2025 NBA Mock Draft 1.0
Buckle up for my first Mock Draft! The draft order might be as unpredictable as a storm at sea, but the pairings of prospects and teams are locked and loaded. Feast your eyes on all 59 selections.
Introduction
There are many styles of mock drafts. Some focus on what the author thinks will happen on draft night. Some people throw in their own expectations, making it something more toward wishful thinking. Both ways are fun and open up new approaches to the draft.
In this article, I will use a combination, where I heavily favor the prospects where I ranked them but focus on the fit that makes sense the most. An early disclaimer is that I only rank players who I saw play enough, while I kept certain players out, as I don’t believe in their status as one-and-done prospects.
Rankings
1. New Orleans Pelicans — Dylan Harper (Rutgers)
Guard — Freshman — 6’6” — 215 lbs — Draft Age: 19.3
As a true 6-foot-6 leading guard, Harper can generate his offense so easily. He doesn’t need speed to get downhill, as his super-tight handles, offensive creativity, and body control help him to get to the rack whenever he pleases. Despite being a freshman, he’s overmatching defenders on any given night. Selecting number one overall means picking the guy to build your franchise around, and the Pelicans have no choice but to commit to someone new. His NBA-ready body, enticing scoring at the rim, and much-improving pull-up game open up the opportunity to be a high-usage leading guard immediately. Regardless of him not being the best prospect in the class, it’s likely that New Orleans will commit to Harper if they pick at number one.
2. Washington Wizards — Cooper Flagg (Duke)
Wing/Forward — Freshman — 6’9” — 205 lbs — Draft Age: 18.5
The Wizards are collecting top-notch defenders in the last two draft classes. It’s time for them to commit to another top option in Flagg. It’s easy to nitpick on his struggles securing the ball once he gets downhill. The spin move is a bad habit he has to let go of, but focusing on the nitpicking shows how good Flagg is. His defensive skillset is more than NBA-ready, and that’s the solid floor he gives as a high pick. Offensively, he’s not creative enough to be a full number-one option, and that’s why he’s lucky Washington collects more ball-handling wings to solidify their chances. The physical tools, NBA-ready body, and excellent motor only make it more feasible that Flagg will improve. The handles got better, and if the footwork and creativity improve, Flagg could be a 25+ points-per-game scorer in the NBA. Regardless, he’s the best prospect in this class, with a better fit in Washington.
3. Toronto Raptors — Tre Johnson (Texas)
Guard — Freshman — 6’6” — 190 lbs — Draft Age: 19.3
This class is rich in potential first options. Johnson is the next one in line. As a true 6-foot-6 point guard, the Texas-born is ready to continue his scoring prowess in the NBA. The Raptors still need a leading guard, and Johnson is the fit they look for. Traditionally, Toronto’s front office values size and versatility when making draft decisions. The enticing part in Johnson’s profile is that he’s yet to show his true playmaking skills, opening up the room to play as a point guard. Despite the rich guard depth at Texas and his role as a true scoring star in high school, decision-makers should make Johnson’s playmaking a priority in their developmental plan for him. The tough shot-making is the moneymaker for Johnson, as he’s a legitimate threat to score inside the arc, both with the ball in his hands or via plays away from the ball. That’s the worthy part of this bet: Toronto can still give Barnes the runway to lead the time while letting Johnson grow in his role.
4. Charlotte Hornets — Egor Demin (Brigham Young)
Guard — Freshman — 6’9” — 185 lbs — Draft Age: 19.3
As a true 6-foot-9 playmaker, Demin’s role is to complement the stars around him. At the fourth pick that could be a high price at first sight, but roster construction and future potential make Demin the ultimate candidate. Demin’s adjustment to the NBA should be fairly quick, as the NBA-branded style of running multiple variations of the pick-and-roll is working to perfection in Demin’s early-season schedule. He’s currently out with an injury, but that won’t influence his draft stock. The natural feel for the game in his live-dribble decision-making is at an insanely high level. We’ve often seen European guards struggle to adapt to the NCAA’s athleticism. His inefficiency from the floor shouldn’t be an issue for NBA scouts, as they focus on the bigger picture. The Hornets are built around Ball and Miller, but Demin can complement those two in the early stages of his career while slowly growing and rising on the depth chart.
