After the Draft Lottery: NBA Mock Draft Projections for All 30 First-Round Picks ...Middle East

With the NBA Draft Lottery over and the order of picks decided for June 25-26, here’s the first iteration of Opta Analyst’s Mock Draft.

One fan base is celebrating while 13 others are cursing the heavens.

The NBA Draft Lottery is one of the most disappointing days on the league’s calendar for most, as several fan bases of teams that missed the playoffs dared to dream of the ping-pong balls going their way, no matter how slim the odds were.

Now these fan bases are faced with a cold dose of reality while the Dallas Mavericks are left celebrating their luck after winning Monday night’s event in Chicago.

Naturally, NBA fans will move to the next stage of coping: looking at mock drafts and talking themselves into their team getting a steal. And we’re here to help with that.

With the draft order decided for June 25-26, it’s easier to try to guess which players fit where, even if it’s still very early in the process.

Here is Opta Analyst’s first 2025 NBA mock draft:

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, Duke

This is the easy one, the free space on a bingo card.

There are several talented prospects in the draft, but the 6-foot-9 Flagg stands clearly above the rest of the pack. The Mavericks struck gold in the NBA Draft Lottery when they landed the first pick and won’t overthink this selection.

The shape of Flagg’s production may be different than the typical first overall pick because he’s better off the ball and worse on the ball than a lot of his predecessors taken at that spot. But the forward is an elite talent who is capable of changing a franchise if he hits his ceiling.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, Rutgers

The 6-6 Harper may not be Flagg, but he’s a heck of a consolation prize for the Spurs.

His skills are easy to translate into the NBA as a big guard who can shoot off the dribble with good vision and acceleration/deceleration.

Harper is a great prospect who will raise the game of his teammates at the next level. His fit may not be the cleanest next to De’Aaron Fox, but they can make it work. He’s too talented to pass up.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor

The debate might come down to Edgecombe or Ace Bailey for the 76ers.

While Bailey might have the higher ceiling, the 6-5 Edgecombe has the higher floor as a much more productive college player who finished third among freshmen in WAR.

He also has a high ceiling of his own, as an athletic guard who showed he could shoot while he came into his own as a scorer by the end of this past season.

4. Charlotte Hornets: Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Bailey is a bit of an enigma as a player who put up some monster games and flashed incredible shot-making ability but ultimately had a statistical profile that has some red flags. The 6-10 forward finished with twice as many turnovers than assists and a low free-throw percentage (69.2%).

The Hornets will roll the dice on his enormous upside as a great athlete who can make contested shots when he’s hot. If he hits, he could be a go-to scorer in the NBA.

5. Utah Jazz: Tre Johnson, Texas

The 6-6 Johnson has some of the same red flags as Bailey. He’s a player who didn’t show great playmaking or consistent defensive impact, but his ability to shoot the 3 is not in question. He’ll be a lethal shooter at the next level, especially if he develops the ability to create his own open looks.

Though Johnson’s 3-point percentage (39.7%) looks good on its own, it looks even better when you consider the level of difficulty. The guard is also an excellent ball handler who can get defenses off-kilter.

6. Washington Wizards: Kon Knueppel, Duke

Knueppel, overshadowed by Flagg at Duke, sometimes gets profiled as just a movement shooter. He’s more impactful than that, finishing second to Flagg among all freshmen in WAR.

He’s tough, crafty with the ball and competes on defense. And the lethal shooting is there, too.

The 6-7 swingman has the floor of a floor-spacing shooter with a lot more upside than most players of the movement-shooter ilk.

7. New Orleans Pelicans: Khaman Maluach, Duke

Although the 7-2 Maluach is a bit of a project at center, he could pay off if he goes to a team with a good player development staff.

He’s enormous, has good defensive instincts and moves really well for his size. He has the upside of being a defensive anchor and a complementary piece on offense.

8. Brooklyn Nets: Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

The Nets need some shooting from their wings. Don’t let Jakucionis’ 3-point numbers fool you (31.8% in 2024-25) – he can shoot.

The 6-6 guard’s problem was shot selection and he will hopefully rectify that as he matures.

9. Toronto Raptors: Labaron Philon, Alabama

There are some interesting big men still on the board, but the Raptors opt to go with a talented player in Philon who could be better than he showed in college.

He didn’t have the keys to Alabama’s offense with All-American Mark Sears next to him, but Philon showed advanced initiating ability and a keen understanding of timing.

The Raptors could use him and Emmanuel Quickley together sometimes and also give Philon lead ballhandler reps on the second unit.

10. Houston Rockets: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma

The Rockets have a young core filled with talent already, so they can afford to roll the dice on a player with upside like Fears.

The 6-4 Fears is a quick-twitch point guard who is currently all gas and no brakes. He needs to learn to slow down at times, but that can be taught – his speed cannot.

He didn’t shoot well from beyond the arc, though he was elite at the foul line (suggesting shooting upside). If everything clicks for him, he could be the source of offense the Rockets were lacking in the playoffs.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Jase Richardson, Michigan State

The Trail Blazers have young players developing at point guard, on the wing and at center.

This makes it tough to pin down what direction they’ll go in, but the 6-3 Richardson could make sense as a versatile (if undersized) offensive player who has on- and off-ball chops. He still needs development, but looked much better toward the end of the season.

