2025 NBA mock draft: Cooper Flagg and the March Madness stars who could boost their stock

March Madness is underway, which means it’s time to update The Athletic’s 2025 NBA Mock Draft. Scouts and executives have traveled all over the United States to see conference tournaments, one of the best ways to get eyes on a significant number of prospects in one place. Particularly, the SEC tournament was littered with NBA executive personnel because of how loaded the conference was this season.

Quite a few players really helped themselves. After Cooper Flagg turned his ankle in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, Duke wing Kon Knueppel stepped up and won tournament MVP honors. Colorado State wing Nique Clifford has put together as strong a two-month stretch as any player in the country, averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists since January. He won the Mountain West Conference tournament MVP while leading the Rams to an NCAA Tournament bid. Even UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who couldn’t power his team to the dance, impressed with massive performances in the American Athletic Conference tournament.

The NCAA Tournament can be an important scouting ground for prospects, and it has more potential to help you than to hurt you. If you’re the best player on a good team and you play poorly, your team probably gets eliminated, and thus, it’s only a one-game sample. But if you perform well? On the biggest stage? While leading your team to the Final Four? That’s your final impression, and it’s sometimes about 15 percent of your season. The tournament can really work to boost players’ standings in the minds of executives.

In general, this draft class remains extremely exciting at the top, thanks to the presence of Flagg and Rutgers guard Dylan Harper. After that, there are significant question marks, but the emergence of a few players has at least helped potentially pad the depth. The key word in that sentence, though, is potentially, as sources across the college basketball and NBA scouting ecosystem have noted the impact of both revenue sharing and name, image and likeness rights in regard to players staying in school longer. Price tags are expected to hit previously unfathomable heights this year for elite transfers and returnees, with multiple sources saying there will be a $2 million-plus price tag for some of the best players on the market.

In terms of positions, the center group in the middle-to-latter portion of the first round and into the second round is seen as a potential source of strength. There are several fun, young guards who possess real upside. Additionally, this class has a bevy of potentially serious shooting if development plays out well over the next few years. And of course, the race to Capture the Flagg has been as wild as ever across the NBA; check out some of the nightly box scores if you want to peruse how many teams are holding talented players out of lineups to force their record to bottom out.

A few quick notes on the structure and format of this mock draft:

• Order is based on team record as of March 18. Heights listed are according to schools/teams.
• Team needs are slightly taken into account but not dramatically so.
• Player ages are as of the first day of the 2025 draft (June 25).
• Because of the money-making potential of many of the players in this class if they stay in college, I’ve tried to project that out a bit. For instance, J.T. Toppin won Big 12 Player of the Year this year at Texas Tech and is likely to make in excess of $1 million in college basketball next season. However, I haven’t gotten the impression that teams currently have a grade on him that is commensurate with anywhere near that salary in the NBA, so Toppin remains outside of this mock. The same can be said for Purdue’s Braden Smith (who would likely be in the top 45) and other players here. If it’s a borderline projection, I erred on the side of leaving the player in the eligible pool. However, as you’ll see below, essentially any player who has remaining eligibility and is outside of the top 43 was not included. That tends to be around the line where we start getting into two-way contracts and draft-and-stash players. And this year, those players will make more money from the collegiate system than from a two-way contract.

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1. Utah Jazz

Cooper Flagg | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Duke

Flagg emerged during ACC play as a dominant two-way force beyond even the lofty expectations that were laid at his feet entering this season.

From New Year’s Eve onward over 19 games, Flagg averaged 21.4 points, seven rebounds, five assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks and shot 54.2 percent from the field, 45.7 percent from 3 and 87.4 percent from the line. Whereas Zion Williamson was a dominant wrecking ball for whom college players had no answer, Flagg is more methodical and well-rounded in his dominance. He gets to his spots with ease. He’s an elite transition player as well as a versatile half-court force who can play on or off the ball and attack mismatches both big and small. Coming into the year, the jumper was a question. It no longer is after he shot 37 percent from 3 and 83 percent from the line as an 18-year-old. He can get to pull-ups from all three levels and finishes at the rim with serious bounce and polish. Defensively, he’s a tremendous playmaker and flies around all over the place in help. More than anything, what stands out is his elite level of competitiveness. There is not a second in which he’s on the court that he’s not playing hard or totally locked into what he’s doing.