5. Utah Jazz — Khaman Maluach (Duke)
Center — Freshman — 7’2” — 250 lbs — Draft Age: 18.7
If you’re focusing on the numbers with Maluach, stop with what you’re doing. That has little to no value in his draft profile. NBA scouts know they are buying a potential Defensive Player of the Year in Maluach. His offensive role is limited to play-finishing inside the arc. He doesn’t need to shoot three-point shots to stay on the floor. The most valuable bet to make is his passing ability. Maluach is raw and fairly new to the game. However, he’s showing great progression at Duke━getting more comfortable in his role. The other side of the coin is that most people don’t realize how good of a defender Malique Brown is already, which is the biggest context behind the fewer playing minutes for Maluach. Whenever there’s a 7-foot-2 big man with his hip fluidity and movement, NBA front offices will make the bet to drastically improve their defensive rating while taking care of the shooting potential around him. Utah might have found the missing piece to complement its other four positions and immediately find their way back to playoffs.
6. Portland Trail Blazers — Ace Bailey (Rutgers)
Forward — Freshman — 6’10” — 200 lbs — Draft Age: 19.0
False narratives surround Ace Bailey. The more we see him play, the clearer it gets that he still has to learn to play basketball at a high level. And that’s okay. We’ll seldom see shot-makers of his level come through the draft. That’s the unique selling point that keeps him in top-5 contention regardless of the outcome of his development. The rebounding has been good this year as well. However, Bailey could improve his stock if he focuses on improving his handles, which are too loose to feature the number of shot attempts he needs in the NBA. He’s also slowly improving in his game away from the ball. The context behind some of his struggles is that he was the best player in Georgia and chose a program in New Jersey to continue to play the way he does. Development starts in the NBA━that’s what I always say. Looking at the team context Bailey is in, NBA scouts should focus on the things that get more feasible to develop once he’s coming over to the league. Portland is in a good position to give him a few years to develop, making them the best fit for Bailey in the long run.
7. Brooklyn Nets — Noa Essengue (ratiopharm Ulm)
Wing/Forward — 2006 — 6’10” — 194 lbs — Draft Age: 18.5
To understand Essengue as a prospect, you must go back a few years. The challenging part of his evaluation is that he doesn’t have one true skill to hang his hat on. However, he always found a way to impact the game while never being the best player on his team. When it comes to his development, Ulm is one of the best clubs in Europe, where they improve young talent before handing them over to the next program. Essengue should be considered a clean blue mark where teams can bend and shape their role. In the short run, gaining weight and continuing to fill his frame is the priority. His handles are too loose, and the shooting is underwhelming. Naturally, that makes it less feasible for teams to invest in making him a ball-handling wing. Eventually, he’ll play in a role like that, while his gifted rebounding, cutting, and passing open up the opportunity to play as a modern power four, with ball-moving responsibilities at the beginning, before turning into a potential two-way player and a vital role player later on in his career.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder — Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina)
Forward/Center — Sophomore — 6’7” — 240 lbs — Draft Age: 20.0
Murray-Boyles is everything the new modern four position stands for. His value as a defender while having the physical strength and body to play in the NBA today alone makes him a lottery pick. He has great touch around the rim, with the footwork to create his offense in bunches. He’s a non-threat from three, and regardless, he’s still impacting the game on the offensive end with his fluidity and passing ability. His versatility to guard the pick-and-roll against both roll men and the ball handler while being an excellent team defender completes his profile. He’s the style of player Oklahoma City has searched for a few years in a row now. The shooting ability is essential for the four positions, but that’s something for his next NBA team to worry about. It’s not likely that he’ll turn into a volume shooter this year at South Carolina, and he doesn’t have to.
9. Sacramento Kings — Dink Pate (Capitanes de Ciudad de México)
Guard — 2006 — 6’8” — 210 lbs — Draft Age: 19.3
Plus-sized playmakers easily draw fans in NBA front offices. Being a true point guard at 6-foot-8 is only the beginning of the equation. He’s a creative scorer who improved his footwork greatly this year. He’s getting downhill more comfortably while he still has to learn how to use his body when he’s playing more physically. The G League is a good environment for him to continue to develop. He’s getting more comfortable in demanding his role while he’s growing as a leader on the floor. As an 18-year-old in the G League, NBA scouts will see him improve throughout the season. His performance against his peers at the Combine will determine how high he will go, but as of today, it’s feasible that he’s a top-10 pick without any doubt.
