Following a lackluster draft, the 2025 NBA draft has the type of talent that draft heads can look forward to and get hyped about. With a legitimate franchise guy at the top (Flagg) and a number of long term, high upside guys, here is our first look at an extended 2025 mock. The mock includes insights and comps for 30 “genetic lottery winners”, as the late, great Bill Walton would say.
1. Detroit Pistons Cooper Flagg 6-8 205 PF/SF Duke Fr.
Flagg has not only the highest ceiling, but considering he’s just 18 years old, and has advanced maturity and focus, a very high floor. Flagg still must polish his shooting ability, which at this point is the only real concern about his game. Scrimmaging with the USA team over the past week has been a valuable experience and scouts on hand have been thoroughly impressed. He has shown that he can already hold his own against the best in the world, without being intimidated. A dedicated team guy and a flat out winner, he is the definition of a franchise talent. A player that any team would love to add and see where his career can carry them. At this point, the strength of his game is his defensive versatility, being able to use his 6’11’75″** wingspan to guard multiple positions, plus his ability to give the team whatever it needs to help them win. His passing ability as a 6-8 forward is elite, and he also shows a lot of ball handling ability to play from the high post. It will be a fun year for college basketball fans, with Duke being appointment TV, and the progression of Cooper Flagg likely becoming a national obsession.
NBA Comparison: Andrei Kirilenko
2. Washington Wizards Drake Powell 6-6 205 SF North Carolina Fr.
Powell has really made some major strides over the past few months and could leapfrog a number of his classmates to be one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s a lockdown defender and is now building upon a very intriguing offensive skill set, including creating off the dribble, shooting with range and also showing the vision and passing to be a playmaker for others. An amazing transformation of his game. He showed at the Jayson Tatum Elite Camp in early July, taking over the gym on Day One for a stretch of plays in the scrimmages. He’s separated himself as one of the highest upside players entering college basketball. Putting him at two over Ace Bailey is controversial, but based on what he displayed in Las Vegas, within his ability.
NBA Comparison: Grant Hill
3. Charlotte Hornets Ace Bailey 6-8 200 SF Rutgers Fr.
Bailey has perhaps as much long term potential as anyone in the class, including Cooper Flagg. With a more advanced offensive skill set, and the ability to knock down outside shots with range, Bailey has a ton of intrigue in his own right. But Bailey is missing the floor that some other players possess, as he still has a lot of maturing left to do. His energy is not nearly as focused yet, and a year at Rutgers should help him to progress both on and off the floor, and become more ready to take on the social challenges as well as the competition jump at the NBA level. Bailey is an Atlanta kid who clearly loves the game of basketball and should continue to excel at it. He’s listed at 6’10 on the Rutgers website, which is impressive if he’s in fact grown a couple inches in the past few months.
NBA Comparison: Rashard Lewis
4. Portland Trailblazers VJ Edgecombe 6-5 190 SG/PG Bsylor Fr.
Edgecombe was unranked nationally when we first saw him play at the Hoop Hall classic in Phoenix back in early 2023. We quickly identified him as a future pro and likely one-and-done top 10 pick. Now he’s on everybody’s radar as an elite prospect with dynamic athleticism and developing offensive game. He gives Baylor another strong combo guard to develop. Edgecombe has made great use of the summer, continuing his development, playing extremely well for the Bahamas national team in their Olympic Qualifiers.
NBA Comparison: Russell Westbrook
5. San Antonio Spurs Dylan Harper 6-5 215 PG/SG Rutgers Fr.
Harper has NBA bloodlines, being the son of a standout NBA player (Ron Harper) going for him. He’s also extremely tough and polished for an 18 year old. While possessing a much bigger frame, the style and mindset is similar to Knicks standout Jalen Brunson. He’s not overly quick or explosive, but is very crafty at making plays for others and utilizing his strength to his advantage. Harper should hit the ground running at Rutgers and be an immediate star on the college level. He and Ace Bailey’s Rutgers squad will make for another appointment viewing team on the college level (along with Duke and North Carolina).
NBA Comparison: Jalen Brunson
6. Toronto Raptors Nolan Traore 6-4 185 PG Saint-Quentin 2006
Traore is a scoring point with a very advanced skill set. He shows the ability to get by defenders off the dribble and scoring and playmaking ability. Traore came into the Nike Hoop Summit in April of 2024 underrated and was sensational. He proved that he could compete against the best guards in the world in his age group and consistently scored and created for others in PnR. He’s a good athlete and has a very good feel for the game, and should continue to develop this season playing fro Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball of the LNB Élite.