Now, all eyes turn to his ankle, which he injured in the ACC tournament against Georgia Tech. The expectation is that he’ll be ready to play this weekend, including in a potentially mouth-watering NBA prospect matchup between him and V.J. Edgecombe in the second round if Baylor can get past Mississippi State. Hopefully the week off has Flagg ready to play, because Duke has been the best team in the country for about two months. It would be a shame if his ankle injury causes the Blue Devils to not reach their potential.

2. Washington Wizards

Dylan Harper | 6-6 guard | 19 years old | Rutgers

Harper’s team did not make the NCAA Tournament field, but that was not his doing. He was dominant this year, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and four assists per game. He shot 48 percent from the field and consistently created paint touches and looks at the rim. His ability to get downhill is remarkably impressive within this class. Defensively, he competes and is tough at the point of attack at 6-6. The pull-up jumper really remains the one question mark, as it was not wildly efficient this season. However, Harper is an elite player, and most NBA executives see him as the clear No. 2 pick in the class.

3. Charlotte Hornets

V.J. Edgecombe | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Baylor

Edgecombe has had a bit of a roller-coaster year at Baylor. He started shooting it a bit poorly from distance, then went through a massive hot stretch in the middle of the season. From Jan. 11 to Feb. 10, he averaged 19 points while shooting 51 percent from the field, 49 percent from 3 and 87 percent from the line. In his final nine games, he averaged 15 points and shot just 38 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3. In total, he averaged 15 points, six rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

NBA executives are mixed on Edgecombe’s on-ball upside. Some will compare him to Victor Oladipo, whereas others see him more as a terrific 3-and-D player with some transition force with his nuclear levels of explosive athleticism. However, part of the reason he ends up at No. 3 here is that it seems like teams feel a degree of safety with Edgecombe. Because he plays really hard and defends, the intel is quite positive; it’s hard to see how exactly he fails totally, and he maintains a degree of upside long-term if the ball skills continue to improve. In Charlotte, he would be a tremendous fit next to LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The team needs an influx of defensive ability on the perimeter, and he could help in that respect while working through the rest of his offensive game.

Baylor plays Mississippi State in its NCAA Tournament opener, which should be a fun matchup if the Bulldogs employ Cameron Matthews — their long, athletic defensive stopper — on Edgecombe. Matthews has a similar degree of length and athleticism that Edgecombe will face in the NBA at 6-7 with a powerful 230-pound frame.

4. New Orleans Pelicans

Ace Bailey | 6-10 wing/forward | 18 years old | Rutgers

Bailey will not play in March Madness, and his season was very up-and-down. The scoring was there early, as he averaged 20 points and eight rebounds over his first 12 games, shooting 49 percent from the field, 35 percent from 3 but only 57 percent from the line. However, the rest of his game didn’t really show up until midseason. In his eight games from Jan. 9 until Feb. 5, he averaged 22 points, shooting 48 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3, 87 percent from the line, while averaging 1.5 assists, one steal and nearly two blocks. But then the final stretch came, and it was quite poor. From Feb. 9 onward, Bailey averaged just 12 points, shot poorly from the field and didn’t make nearly the defensive impact.

So who is the real Bailey? That’s what scouts want to know and will work to find out over the next three months. Everyone buys into his shot-making and ability to get to his pull-up. However, there are serious questions about his defensive IQ, passing and decision-making, as well as his ability to create consistent paint touches to get easy shots. At 6-10 with real vertical pop and length, Bailey will be given the benefit of the doubt by teams. You will hear a lot of excuses for Bailey when you talk to teams about why it didn’t totally work out this year despite the terrific counting numbers. He’s likely to go in the top five, but there is a bit of polarization about him. Some see real star upside, while some see a good, Michael Porter Jr.-like role player, and yet others worry significantly about his decision-making. The pre-draft process will be incredibly important.

5. Brooklyn Nets

Kasparas Jakučionis | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Illinois

Jakučionis has also had a roller-coaster season, starting incredibly hot and looking like a challenger for a top-three selection before he entered Big Ten play and teams started to play his ball screens a bit more aggressively. He averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, but he also gave up the ball 3.6 times per game, and the turnovers tended to compound in-game. He had seven turnovers in games against Wisconsin, Tennessee and Maryland. In his most recent two games against Iowa and Maryland, he had six. And yet, he also has serious passing ability. He can find passes from any angle and is extremely creative with the ball in his hands. He can also play off the ball because he shoots it well. He’s comfortable in both pull-up and catch-and-shoot situations.

