Hope everybody reading this has a wonderful Holiday break! I’ll be watching my kid non-stop, so this mock draft is a day early.
Draft order and lottery courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com.
| Pick | Team | Player | 2024-2025 Stats | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Charlotte Hornets (7-21) |
PF Cooper Flagg, Fr, Duke – 6’9, 205 lbs | 16.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.3 bpg | It has been another lost year for the Hornets. There is talent here, but so far it has not resulted in sustained success. The Hornets have landed the number two pick on several occasions, but this would be the first time they led off the draft. It has been a bit of a struggle at times offensively for Cooper Flagg, but I am not all that concerned. His offense was known to be a work in progress, but he is already an NBA caliber defender, and is a great playmaker for a power forward. He will be a very good NBA player. |
| 2 |  Brooklyn Nets (11-17) |
SG Dylan Harper, Fr, Rutgers – 6’6, 215 lbs | 23.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.2 apg | The Nets reacquired their first round pick from the Rockets in hopes things would play out like this scenario. Brooklyn desperately needs star talent on the roster. Dylan Harper is right there with Cooper Flagg as the best player in this draft. He is a special offensive talent who excels with the ball in his hand, whether shooting, driving, or finding open teammates. He has some James Harden to his game. |
| 3 |  Utah Jazz (7-20) |
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. Things really open up after the top two players are off the board. I see about four or five guys in contention here. Keyonte George probably fits best as a scoring option off the bench. Kasparas Jakucionis is 6’6, but has true point guard skills. He can lead an offense and his jump shot is NBA ready. He may struggle to guard super athletic point guards, but on offense, he should help out Utah. |
| 4 |  Toronto Raptors (7-22) |
SF Ace Bailey, Fr, Rutgers – 6’10, 200 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. It has not been a great showing for Ace Bailey. He has struggled to get to the rim, and basically never looks to pass. He has the look of a current version of Michael Porter Jr., which might not be the most exciting prospect for a player many compared to Kevin Durant in high school. Playing for a bad Rutgers team has not done him any favors, but I still have him in my top five. He is a natural scorer, and any team could use someone like that. He will have to show a better all around game to hold off other players coming for this spot. |
| 5 |  Washington Wizards (4-22) |
SG Tre Johnson, Fr, Texas – 6’6, 190 lbs | 19.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg | The Wizards are in the midst of a monumental rebuild. They are one of the only teams in the NBA relying on rookies, with their three first round picks all a big part of the rotation. Of course, that is one reason why they have the worst record in the NBA, which makes falling to fifth overall in this mock such a gut punch. Washington should just go with the best player available here. If you are a fan of shooting, there may not be a better player in this class than Tre Johnson. He is shooting over 43% from the arc, and can score with ease. That skill is extremely valuable in the NBA. If he can show a bit of play making ability and defensive skills, he should be a top five lock. Right now it is mostly about the shooting. |
| 6 |  New Orleans Pelicans (5-24) |
PF Asa Newell, Fr, Georgia – 6’11, 220 lbs | 23.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.2 apg | The Pelicans brought in Dejounte Murray to take the next step, but a plethora of injuries have made this another season to forget in New Orleans. Zion Williamson may be a lost cause, and this front office may have to pivot towards a different direction. The Pelicans roster lacks size, and Asa Newell should be under consideration here. He is a solid scorer and rebounder, and has the potential to stretch his jump shot out to the three point line. On top of that, he has shown the ability to play passing lanes and rack up some steals as well. |
| 7 |  Portland Trail Blazers (8-18) |
SG Egor Demin, Fr, BYU – 6’8, 190 lbs | 13.3 ppg, 5.8 apg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 spg | It could be said that the Trail Blazers do not have a franchise level talent on its roster. Every position should be on the board here. Even with a number of guards on the roster, Egor Demin is the best prospect available here. He is 6’8 but has some fun play making skills, is a good shooter and can disrupt the passing lanes defensively. If he can gain some strength and improve his interior scoring, he could be a bit of a point forward in the future. |