12. Chicago Bulls: Derik Queen, Maryland

Fit issues could led Queen to slip a bit to the Bulls, who would be happy to grab him.

The 6-10 Queen got in better shape as the season went on and it allowed him to show off his skills. He has excellent hands, a great first step and soft touch in the post. His shot started to look better at the end of the season as well.

Nikola Vucevic isn’t a part of the Bulls’ future, so getting a big man who could be a building block would make sense.

13. Atlanta Hawks: Liam McNeeley, UConn

The Hawks need some shooting on the wing and the 6-8 McNeeley has shown the potential of being a knockdown shooter.

His season at UConn didn’t go the way most anticipated, but McNeeley is clearly a better shooter than he showed (86.6% on free throws, he shot the 3 well in high school) and flashed some ability to make teams pay for closing in on him too aggressively.

14. San Antonio Spurs: Carter Bryant, Arizona

With a lot of young talent (including an earlier draft pick) already on the team, the Spurs could opt to take a high-ceiling player like Bryant and bring him along slowly.

Bryant wasn’t a big part of Arizona’s offense, but he has the frame of an NBA forward and is tough on defense. He shot 37.1% on 3-pointers, and, if the shot is real and the game slows down for him, he could be a high-level 3-and-D player for many years.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

This is the first pick outside the NBA Draft Lottery.

Teams have often struck out looking for the next Draymond Green, but the 6-7 Murray-Boyles has the toughness and basketball IQ to play a similar role for a smart team if he’s deployed correctly and continues to develop.

The Thunder don’t have a lot of needs, but a power forward off the bench who can give them a different look is one of them. Murray-Boyles could have a role for the Thunder right away as a defensive bully who’s a good-enough passer to play in their system.

16. Orlando Magic: Nique Clifford, Colorado State

The Magic need shooting and offensive dynamism in the worst way, and the 6-6 Clifford could check both those boxes.

He came into his own late in college, but shot the ball well in two years at Colorado State, and it unlocked the rest of his offensive game. He would add a new dimension to the Magic backcourt right away.

17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Nolan Traore, Saint-Quentin

It might be hard to envision the Timberwolves opting for another point guard after selecting Rob Dillingham in last year’s draft. However, Dillingham didn’t exactly lock up the backup point guard job while barely playing as a rookie, and the upside of Traore might be too tantalizing to ignore.

The 6-3 Traore is a great lob thrower who would help a lot in Minnesota. He can’t shoot at all yet, but the athleticism and playmaking make him a tantalizing prospect.

18. Washington Wizards: Egor Demin, BYU

Demin had a disappointing season at BYU, but he’s still a big guard (6-9) with playmaking skills. The Wizards need someone to orchestrate a lot of their offense.

Demin fits that description while also having some upside if he can find his shot.

19. Brooklyn Nets: Cedric Coward, Washington State

Coward only played six games this past season at Washington State due to injury and did not play in a power conference previously – two of several risk factors for any team that picks him.

But make no mistake, a team is going to bet on Coward’s traits: He’s a long-armed, knockdown shooting wing who’s gradually started to show a more advance understanding of the game.

He committed to Duke but has kept his name in the draft. If he goes to the NBA, he’s a good bet to go higher than some expect.

20. Miami Heat: Will Riley, Illinois

Riley needs to be a more consistent shooter and get in better shape, but the upside he displayed in his best games as a wing with secondary playmaking skills could fit Miami nicely.

21. Utah Jazz: Asa Newell, Georgia

The Jazz will take the best player available, and that would be Newell, who is an excellent scorer with a good motor. He improved as a shooter as the season progressed.

22. Atlanta Hawks: Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

With Clint Capela set to leave the Hawks, the team is in need of a backup center, and the analytics-darling Sorber fits that need well. He’s a good passer and a great finisher in the pick-and-roll.

23. Indiana Pacers: Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm

It’s unclear how good Essengue can be, but he has a ton of upside as a good athlete with size and length. He’s an excellent cutter, and Tyrese Haliburton would find him for easy layups multiple times a game.

24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Ben Saraf, Ratiopharm Ulm

If he’s available, Saraf would be a great fit for the Thunder due to his quick-processing skills in the backcourt.

25. Orlando Magic: Walter Clayton Jr., Florida

The Magic need to double down on shooting, and Clayton Jr. showed how well he could shoot it during Florida’s national championship run.

26. Brooklyn Nets: Danny Wolf, Michigan

Wolf is an excellent passing big man who would add playmaking to the Nets rotation right away.

27. Brooklyn Nets: Joan Beringer, Cedevita Olimpija

The Nets are unlikely to use all four of their picks in the first round. However, if they do, a project with the upside of Beringer, who is incredibly fluid and still learning the game, would make sense.

28. Boston Celtics: Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s

Fleming, who is big and can shoot, would have a chance to fill a role in one of the NBA’s deepest rotations.

29. Phoenix Suns: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

Kalkbrenner would give the Suns the physicality they’ve been missing down low.

30. Los Angeles Clippers: Boogie Fland, Arkansas

Fland could’ve gone higher if he didn’t suffer a thumb injury, so the Clippers will gladly scoop him up and hope his playmaking can help them right away.

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After the Draft Lottery: NBA Mock Draft Projections for All 30 First-Round Picks Opta Analyst.

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