If there’s one player whom scouts want to see more, Jakučionis might be the guy. Teams are fascinated to see what he looks like in non-league games, in a big spot in the tournament against high-level competition. The Texas and Xavier matchups potentially in the Round of 64 won’t necessarily bring high-level athletes teams want to see him play against, but they could give him a chance to really get going. His range is a bit wider than this right now. I would say it’s anywhere from No. 5 to No. 10.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (top-six protected, otherwise to OKC)

Kon Knueppel | 6-7 guard | 19 years old | Duke

Knueppel was one of the players who helped himself most in the conference tournament cycle, leading Duke without Flagg. In the team’s three ACC tournament games, he averaged 21 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He showed executives he can be both a strong off-ball scorer and a potentially interesting on-ball player who can dribble, pass and shoot. He’s a terrific shooter, having hit 39 percent from 3 on nearly six 3-point attempts per game.

12 pts for K2 at the break (4-5 FG) pic.twitter.com/7jg7ofWzVX

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 15, 2025

Defensively, Knueppel plays hard and is highly competitive. He’s a pretty good collegiate defender. However, there are some real issues with his foot speed that will become exacerbated as he moves up to the NBA, and teams are intrigued to see how he’ll defend perimeter players effectively in the increased space. But his ability to play both on and off the ball is extremely interesting, and he’d fit well in Philadelphia with Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Quentin Grimes.

7. Toronto Raptors

Tre Johnson | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Texas

Johnson is a bit more polarizing (a word you’ll see a lot in this mock draft) for scouts than you’d think. On one hand, he averaged 19.8 points in a loaded SEC. On the other hand, he shot just 42.7 percent from the field as he really struggled to separate going forward to the rim. That also is an issue given that Johnson does not create easy shots for himself. He’s a big-time contested shot-maker, and he’s arguably the best pull-up shooter in the class. And yet, he also doesn’t really defend at a high level, and while his passing has improved throughout the year, it would be wrong to say he’s a primary playmaker.

Still, the Raptors could continue to use shooting wings around Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram to help space out the midrange area that will be so vital for them as they build their roster. Johnson will likely go somewhere in the top 10 even with those polarized thoughts though, and that’s because there are evaluators who truly believe there are some star upside outcomes for him.

8. San Antonio Spurs

Collin Murray-Boyles | 6-8 wing/forward | 20 years old | South Carolina

Murray-Boyles is also a bit polarizing for teams. On one hand, he’s a big-bodied wing/forward who has incredibly long arms and terrific defensive instincts. You can’t blame him for a second of South Carolina’s struggles this season. He was consistently engaged in the action despite guard play that was pretty rough, and he carried the load for the team offensively. He averaged nearly 17 points and eight rebounds and is a tremendous passer for a big wing. I completely buy Murray-Boyles’ feel for the game and his skill set as a multi-positional defender and a short-roll playmaker.

But Murray-Boyles has not made shots in his career. He had a free-throw percentage over 70 percent this year but made only 26.5 percent of his 3s. The jumper is the question. If that part of his game ends up translating — and there’s nothing all that broken with the shot — you’re looking at a longtime starter who will be able to impact the game at a high level without having the ball in his hands. If it doesn’t, he probably ends up as more of a rotational defensive wing. For the Spurs, this is an awesome fit with Victor Wembanyama, as Murray-Boyles is big and long enough to take some interior defensive assignments from Wembanyama while also letting them play the big French defender as a roaming helper. His stock is all over the map, with some scouts seeing him as high as a top-six player in the class and others seeing him as more of a top-20 guy.

9. Chicago Bulls

Derik Queen | 6-10 big | 19 years old |Maryland

10. Miami Heat

Jase Richardson | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Michigan State

Richardson is one of the true breakout risers of this draft class, a player who rarely played on-ball in high school who has flourished this season getting more of those reps for Michigan State. Few players navigate tight spaces quite like Richardson, as he has a Jalen Brunson-like ability to find creases in the defense with his pristine footwork. He averaged 12 points per game this year while shooting 51 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3 and 84 percent from the line. However, it’s his play in the last stretch of the season that has made believers out of most evaluators across the NBA. In his last 11 games, Richardson is averaging 17.3 points and shooting 50 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3 and 82 percent from the line while getting there five times per game. He’s also getting five rebounds and dishing out 1.7 assists while posting a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. He’s made a believer out of even Tom Izzo, who typically avoids playing freshmen.

