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2025 NBA Mock Draft: Duke's Cooper Flagg goes No. 1, Arizona's Carter Bryant surges into top 10
With the NBA Draft lottery approaching, Adam Finkelstein's latest mock has some players making big moves
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1 min read
The NBA Draft Lottery is just one week away and that means we almost know where Cooper Flagg will end up once the ping–pong balls determine who has the No. 1 overall pick.
We will soon know the entire draft order, but until then, here's a pre-lottery and pre-combine mock taking into account team needs which we will do more as we get deeper into the draft.
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Adam Finkelstein
Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
It was just about three years ago now that Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, and several others got shipped away to begin the massive rebuild in Utah. The hope was that the assets they acquired would one day result in their next star player. If they get Flagg, that hope will be realized. He's the undisputed No. 1 pick in the draft, was the best player in college basketball this season as just a freshman, and continues to improve by leaps and bounds with each passing step in the process.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Everyone wants No. 1 and Flagg, but the Wizards would be awfully happy if they landed at No. 2 for the second consecutive year. Harper is a big lead guard with size, strength, and feel alike. If his shooting gets more consistent and he proves to be durable, he has all-star caliber upside. The bottom line is that he would have a very good chance to run the show for the Wizards for the next decade.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
This would be a very interesting decision for the Hornets, with Edgecombe and maybe Johnson likely getting consideration. While I don't love the fit of Bailey alongside Brandon Miller, and understand the concerns about his inconsistent impact on winning, I still think his upside is too high to pass on here. He's a high-level athlete and jumbo wing with terrific positional size and some extreme tough shot-making ability, and that's a recipe that typically leads to all-star games.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Edgecombe may be the single best athlete in the draft. He made notable strides with his guard skills this year. He has a wealth of defensive upside, even if he may not be quite as far along as advertised just yet (particularly off the ball). The Pelicans may have more questions than answers right now with Joe Dumars taking over the front office for a team that has once again decimated by injuries this season. Edgecombe is a long-term building block and has ideal competitive character when you're trying to establish a culture.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Johnson is one of the best shot-makers and scorers in the draft and while the Sixers already have long-term pieces like Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain in the backcourt, Johnson may be too talented to pass up on here. He had a tremendous freshman season at Texas, not just producing volume with 20 points per game, but doing it efficiently on 43/40/87 shooting while handing out 2.7 assists to just 1.8 turnovers, all while being the focal point of the opposing defense every single night.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
The Nets need some long-term building blocks in the backcourt and what makes Knueppel appealing is the high floor. It's hard to imagine him not becoming a productive NBA player who can help drive winning. He has a terrific overlap of size, skill, and court awareness. He's a scoring threat at multiple levels and capable of initiating offense as well. Being better than expected defensively doesn't hurt either.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Maluach has a 7-foot-6 wingspan. He's mobile and athletic for his size, a massive lob threat, consistent rim-runner, and developing shot-blocker. The Raptors have quite a bit of committed salary in the next few years and for all the pieces they've recently invested in, his archetype is one that is missing. This is a little higher than I might otherwise have Maluach, but the fit is good and Masai Ujuri is short on the length and athleticism that he has historically coveted.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
I think they'd love to find some perimeter shooting, so either Johnson or Knueppel would make sense. Is this too early for Carter Bryant? We'll have to see how things evolve in the coming weeks. For now, Jakucionis gives them another big playmaker with a high feel for the game who could team with Stephon Castle for years to come to create multiple ball-handlers around Wemby.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 1 - Pick 9
This feels a bit high for a guy who averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, but Bryant also shot 46% on unguarded catch-and-shoot 3s, defended everything from point guards to forwards, and is still just 19 years old. Shooting is a requisite around Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, so Bryant makes sense as a big 3-and-D prospect who provides some insurance with Jabari Smith now failing to eclipse 36% from 3-point range in all three seasons.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Fears is a high-upside playmaking lead guard and while he likely won't be ready to play right away, he could provide a long-term contingency plan should Portland ever reach the conclusion that the backcourt experiment of Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe just hasn't gelled the way they hoped they might.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Queen could very easily be off the board earlier and probably will be if some better fits present themselves. Queen is a playmaking big who creates mismatches with his ability to put the ball on the floor and pass for his size. With soft natural touch and elite hands, if the shooting ever catches up, he has high upside outcomes, but isn't winning any athletic contests.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Murray-Boyles is long, strong, very smart, and impactful on both ends of the floor, even if he's closer to an undersized five-man who doesn't yet space the floor. With Nikola Vucevic headed into a contract year, and big potential shooters like Jalen Smith and Matas Buzelis at the forward/wing spots, this could be a fit.
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From
Sacramento Kings
Round 1 - Pick 13
This year's Mr. March Madness played his way into lottery consideration, not because he led Florida to a national championship, but because he showed different elements of his game and a higher upside while doing it. He's an extreme shot-maker and quality scorer, solid defender, and now has on-off ball versatility.
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From
Atlanta Hawks
Round 1 - Pick 14
The Spurs are one team smart enough to see past the 31.7% McNeeley shot from behind the arc last season as he was thrust into a starring role by necessity. He's a vastly better shooter than that and could provide some much-needed floor spacing for the Spurs while also checking boxes for his overall basketball IQ and competitiveness.
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From
Miami Heat
Round 1 - Pick 15
Clifford is an athletic wing who thinks the game at a high-level and can also really pass the ball. If the shooting gains we've seen recently prove to be sustainable, then he looks poised to evolve into a 3-and-D wing with some secondary playmaking on top. Even OKC, a team flush with young assets, could use one of those.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Richardson is a southpaw combo-guard who combined efficiency with versatility this year. He played both on and off the ball and proved he was a shot-maker at multiple levels, not to mention a sneaky good finisher for someone still building up his body. He's not expected to measure in at the 6-foot-3 that Michigan State listed him at, but could still solidify Orlando's backcourt depth and perimeter spacing.
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From
Detroit Pistons
Round 1 - Pick 17
With Naz Reid and Julius Randle both having player options on their contracts this summer, it may be challenging for Minnesota to keep both long-term. If that's the case, they could use some additional frontcourt depth. Newell provides that as a high-energy and mobile big who can split time between the four and the five. If the shooting ever clicks, this would be terrific value.
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From
Memphis Grizzlies
Round 1 - Pick 18
With Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, AJ Johnson, Kyshawn George, and, in this scenario, Dylan Harper, the Wizards have checked a lot of boxes while building their backcourt of the future. They've got potential shooters, scorers, and defenders. What they don't have is connective tissue and Demin, who may be the best passer in the draft, could give them that plus perimeter size.
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From
Milwaukee Bucks
Round 1 - Pick 19
 