10. Chicago Bulls — V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor)
Guard/Wing — Freshman — 6’4” — 195 lbs — Draft Age: 19.9
Edgecombe is in a tough situation. The excellent summer he has had with the Bahamas in their Olympic Qualifiers keeps his draft stock high. It’s hard for me to unsee the impact he has had on current NBA pros who are already earning millions of dollars. His start to the year at Baylor has been underwhelming, as he had bad games against every big opponent Baylor faced. The Tennessee game was solid, but that game was over before Edgecombe’s run in the matchup started. His role is another struggle. While he’s a good connective passer, Edgecombe doesn’t show guard skills that put the ball in his hands in the NBA. His athleticism, enticing defensive potential, and game-changing offense in transition are worthy to make the bet. Regardless of what happens this year, that’ll keep him a top-10 prospect for NBA scouts.
11. Detroit Pistons — Adou Thiero (Arkansas)
Forward — Junior — 6’8" — 222 lbs — Draft Age: 21.2
To understand the logic behind this selection, you must go back to Thiero’s freshman season and the strides he made in the process. His body continuously changed. He’s a unique prospect, with the limitless potential his physical tools give him.
Despite being a junior, NBA teams still need to treat Thiero as a long-term project. He has the chance to be an impactful starter with his bolstering physical tools, improving self-creation as a scorer while being a much better shooter compared to the last two seasons. In Detroit, most of the usage is already being handed out. Thiero comes as a complete prospect who needs to adjust to the continuous change of his body. At eleven, he looks like a reach, but the future potential physically is the bet the Pistons make to complete their roster construction around Cade Cunningham.
12. Golden State Warriors — Asa Newell (Georgia)
Forward/Center — Freshman — 6’11” — 220 lbs — Draft Age: 19.2
The Warriors are looking for their new five-man. Traditionally, their scouts value a high feel for the game, intangibles to build in a proper role, and physical tools. Newell’s motor is at the top of this class. His great rebounding ability has more value due to his active cutting. He’s a double-digit scorer without the ball in his hands, impacting the game with his energy on both ends. The free-throw shooting is underwhelming, and that’s his area of development for the next few years. He’s decent as a passer but not good enough to make him a reliable hub in the interior. That’s the investment Golden State makes by picking him in the lottery. We’ve seen the Warriors invest heavily in their draft selections, and that’s the right context for Newell to be in.
13. Houston Rockets — Joson Sanon (Arizona State)
Guard — Freshman — 6’5” — 180 lbs — Draft Age: 19.5
The Rockets lead the NBA in depth among young players. Therefore, they don’t need a certain type of player. Sanon is mainly to improve their depth, as the Houston Rockets still search for a scoring-minded plus-sized guard to put alongside Thompson. Sanon is a true shot-maker, and that’s what stands out at Arizona State and has been his moneymaker at the Eurocamp before the season. Sanon is a lock to be a lottery selection, and his ability to find his role in an experienced Sun Devils backcourt gives more comfort in his adaptability to his shooting-focused role in the NBA.
14. San Antonio Spurs — Rasheer Fleming (St Joseph’s)
Forward — Junior — 6’9” — 230 lbs — Draft Age: 20.9
The Spurs are building around Wembanyama. He’ll pressure their front office for a winning team. The backline to continue to win is to draft proper role players who can grow their role into a starter. Fleming is everything today’s positionless basketball looks for to fill the four spot. He’s an incredible passer, and Fleming has the mobility of a wing that’s a few inches shorter. His three-point shot got better this season, opening up the opportunity to play as a closeout attacking forward who can increase his three-point volume while defending against the two, three, and four positions. Despite being an upperclassman, Fleming is young and has enough years to come where he can continue to add to his game and fully unleash his potential. San Antonio is one of the best destinations for that to happen.
15. Indiana Pacers — Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana)
Forward — Sophomore — 6’8” — 215 lbs — Draft Age: 20.6
It does not take much research to find out Mgbako is struggling with Indiana’s weird roster construction. He’s best to play as a four, but he didn’t get enough of these minutes as the Hoosiers had to play two centers last year. Mgbako has had some great performances this year in his role as a four, where his shot-making, physical tools and plus size make him an intriguing prospect for every NBA team. He’s an ultimate depth piece. The league’s top-notch role players are becoming much more expensive, thus making a high first-round pick a realistic price. Indiana needs extra defenders who have the shot-making to keep their offensive rating on par, and Mgbako can look forward to a new place close to his current campus.
