2025 NBA Mock Draft

2025 Mock Draft by Max Trueblood 1. Dallas/Cooper Flagg/SF/PF Dallas captures the flag. Is a better fit at the 4 in the NBA but will have no problem at the 3 spot with AD at the 4 and the Gafford/Lively combo in the middle 2. San Antonio/Dylan Harper/1/2G This is awkward. The Spurs drafted Castle, signed CP3 as a free agent and traded for Fox but the clear #2 in this draft is better suited as a lead guard than playing off the ball. I could see a trade happening here. Maybe trade the pick for Brooklyn's 3 first rounders or something along those lines 3. Philadelphia/Ace Bailey/SF/PF I'm not a big fan of Bailey but I've convinced myself that he is a 4 in the modern NBA and that's Philly's biggest hole right now. Maybe he swings to the 3 spot when PG inevitably falls off a cliff in the next couple years 4. Charlotte/V.J. Edgecombe/2G Great pick and fit here. I had Dalton Knecht going 6th to the Hornets last year as a good fit next to Ball and Miller so Edgecombe will work here. Not the shooter that Knecht is but has a much higher ceiling 5. Utah/Tre Johnson/2G Reminds me of Jalen Green without the diva element. Could prove to be a steal if he hits his ceiling 6. Washington/Derrick Queen/C/PF Tough break for Washington. Could really have used Flagg as he was the perfect fit for this roster. Instead, they'll roll with local guy Queen on the post with Saar floating a bit more on the perimeter now 7. New Orleans/Kon Knueppel/2G/SF I'm not convinced he's 6'7" but even if he isn't, he can easily slide to the 2 spot as he moves well without the ball. I see him backing up both the 3 and 2 before eventually being a full time two guard when C.J. McCollum either....

This might be the best start to a mock draft that you've ever had.

I assume a 2nd round will also come at some point?

LOL. Thanks to John Hollinger with the Athletic. I stole it from him

Absolutely

Love John Hollinger. I miss when ESPN would do their "chat wraps", where you could live chat with all of their analysts. Marc Stein, Hollinger, David Aldridge, etc. They would each set aside about an hour a week and chat with fans and answer their questions. Then post the entire chat afterwards. You could see some of the humor and analysis, with their responses. In that chat format. That just reminded me that maybe once or twice, someone I know from the ESPN Jazz forums got to host....

What did DA say?

Is this time line correct?

Aldridge was let go by ESPN in 2004? I thought it was years later.

https://nypost.com/2004/07/30/thats-aldridge-folks-david-axed-by-espn-but-may-resurface-at-tnt/

I remember when Aldridge left TNT, but I thought he had gone back to ESPN.

Ok, apparently Aldridge left TNT in 2018.

https://www.nba.com/news/morning-tip-final-edition-looking-back

I am normally pretty good at remembering older time periods and events, but my years were way off on this one.

I did not think I was reading chat wraps on ESPN back in 2004, but maybe I did.

He basically wrote an article prior to the opening of Chase Center talking about how it would never be the same....

What did he say about the Redskins?

I liked him on ESPN, liked him on TNT / NBA TV. His style is pretty focused and doesn't stray too much.

Great question. It was so long ago that I forget the context but it was your basic run of the mill training camp sort of report. Talking about guys fighting for roster spots and starting spots and what not

Some interesting measurements from the combine. From my standpoint, I'll give a guy over an inch if he has "3/4" in his "in socks" height measurement. For example, if you measure out at 6'7" 3/4, I'll call you "6'9" but if you're an extra 1/2 inch or less, I only nudge you up a nod. For example, 6'6" 1/2 will only bump you up to 6'7"

If you measure exactly a certain height exactly like 6'6" with socks, I'll give you exactly an inch and call you an NBA 6'7"

With that said, here are some early combine measurements

Cooper Flagg was 6'7" 3/4 so with my "3/4" ruling, I give him a 6'9" NBA height. Pretty much what we thought

Ace Bailey was thought to be 6'10" all year but measured out at 6'7"1/2 which was the surprise of the combine. He gets a 6'8" from me which makes his standing as a "4" with the Sixers a little in flux

Ryan Kalkbrenner was 7'1" without socks so he's an NBA 7'2" plus jumped and shot better than advertised

Thomas Sorber, Derrick Queen and Johnnie Broome were all 6'9"1/4 so they get an NBA 6'10"

I had a feeling that Kon Knuepple wasn't 6'7". Measured 6'5" in socks so gets a 6'6" NBA height

Jase Richardson was only 6'0"1/2. Purely a 6'1" NBA lead guard

What are your stat projections for Cooper Flagg, including minutes, for next year?

