2025 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: The entire first round with Cooper Flagg still solidly No. 1
As we approach March Madness, it is becoming very clear: The 2025 NBA Draft is strong.
We have long known Cooper Flagg is a potentially generational prospect, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He has recently began to exceed expectations, though, as one of the best overall contributors in all of college basketball despite only turns 18 years old last month.
Flagg is joined by other legitimately awesome prospects in this class, too. Dylan Harper and Kasparas Jakucionis are both special guards who have played far beyond their years, for example.
Not only is this class deep with freshmen but there are a few interesting collegiate returners and international prospects worth knowing as well.
For this exercise, to determine our draft order, we once again reversed the standings of projected playoff probabilities provided by our friends at dunksandthrees.com. Meanwhile, we also included trades based on what picks are owed around the league. Ages are based on how old someone is on the night of the draft, not currently.
Expect some changes as the men's college basketball season progresses. But as of now, here is what we predict.
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1. Washington Wizards: Cooper Flagg
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 18.5
If there was any doubt about whether or not Cooper Flagg deserves the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, he silenced it. Flagg recently recorded 42 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds versus Notre Dame. He leads all Duke players in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals per game this season. Since 2009, the only freshmen with a higher box plus-minus are Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis.
2. Utah Jazz: Dylan Harper
TEAM: Rutgers
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
Dylan Harper caught a nasty flu recently that limited his minutes and productivity, even losing nine pounds. Harper has an elite ability to create his own shot especially at the rim, per CBB Analytics, and he is still leading all freshmen in unassisted field goals per game by a wide margin this season. He has a strong case as the most intriguing offensive prospect in this class.
3. New Orleans Pelicans: Kasparas Jakucionis
TEAM: Illinois
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.1
Lithuania’s Kasparas Jakucionis is one of the hottest names in draft circles right now, recording 19 points with 4 assists and 3 rebounds in just the first half against Indiana on Tuesday night. He has an effective pull-up jumper and currently leads all freshmen in unassisted 3-pointers, per CBB Analytics, while shooting 41.6 percent from beyond the arc. As a point guard, he also leads all freshmen in assists distributed at the rim per game.
4. Charlotte Hornets: V.J. Edgecombe
TEAM: Baylor
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-5
DRAFT AGE: 19.9
V.J. Edgecombe is an exciting two-way prospect who can contribute on both ends of the floor. He would join Tari Eason, Matisse Thybulle, and Gary Payton II as the only high-major NCAA men’s basketball players since 2009 to record both a steal percentage above 4.5 percent and block percentage 3.5 percent, per Bart Torvik. As a scorer, meanwhile, Edgecombe and Flagg are currently the only high-major freshmen with both 15 dunks and 3-pointers each so far this season.
5. Toronto Raptors: Ace Bailey
TEAM: Rutgers
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-10
DRAFT AGE: 18.9
Ace Bailey is a complicated prospect with tremendous upside who is likely to have scouts split in their evaluation process. While he is 6-foot-10, there are some concerns about his shot selection and his passing. Bailey, regardless, is one of the most productive mid-range shooters among all recent prospects. But there are real reasons for evaluators to have concerns about his touch as he is shooting fairly poorly from the free-throw line.
6. Portland Trail Blazers: Derik Queen
TEAM: Maryland
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 6-10
DRAFT AGE: 20.5
Maryland freshman big man is an analytics darling who contributes in a variety of ways on both ends of the court. He had one of his best games in the NCAA scoring 27 points with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, as well as a block and a steal versus Minnesota on Monday. Currently shooting 75.7 percent at the rim, per Bart Torvik, his touch is remarkable. He has recorded the second-most win shares among all freshmen, per CBB Analytics, trailing only Flagg.
7. Brooklyn Nets: Jeremiah Fears
TEAM: Oklahoma
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-4
DRAFT AGE: 18.7
Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears is another player who has given fans some amazing highlights as he continues to climb up draft boards. Fears can score at multiple levels from the floor and he is a fantastic playmaker on both offense and defense as well. Fears leads all freshmen in alley-oops assisted this season, per CBB Analytics. He is the second-youngest NCAA prospect we have projected in the first round behind only Flagg.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI): Asa Newell
TEAM: Georgia
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 6-11
DRAFT AGE: 19.7
Georgia’s Asa Newell is a classic rim-running big man who does not make the game too complicated for himself. He leads all freshmen in layups and dunks combined this season, per CBB Analytics, and ranks third-most among all men’s college basketball players. He also currently ranks first among all freshmen in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) as well.
