2025 NBA Mock Draft – Extended Edition – 12/16/24

2025 NBA Mock Draft – Extended Edition – 12/16/24

December 16, 2024

13–20 minutes

Draft order and lottery courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com.

Pick	Team	Player	2024-2025 Stats	Commentary
1	Portland Trail Blazers (8-18)	PF Cooper Flagg, Fr, Duke – 6’9, 205 lbs	15.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.4 bpg	Portland has held the first overall pick four times in its history. All four times they took centers. It worked out once (Bill Walton) and was an abject failure another time (Greg Oden over Kevin Durant). This time around, the Trail Blazers go with a combo forward to compliment their many scoring guards with Cooper Flagg. Flagg has not set the world on fire for Duke thus far, at least offensively. He has struggled with his jump shot, but I am not overly worried. He does not turn 18 until December 21, making him one of the youngest players in college basketball. Freshmen often struggle with their jump shots early on. Flagg does so much well, whether it is slashing to the basket, rebounding, handling the ball or playing defense, that he should be an All Star even if he does not develop into a 25 point per game scorer. Dylan Harper has closed the gap, but I still rank Flagg as my top overall prospect.
2	New Orleans Pelicans (5-22)	SG Dylan Harper, Fr, Rutgers – 6’6, 216 lbs	23.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.4 apg	Dylan Harper has been fantastic early on for a mediocre Rutgers team, and has made the march to the first overall pick a real two man race. There is not a team in the NBA that is not looking for tough, strong lead guards that can create their own offense from all three levels. Harper has drawn James Harden comparisons for his ability to effect the game on offense, both as a scorer and distributor. The Pelicans keep trying to throw poo at the Zion Williamson-led wall, hoping something will stick, but it just has not worked out. A back court of Dejounte Murray and Dylan Harper could represent a nice mini-reset for the franchise.
3	Philadelphia 76ers (7-16)	SF Ace Bailey, Fr, Rutgers – 6’10, 200 lbs	17.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.1 spg	You keep waiting for the 76ers to turn a page, but if Joel Embiid and Paul George continue to miss games, it may just not happen. Not only that, but now Jared McCain, a lone bright spot, is out indefinitely. It may be just one of those lost years for a team that had some real aspirations. I still have Ace Bailey ranked third overall in this class, but that position is precarious. Bailey is a talented scorer and decent rebounder, but he has struggled to offer much more beyond putting the ball into the basket. Most worrisome is a poor free throw percentage and abysmal assist rate. He is averaging almost 34 minutes per game, but has dished out a paltry five assists in nine games. That is almost unheard of from a wing player. It may speak a bit to a lack of coaching and structure on Rutgers part, but scouts are going to want to see a more well rounded game from Bailey if they are to be convinced to spend a top five pick on him. The 76ers may want more size here, but the board is not breaking that way at this point. Bailey remains the best talent available.
4	Charlotte Hornets (7-18)	PF Asa Newell, Fr, Georgia – 6’11, 220 lbs	16.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg	If the Hornets could avoid constant injuries, they could easily reach the play in out East. Unfortunately, Mark Williams and LaMelo Ball can simply never seem so stay healthy, and there is not enough depth on this roster to make up for their continuous absences. The draft really opens up after the top three players, so I could see the Hornets going a number of directions here. I think finding a versatile big man to play alongside Williams would be a nice fit. Asa Newell is still raw as a shooter, but I think he has solid stretch four potential. He already shows ability to be a solid defender.
5	Washington Wizards (5-19)	SG Tre Johnson, Fr, Texas – 6’6, 190 lbs	19.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg	This draft really opens up after the first three picks. While I do not think this is a three player draft at all, rebuilding teams like the Wizards are going to be disappointed if they fall to four or lower. Washington is in the infancy stages of a complete rebuild, so they could go any direction here. Drafting a lights out shooter is never a bad idea. Tre Johnson has developed into a 20 point per game scorer off the bat. While he has not done much other than score, you have to love his shooting percentages. The rest of his game should come, but shooting is his calling card, and if he can keep that 20 point per game average, he should go very high come draft time.
