NBA Mock Draft Consensus 1.0: The first lottery pick forecasts
By Joe Lago
With the NBA taking its All-Star break, it's the perfect time to take the first in-depth look at the top prospects of the 2025 NBA Draft.
By now, basketball fans are well aware of the hype around Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9 forward leads the Blue Devils in scoring (19.8 points per game), rebounding (7.5), assists (4.0), steals (1.6) and blocks (1.2), and he's shooting 81.6% on free throws and 37.8% on 3-pointers (37 of 98). He has been as good as advertised, although he's had some untimely slips in big moments this season.
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Flagg is the only player the mock draft community can agree on. All of the latest first-round forecasts have him going No. 1 overall, which has been the case for most mock drafts this season.
The Maine native is so coveted that several teams are intentionally foundering for Flagg. The Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors are all angling to win his services at the May 12 draft lottery.
For the Flagg sweepstakes losers, the most common consolation prizes are Rutgers' two talented frosh, guard Dylan Harper and guard/forward Ace Bailey. Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe rounds out the consensus for the first four selections.
After that, forecasts for some of the remaining lottery choices are unclear. Picks 12 through 14 have no popular projections.
Here's what the first canvassing of NBA mock drafts produced with the league set to begin the season's second half and college basketball just two weeks away from its conference tournaments.
1. Washington Wizards
Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke. Some scouts believe he can "develop into one of the NBA's most impactful players," according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
2. New Orleans Pelicans
Dylan Harper, guard, Rutgers. The momentum of the 6-6 Harper going No. 1 overall has slowed with a recent injury and the Scarlet Knights' struggles, but the NBA comp ("a young James Harden") remains promising.
3. Utah Jazz
Ace Bailey, guard/forward, Rutgers. Arguably the biggest enigma of the draft, the 6-10 Bailey has been called "highly polarizing for scouts" but also "one of the better shot-makers" to come around at his age (18).
4. Charlotte Hornets
VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor. The explosive shooting guard can impact both ends of the court and has cemented his spot as the fourth-best prospect.
5. Toronto Raptors
No consensus.
6. Philadelphia 76ers
Tre Johnson, guard, Texas. The Sixers are a very slight consensus for the 6-6 freshman, who is being projected up and down the lottery.
7. Brooklyn Nets
Kasparas Jakucionis, guard, Illinois. A consensus top-five prospect for most of the season, the 6-6 Lithuanian has struggled of late along with the Illini, but scouts love his toughness and play-making.
8. Chicago Bulls
Khaman Maluach, center, Duke. The 7-2 Maluach would immediately provide what the Bulls sorely lack — rim protection.
9. Portland Trail Blazers
Egor Demin, guard, BYU. The 18-year-old Russian is 6-9 and considered the best passer in the draft, but he'd definitely be a pick for the future, not the present.
10. San Antonio Spurs
Kon Knueppel, guard/forward, Duke. The 6-7 Knueppel is the five-star freshman who plays in the shadow of Flagg and possesses the 3-point shooting the Spurs need.
11. Miami Heat
Nolan Traore, guard, Saint Quentin (France). The 6-3 point guard has seen his draft stock skyrocket into the lottery with Miami being the most common landing spot in the latest mock drafts.
12. Houston Rockets (via Phoenix Suns)
No consensus.
13. Atlanta Hawks (via Sacramento Kings)
No consensus.
14. Miami Heat (via Golden State Warriors)
No consensus.
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