With just under one week to go until the 2025 NBA Draft, let us get another mock draft with analysis out there!

This draft might have a boatload of trades, which makes a mock even more tricky. Boston is the only team picking after 12 that still owns its own first pick, which is fascinating to me. I do not project trades in my mocks though, so take that information for what you will.

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What a whirlwind of a 2025 year for Dallas fans. They went from feeling hopeless to landing the ultimate “get out of jail free” card. With Cooper Flagg joining Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks can continue to vie for playoff spots, while at the same time developing the future face of the franchise. I found it neat that Flagg decided to come in and work out for the Mavericks, even though he absolutely did not need to do that. It speaks to his dedication to be the best he can be. Flagg should have no problem sliding into the small forward role and forming a jumbo, multi-versatile front court with Davis and Dereck Lively II.

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Some people may wonder where Dylan Harper will fit in with a back court already featuring De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. I think that is a good problem to have. Harper is the clear number two prospect in this class. Due to the Victor Wembanyama health scare, San Antonio went from a playoff contender to a premium draft spot. The team should just appreciate the blessing, draft Harper, and figure out how the three will co-exist later. Both Castle and Harper have the size to slide over to small forward when necessary. Running three ball handling scoring options out there is a nice “problem” to have. The Spurs would have a year to determine what guards to build around, and perhaps make a decision on trading Fox or Castle next off-season. For now, just be thankful and add more impact talent to the roster.

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Ace Bailey has had an interesting, to say the least, draft process. He refused to work out for the 76ers. While that does not disqualify him from being selected here, of course, it moves other guys ahead of him in the pecking order. Philadelphia is reportedly very excited about the prospects of VJ Edgecombe, and he has become the favorite to be selected here. Edgecombe is a strong defender, can really run the floor and showed improved three point ability as the season went on. With Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain already on board, the guard positions will be a strength in Philadelphia.

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Charlotte has to be disappointed that VJ Edgecombe is off the board. His two way ability would be a perfect fit between LaMaleo Ball and Brandon Miller, but Tre Johnson is not a bad consolation prize. The Hornets were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA, and Johnson excels in that area. He also has more one on one scoring ability than you might think, which is something you are looking for if you draft a shooting guard in the top five. Make no mistake however, the Hornets need guys who can score, especially from the three point line, and that is what Johnson will look to provide.

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Utah seems to be targeting pure wing players with this pick, with Tre Johnson, VJ Edgecombe and Kon Knueppel at the top of the board. Knueppel is the only player from that group remaining, and the pick would make sense. Utah should see what they have with the point guard duo of Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, and the front court has depth as well. What the Jazz really need is shooters and bucket getters. Knueppel played a clear second fiddle to Cooper Flagg at Duke, but is a strong playmaker and can score in a variety of ways. The biggest knock is a lack of top end athleticism, but he is a crafty player who could make the most of his somewhat limited physical abilities.

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People are going to look at the Ace Bailey situation and think “diva”, but I can somewhat see where his camp is coming from. Landing spot makes a difference when it comes to long term development. He may look at Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, top ten picks buried deep on the bench for playoff teams, and not want to go to a Philadelphia or San Antonio. He also wants to stay on the East Coast, which is his right to wish for. He may slip a bit, but I do not think he will fall out of the top ten. Here, he gets his wish, playing in the East for a bad team that will have minutes and opportunities for him to develop. Washington does not have much in the way of pure scorers, and Bailey can provide that, though his freshman season at Rutgers was up and down. Already perhaps the most divisive top ten prospect in this class, he has put yet another target on his back. It will be up to him to show that all the drama will be worth it.

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Jeremiah Fears is the last of that tier three group of wing players, so the Pelicans should feel comfortable taking him here. Dejounte Murray may miss the entire 2025-2026 season, and CJ McCollum is a trade candidate and upcoming free agent, so Fears could be the Pelicans lead guard of the future. He has point guard abilities, but fits more as a Jamal Murray-like combo guard that can score from a variety of ways with the ball in his hands.