6	Utah Jazz (5-19)	PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Fr, Illinois – 6’6, 200 lbs	16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.6 apg	The Jazz are finally playing the way Danny Ainge has hoped since he traded Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell; horribly. Other than Lauri Markkanen, Utah will be okay with bringing in competition for all of its players, including point guard Keyonte George. Kasparas Jakucionis is having a tremendous freshman season. He can shoot, run an offense, play defense and has enviable size for the point guard position. The Illini are loaded with NBA talent.
7	Toronto Raptors (7-19)	SG Egor Demin, Fr, BYU – 6’9, 190 lbs	13.3 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.6 rpg	The Raptors have talent, but not enough to compete, and will probably just go with the best player available here. Egor Demin is a unique talent. He is tall, lanky, a nice play maker and a decent scorer. My main issue with him is I am not sure what type of role he would fill on an NBA team. He may lack the ball handling to be a full time point guard, and the strength to be more of a big man. He is talented, however, and Toronto has a good coaching staff who should be able to get him to play to his strengths.
8	Detroit Pistons (10-16)	SF Will Riley, Fr, Illinois – 6’8, 180 lbs	13.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 apg	The Pistons are simply a mediocre team, which is a tremendous improvement from what they have been the past few seasons. This roster could still use a player or two that can create his own offense. Will Riley reclassified from the 2026 class, so he is extremely young, but he has held his own thus far for the Illini. You expect inconsistency, but Riley has shown that he has 20 point potential, and that is something that this Pistons roster really needs.
9	Brooklyn Nets (10-15)	PG Nolan Traore, France – 6’3, 175 lbs	10.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, 0.6 spg	Brooklyn was playing over their heads the first few weeks of the season, but now find themselves in the lottery as expected. That is probably a good thing long term, as this roster seriously lacks star power. Brooklyn could have up to four first round picks, and the roster is basically a blank slate, so best player available could be the way to go. Nolan Traore has a lot to work on offensively if he wants to avoid Killian Hayes/Frank Ntilikina comparisons as former French lottery pick point guards who struggled to shoot enough to keep defenses honest and eventually flamed out of the league. It may be unfair, but that is the way things go sometimes. If Traore can improve that jump shot, he could give Brooklyn a dynamic lead guard who can play very solid defense and facilitate an offense.
10	Chicago Bulls	C Khaman Maluach, Fr, Duke – 7’2, 250 lbs	8.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.8 bpg	There are precious few things in life that you can count on. The Chicago Bulls drafting around pick 10 is one of them. Once again, a team that refuses to commit to a winner or a rebuild is treading water. Khaman Maluach will not put up big stats or play big minutes for a Duke team led by a ton of shooters and ball handlers, but should be quite valuable to an NBA team. He has great size, can rebound and block shots, and has even shown the ability to knock down three pointers. Chicago is woefully small and a very poor defensive team. Maluach is a project to be sure, but he could help with both of those areas.
11	San Antonio Spurs (13-13)	PG Boogie Fland, Fr, Arkansas – 6’2, 175 lbs	15.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.9 spg	The Spurs front office would probably have liked to tank for another year or two, but Victor Wembanyama and the coaching staff are both too talented to let that happen. San Antonio is a playoff threat right now. The Spurs have a ton of draft picks coming up in the next few years, and will likely spend an early one on a developmental point guard. Boogie Fland has shown a nice ability to both score and set up others. He has been John Calipari’s best freshman thus far. The size may worry some, but he has starting potential.
12	Sacramento Kings (13-13)	C Derik Queen, Fr, Maryland – 6’10, 248 lbs	17.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.1 bpg	The Kings are in a tough spot. They have several players on the roster that could start for a championship team, but no real alpha to lead them to that next level. This is a team that could use a dose of size and toughness. Derik Queen has been one of the most impressive freshmen in the country. He has an old school style to him, and reminds me of Al Jefferson. He can score, rebound and play some solid defense. His size and athletic ability will be the biggest question marks, but at this point in the draft, the upside he offers you could offset the risk associated with his body type and agility.