So what are the concerns? Richardson is smaller, with scouts wondering if he cracks 6-2 without shoes. He’s also not wildly explosive, which is a funny statement to say about the son of dunk contest legend Jason Richardson. Defensively, he’s tough and competes in college, but will he be fast enough to hold up in the NBA? All eyes will be on Jase Richardson in the NCAA Tournament. If he leads Michigan State on a deep run, his stock has a chance to skyrocket.

11. Portland Trail Blazers

Liam McNeeley | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Connecticut

McNeeley is yet another polarizing prospect. He averaged 14.5 points this year as a freshman and only shot 33.3 percent from 3 as a player renowned for his floor-spacing. McNeeley was also tasked with a role this season that he was capable of playing but not exactly ready for. He often got asked to play as almost a point wing for the Huskies, who just did not have strong enough guard play this season. A big part of it was that he isn’t a particularly good pull-up shooter and had to take several of those. Off the catch, McNeeley hit 38 percent from 3 this year, per Synergy, and has pristine mechanics that will translate at a very high level toward knocking down shots off movement. McNeeley is also very competitive on defense, although there are worries there, too, as he’s a bit slow-footed. The Blazers could use a true floor-spacer, especially if they end up moving Anfernee Simons this summer as he enters the last season of his contract in 2025-26.

12. Houston Rockets (via PHX)

Thomas Sorber | 6-10 big | 19 years old | Georgetown

Sorber has a foot injury that required surgery in recent weeks and is expected to miss a substantial portion of the pre-draft process. And yet there are evaluators who are seriously excited about his prospects this year and think he should come out. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a freshman big man, shooting 53 percent from the field. He’s extremely versatile. He’s good on defense and consistently in the right places. He’s very disruptive with his hands, averaging two blocks and 1.5 steals per game. His passing from the top of the key was electric for Georgetown this season, as the Hoyas often used him to find cutters toward the rim from out high. But Sorber will be a bit undersized for the center position, and scouts have noted that while he’s done a great job working on his frame after being a bit heavier earlier in his high school career, he still doesn’t quite have great athleticism to account for it. The skill set is real though. Sorber will likely at least test his draft stock this year. I haven’t talked to anyone recently who has him outside of the first round from the NBA team side, and the teens seems to be the popular landing spot. The Rockets would be a fascinating fit, as he’d allow the team to have a good defender behind Alperen Şengün who also can do similar things as a passer even if it’s not quite to the same level as the Turkish All-Star.

13. Dallas Mavericks

Jeremiah Fears | 6-4 guard | 18 years old | Oklahoma

Yet again, we’re going to use the word polarizing. Fears is about as all over the map as you get as an NBA prospect. Some scouts love his blend of speed and ballhandling ability. He’s undeniably electric with the ball in his hands and averaged 17 points as a reclassified-up freshman at just 18 years old for Oklahoma in the rough-and-tumble SEC. The track record of point guards reclassifying up resembles more of a graveyard than even an average story, so this level of production is remarkably impressive. But he was also inefficient this year, posting a 50.8 true shooting percentage in conference play with a turnover rate that neared 20 percent. Defensively, the less we talk about Fears, the better. He’s a mess off the ball and was regularly attacked by opposing teams. And yet the skill and talent is real. There are scouts who see him as an end-of-the-first-round gamble. There are others who see him as a clear lottery pick who could end up in the top half. His pre-draft process will be fascinating to track as it could lead to a real rise, or he might end up going a bit lower than this.

14. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC)

Khaman Maluach | 7-2 big | 19 years old | Duke

I hate to keep using the same word, but this is another polarizing player for evaluators. Some see Maluach, who has just recently started playing basketball and is still learning the intricacies of the game, as a high-upside swing at center with his length, defensive capabilities and movement skills. Others see a big man with questionable hands, a limited skill set that likely will resign him toward being a low-usage big and a lack of real vertical pop that could hinder him in ball-screen actions as a roller. Everyone at least sees Maluach as sticking in the NBA as at least a backup center because players this big who can move like he can just don’t wash out of the league, especially when the league itself has a dearth of backup bigs. But others see real upside for him as a league-average starter with potential for more if his jumper comes around. Seeing how he plays in the NCAA Tournament will be fascinating given that teams will game plan for him more substantially and backup center Maliq Brown, who has been more valuable than Maluach this year, is injured.