16. San Antonio Spurs — Nolan Tráore (Saint-Quentin)
Guard — 2006 — 6’4” — 180 lbs — Draft Age: 19.0
San Antonio found success with multiple French players in the past. This pick is to help Wembanyama out as good as possible. I’ve faced lots of criticism after not buying the summer hype around Tráore. He’s another example of how little the group is of people truly understanding the European game. Tráore dominating his age group with his feel for the game has little value, as the physical tools, lack of shot-making and predictability made it easy for pro teams to figure him out and keeping him a non-threat. For the NBA, Tráore’s high basketball IQ and top-notch pick-and-roll playmaking will open up the rest of the team. Yes, he’s not an efficient scorer, but development starts in the NBA and he has the mature game and great decision-making to make improvement more feasible.
17. Utah Jazz — Liam McNeeley (Connecticut)
Wing/Forward — Freshman — 6’7” — 210 lbs — Draft Age: 19.7
It’s all about shot-making to make McNeeley’s role succeed in the NBA. He’s an impactful freshman at Connecticut, and his high feel for the game and great decision-making is the reason why. Coach Hurley shows he can scale McNeeley’s role up and down as McNeeley found a way to leverage his top notch shot-making ability to generate angles for himself. In today’s era of positionless basketball, ball handling matters on all positions. And McNeeley running pick-and-rolls is the bonus Utah is getting at 17.
18. Oklahoma City Thunder — Thomas Sorber (Georgetown)
Center — Freshman — 6’10” — 255 lbs — Draft Age: 19.5
Sorber caught many people by surprise, including myself. I had him on my watchlist, but not high enough. His hot start to the season forced me to dive deeper into his game, and how it can translate to an NBA role. The biggest sell is his outstanding passing ability and excellent hip fluidity. He has great footwork and seals easily off opponents in the post, with a great touch to show for it. With his strong build, he’s another piece in Oklahoma City’s league-revolutionizing positionless basketball buildup while spamming four, or even five-out schemes. The sample size of his shooting increases, and that’s a bonus. Sorber’s interior defense, passing, and physical presence make it possible for him to stay in the league for a long time without shooting jumpers.
19. Orlando Magic — Kanon Catchings (Brigham Young)
Wing/Forward — Freshman — 6’9” — 195 lbs — Draft Age: 19.8
Orlando takes the G League seriously. The Osceola Magic won the league in 2021, and Orlando uses the G League minutes well to develop their young talent in their building. Catchings is still raw, but the enticing talent as a 6-foot-9 big, strong scoring wing is worthy of investing the 19th pick in. He’s showing many flashes of a scalable game, from low-usage closeout attacker to being more comfortable with the ball in his hands. Catchings needs a few years to reach his full potential and ultimate role. With the Magic playing winning basketball, they can afford to invest in a piece that can only bring them more benefits once they compete to win the East.
20. Brooklyn Nets — Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
Center — Senior — 7’1” — 260 lbs — Draft Age: 23.4
The back-to-back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East has had a slow start to the season. Their sharpshooter Žugić is finally NCAA eligible, and that will put away pressure from Kalkbrenner. However, his slow start to the season was mostly caused by teams easily targeting him with the lack of shooting on Creighton compared to last year. That’s the other side of the coin in the NBA as well. His ability to effectively defend the interior without fouling gets NBA decision-makers intrigued. He’s the missing piece to play five-out-styled offenses, especially with him adding a three-pointer to his game. A fun fact: Kalkbrenner can match Patrick Ewing’s record of four consecutive DPoY awards in the Big East.
21. Atlanta Hawks — Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane)
Center — 2006 — 7’2” — 227 lbs — Draft Age: 18.9
Zikarsky struggles to find a consistent role, and considering the level, that’s an early concern for NBA scouts. Regardless, his physical tools and angle-creation for a seven-plus-footer will intrigue NBA decision-makers to develop him in-house. He’s an interior anchoring defender early on with his mobility to show it. Physically he was overmatching his age group but looked to struggle against older players. That's the biggest “if” in his profile. Regardless, the Hawks need a new center, or at least depth on that end. They have the room and minutes to invest in a defensive rating booster to support their roster construction around their star guard Trae Young.
22. Orlando Magic — Johann Grünloh (Rasta Vechta)
Center — 2005 — 6’10 — 220 lbs — Draft Age: 19.8
With Bitadze emerging as one of the league’s best value contracts, the Magic should focus on improving their depth at the five spots. Their five-out-branded offense needs another great screening pick-and-pop option to bring their offensive rating to the next level. Grünloh plays as a starter in both German and European competitions. The sample size is real, and physically, Grünloh is ready to play in the NBA today. Depth is the value Orlando gets at #22.