| 8 |  Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5) |
SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor – 6’5, 180 lbs | 11.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.4 spg, 1.3 bpg | From PHI (9-17) 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 get a top ten pick from a reeling 76ers team here, and can swing for the fences with upside. It has been a slow start offensively for VJ Edgecombe, but his defensive effort should quickly endear himself to Thunder fans. Oklahoma City already has Cason Wallace, Lu Dort and Alex Caruso on the roster. Those are three of the better wing defenders in the NBA. Adding Edgecombe to the best defensive team in the league would be unfair. |
| 9 |  Detroit Pistons (12-17) |
SF Liam McNeeley, Fr, Connecticut – 6’7, 210 lbs | 13.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.6 apg | The Pistons are simply a mediocre team, which is a vast improvement from what they have been the past few seasons. Shooting remains the biggest need for this team. It is just so difficult to constantly win unless you have multiple spot up shooters on your team. Liam McNeeley has been a bit hot and cold as a freshman, but is coming off of a few solid shooting games to push his points per game average to almost 14 per. He is an easy fit with the ball dominant driving Cade Cunningham. |
| 10 |  Sacramento Kings (13-17) |
C Khaman Maluach, Fr, Duke – 7’2, 250 lbs | 8.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.9 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. One of the biggest weaknesses on this roster is size and toughness. Khaman Maluach may not be setting the stat sheet on fire, but he should be a definite starting center in the NBA. He is big, can rebound and block shots, and is shooting almost 80% from the field. |
| 11 |  San Antonio Spurs (15-13) |
PG Boogie Fland, Fr, Arkansas – 6’2, 175 lbs | 15.3 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 spg | From CHI (13-16) 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 |  Houston Rockets (19-9) |
SF Noa Essengue, France – 6’9, 194 lbs | 13.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 spg | From PHX (14-13) Houston is one of the deepest teams in the NBA, and has not been able to find minutes for the 2023 number three overall pick, so I doubt they would be interested in keeping this pick. Noa Essengue is the latest in a long line of lanky, athletic French freaks of nature. He is quick, stringy, is a solid defender and has an expanding offensive game. |
| 13 | Utah Jazz (7-20) |
SF Will Riley, Fr, Illinois – 6’8, 180 lbs | 13.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.1 spg | From MIN (14-13) With three more first round picks in 2025, to go along with the three they had in 2024, expect the Jazz to continue to draft youth in hopes they strike it rich. Will Riley is very young and raw, as most players who reclassify to move up a year are, but has the look of someone who can create his own offense, something most players on this Utah roster lack. |
| 14 | San Antonio Spurs (15-13) |
C Derik Queen, Fr, Maryland – 6’10, 246 lbs | 16.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.1 bpg | This particular draft lottery has given the Spurs 3 of the top 15 picks, so Derik Queen is a great gamble here. He is a crafty, old school offensive big man in the Al Jefferson mold. With Victor Wembanyama taking up so much defensive attention, Queen could feast as an offensive post presence. His lack of explosion and post defense would not be as much of an issue next to Wembanyama. |
| 15 | San Antonio Spurs (15-13) |
SG Ben Saraf, Israel – 6’5, 200 lbs | 12.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, 2.9 rpg | From ATL (14-15) You just know the Spurs are going to spend at least one of these first round picks on a foreign prospect. Ben Saraf might not be a top notch athlete, but he is a talented, crafty scorer who can get buckets from all three levels. He also has shown a bit of point guard skills. Let the inevitable Manu Ginobili comparisons commence. |
| 16 |  Indiana Pacers (14-15) |
PG Nolan Traore, France – 6’3, 175 lbs | 10.5 ppg, 4.9 apg, 2.0 rpg | It has been a tough go of things for Nolan Traore, and his draft stock has suffered accordingly. He remians a solid playmaker with defensive ability, but the sshooting and scoring leaves a lot to be desired. We have seen French point guards struggle to acclimate to NBA defenses before. Whether that is fair or not to Traore, it is a legimitate concern. This is a good spot for a team like the Pacers to gamble on the upside. |
| 17 | Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5) |