15. Orlando Magic

Nique Clifford | 6-6 wing | 23 years old | Colorado State

Arguably the biggest winner of conference tournament week, Clifford has been utterly dominant in leading Colorado State to a 15-2 mark over its last 17 games while averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in that time. He’s a sharp defender who made the Mountain West All-Defense team. Clifford passes the ball incredibly well, seeing the court at a high level. His jump shot is the main worry, as he’s been streaky over the last two years. He’ll have 10-game stretches up over 45 percent followed by 10-game stretches below 30 percent. Can he consistently make shots? This year, he also showed some dexterity with the ball and as a pull-up shooter, although I’m a bit skeptical those skills totally translate to the NBA as his footwork isn’t quite what like Jalen Williams’ was as an older prospect entering the NBA. Still, somewhere in the top 20 feels right for Clifford right now, and if he leads a hot Colorado State team on a run, the lottery doesn’t feel impossible.

16. San Antonio (via ATL)

Nolan Traoré | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Saint-Quentin

Traore has had an up-and-down season in France. Some games, he looks like a clear lottery pick. Other games, he has really struggled. Evaluators in France have generally been highly impressed with his game, though, as he’s a teenager running a French league team and experiencing some success. He’s averaging about 12 points and five assists, and while he hasn’t been overly efficient on the whole of the season, he’s started to figure it out over the last month or so. The big question you’ll get asked from teams is simply how Traoré goes about scoring efficiently at the NBA level. He’s a bit small in terms of finishing at the rim. He doesn’t have a particularly developed in-between game yet. And his jumper is still wildly inconsistent from 3, as he’s made just 28 percent of those attempts. But there’s a lot to develop here, and the intel is positive.

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET)

Asa Newell | 6-9 forward/big | 19 years old | Georgia

The Timberwolves are in a funky spot but could use a big somewhat similar to Newell. With Naz Reid entering unrestricted free agency this summer and Julius Randle having only one season left on his deal, getting another guy in like Newell who has some latent dribbling and shooting ability as well as serious defensive impact potential would be valuable. He’s somewhere in the 6-9 to 6-10 range and has been wildly productive this year. He’s averaging 15.3 points and seven rebounds while playing consistently hard every single night. His motor has been terrific this season, and he shows possessions of real switchability on the perimeter defensively. He rotates across the play and blocks shots well, too. There’s just a lot to work with and develop, although scouts do wonder if he’s a bit of a tweener positionally. Is he going to be able to develop enough skill to play power forward? Or will he be strong enough to play center? It’s a real question, because right now he’s not quite either at the NBA level.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)

Noa Essengue | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm

Oklahoma City tends to have a model that it looks for in its players. They tend to have real positional size or strength, feel for the game, and the ability to dribble, pass and shoot. Essengue isn’t quite there yet in all of these respects, but he has potential to be that kind of player if it all goes right in his development over the next few years. Essengue is in his first professional season, averaging nearly 11 points and five rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field. He’s only made 22 percent of his 3s and has some substantial work to do on the jumper — particularly with his extremely narrow base — but he’s very comfortable and confident taking them. More than that, though, he looks quite long and has real athleticism to match. He needs to keep getting stronger and become more accountable with his overall team defense. In general, this is very much a project player. But the upside if he hits is quite high, and Oklahoma City has a strong developmental track record.

19. Indiana Pacers

Joan Beringer | 6-10 center | 18 years old | Cedevita

Beringer is the big riser of the last three months on the international scene. He’s a wildly athletic center who is new to the game and has surprisingly carved out a serious role for Eurocup team Cedevita. He’s as loose athletically as you’ll find a center, with real flexibility and explosiveness at 6-10. He also has extremely long arms and showcases an immense amount of defensive upside that could become versatile in the right situation. More than anything, though, what scouts rave about are his hands. He catches everything in and outside of his area, showing serious potential to be a rim-runner as a low-usage screen-and-roll center. But he isn’t all that massive for the role, which those rim-runner centers typically are. Additionally, he’s got some work to do with the intricacies of the game. I tend to get feedback for him more in the 20s and early 30s, but Indiana is a perfect fit for him as a transition-based team that has a desperate need at backup center (and potentially a long-term need at starting center if Myles Turner departs in free agency).

20. Brooklyn Nets (via MIL)

Ben Saraf | 6-6 guard | 19 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm

Like his Ulm teammate Essengue, Saraf is polarizing as an NBA prospect. He’s averaging 12 points, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 rebounds as a first-year starting point guard in Germany. He’s shooting 46 percent from the field and showcases serious finishing game as well as a high-level in-between game. His passing vision is also lethal, as he’ll throw left-handed live-dribble looks all across the court with wild velocity and creativity. What are the worries, though? There are several. He turns the ball over fairly often because he doesn’t really have much of a right hand at this stage. Defensively, his coaches clearly don’t trust him and play offense/defense for his possessions in important moments. As a shooter, Saraf has a funky release and has only made 27 percent from distance, although it is worth noting that he’s at a much more reasonable clip off the catch. If you buy into his deceleration superpower on his drives and gathers as well as his passing, you probably have Saraf as a lottery pick. If you don’t and you worry he’ll never shoot, you probably have him in the 20s. I’ve split the difference here.