13	Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5)	SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor – 6’5, 180 lbs	11.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.4 spg, 1.3 bpg	From LAC (14-12) With a legit MVP candidate, a ton of young talent, and quite a bit of draft capital remaining, the Thunder are the envy of the NBA. They are in position here to draft a falling talent and develop him at their own pace. VJ Edgecombe generated quite a bit of pre-season top five buzz, but it has been a tough going of things offensively thus far. While his offense may be ugly, his defense, rebounding and all around effort is NBA ready. If he can improve his efficiency on offense, he could easily shoot back up into the top five.
14	Atlanta Hawks (14-13)	SF Liam McNeeley, Connecticut – 6/7, 210 lbs	13.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.1 apg	From LAL (14-12) Atlanta has bounced back nicely from a losing season, but are still a team and roster in transition. Adding shooting is something every team looks to do, and Liam McNeeley is one of the better shooters in this class. He had his best scoring game of the year on December 14, dropping 26 points in a win against top ten ranked Gonzaga. McNeeley should have no problem developing into a solid spot up shooter in the NBA, and he has the potential to be a solid rebounder and passer as well.
15	Indiana Pacers (12-15)	SF Noa Essengue, France – 6’9, 194 lbs	17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.8 apg	The Pacers won the lottery during my last mock draft, but one week later sit at the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Thus is life in the East. Noa Essengue looks like the next freakish French athlete to work his way into the mid to late lottery. He is lanky, skilled, a solid defender and an emerging scorer.
16	San Antonio Spurs (13-13)	SF Adou Thiero, Jr, Arkansas – 6’8, 220 lbs	18.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.1 spg	From ATL (14-13) Look, an upperclassman! Even though Adou Thiero has an inconsistent three point shot, he looks like the best non-freshman or international prospect in this class. He has shown the ability to be a offensively charged Dorian Finney-Smith, thanks to his rebounding, slashing offensive ability and knack for generating steals on defense. The Spurs have quite a few young scorers on this roster, and adding a glue guy like Thiero would be a nice fit.
17	Golden State Warriors	SF Collin Murray-Boyles, So, South Carolina – 6’7, 245 lbs	15.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.2 bpg	The Warriors have a decision to make with Jonathan Kuminga, who wants to get paid like a max player even though he is not close to an All Star. Even if they resign him, front court depth may be needed. Collin Murray-Boyles is not much of a three point shooter, but he is a strong socring combo forward who can gather rebounds and chip in defensively.
18	Houston Rockets (17-9)	SG Ben Saraf, Israel – 6’5, 200 lbs	13.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg	From PHX (14-11) Houston is one of the deepest teams in the NBA. They have struggled to find minutes for Reed Sheppard, the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, so needless to say, whoever they draft here will probably not see the floor. Ben Saraf would be a solid developmental prospect. He is not a top athlete, but is a developing scorer who offers some point guard skills as well. Sounds a bit like Sheppard, but he is the best talent available here.
19	Utah Jazz (5-19)	SF Kon Knueppel, Fr, Duke – 6’7, 217 lbs	12.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg	From MIN (14-11) Utah is another team that will have several first round draft picks in the next few drafts. They have drafted freshmen with upside by the boatload, and should continue that trend in hopes some of them really hit. Kon Knueppel is a work in progress who has struggled badly at times (0-8 from 3 against Kansas), but has good size, is a talented scorer and can impact the game in other ways, such as passing and defense, even when his shot is not falling.
20	Brooklyn Nets	SG Ian Jackson, Fr, North Carolina – 6’4, 190 lbs	10.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.6 spg	From MIL (14-11) The Nets have four first round picks in this mock draft exersize, and scoop up severl young players with upside. Ian Jackson has earned more minutes for North Carolina lately, and has responded by shooting the ball very well. He does not offer much, other than scoring, but you can never have enough instant offense if your bench.
21	Orlando Magic (17-11)	SG Drake Powell, Fr, North Carolina – 6’6, 195 lbs	5.7 ppg, 3.6 rg, 0.8 bpg, 0.7 spg	From DEN (13-10) The Magic have two first round picks and one of the youngest and deepest rosters in the NBA. This would be a good spot for a young developmental type with upside. The second high Tar Heel recruit goes one spot after the first. Like Ian Jackson, Drake Powell does not play big minutes for North Carolina, but has shown flashes of offensive ability, though that area of his game is lacking behind his defense at this point. Still, he is a very good athlete and should be a better pro than what he has shown in college thus far.