9. Chicago Bulls: Tre Johnson
TEAM: Texas
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
Texas freshman Tre Johnson is a natural scorer whose passing is better than his assist stats might suggest. He is difficult to stop in the open-court and leads all high-major freshmen in 3-pointers made in transition so far this season, per CBB Analytics.
10. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL): Noa Essengue
TEAM: ratiopharm ulm (Germany)
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 18.5
France’s Noa Essengue ranks fourth-best among all players in Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI) among those with at least five games played in the Eurocup, per Cerebro Sports. He ranks ninth-best in Player Efficiency Rating (23.1) among all qualified players in the Eurocup, via RealGM. He is also the second-youngest player in the draft.
11. San Antonio Spurs: Kon Knueppel
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 19.9
Duke’s Kon Knueppel is a trustworthy wing who is impactful on spot-up possessions and when using off-ball screens. He plays winning basketball as the Blue Devils have outscored opponents by 293 points when Knueppel is on the court this season, per CBB Analytics, which is the highest plus-minus among all freshmen.
12. Houston Rockets (via PHX): Thomas Sorber
TEAM: Georgetown
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 6-10
DRAFT AGE: 19.5
Georgetown freshman big Thomas Sorber is another analytics darling. He ranks second among all freshmen in the catch-all metrics Wins Above Replacement Player, RAPM, and Defensive Win Shares, per CBB Analytics. He is integral to the success of his team. Georgetown has outscored opponents by 26.5 points per 40 minutes with Sober on the court but are outscored by 22.0 points per 40 when he is off, which is one the largest differences among all NCAA players.
13. Atlanta Hawks (via LAL): Khaman Maluach
TEAM: Duke
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 7-2
DRAFT AGE: 18.8
South Sudan’s Khaman Maluach is having an excellent, efficient freshman campaign for Duke. He is raw but has a strong defensive presence as opponents are shooting just 50.4 percent at the rim with Maluach on the floor, per CBB Analytics, which ranks 98th percentile among all players. As a lob threat, per CBB Analytics, he leads all freshmen in alley-oops completed by nearly double any other player his class.
14. Golden State Warriors: Labaron Philon
TEAM: Alabama
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-4
DRAFT AGE: 19.6
Alabama freshman Labaron Philon is an excellent decision-maker with one of the most effective floaters in college basketball. As a playmaker, per CBB Analytics, he currently leads all freshmen in 3-pointers assisted (39) so far this season. His jump shot could still use some work, however, as he continues his development.
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET): Ben Saraf
TEAM: ratipharm ulm (Germany)
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-5
DRAFT AGE: 19.2
Israel’s Ben Saraf ranks fifth-best among all players in Floor General Skills (FGS) among those with at least five games played in the Eurocup, per Cerebro Sports. He has had his hand on 32.3 percent of buckets as a scorer or distributor, via RealGM, which ranks seventh-best among all players in the Eurocup.
16. Oklahoma City (via MIA): Collin Murray-Boyles
TEAM: South Carolina
POSITION: Big
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 20.1
South Carolina sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles is perhaps the most enticing collegiate player who was not a one-and-done prospect. He is a versatile forward who is averaging 15.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals, as well as 1.2 blocks per game this season. He is someone who is ready to contribute in many ways at the next level.
17. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC): Nolan Traore
TEAM: Saint-Quentin (France)
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-3
DRAFT AGE: 19.1
Based on his priors before this season, some team is likely to take a flier on Nolan Traore in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. But the reality is that the young French guard has simply not played very well so far this season and is likely not ready to make a positive impact in the NBA any time soon.
18. Indiana Pacers: Liam McNeeley
TEAM: Connecticut
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 19.7
UConn freshman Liam McNeeley has had a relatively underwhelming freshman campaign relative to his expectations. But there are still flashes of promise from him, like when he had 26 points with 8 rebounds and 4 assists against Gonzaga on Dec. 14. He ranks in the 99th percentile among all NCAA players in the metric RAPM, per CBB Analytics, which is encouraging.
19. Brooklyn Nets (via MIL): Ian Jackson
TEAM: North Carolina
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-4
DRAFT AGE: 20.4
North Carolina freshman Ian Jackson has started just 5 of his 16 games played so far this season. But he is averaging 23.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 42.9 percent on 3-pointers in those appearances. He leads all freshmen in field goals made in a transition offense and fastbreak points scored, per CBB Analytics.