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If I projected trades in my mock drafts, I would propose a deal where the Nets move up to number four, give the Hornets a couple first round draft picks, and have them select Ace Bailey. Charlotte would then take Khaman Maluach as their Mark Williams replacement. All of that is moot, however, because I am old school. Brooklyn is basically a blank slate roster wise. There is not a player on the team you look at and think “future cornerstone”, so I went with the best player available here. Maluach is the third Duke Blue Devil to come off the board in the top ten. He is still raw, but has the requisite athleticism, defensive ability and range offensively to become a very good modern day starting center.

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The Raptors are in a tricky spot. The starting five is decent enough, but the bench really lacks punch everywhere. I have no idea what direction they are going to go, but this looks like a good spot for Noa Essengue, the latest French freak of nature eligible to be drafted. Essengue needs to improve his jump shot, but is already a quality defender with nice size and length. Offensively, he can get to the basket and score inside. A project, but one that could make an All-Defensive team or two during his prime.

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Houston could not find minutes for the number three pick in the 2024 draft, Reed Sheppard, so I doubt they are seriously interested in retaining this pick. If they are forced to draft someone, selecting a big man who could take over for an upcoming free agent like Jabari Smith Jr. or Tari Eason after next season could make sense. Collin Murray-Boyles is a divisive prospect. Some people love his strength and rebounding, and others are scared off by his lack of size and inability to provide range offensively. For a deep team like Houston, he should be able to focus on rebounding, defensive and landing easy buckets inside.

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Portland had a better than expected season, and has a nice mix of young, versatile players to build around. They are in position to take a swing on Carter Bryant, who has predictably risen in recent weeks, as teams have interviewed him and watched his talent shine through in workouts. He was a bit player for Arizona, but one that showed toughness inside, as well as a nice shooting stroke. A project, but one that could pay off at this point in the draft.

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Coby White may be Chicago’s best player, and they are looking to resign Josh Giddey, which would make a big man a priority in the draft over another combo guard. Derik Queen’s archetype scares me. He is undersized, not in the best shape, and has lapses of concentration and does not always go all out. But at this point in the draft, you are looking for a rotation player with the potential for more, and I could see Queen growing into a quality starting center, at least on the offensive end. He has a nice scoring repertoire and is a quality passer for a player his size.

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The Hawks seem to be set in the back court with Trae Young and Dyson Daniels as starters, but depth behind those two is almost non-existant. Kasparas Jakucionis got some early top five looks and would provide great value here. He may not be quick or patient enough to be a full time point guard, but he can shoot, score and set up teammates.

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With three ball dominant guards now on the roster, San Antonio should look to surround them with as many role players as possible. Joan Beringer would definitely qualify. A true project who is still growing into his body and finding his offensive game, Beringer may be the best shot blocker in this draft, and has strong defensive potential. He could allow Victor Wembanyama to play more power forward if he properly develops.

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The Thunder are in a surprising seven game battle with the Pacers, but still have the deepest roster in the NBA, and a treasure trove of future draft picks. That is a bit of a double-edged sword, however, because they do not have the roster spots to house every player they can draft, especially with 2024 draft pick Nikola Topic coming on board next year. I like Asa Newell better than most, and think he would fill a big need as one of the first big men off of the bench. He is not elite in any one area, but can do a little of everything, from scoring, shooting, rebounding and playing quality defense.

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As soon as Memphis acquired this pick from Orlando, I penciled in Cedric Coward. He just screams “Grizzlies draft pick”. Cedric Coward is the poster child of what the scouting combine can do for a player. He started his career at a school called Willamette, before transferring to Eastern Washington in 2022. He showed out for Washington State for six games before suffering a season ending injury. Despite not playing since November, his workouts went well enough that he was convinced to pass on playing for Duke and staying in the draft. Jaylen Wells paid off handsomely for the Grizzlies, and they hope former Cougar Coward will do the same.

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Egor Demin is the type of player you want so badly to be good in the NBA, because the thought of a 6’9 free-wheeling playmaker sounds so fun. Unfortunately, that archetype rarely pans out. I am not sure what Demin can do right now to actually help an NBA team win, but at this point in the draft, the theoretical upside is worth gambling on. If Demin can improve his offense and cut down on turnovers, he can be a Ben Simmons-lite that can backup four positions on the court and keep the offense moving.