Nolan Traore
PG
France
• 6'4"
/ 175 lbs
Traore came into the draft cycle viewed as a potential top five pick and while some inconsistencies this season with Saint-Quentin have impacted the perception of his draft stock, he still has extreme speed and some real playmaking potential. He's a bit of a high-risk high-reward prospect, but Brooklyn can afford to take a big swing at this early stage of their rebuild.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Fleming is long, powerful, athletic, mobile, known for his high motor, and has all the makings of an effective NBA role player with the physical tools to change the game defensively and the offensive skill-set to stretch the floor and provide spacing. He would not only fit Miami's culture, but also make a nice long-term tandem up front with Kel'el Ware.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
 
Joan Beringer
C
France
• 6'11"
/ 235 lbs
For all the young assets that Utah has drafted in recent seasons, Beringer would fit a hole on the current roster with extreme athleticism at the center position. He's very young, and won't turn 19 until next November, but his archetype – as a rim-running, shot-blocking, lob threat – consistently hits. He's also mobile with terrific hands so there's a lot to like long-term.
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From
Los Angeles Lakers
Round 1 - Pick 22
Wolf is a highly skilled borderline 7-footer who handles and passes well enough that he was Michigan's primary initiator for significant stretches this season. If the shooting catches up, he can really modernize an offensive playbook and open the line. The questions will be on the defensive end of the floor, because of his lack of athleticism.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
 
Noa Essengue
PF
France
• 6'10"
/ 200 lbs
Essengue has size, mobility, and athleticism. He won't turn 19 until next December, so he's just scratching the surface of his potential, but we've seen notable growth in recent months for Ratiopharm Ulm, where he currently plays in Germany. Indiana may need some more immediate reinforcements up front, depending on how things go in free agency, but Essengue is a nice long-term asset.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 - Pick 24
 
Ben Saraf
PG
Israel
• 6'5"
/ 200 lbs
Saraf is a big playmaking lefty who can create for himself and others. He's one of the most creative passers off the dribble in this class. Does OKC have room for this archetype after taking Nikola Topic last year? Probably not, but I'm not sure what they have room for given their loaded roster and collection of future assets, so a trade is a very possible scenario and Saraf is the best available prospect on my board at this point.
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From
Denver Nuggets
Round 1 - Pick 25
Sorber exceeded all expectations this season as a freshman, but there's still a wide-range of potential outcomes for his draft stock, which is why he's also contemplating a return to Georgetown. One of the concerns is how his style game would translate to the NBA. The progression of his shooting is a critical variable, and if that hits, he could theoretically help open the lane for the likes of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner
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From
New York Knicks
Round 1 - Pick 26
Noah Penda
SF
France
• 6'8"
/ 225 lbs
Penda is a long and strong forward who looks like a versatile blend player. He's shown flashes of being a versatile defender, a heady team defender, and equally smart on the offensive end. He may never be an alpha, but he's a multi-dimensional building block who can likely earn minutes in a variety of different types of lineups.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 - Pick 27
With four first-round picks, it only makes sense that Brooklyn will take some swings for the future and then find others who can play immediate minutes. Kalkbrenner is the latter as a defensive quarterback and drop coverage monster whose sheer size and quality hands make him serviceable offensively in a specific niche.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
A competitive and instinctive combo-guard, Philon seems like he would be a good fit with head coach Joe Mazzulla. The three-point shooting may not be quite where Boston would like it ideally, but the same was true of Alabama and he still made himself a critical two-way part of their attack. His on-off ball versatility is another plus.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1 - Pick 29
Riley is likely not NBA ready, but Phoenix is in a position where they just need to start accumulating some long-term assets and Riley is that. He's multi-positional with good perimeter size and flashes of shot-making and playmaking alike. It's a swing, but at this point in the draft, it's worth it.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Pettiford is a very fringe first-round pick, and given the uncertainty that comes with that, coupled by the NIL market, he may be better off going back to college. He's undersized but skilled, explosive, fearless, and capable of scoring in bunches.
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