23. Oklahoma City Thunder — Elijah Mahi (Santa Clara)
Wing — Junior — 6’7” — 220 lbs — Draft Age: 21.7
Mahi had a tremendous JUCO career at West Valley College, finishing the year undefeated. He then transferred up to Santa Clara, about 20 miles away. With the Thunder actively scouting California, they’ll likely already target the easy-scoring Mahi. His handles are the biggest area of improvement. However, what’s enticing for his NBA trajectory is his ability to both create advantages using his physical strength and two-handed finishing at the rim while his offensive creativity is good enough to thrive in a reduced role where his play out of closeouts will determine the value to Oklahoma City’s offensive rating. As of today, Mahi is one of the most underrated prospects in the class.
24. Dallas Mavericks — Sergio de Larrea (Valencia)
Guard — 2005 — 6’5” — Draft Age: 19.5
Despite more American scouts targeting the European market, they still fail to recognize all the talent on the continent. De Larrea has the mature game, craft, and, more importantly, top-notch ball handling and pick-and-roll playmaking to hang his hat on. His game is focused on creating good looks for others, where he’s best to thrive with a good screening and play-finishing center. That’s the style of basketball the Mavericks play with Gafford and Lively II in the interior. Potentially elite playmakers need the right context, and Dallas can offer that.
25. Brooklyn Nets — Will Riley (Illinois)
Wing — Freshman — 6’9” — 175 lbs — Draft Age: 19.3
His excellent positional size makes Riley an intriguing long-term starter for the NBA. Despite it being better for his development to return to school, I can’t imagine NBA decision-makers not wanting to develop a 6-foot-9 true ball handler in their building. Riley’s creativity as a two-level scorer gets Brooklyn another creator. Having those handles, creativity, and positional versatility at his size will boost their rebuild even more. Defensively, the game still has to slow down for Riley; that’s the swing skill for the future.
26. Brooklyn Nets — Hugo González Peña (Real Madrid)
Wing — 2006 — 6’6” — 210 lbs — Draft Age: 19.3
González Peña’s role is playing as a ball-handling and team-defending wing. Despite being so young, he’s easier to put into a box as he enters the NBA with an enticing defensive skillset, as he’s fluid and quick enough to defend guards while also getting stops against the more skilled and stronger wings. He’s gotten much stronger in his upper body, while the shooting is still a work in progress. He’s best to play next to scoring-focused players, boosting a team’s defensive rating with more to come in the next few years.
27. Memphis Grizzlies — Boogie Fland (Arkansas)
Guard — Freshman — 6’2” — 175 lbs — Draft Age: 18.9
Undersized guards are forced to show an elite skillset to survive in the NBA. For Fland, that’s his excellent shooting ability. On top of that, he has tight handles and enough offensive creativity to put more offensive value in Memphis’ roster. However, the area of development is the risk of playing him alongside other below-average defenders. Fland shows promise as a pick-and-roll defender with his continuously improving screen navigation. Memphis could buy low into another rotational guard with untapped potential for the future.
28. Boston Celtics — Miles Byrd (San Diego State)
Guard/Wing — Sophomore — 6’7” — 195 lbs — Draft Age: 20.7
Despite being a sophomore, Byrd shows many flashes of a scalable NBA game where Byrd can serve as the second guard while playing in a reduced role with fewer ball touches as a shooting and closeout-attacking wing. The Aztecs’ defensive principles are instilled in his game. To complete his profile, the defensive value is what Boston looks for to put next to Pritchard, who ascends toward a better offensive option.
29. Los Angeles Clippers — Kam Jones (Marquette)
Guard — Senior — 6’5” — 200 lbs — Draft Age: 23.3
Jones has a clear path to win National Player of the Year. He stayed loyal to Marquette for years, and now he shows he can lead the team to glory as they are the highest-ranked program in the Big East. Jones’ scalable game puts less pressure on Harden around playoff time, as the playmaking and pick-and-roll creation give Los Angeles enough firepower in the minutes Harden sits on the bench.
30. Utah Jazz — Alex Karaban (Connecticut)
Wing/Forward — Junior — 6’8” — 225 lbs — Draft Age: 22.6
Despite their heavy rebuild, it’s vital to bring in experience to fill in complementary roles. That’s a valuable aspect of roster construction and a late first-rounder is fair value for what he has shown at Connecticut in the last 2.5 seasons. Karaban’s shooting value while being one of college basketball’s top scalable wings gives him value to start alongside the rest of their youthful roster.
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