21. Utah Jazz (via MIN)

Egor Demin | 6-9 guard | 19 years old | BYU

This is probably the last time I’ll use this word, but it’s apropos. There is truly not a more polarizing prospect in this class than Demin, a 6-9 lead guard who is inarguably the best passer in this class but whose flaws are incredibly obvious. The main flaw for Demin is that he doesn’t have an effective way to score right now. Because his handle is a bit high and he’s not a wild athlete, he struggles to get separation from his man consistently. That has led to turnovers and inefficient scoring. Additionally, he struggles to shoot the ball. He did some work on his mechanics in the offseason, but throughout the year, his shot has seemingly reverted back to the older jumper when he was playing with Real Madrid in his youth career, and he’s made just 27 percent from distance.

He’s averaging 10 points and five assists but has really struggled getting to the line or putting the ball in the bucket. He looks like a player who would be helped by returning to college for another year. However, some scouts still genuinely adore his game because of his vision and playmaking. If he goes in the lottery, it won’t stun me, because the people who really buy the upside tend to really buy into it. I’m lower on him here because it feels like a more accurate reflection of his game so far this year. But if Demin is in this draft, he has as wide a range as I can remember. It would help him significantly to have a couple of monster NCAA Tournament games.

22. Miami Heat (via GSW)

Rasheer Fleming | 6-9 forward | 20 years old | Saint Joseph’s

Fleming is a mid-major player who has finally actualized his tools. At 6-9 or so with a wingspan in the 7-4 range, he looks massive on the court and has the athleticism to match it. He’s an explosive leaper and mover. He averaged 15 points, nine rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks, showcasing his ability to turn those traits into production in the Atlantic 10. Fleming is a junior, but he’ll be 20 on draft night and is young for his class. There are some general feel-for-the-game questions, and I see him more as a four or a small-ball five than I do as a wing. But he’s also hitting 40 percent of his five 3-point attempts per game this year, so you will find the odd scout who thinks he could eventually slide down to the four/three role and being a floor-spacer who defends.

23. Atlanta Hawks (via LAL)

Carter Bryant | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Arizona

Bryant has come off the bench all season for Arizona but has been a massively important player for the Wildcats. They don’t win nearly as many games or earn a No. 4 seed if he doesn’t come in and play hard defensively while providing a modicum of shooting. The stats don’t look it, as he’s averaging just 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds, shooting 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3. However, the Wildcats are drastically better with him on the court than off it, and he’s been seriously disruptive as a player on defense averaging one steal and one block per game in just 19 minutes. He looks like the exact kind of big wing NBA teams are constantly searching for. Yes, it would probably behoove him to return to school. However, scouts are excited by his tools and are intrigued to see if he can be a serious defensive playmaker as a 3-and-D style weapon.

24. Orlando Magic (via DEN)

Labaron Philon | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Alabama

Philon has been up-and-down throughout the season, just like many players listed here. He’s averaging 11 points, three rebounds and nearly four assists while shooting 46 percent from the field, 30 percent from 3 and 76 percent from the line. But on an Alabama team that is loaded with depth and talent, it’s more of a game-by-game thing for Philon. On some nights, he looks like a lottery player. On other nights, he looks like a clear multi-year player. There’s no better example of that than the SEC tournament. Philon dominated Kentucky and had 21 points, four assists and only one turnover, but in the semifinals, he went 1-of-9 from the field and had just three points. That game was a shame, because Philon had really been playing well over his previous nine games, averaging 14 points while shooting 53 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3. In general, Philon would probably be better off returning to Alabama to develop his game further once Mark Sears graduates and he gets to run the show himself. But if he were to enter the draft, the NBA is very interested in his game because of his shiftiness and ability to control speeds.