SF Kon Knueppel, Fr, Duke – 6’7, 217 lbs | 12.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.1 apg | From MIA (13-13) Kon Knueppel looks the part of a top notch NBA shooter, but he has struggled against top competition thus far. Still, he has good size, some play making ability and his calling card remains his three point shot. The Thunder have a ton of draft picks coming up and not enough roster spots to fill them all. |
| 18 | Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5) |
SF Adou Thiero, Jr, Arkansas – 6’8, 220 lbs | 17.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.9 spg | From LAC (16-13) Adou Thiero is the anti=Kon Knueppel. Not much of a shooter, but a great inside scorer and tenacious defender. He reminds me a bit of Dorian Finney-Smith, and he would be an absolute fit as a backup forward for the Thunder. |
| 19 |  Golden State Warriors (15-12) |
SF Collin Murray-Boyles, So, South Carolina – 6’7, 245 lbs | 16.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.5 bpg, 1.4 spg | 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. |
| 20 | Brooklyn Nets (11-17) |
SG Jeremiah Fears, Fr, Oklahoma – 6’4, 182 lbs | 18.0 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.4 rpg | From MIL (14-11) The Nets have four first round picks in this mock draft exercise, and should scoop up several young players with upside. Jeremiah Fears has been a monster for the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners. He is an agressive scorer, has great shooting range and can play point guard in a pinch. He could be a future 20 point per game scorer in the NBA. |
| 21 |  Atlanta Hawks (14-15) |
SG Ian Jackson, Fr, North Carolina – 6’4, 190 lbs | 12.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.6 apg | From LAL (16-12) If you are looking for a one trick pony, whos trick is one of the most valuable in the NBA, look no further than Ian Jackson. Jackson does not do much, but he is a heck of a shooter, and teams always want that. He is an easy fit off of any NBA bench. |
| 22 |  Orlando Magic (18-12) |
SG Drake Powell, Fr, North Carolina – 6’6, 195 lbs | 5’6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 spg | From DEN (15-11) 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. |
| 23 | Orlando Magic (18-12) |
C Thomas Sorber, Fr, Georgetown – 6’10, 255 lbs | 15.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.0 bpg, 1.3 spg | Orlando has three starting quality centers on its roster, but could shoot for even more upside with a late first round pick here. Thomas Sorber was not a top 20 recruit, but his production as a freshman has been impossible to ignore. He is the type of player who would have been a top ten pick a decade or so ago. His skill set is still valuable today, especially if he can continue to show play making skills and the ability to knock down jump shots. |
| 24 |  Dallas Mavericks (18-10) |
PF JT Toppin, So, Texas Tech – 6’9, 225 lbs | 18.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.6 rpg | The Mavericks look like contenders once again, thanks to an All Star back court and impressive collection of role players. 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. |
| 25 | Brooklyn Nets (11-17) |
SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain – 6’6, 207 lbs | 3.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.7 apg | From NY (18-10) Hugo Gonzalez has played less than 10 minutes per game for his European club, so scouts are going to have to do a bit of projection here. Fortunately for him, there are quite a few teams with multiple first round picks who could spend one on a developmental project. Especially the Nets, who have four pics in this mock. |
| 26 | Brooklyn Nets (10-15) |
C Rocco Zikarsky, Australia – 7’3, 227 lbs | 4.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.6 bpg | From HOU (19-9) 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. |
| 27 |  Memphis Grizzlies (20-9) |
SF Alex Karaban, Jr, Connecticut – 6’8, 225 lbs | 16.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 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 |  Boston Celtics (22-6) |
C Tomislav Ivisic, So, Illinois – 7’1, 230 lbs | 13.9 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. |
| 29 |  Los Angeles Clippers (16-13) |
SG Kam Jones, Sr, Marquette – 6’5, 200 lbs | 20.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.8 apg | From OKC (22-5) 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 an experienced rookie next year. Kam Jones is having a national player of the year type of season. He is a very good shooter, solid ball handler and can play some defense as well. |
| 30 | Utah Jazz (5-19) |
SG Joson Sanon, Fr, Arizona State – 6’5, 190 lbs | 14.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.2 apg | From CLE (22-4) Utah rounds out the first round with its third pick of this draft. Joson Sanon is a bit one dimensional, but that dimension is solid scoring. He can knock down three point shots and has nice size for the position. |
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