NBA Comparison: Jamal Murray
7. Memphis Grizzlies Ian Jackson 6-5 190 PG/SG North Carolina Fr.
Jackson is a smart player who has elite quickness. His quick first step makes him extremely difficult to contain and the fact that he’s an excellent outside shooter fives him a dynamic skill set as he sets up the drive extremely well with a quick fake. Jackson can drive and dish and rises up above the rim with high level athleticism. Look for him to be a mid lottery pick, if things fall into place and he’s able to display his talent this season at UNC.
NBA Comparison: Jamal Crawford
8. Utah Jazz Cameron Carr 6-5 185 SG Tennessee So.
Following a freshman season in which he played limited minutes, in just 14 games, and averaged less than 2 points, you won’t find Carr’s name being mentioned in many first round mock drafts. But expect that to change as the season gets underway. Carr lit it up at the Jayson Tatum Elite Camp in early July and oozes potential with his huge wingspan, explosiveness and body control, plus outside shooting potential. He also shows a lot of potential to break opponents down off the dribble, in isolation, with a strong handle and explosive first step, it’s an ambitious comp, but there’s some Kobe to his game, just a little.
NBA Comparison: Zach Lavine
9. Brooklyn Nets Asa Newell 6-10 220 PF/C Georgia Fr.
Newell is a talented four/five who has a chance for a big freshman season and being a 1-done lottery guy. He’s an explosive finisher in the paint with excellent size and fluidity. He still doesn’t play with enough physicality for scouts liking, but perhaps with added strength, he can become more comfortable imposing his will in the paint. The face up skills and improving range give him real intrigue.
NBA Comparison: Nikola Vucevic
10. San Antonio (from Atlanta) Isaiah Evans 6-6 175 SG Duke Fr.
Evans comes into Duke a very thin 195 lb wing with a long wingspan and a reputation as a good three point shooter. He’s still in need of better body strength and improved physicality, but the body type and skill set give him a great deal of potential. He may start slow, and whether he can improve as the season goes along and continue to expand his game will be the key. He’s a guy with clear lottery talent, but he may be a season away.
NBA Comparison: Josh Howard
11. San Antonio (from Chicago) Noa Essengue 6-10 200 SF/PF France 2006
The French Invasion continues! A very personable player, Essengue came to Orlando in early June for two weeks of skills work to improve his shooting with former Auburn great Adam Harrington. You could see the improvement in his shot almost immediately. The long Frenchman is a legitimate small forward, possessing good ball handling and mobility. He’ll have a good chance to be taken in the lottery if his shooting efficiency advances this season. His body type is reminiscent of former NBA forward Donyell Marshall, but he has more of a small forward’s game already.
NBA Comparison: Donyell Marshall
12. Oklahoma City (from Houston) Dailyn Swain 6-8 225 SF/PF Xavier So.
Swain has put on 40 lbs of muscle since arriving at Xavier a year ago. He showed up at the Jason Tatum camp in Las Vegas, looking more like a PF than a SF and has kept his excellent speed and mobility. The makings are there for Swain to be one of the big breakout stars on the college level in 2024-25. he’s got the athletic profile, plus the jump shooting ability. He just needs to break though the barrier of becoming a top scoring option within the team construct and play consistently to his abilities.
NBA Comparison: Deandre Hunter
13. Atlanta (via Sacremento) Jaland Lowe 6-3 175 PG Pittsburgh So.
Lowe showed some real flashes as a freshman, becoming more consistent as the season went along at Pitt, and should be one of the top point guards on the college level this upcoming year. He has great vision, making creative passes routine, and does a solid job of decision making and not forcing things. Lowe is not just a playmaker for others but shows a very promising pull up game and an ability to use the runner and be a high level scorer. The sharpshooting lefty will need to get stronger, but has a solid frame to add weight and loves to compete.
NBA Comparison: Mo Williams
14, Golden State Tyler Harris 6-8 190 SF Washington So.
Harris opted to transfer up to Washington after a solid freshman campaign at Portland (*edit,no longer at Portland). He’s a long, athletic wing who shows nice scoring ability. His huge 7+ foot wingspan gives him excellent defensive potential, but it’s clear he needs to add more strength and toughness. Harris had an inconsistent freshman season, but ended up with an impressive 12 ppg, 7 boards and three point shooting in the 35% range, on nearly one make per game.