25. Washington Wizards (via MEM)

Hugo González | 6-6 wing/forward | 19 years old | Real Madrid

González hasn’t gotten a chance to play a ton this year for Real Madrid, although that has started to change recently. Since late January, he’s had several games getting double-digit minutes, but the role is not very big on a team with a significant number of high-level professionals. The area where teams have no questions with González is on defense. He’s an excellent, high-motor player with real athleticism. He gets a ton of deflections and flies around on that end, making a serious impact with his energy and aggression. The big question is what he does offensively in the NBA. The jumper doesn’t look broken, but it’s clearly going to take some time to develop as he’s shooting just 27 percent from the 3-point line. I also don’t always love his decision-making, as he often feels a bit sped up on the court like things are moving quite fast. Teams that value defensive wings will like González, though, and bet on his competitive character and willingness to work.

26. Brooklyn Nets (via HOU)

Noah Penda | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | Le Mans

Penda is all over the map for teams. Some think of him in this range as a late first-rounder. Others see him more as a second-round stash. On the plus side, he’s a massive human being at 6-8 with a ton of strength at around 240 pounds. He makes an impact as a player in the French league across the court, averaging 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and over one steal and one block per game. The jumper has improved this year, but he’s still in the 31 percent range. Defensively, he’s active and hunts big plays but can be a gambler. Still, his feel for the game is pretty real, and he absorbs contact at a high level on the court with his strength. Unsurprisingly given this great generation of French players, it’s been common for evaluators to try to compare them. One French league general manager I spoke with compared Penda and Essengue by saying the likeliest outcome for Penda is probably a bit higher than it is for Essengue, but Essengue’s ceiling is so much higher that you probably have to draft him a bit earlier. The question is just whether either of their median outcomes are quite NBA players or if they need to exceed that level within their future development.

27. Brooklyn Nets (via NYK)

Miles Byrd | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | San Diego State

Byrd is as active a defender as you’ll find in college basketball, a 6-6 wing with incredible hand-eye coordination. He averages 2.2 steals per game and gets several more deflections than that. On offense, Byrd is also a really sharp passer with strong feel for the game and has clear potential as a shooter. The ball seems to come out of his hand well, and he’s a very willing shooter. He attempts nearly six 3s per game; the issue is just that he only makes 31 percent of them. It is worth noting that many of these shots are contested, as San Diego State’s offense isn’t exactly a beautiful picture of drive-and-kick play. Byrd is also quite skinny right now and will take some real physical development before getting to play NBA minutes consistently. That lower-body strength addition might also help his jumper mechanics become just a bit more consistent. But as a 3-and-D bet, analytically inclined organizations are very interested in Byrd given his high steal rates, willingness to shoot 3s and high free-throw percentage at 83 percent for his career.

28. Boston Celtics

Yaxel Lendeborg | 6-9 forward | 22 years old | UAB

Lendeborg helped himself as much as anyone in the conference tournament cycle, putting up multiple dominant performances in the AAC. His game against East Carolina in the quarterfinals, when he had 30 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and four blocks with zero turnovers, was about as good as I’ve seen anyone play in a game this season. Lendeborg has a very well-rounded game that has potential to translate well to the league. He averages nearly two blocks and two steals per game, and while those numbers won’t be that high in the NBA, they do show that he’s very active with his hands on defense (even if his foot speed gives some scouts pause on the perimeter). He rebounds the ball incredibly well, averaging 11 per game. He has terrific touch and hits 34 percent of his two 3-point attempts per game, and has real ball skill as a driver. His passing vision is also terrific, as he averages 4.2 assists per game.

In last 20 years, only one DI player has had, over the course of his entire career (same game or not),

a game w/ 30+ pts
a game w/ 20+ reb
a game w/ 8+ ast
a game w/ 9+ stocks (stl+blk)
a game w/ 40+ minutes & 0 TO

That one player is Yaxel Lendeborg. He did it all in one night. pic.twitter.com/Xr0504aE9P

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 15, 2025

Lendeborg is a former junior college player, meaning that, despite being a senior, he still has eligibility left in college. Expect programs to come chasing him, as he’d be one of the premier options in the transfer portal given his dominance in the college game.

29. LA Clippers (via OKC)

Ryan Kalkbrenner | 7-1 big | 23 years old | Creighton

Kalkbrenner has high-level NBA backup center written all over him. He’s 7-1 with a 7-4 wingspan, and he’s elite in drop-coverage defense against ball screens. He’s great with his lines and consistently has the right angles to slow down ballhandlers while also being in touching distance of the guard. He controls gaps incredibly well in help defense and has been one of the best defenders in the country over the last four years. This year, he’s also averaging 19 points on 65 percent from the field despite taking nearly two 3-point attempts per game and hitting them at a 33 percent clip. He even showcased a wild moment in the team’s Big East semifinal against Connecticut when he attacked a closeout and one-dribble gathered into a right-handed layup from the left wing. There’s a lot to buy into given the NBA’s need for depth at center. Kalkbrenner has real size, potential to shoot and understands how to help his team on defense.