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Despite an injury that has kept him sidelined since February, Thomas Sorber has seen his stock rise. He has prototypical new age center measurables. He is a tough scorer, decent defender and solid passer. He would be a particularly good fit in Washington, where the Wizards could let Alex Sarr play more of a perimeter role on offense next to Sorber.

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While Nolan Traore never developed into that top five guy draft junkies thought he would this time last year, he may be a bit underrated now. After a slow start to his season, he averaged 14 points per game and shot over 42% from deep his final ten games. The Nets are one of only a few teams not to have a real long term option at point guard. If Traore can continue to develop, he could definitely start in the NBA.

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While teams do not often draft for need this late, Miami could go looking for guard depth here. Jase Richardson may lack the point guard ability or size to be a starting point guard or shooting guard respectively, but could become a Seth Curry-like instant offense option off of the bench.

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The Jazz double up on wing shooters with Liam McNeeley. McNeeley’s freshman season was up and down, as an injury derailed his progress. While McNeeley does not have the overall game of Kon Knueppel, he is a comparable shooter and would give Utah two small forwards who are undoubtably better then Cody Williams to build around.

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If Atlanta keeps both of its first round picks, expect them to go with a guard and a big man. Rasheer Fleming may not have center size, but he can backup a few positions, thanks to his versatile game, as both a scorer and shooter as well as a rebounder.

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The Indiana Pacers, hoping to resign Myles Turner, traded this pick to the Pelicans. New Orleans drafted a guard with its first pick, and could add front court depth here. Danny Wolf is a polarizing prospect. He is a strong inside scorer and adept passer for a guy his size, but is not a good shooter, either from range or the free throw line. Whoever drafts him will need to figure out how to best utilize his unique abilities.

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Oklahoma City has a full roster, and will also welcome back rookie to be Nikola Topic, so I do not see them adding two more rookie contracts to the roster. This is a complete luxury pick for the Thunder. Hugo Gonzalez looked like a future star during various points of the last couple of summers, but struggled to gain any traction for a veteran Real Madrid team this past season. He also has an expensive buyout in order to come to the NBA in 2025, so he could be the rare first round “draft and stash” prospect for one of many teams owning multiple first round picks.

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Despite trading four first round picks for Desmond Bane, Orlando still has this pick, and could look to add an experienced rookie to the rotation. Nique Clifford could be that guy. The fifth year senior really upped his game after transferring to Colorado State, and capped his career off by stuffing the stat sheet in 2024-2025. He is a good three point shooter and all around scorer, with the ability to rebound and handle the ball as well.

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I doubt any team, even Brooklyn, will have four rookie contracts on the books, so expect a trade or two here. If the Nets keep the pick, Will Riley would be a nice prospect to develop. I think he could have been a top ten pick if he returned to Illinois to iron out his inconsistencies, but he should still be a first round pick thanks to an intriguing offensive game and impressive length.

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With four first round picks, the Nets could go any direction here. Ben Saraf may struggle to keep up with the most electric guards the NBA has to offer, but is a crafty scorer and ball handler who could fill a combo guard role off of the bench.

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Following Jayson Tatum’s long term injury and serious tax implications, the Celtics may be set for a mini retool. Maxime Raynaud could be a long term replacement for Al Horford as a stretch big coming off of the bench. Raynaud had a 20/10 season for Stanford, and followed that up with a very solid combine showing, likely stamping his ticket for the first round.

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The Suns should look to draft a ready to contribute player late in the first round. Walter Clayton Jr. led his team to the NCAA Championship, and most likely punched his own ticket to the first round of the draft. He is an experienced scorer who can play some point guard in a pinch, something Phoenix seriously lacked at points last season.

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No team has gotten less from its draft picks since 2010 than the Clippers. With so many free agents coming off of the books, Los Angeles should use this pick to add some cheap depth. Penn State junior Yanic Konan Niederhauser kept his name in the NBA Draft, prompting speculations of a first round promise. He has great size, strong defensive instincts, and , even with three college seasons under his belt, has room for development.

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