2025 NBA Mock Draft: Cooper Flagg goes No. 1 to the Utah Jazz, two more Duke stars selected in the lottery

The term “generational talent” gets thrown around loosely these days. Let the record show that Flagg is indeed worthy of that bill. The Duke superstar was the best player in college basketball this season while playing half the year at 17 years old. Flagg can be a two-way game-wrecking forward at the next level who can double as your face of the franchise for the next decade.

Harper has been the second-best consensus prospect for most — if not all — of the 2024-25 college basketball season. The southpaw combo guard is an excellent shot-creator who showed a consistent ability to finish at the rim. The team that gets the second pick should select him, no matter who else is already on their roster.

Edgecombe is one of the best athletes in this draft class. Edgecombe’s two-way upside is enamoring. He has the potential to be an All-NBA defender at the next level. The Hornets can go multiple directions with this pick, but pairing LaMelo Ball with a player like Edgecombe — who can play off the ball and defend the best guard on the floor — is a perfect pairing.

Bailey is one of the most polarizing prospects in this class. Bailey was in contention to go as high as No. 2 overall at one point. His floor on draft night should be at this pick. Bailey’s shot diet during his lone season at Rutgers was fascinating. He can knock down some of the toughest jumpers imaginable, even if they aren’t high-percentage shots. My comp for him coming into the year was Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. I stand by that.

Johnson was one of the best pure scorers in college basketball. He is the best prospect out of the University of Texas since Kevin Durant went No. 2 overall in the 2007 NBA Draft. If the 76ers are on the clock and Johnson is on the board, they shouldn’t hesitate to select him despite already having their backcourt of the future in Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.

Jakučionis is a skilled guard who can do a bit of everything. His 3-point shooting percentage will need to improve, and the frequency of turnovers will need to be cut down (3.7 per game) at the next level. He is best international-born prospect on the board.

One of the most entertaining players to watch in college basketball was Queen. He is a fluid post scorer and willing passer, which will translate to the next level. If the Raptors pick in this spot, there could be a debate about which center prospect to choose, but Queen fits this roster well and should be the selection.

On every college team in America, Knueppel would likely be far and away the best NBA prospect on his respective team. That wasn’t the case because Knueppel played next to the projected No. 1 overall pick. He showed what his expanded role would look like when Flagg went down with an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament. Knueppel is a knockdown shooter, and his athletic limitations would be covered up in San Antonio by having one of the best rim protectors in the sport (Victor Wembanyama) behind him.

Maluach made his presence felt in the paint with his size and length. He was an elite finisher around the rim and made a strong defensive impact at Duke. His 1.3 blocks per game don’t tell the full story. Maluach is still raw as a prospect and needs time to develop, but the defensive tools are enough to land him in the lottery.

You can argue that Murray-Boyles is the best defender in this draft class. His defensive playmaking tools pop on film. He has drawn some comparisons to Golden State Warriors standout defender Draymond Green. Murray-Boyles returned to school this season, raised his draft stock, and should go somewhere in the early-to-mid part of the lottery.

With Kyrie Irving’s status in question for the 2025-26 season due to injury and Luka Dončić now on the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavs have a pretty glaring need for a point guard. Insert Fears. The Oklahoma star is a crafty guard capable of knocking down clutch shots. If Fears improves his 3-point shooting, the sky is the limit for him.

When McNeeley missed time due to injury midway through UConn’s season, the Huskies were a different team. McNeeley is a plug-and-play forward at the next level, thanks to his ability to thrive within the flow of an offense and his experience playing alongside other future lottery picks. In high school at Montverde Academy, McNeeley played with top prospects like Cooper Flagg, Asa Newell, Derik Queen, and current BYU guard Robert Wright III.

Newell took his talents to Georgia as one of the highest-rated signees in program history and raised his draft stock throughout the season. The 6-foot-10 forward is an impactful defender and finisher around the basket.