20. Utah Jazz (via MIN): Egor Demin
TEAM: BYU
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 19.3
Russia’s Egor Demin was initially having one of the strongest freshman campaigns of anyone in the nation for BYU. But per our research via Bart Torvik, he currently has the largest difference between his box plus-minus on the season (5.9) relative to his performance against top-100 competition (-2.0) among all of the prospects we have projected in the first round. His size and playmaking still makes him intriguing, but perhaps another year in school could help his overall trajectory.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): Rasheer Fleming
TEAM: Saint Joseph's
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-9
DRAFT AGE: 21
One of the most surprising prospects in this class is Saint Joseph’s Rasheer Fleming, who combined athleticism with shooting feel. He is currently the only player in college basketball who has recorded both 25 dunks and 3-pointers, per Bart Torvik. He ranks fourth-best among all NCAA players in the catch-all metric Wins Above Replacement Player.
22. Dallas Mavericks: Boogie Fland
TEAM: Arkansas
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-2
DRAFT AGE: 19
Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland is an interesting guard who is an undeniably productive floor general. He currently leads all freshmen in points assisted this season, per CBB Analytics. But he is a bit undersized and struggles to finish at the rim, which does not project well for his long-term ability to contribute at the next level considering he is also not currently an elite 3-point shooter.
23. Orlando Magic: Jase Richardson
TEAM: Michigan St.
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-3
DRAFT AGE: 19.7
Jase Richardson is averaging just 9.7 points and 2.6 rebounds with 2.0 assists per game. But his effective field goal percentage combined at the rim and on 3-pointers ranks in the 99th percentile among all NCAA players. Although he has not yet appeared in the starting lineup, the advanced metrics love Richardson. He ranks 98th percentile in both RAPM and 99th percentile in Win Shares per 40 Minutes, via CBB Analytics.
24. Orlando Magic (via DEN): Nique Clifford
TEAM: Colorado St.
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 23.4
Colorado State senior Nique Clifford is the oldest player we have projected in the first round. But he is an upperclassman that should turn some heads based on his output this year. He is averaging 16.6 points. 9.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game during his final collegiate campaign. Clifford is also one of the leaders in Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP) and Defensive Win Shares (DWS) this season, via CBB Analytics.
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Adou Thiero
TEAM: Arkansas
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-6
DRAFT AGE: 21.1
Arkansas junior Adou Thiero is one of the most impactful transfers in the nation. He fits the statistical profile that the Grizzlies front office tends to value. Other prospects potentially available in this range that are also relatively close to those thresholds include Sorber, Murray-Boyles, Johni Broome, Nique Clifford, and Danny Wolf.
26. Brooklyn Nets (via NYK): Alex Toohey
TEAM: Sydney (Australia)
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 21.2
Australia’s Alex Toohey is a fascinating prospect who contributes well on both sides of the floor. He is a legitimately strong wing defender whose Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI) ranks as the best among those who have played more than one game in Australia’s NBL, per Cerebro Sports.
27. Brooklyn Nets (via HOU): Noah Penda
TEAM: Le Mans Sarthe (France)
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 20.5
One of the top international prospects in this class is France’s Noah Penda. The forward is shooting well on his catch-and-shoot opportunities. He also has the highest Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI) among all players in the French Betclic Elite LNB Pro A this season, per Cerebro Sports.
28. Boston Celtics: Kam Jones
TEAM: Marquette
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-4
DRAFT AGE: 23.3
Arguably the most intriguing upperclassman in this class is Kam Jones, who has the most points created in the NCAA this season, per CBB Analytics. Marquette scores 26.6 points per 40 minutes more when Jones is on the floor relative to when he is not, which ranks as the most among all high-major players this year as well.
29. Utah Jazz (via CLE): Alex Karaban
TEAM: Connecticut
POSITION: Forward
HEIGHT: 6-8
DRAFT AGE: 22.6
There are always teams looking to improve their 3-point shooting and UConn’s Alex Karaban deserves some attention. He is shooting 43.0 percent on a high volume of 6.7 attempts per game, which is a career-high for the two-time NCAA national champion.
30. L.A. Clippers (via OKC): Miles Byrd
TEAM: San Diego St.
POSITION: Wing
HEIGHT: 6-7
DRAFT AGE: 22.5
San Diego State guard Miles Byrd is deservedly climbing up mock drafts and big boards recently, averaging 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds with 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He ranks 99th percentile among all NCAA players this season in Wins Above Replacement Player (WARP), Win Shares (WS), as well as Player Efficiency Rating (PER). Byrd also ranks fourth-best among all NCAA players this season in Box-Plus Minus (BPM), via Bart Torvik.