Research Features
NBA Mock Draft 2025: Updated Projections for Round 1 & Round 2
Ben Pfeifer graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in Psychology and Journalism. He has worked in basketball scouting covering the NBA and the draft for over a half-decade, working for various outlets. Now, he covers the NBA, the draft and high school basketball.
All posts by Ben PfeiferUpdated24 Jun 2025
Forecasting the NBA Draft is no simple task. The first few picks shouldn’t be too hard, as the top two of the 2025 class — Duke freshman Cooper Flagg and Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper — exist within their own tiers. Beyond that, there’s plenty of uncertainty for this fluid draft class.
Trades on and before draft night will shake up the board, but we won’t include any trades in this mock draft. Let’s predict all 59 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft based on available intel, team needs and draft history.
1. Dallas Mavericks – Cooper Flagg, Forward, Duke
Barring something truly shocking, Cooper Flagg will be a Dallas Maverick on Wednesday night. He’s a franchise-altering talent on both ends of the floor, bringing primary offensive upside and perennial All-Defense upside simultaneously. Flagg will help Dallas rebound from a perplexing, costly Luka Doncic trade, helping set the franchise’s direction.
2. San Antonio Spurs – Dylan Harper, Point Guard, Rutgers
Despite some potential fit concerns with Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox, the second pick in the draft should be another no-brainer. Dylan Harper’s elite slashing, and finishing form an impressive lead guard foundation to build on with plenty of potential as a passer, shooter and defender. Regardless of the direction San Antonio takes, adding Harper will only brighten their future.
3. Philadelphia 76ers – VJ Edgecombe, Guard, Baylor
The first two picks of the draft are all but locked-in, but the draft widens significantly here at three. There are plenty of options on the table for Philadelphia — they could draft the polarizing Ace Bailey, add a nuclear shooter in Tre Johnson or trade the pick. Drafting V.J. Edgecombe feels like a likely outcome, adding a dominant athlete and promising shooter to their young core.
4. Charlotte Hornets –? Ace Bailey, Forward, Rutgers
Ace Bailey‘s stock looks volatile at this point following some confusing intel, but it’s still entirely possible a team swings on him high in the draft. A fairly directionless team like Charlotte could view Bailey’s upside as too enticing to pass on, adding another dynamic shotmaker and defender to their roster, even with his passing and creation concerns.
5. Utah Jazz – Kon Knueppel, Wing, Duke
Kon Knueppel‘s elite outside shooting and playmaking should have NBA teams feeling confident in his ability to produce and contribute at the next level. For a rudderless Utah team that hopes to compete sooner rather than late, adding a high-floor player like Knueppel with an underrated ceiling makes sense here.
6. Washington Wizards – Tre Johnson, Guard, Texas
The Wizards have added plenty of intriguing talent over the last couple seasons, but they lack a potential primary scoring option. Tre Johnson‘s incredible pull-up and movement shotmaking suggests that kind of ceiling and he could see his name called as early as third to Philadelphia because of his shooting and passing potential.
7. New Orleans Pelicans? – Derik Queen, Big, Maryland
Derik Queen‘s uncertain stock makes him hard to place, but New Orleans makes sense as a landing spot for him, especially if they move on from Zion Williamson this summer. His scoring and creation presents huge upside for a patient team and New Orleans has the wing defenders and shooters to help offset his weaknesses.
8. Brooklyn Nets – Jeremiah Fears, Point Guard, Oklahoma
Jeremiah Fears and Brooklyn have been linked for quite some time, so the Nets will likely draft a future franchise guard if he falls to this slot. A blank-slate Brooklyn team would benefit from Fears’s potent downhill advantage creation, passing and high outside shooting upside. His creation upside is higher than most prospects in the class, making him an ideal foundational piece for the Nets here.
9. Toronto Raptors – Khaman Maluach, Center, Duke
Toronto has searched for a franchise center since Marc Gasol left town and Khaman Maluach could be that player. He brings immense upside as a shot-blocker, mobile defender and play finisher and should entice Toronto here, especially considering their track record of developing raw, toolsy players into the best versions of themselves.
10. Phoenix Suns – Noa Essengue, Forward, Ratiopharm Ulm
After trading away Kevin Durant, the Suns might look for a high-upside player to add another building block. Noa Essengue’s youth, physical tools and production in a professional league this season could hint at a big two-way ceiling. The Suns likely won’t contend in the West in the near future, making them an ideal landing spot for a developmental player like Essengue.
11. Portland Trail Blazers – Kasparas Jakucionis, Guard, Illinois
Portland doesn’t have any glaring positional needs, so it could view a player like Kasparas Jakucionis as the best talent on the board. If the Blazers intend on moving Anfernee Simons, they could use a third perimeter player to complement Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe and a passer like Jakucionis makes sense in that group.
12. Chicago Bulls – Thomas Sorber, Center, Georgetown
The Bulls badly need center help this offseason, desperately missing a defensive backbone and an eventual Nikola Vucevic replacement. Thomas Sorber’s excellent interior defense, shot blocking, passing feel and paint scoring should help him assimilate fairly quickly to the NBA, helping him contribute to a Chicago team that will hope to make the playoffs next season.
13. Atlanta Hawks – Carter Bryant, Forward, Arizona
Atlanta historically loves drafting young, athletic wings like Carter Bryant. Even though the Hawks have a new front office for this draft, Bryant makes sense as a two-way forward to slot next to Trae Young. Atlanta will benefit from his weak-side rim protection and 3-point shooting potential next to Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson.