30. Phoenix Suns (via CLE)

Danny Wolf | 7-0 center | 21 years old | Michigan

Why not close it out with another tremendously polarizing player in Wolf ?(Yes, there’s that word again. I lied.) There is no more capable big with the ball in his hands than Wolf, a ridiculously gifted playmaker at 7 feet who runs actions as a pick-and-roll ballhandler for Michigan. He’s averaging 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, and I think the four assists undersell his passing ability. He throws some incredibly creative looks. The scouts who love bigs who handle the ball are all over Wolf as an intriguing upside swing. And yet, it’s far from unanimous because the flaws are significant. Wolf’s jumper is a serious work in progress right now despite the fact that he hit 34 percent from 3 on four attempts per game. The mechanics are messy and could be more problematic as he moves farther back beyond the NBA 3-point line. His turnover issue is serious, as he’s averaging 3.3 per game. But most importantly, scouts are completely unclear on whom Wolf guards. He’s not a particularly explosive leaper despite having real athleticism and coordination, so he’s unlikely to be a high-level rim protector. However, he also doesn’t really move well enough to guard on the perimeter. Answering those questions will be critical to his NBA future. Anywhere from No. 20 to all the way down to No. 40 feels right at this point.

Second round

31. Minnesota Timberwolves (via UTA): Alex Karaban | 6-8 wing | Connecticut

32. Boston Celtics (via Washington): Johni Broome | 6-10 big | Auburn

33. Charlotte Hornets: JoJo Tugler | 6-8 forward | Houston

34. Charlotte Hornets (via New Orleans): Kam Jones | 6-5 wing | Marquette

35. Brooklyn Nets: Sergio De Larrea | 6-5 guard | Valencia

36. Philadelphia 76ers: Milos Uzan | 6-4 guard | Houston

37. Detroit Pistons (via Toronto): Alex Condon | 6-11 center | Florida

38. Sacramento Kings (via Chicago): Tyrese Proctor | 6-6 guard | Duke

39. San Antonio Spurs: Will Riley | 6-7 wing | Illinois

40. Toronto Raptors (via Portland): Adou Thiero | 6-8 wing | Arkansas

41. Golden State Warriors (via Miami): Walter Clayton Jr. | 6-2 guard | Florida

42. Washington Wizards (via Phoenix): Alex Toohey | 6-7 wing/forward | Sydney Kings

43. Orlando Magic: Boogie Fland | 6-2 guard | Arkansas

44. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Atlanta): Maxime Raynaud | 7-1 big | Stanford

45. Utah Jazz (via DAL): Bogoljub Markovic | 6-11 forward | Mega

46. Chicago Bulls (via Sacramento): Max Shulga | 6-5 wing | VCU

47. Washington Wizards (via Detroit): Cedric Coward | 6-7 wing | Washington State

48. Utah Jazz (via LA Clippers): Chaz Lanier | 6-5 wing | Tennessee

49. Indiana Pacers: Rocco Zikarsky | 7-3 big | Brisbane Bullets

50. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Milwaukee): Micah Peavy | 6-7 wing | Georgetown

51. LA Clippers (via Minnesota): Johann Grunloh | 6-10 big | Rasta Vechta

52. Washington Wizards (via Golden State): Jamir Watkins | 6-7 wing | Florida State

53. Los Angeles Lakers: Dink Pate | 6-7 guard | Mexico City Capitanes

54. Memphis Grizzlies (via Houston): Ben Henshall | 6-5 guard | Perth Wildcats

55. New York Knicks (via Memphis): Hunter Sallis | 6-5 guard | Wake Forest

56. Phoenix Suns (via Denver): Vladislav Goldin | 7-0 center | Michigan

57. Orlando Magic (via Boston): Michael Ruzic | 6-9 forward | Joventut

58. Houston Rockets (via Oklahoma City): Sion James | 6-5 guard | Duke

59. Cleveland Cavaliers: John Tonje | 6-5 wing | Wisconsin

(Note: The New York Knicks have forfeited their 2025 second-round pick because of free-agency shenanigans.)

(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; top photos: Zach Bolinger, Aaron J. Thornton, Lance King / Getty Images)