Demin is a fascinating prospect. Denin received some top-five hype during the early portion of the season before cooling off during Big 12 play. If Demin can improve his jumper at the next level, he can be one of the best guards from his class when it’s all said and done. That will be his swing skill.

Richardson started the season in a reserve role at Michigan State and blossomed into the best player on Tom Izzo’s squad. Richardson is a great mid-range shooter and was fantastic at finishing around the rim during his lone season in East Lansing.

Fleming has everything NBA decision-makers are looking for at the next level. Fleming is a plus shooter (39% on 4.5 attempts), possesses a 7-foot-5 wingspan and has defensive upside that could translate.

The French forward is one of the youngest players in this year’s draft. Essengue is a dynamic forward who has shown improvement as a shooter throughout his playing career. He is still raw as a prospect, but his potential on defense is intriguing at the next level.

Clifford is one of my favorite prospects in this year’s class. He’s the perfect prototype wing for the modern NBA. He can shoot, rebound, and defend at a very high level. At 6-foot-6, he was the shortest player in Division l basketball who averaged at least 9.5 rebounds per game.

After selecting Harper with the No. 2 overall pick in this mock, the Wizards select Broome with their other first-round pick. Broome was one of the best players in college basketball and his rebounding and rim protecting will translate to the next level.

The Nets need talent on their roster, so taking a swing in the middle of the first round on a player who was once projected as a potential top-five pick in this class is worth the gamble. The French guard has a quick first step and has top-end speed to play PG in the NBA.

Clayton’s legendary March Madness performance jumped him into the first round of the draft for good. Clayton was one of the best shotmakers in college basketball and plays fearlessly. Pairing Flagg with a veteran guard from the college ranks would be viewed as a home run draft for Utah.

Sorber’s freshman season was cut short due to a season-ending foot injury, but he did look like a first-round pick in the 24 games he appeared in. Sorber showed promise as a solid rim protector after averaging 2.0 blocks per game. His shooting from beyond the arc is one aspect of his game he can improve.

The southpaw is a creative playmaker capable of getting others involved in the offense. Saraf earned MVP honors during the FIBA U18 EuroBasket last summer and has been rising up draft boards since.

I had a chance to watch/scout Wolf in person earlier this year when Michigan faced USC. Immediately after watching him play for a few seconds, the comparison to Houston Rockets star Alperen Şengün popped into my head. Wolf is a fluid mover as a point-center and is a capable playmaker within the flow of the offense. His defense is a question mark at the next level, but his offensive engine makes him a likely first-round pick.

Bryant has an interesting stay-or-go decision to make. His role at Arizona was limited, as he made just five starts in 37 appearances. Carter has the perfect size to be a wing at the next level, and the limited production may be more than enough for him to get selected in the back half of the first round.

Kalkbrenner was one of the best rim protectors in the sport during his college career. Kalkbrenner is an excellent finisher around the rim and can create second-chance opportunities because of his rebounding.

Fland missed nearly two months due to a hand injury but returned for the NCAA Tournament. During the early portion of Arkansas’ season, he was his team’s best player. His coach, John Calipari, has a track record of producing star guards.

What pops on tape from Beringer is his ability to finish consistently at the rim off pick-and-rolls. Beringer can be a great rim protector at the next level. He is also very good at contesting shots as a help defender. His jump shot needs improvement, but he’s worth taking a flyer at the end of the first round.

The Suns are entering a crossroads ahead of a critical offseason. Phoenix missed the playoffs and needs a point guard. Philon would be worthy of this pick because he’s a crafty guard with tremendous upside. He is also capable of scoring at all three levels.

Byrd is another player who has an interesting stay-or-go decision to make. He declared for the draft last month, but he’s also maintaining his college eligibility throughout the process. Byrd’s shooting will be his swing skill, as he struggled on shots from beyond the arc (30.4%) throughout his college career. His draft stock is at the end of the first round or the early half of the second.