14. San Antonio Spurs – Liam McNeeley, Wing, UConn
A below-average 3-point shooting Spurs team will look to add floor-spacing talent in the draft, especially after drafting another slasher in the top-two. Liam McNeeley is one of the draft’s better outside shooters who should add value as a movement shooter and connective passer early in his career.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder – Collin Murray-Boyles, Big, South Carolina
It may seem unfair for the NBA champion Thunder to add another high-level talent early in the draft, but it’s entirely possible a player like Collin Murray-Boyles falls to 15. His high feel, great length and youth fits Oklahoma City’s historical type. Adding more elite on-and-off-ball defense would supercharge OKC’s already dominant defense.
16. Memphis Grizzlies – Jase Richardson, Guard, Michigan State
17. Minnesota Timberwolves – Asa Newell, Big, Georgia
Asa Newell’s production in a loaded SEC this season should entice a team to invest a fairly high pick to acquire him. He’s an especially good fit in a switch-heavy defensive scheme like Minnesota’s, where he can weaponize his great lateral quickness, mobility and size to check a variety of body types at the point-of-attack.
18. Washington Wizards – Egor Demin, Guard, BYU
Plenty of scouts regard Egor Demin as the best passer in the 2025 class. That playmaking flair in a wing’s body makes him a valuable long-term asset, even with major scoring and defensive concerns at the moment. A rebuilding Washington team makes sense as a landing spot for Demin that could offer him the reps he needs to improve
19. Brooklyn Nets – Joan Beringer, Center, KK Cedevita
20. Miami Heat – Nique Clifford, Wing, Colorado State
21. Utah Jazz – Cedric Coward, Wing, Washington State
22. Atlanta Hawks – Rasheer Fleming, Wing, St. Joseph’s
The Hawks double up on uber-athletic forwards, drafting Rasheer Fleming here to pair with Carter Bryant. Fleming’s incredible on-ball defense and turnover generation fit an Atlanta defense that already creates tons of steals and blocks. He’s a solid enough spot-up shooter who will have plenty of chances to hit open shots playing next to Trae Young.
23. New Orleans Pelicans – Will Riley, Wing, Illinois
Will Riley’s NBA success will likely rely on major physical investment for the Pelicans. If he can improve physically and add strength in New Orleans, he becomes a highly intriguing bet on the wing. Few players as tall as Riley exhibit his level of shotmaking, passing feel and ball skills, suggesting fairly high offensive upside.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder – Danny Wolf, Big, Michigan
Even after drafting Collin Murray-Boyles earlier in the first round, the Thunder could look to continue strengthening their frontcourt and adding long-term contingency plans at center. Danny Wolf is a rare offensive talent for his size and his ball-handling and passing feel could bring a similar offensive dimension to Isaiah Hartenstein.
25. Orlando Magic – Walter Clayton Jr., Guard, Florida
Walter Clayton and the Magic are another obvious prospect-team fit, even after Orlando traded for Desmond Bane. A putrid offense last season will need to keep investing on that side of the ball and few players in the class are as talented there as Clayton. He provides elite shooting both on and off the ball and should fit smoothly next to Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Bane.
26. Brooklyn Nets – Drake Powell, Wing, North Carolina
Drake Powell is one of the draft’s best athletes, presenting an enticing 3-and-D package for whichever team drafts him. He’ll need plenty of time to refine his ball skills, feel for the game and defensive consistency, but his profile aligns with a young, rebuilding Brooklyn team that will want more swings at high-ceiling players.
27. Brooklyn Nets – Noah Penda, Forward, Le Mans Sarthe
Noah Penda is an elite defensive prospect, whose special off-ball defensive feel and playmaking could help him develop into an all-league caliber defender. He must find a reliable scoring weapon to thrive at the highest levels, but he’s well worth a flier at the end of the first round, hoping he can improve as a shooter or driver in the coming years.
28. Boston Celtics – Ryan Kalkbrenner, Center, Creighton
An uncertain front-court should lead the Celtics to invest in a center or two this offseason and Ryan Kalkbrenner would be a solid value late in the first. He’s improved as a spot-up shooter every season of his college career, suggesting some spacing potential. Even if he doesn’t develop into a knockdown shooter, Kalkbrenner’s great rim protection and finishing will help him impact winning.
29. Phoenix Suns – Hugo Gonzalez, Wing, Real Madrid
The Suns double up on international wings, adding another developmental, two-way player to their roster. Hugo González proved himself a solid rotation player for Real Madrid this season, bringing most of his value on the defensive end. A new-look Phoenix team would benefit from another athletic, tough wing with some offensive potential.
30. Los Angeles Clippers – Nolan Traore, Point Guard, Saint Quentin
The Clippers are thin at guard behind James Harden and Norman Powell, making Nolan Traore a logical swing at the end of the first-round. His incredible speed and improving passing and defense are traits worth betting on, even if he’ll need to show teams he can score efficiently after a difficult season on the ball in France.
31. Minnesota Timberwolves – Ben Saraf, Point Guard, Ratiopharm Ulm
32. Boston Celtics – Kam Jones, Guard, Marquette
33. Charlotte Hornets –??Maxime Raynaud, Big, Stanford