22	Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5)	SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain – 6’6, 207 lbs	2.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.6 apg	From MIA (13-10) Hugo Gonzalez was a popular preseason Mock Draft top ten pick, but the minutes for his European club just have not been there yet. Still, the talent is hard to ignore, and with so many teams possessing multiple first round picks, especially from a team as deep as the Thunder, he will be a popular developmental guy to go after. His under-18 tape shows a quality offensive weapon who can score in quite a bit of ways.
23	Orlando Magic (17-11)	SG Kam Jones, Sr, Marquette – 6’5, 200 lbs	5.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.7 bpg	Orlando has several defensive minded guards on the roster, and could use an instant scoring option off of the bench. Kam Jones is on the short list of best players in college basketball. He has improved his shooting percentages every year, and is an all around threat for one of the better teams in the country. He is easily the best senior prospect in this class.
24	Brooklyn Nets (10-15)	PF JT Toppin, So, Texas Tech – 6’9, 225 lbs	18.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.6 rpg	From NY (16-10) JT Toppin may not be much of a three point shooter, but he does almost everything else relatively well. He is a springy athlete, a great rebounder and a solid defender. The Nets continue to go after athletes with upside in this mock.
25	Brooklyn Nets (10-15)	C Rocco Zikarsky, Australia – 7’3, 227 lbs	4.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 bpg	From HOU (17-9) Yes, this is the fourth pick for the Nets. Brooklyn goes upside yet again with Australian big man Rocco Zikarsky. It has been a slow season for him, but he could grow into a starting center in the NBA. He has good size, a nice touch around the basket and is a very strong rebounder.
26	Dallas Mavericks (17-9)	SG Joson Sanon, Fr, Arizona State – 6’5, 188 lbs	14.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 apg	The Mavericks look like contenders once again, thanks to an All Star back court and impressive collection of role players. There is always room for scorers off the bench on an NBA roster, and Joson Sanon could be just that. He is shooting over 50% from three, and has a knack for getting buckets. He may need to do more to justify becoming a higher first round pick, but the scoring potential is there to help out right away.
27	Memphis Grizzlies (18-9)	SF Alex Karaban, Jr, Connecticut – 6’8, 225 lbs	15.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.1 apg	After an injury ravaged 2023-2024 season, Memphis is reminding the NBA world that they are still one of the better teams in the NBA. Alex Karaban is the type of glue guy with a winning pedigree that would fit in well with the culture the Grizzlies have established. He is a tough scorer, good shooter and solid rebounder and defender.
28	Los Angeles Clippers (14-12)	SF Mackenzie Mgbako, So, Indiana – 6’9, 222 lbs	13.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.5 apg	From OKC (20-5) No team has gotten less from its draft picks the past decade and a half than the Los Angeles Clippers. This roster has a ton of veteran players on short term deals, so there could be minutes for a bench scorer like Mackenzie Mgbako. Mgbako made the wise decision to return to school for his sophomore year. He is shooting the ball much better as a sophomore. He does not offer much other than a jump shot, but like I have said many times, every team needs bench scoring.
29	Boston Celtics (21-5)	C Tomislav Ivisic, So, Illinois – 7’1, 230 lbs	14.2 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.5 apg	Zvonimir Ivisic may be the name NBA Draft fans know, but his twin brother Tomislav is having the superior college career. He is one of many legitimate NBA prospects playing for Illinois this year. He is a classic stretch five, with range out to the three point line. He can also grab rebounds, and could be a Luke Kornet clone for the Celtics.
30	Utah Jazz (5-19)	SG Labaron Philon, Fr, Alabama – 6’4, 177 lbs	16.7 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.6 rpg	From CLE (22-4) Utah rounds out the first round with its third pick of this draft. Labaron Philon needs to work on his jump shot, but offers solid combo guard versatility, and is a very pesky defender as well. The Jazz will have a bunch of guys on rookie contracts fighting for minutes next year.