NBA Comparison: Jaden McDaniels
15, Oklahoma City (from Miami) Hugo Gonzalez 6-6 200 SG Real Madrid 2006
Gonzalez is a feisty competitor and a flashy finisher at the rim. He can score from all three levels and has shown real polish in his game with the ability to create offense in isolation with step backs and drives. He lacks great length and needs to get stronger, but he’s been one of the elite players within his age group for a number of years. Gonzalez does not possess great lateral speed, so defense will be an area of focus for him to improve upon.
NBA Comparison: Rudy Fernandez
16. Oklahoma City (from Philadelphia) Dink Pate 6-8 210 SF Mexico City Capitanes (G League) 2006
Pate will play next season for the Mexico City affiliate of the G League, following last year playing with the Ignite. Pate is a point forward type with the ability to push the ball up the floor and play some point forward. At 6’8, he shows very nice shooting potential with a smooth stroke from mid range. Pate is sure to draw a lot of hype this season as he’s an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling. Despite a nice looking shot form, the Dallas native will look to improve upon his 21% three point shooting with the Ignite last season.
NBA Comparison: Boris Diaw
17. New Orleans (from LA Lakers) Tre Johnson 6-6 190 SG Texas Fr.
Johnson has an array of skills and is a prototypical 3-D type of off guard. He can ISO and score in drives or pull ups. He also is adept on the drive and kick. Where he needs improvement is with maturity and consistency. He has games where he fades and does not make a real impact. The talent is clearly there for him to go higher, but he’ll need to improve on the stated deficiencies to get there.
NBA Comparison: JR Smith
18. Orlando Egor Demin 6-8 200 SF BYU Fr.
Demin is a talent. He’s displays shades of a smaller Toni Kukoc, or in today’s NBA a bigger Cedi Osman. In a vacuum, He’s a lottery talent, but has work to do to get there. The track record of elite players leaving Europe, for NCAA, before being drafted has been somewhat disappointing. And the Russian national has a huge adjustment to make with regard to style of play. His three seasons in Real Madrid juniors clearly helps with the cultural transition. Demin arrived in Provo last week as BYU’s crown recruiting jewel. He has all the skills to thrive, it’s a question of how quickly he adjusts to playing the American style of game, against NCAA athletes and in college arenas.
NBA Comparison: Toni Kukoc
19. Indiana Kwame Evans 6-9 220 PF Oregon So.
Evans is face up, lefty four man with some solid shooting touch and potential to attack the basket off the dribble. He showed flashes as a freshman of what made him a five star recruit, and top 3-5 in his class early in his high school career, with a few scoring outbursts. Evans will look to take on a bigger role as a sophom*ore, with the departure of Nfaly Dante and could easily make the necessary leap in play to contend for a first round pick. Added strength should allow him to become more physical and utilize his skillset and size around the basket with rebounding and low post scoring. The key will be staying focused and playing consistently.
NBA Comparison: Kyle Kuzma
20. Utah (from Cleveland Boogie Fland 6-3 180 PG Arkansas Fr.
From the “Boogie down Bronx” Fland is a flashy point guard who can be a playmaker for himself and facilitate for others. He will look to be next in a long line of Calipari guards that have gone on to have standout NBA careers. Never lacking for confidence, he’s a speedy lead guard with the first step to create separation. He joins a loaded Arkansas team, so it will be interesting to see how quickly Cal has complete faith in the young point guard. He proved himself throughout his high school career to be among the elite point guard in his class. He possesses one and done, lotto potential, if he has a strong season.
NBA Comparison: Cole Anthony
21. New York (from Milwaukee) Xavier Booker 6-11 220 PF/C Michigan St. So.
Booker is another talented post player that will look to elevate his play in his sophom*ore season. His elite from a physical standpoint with high level run jump athleticism. Booker will look to gain more playing time and more opportunity to be a factor on the offensive end. He entered college with a lot of holes and a feel for the game that was a work in progress. Now going into his second season under Coach Izzo, it remains to be seen what type of leash Booker is given to make mistakes and learn on the floor. The lefty shows shooting potential and runs the floor like a gazelle, giving him very intriguing potential.
NBA Comparison: Nic Claxton
22. Houston (from Phoenix via OKC) Liam McNeeley 6-7 190 SF UConn Fr.
McNeeley went on a tear at the end of the year, scoring at an efficient rate and knocking down clutch shots, including game winners for Monteverde. When UConn missed out on Cooper Flagg, they landed McNeeley, who was not a bad consolation price for the defending champions. McNeeley should come in and be an immediate contributor. He’s a talented offensive player, who can really shoot it. While just an average athlete by NBA standards, he’ll likely need some time to adjust to the NBA level and become a reliable defender.
