former top-five pick Jason Richardson, who helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA Tournament. But big performances here and there (like his 20-point outing at Rutgers against Bailey and Harper), and a 3-point percentage of 42.9, should get him picked in the first round.

Philon isn't Alabama's best player — but he is the Crimson Tide's best prospect, averaging 10.5 points for a Final Four contender. His creativity with the ball and effectiveness on defense are the reasons he's a one-and-done prospect, but his bad 3-point percentage (27.8%) and small frame (175 pounds) are areas of concern.

Fland is likely done as a college player after suffering a thumb injury last month — and that's unfortunate. But before he was sidelined he showed enough as a shotmaker and playmaker to convince scouts he's worthy of a first-round pick even if he's on the smaller size.

Essengue just turned 18 in December and has shown promising flashes as a native of France playing professionally in Germany. He's a switchable wing with a good motor who just makes positive things happen and has plenty of room to grow as one of the youngest prospects available.

Queen isn't a stretch-5, that's for sure. But a 6-10, 246-pound center averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds as a freshman should be considered in this range, even if he comes with questions connected to whether he'll be able to adequately handle ball-screens at the next level.

Broome's age will work against him with some front offices — but, in my opinion, he's worth a pick in the 20s. Perhaps he doesn't have the same kind of perceived upside that younger prospects might possess, but Broome should be a plug-and-play option for any franchise in win-now mode and in need of rotation players on small contracts.

Murray-Boyles is a productive offensive player and plus-defender who should go in the first round somewhere — either in the teens or 20s — but that will probably be determined by whether executives believe he can develop a perimeter shot. Right now, he doesn't have one, evidence being how he takes less than one 3-pointer per game and has only made five through his first 50 appearances at South Carolina.

Penda possesses good defensive instincts and is strong and versatile enough to guard multiple positions. His 3-point shot remains the swing-skill, but it has appeared improved this season in France's top professional league.

Gonzales doesn't project as a member of any All-Rookie teams, as he's more of an 18-year-old project than a teenager ready to flourish in an NBA rotation. But there are enough interesting things that the Real Madrid wing brings to the table — passing, intensity, etc., — to make him a first-round option.

A rough shooting stretch from Byrd has lowered his 3-point percentage to 36.3. But a wing who has made at least three 3-pointers eight different times through 19 games is the type of prospect all franchises are trying to add at some point in any draft.

Clifford is an older prospect like Broome whose age makes it more likely he'll go outside of the top 20 than inside of the top 15. But the wing is averaging 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and his versatility and shooting potential give him a chance to stick at the next level.

Karaban, with an expanded role, is statistically a similar player to what he was last season when he helped UConn win a second straight national title. Karaban has proven to be a reliable 3-point shooter with defensive toughness and intangibles that impact winning, and that's among the reasons he'll be the fifth starter from the 2024 Huskies to eventually play in the NBA.