NBA Comparison: Corey Kispert
23. New Orleans Carey Booth 6-10 205 PF Illinois So.
The son of NBA GM Calvin Booth, Carey showed a lot of progress in his freshman season with not only his skill set but his body development, speed and athleticism. He has put in the work in the weight room and looks a lot more fluid in his movements. He’s a bouncy bigman with shades of Chris Bosh to his game. Booth joins a talented incoming class that includes freshman wing Will Riley, who is also receiving some first round buzz.
NBA Comparison: DaRon Holmes
24. Dallas Andrej Stojakovic 6-7 200 SG California So.
Stojakovic moved on from Stanford but didn’t go far, crossing over to the East Bay to play for Mark Madsen at California. Stojakovic had a very solid freshman season in which he showcased some ability to finish at the rim as well as knock down outside shots. He doesn’t have quite the elite level outside shot of his father Peja, but the makings are there for him to be a very solid shooter and all around wing. A substantial jump in production is on the table as he looks to fill the shoes of first rounder Jaylon Tyson at Cal.
NBA Comparison: Christian Braun
25. New York Baye Ndongo 6-8 225 PF Georgia Tech So.
The 21 year old sophom*ore qualifies as a freakish athlete at the four position. He’s got a 7’2 wingspan and is incredibly bouncy and powerful. He will aggressively attack the rim and trys to dunk everything and draws a lot of contact, resulting in trips to the FT line. His shooting form is promising as is his scoring ability. He really came on strong in the second half of the season for Georgia Tech, and there’s a real chance he’s one of the real impact sophom*ores in 2024-25. After putting his name in the 2024 NBA draft and getting feedback, look for him as a potential first rounder in 2025.
NBA Comparison: Miles Bridges
26. LA Clippers Garwey Dual 6-5 190 PG/SG Seton Hall So.
Dual is a long, rangy lead guard with a high upside. He shows very good speed to get by opponents off the dribble and a creative ability to find teammates on the drive and kick. He struggled with efficiency as a freshman and will look to cut down on turnovers and become a more efficient shooter as a sophom*ore. The upside is clearly high, as he’s got a tremendous basketball body with a lot of wiggle and flash to his game. His shot from outside takes a little while to get off, making it easier to contain him. If he can revamp his shooting form, it could be a big upgrade to his game.
NBA Comparison: Reggie Jackson
27. Utah Jalil Bethea 6-4 170 SG/PG Miami Fr.
Bethea is a 6’4 combo guard with a lot of sizzle. He can get up for highlight dunks and makes flashy plays with his ball handling and passing. He’ll look to gain strength and consistency and become more of an efficient player at Miami in the freshman year. The ACC will be a tough proving ground for him, and he’ll need to be ready for a long season. The talent is there, but he’s still a bit of a work in progress, as he needs to get a lot stronger and cut down on turnovers.
NBA Comparison: RJ Hampton
28. Orlando (from Denver) Jase Richardson 6-3 180 PG/SG Michigan State Fr.
It’s generally not a great idea projecting Spartans as one and done first rounders as there just is not as much opportunity playing under an old school coach like Tom izzo, who rarely hands out significant minutes and opportunities to less polished players (talented freshmen). Zach Randolph being one of the most polished freshmen bigs struggled for minutes, as an example. Richardson has a school connection with a father (Jason) that starred at Michigan State. Jase is a talented playmaker with length and athleticism, who came off a knee injury and appears to have his speed and athleticism back.
NBA Comparison: Monte Morris
29. Brooklyn (from Oklahoma City) Collin Murray-Boyles 6-9 230 PF/C South Carolina So.
One of the most productive freshman in the country playing in the SEC last year. Murray-Boyles is a high energy big with a good feel for playing in the paint. He’s got a huge wingspan (7-1) which helps make up for not being the most explosive athlete. A gamer, who always seems to play with a high motor, CMB finds ways to outwork opponents. If he can improve his range and shooting ability, he can possibly snatch a spot in the first round.
NBA Comparison: Danny Fortson
30. Jaxson Robinson 6-7 205 SG/SF Kentucky Sr.
Robinson has been a college basketball vagabond, now joining his fourth team in five years. After two productive seasons at BYU, he joins Kentucky for his super senior 5th year and will look to diversify his game and cement a spot in the first round. He knocked down 81 threes last year, coming off the bench for BYU., and lead the team in scoring. He’ll look to expand his role under Mark Pope with Kentucky, facing SEC competition this season.
NBA Comparison: Trey Murphy