34 minutes a night instead of 36-40 for the typical starter due to the loaded front line of Dallas

I'm looking at 16 ppg, 9 rpg and 4 apg with 34% on 3's and 46% overall from the field

Throw in 1 steal and 1.5 blocks for good measure

The steal and block projections weren't for good measure. They're a must, since we're talking about Cooper Flagg.

If we were talking about a player not known for defense, then they wouldn't be required.

I think PJ Washington or Lively will be traded to make more room for Flagg, as well as probably acquire a guard.

Has any rookie averaged 9 rebounds and 4 assists a game? 4 seems like a lot for normal players.

Is this an area where you see him excelling?

Also what FT% do you think?

Good point. If PJ and Lively or Gafford go then my minutes for him go up

I'll go 72% from the line

I do see him getting a lot of assists. With the Dallas lead guard thing up in the air right now, I could see him bringing the ball up a lot like he did at Duke. Much better handle and court sense than I thought going into the season so 4 assists could happen

9 boards may be a lot, especially considering that he will be further from the basket guarding 3's instead of 4's. Maybe 7.5 is a more realistic number

Not sure about the historical perspective. Maybe AD averaged similar numbers. Or Pau Gasol

My initial thought was 9 boards would be easier than 4 assists.

But you make a good point about him bringing up the ball next season.

Of course, I expect Dallas to make a trade to address the PG situation.

Maybe when you get a chance, let's see all rookies that averaged 9 rebounds; all forwards or centers that averaged 4 assists, and then if any did both.

Does anyone understand our draft situation? I don't want to pay attention to that, so I don't have a clue. I read that we have a 1st Rounder that could be headed to OKC?

If we keep our pick... like I said, no clue...

I like Yaxel Lendeborg. He kinda reminds me of a young Al Harrington. I think he's going to be what we wanted Kobe Brown to be based on his final year as Mizzou.

Rebounding is there. Defensive switchability is there. 3 level scoring is there. Finishes with both hands. He has bounce. 6'9 with a 7'3 wingspan.

He doesn't need to outlet off a defensive rebound. Just a gut feeling, but I think he'll be a monster on the offensive glass.

His bounce makes it so the guy should be a solid rim runner and alley-oop guy at 6'9 too.

I bet he goes higher than expected, but that's who I want in the unlikely event of having a pick in the 1st Round.

Oh, wait... I take it back! Since it's probably not happening anyway... I want us to get Carter Bryant.

I'm a SoCal HS homer, and I was born in Tucson, AZ. So, that's who I want...

....but I realize that it's a shot in the dark even more dim than getting Lendeborg

I think this is one of the pick swap years hence why the Clippers pick 30th given OKC had the best record in the league then OKC picks 24th as we had the 7th best record in the league

If he's still on the board then that would be a great pick. Problem is that he has a high ceiling so someone will roll the dice on him earlier in the 1st round IMO

The league has been gravitating to the big wing players for a while now, and we seem to be one of the only teams who isn't figuring it out.

Hopefully, we can grab one of these larger athletes so we don't end up in another Nuggets series again next year.

Looks like Lendeborg is taking the NIL money with Michigan this year. I know you want Bryant but it was looking like Lendeborg was a more realistic option

That being said, I sort of like the NIL thing. You don't have 300 underclassmen declaring anymore. If someone can't get a first round guarantee, they are most likely heading back to school. I think he's looking at $3 million so that's a smart move. If he gets drafted by us, he's looking at less than a million for the first season

Yeah, smart move for Lendeborg.

A good friend of mine coaches football at Fresno Central, and he's been telling me about Cedric Coward for a while.

I've never watched him play, but on YouTube he kinda reminds me of maybe or poor man's Joe Johnson... or a young Jalen Williams.

After everything I've been saying about getting bigger, he isn't what I had in mind... but the 7'2 wingspan and defensive switchability is great.

Yeah, it's tough to say if the Clips should go for need or just best available. Coward could very well be the best available at that point while Clayton would be more of a need

Clayton is a heck of a player. He could be special, the next Dame.

Kinda sounds like an NFL Draft where they take all the high end SEC team kids.

Is Cooper Flag much better than Andrei Kirilenko was?

He's better because he has that playmaker instinct that Kirilenko didn't have. Both are great defenders and like Kirilenko, Flagg's outside shot keeps improving. It's the passing and playmaking that make Flagg the guy with a higher ceiling

Cooper Flagg kinda strikes me as the modern day Tom Chambers.... the modern Keith Van Horn....

Can't jump like Chambers and can't shoot like him either. The thing that will probably make Flagg better is that he's a team player on both ends of the floor. Like I mentioned earlier, he's a semi playmaker on the offensive end and his defense is worlds better than Chambers plus he doesn't have the lousy attitude that Chambers did

I think KVH could've been better but was overwhelmed by expectations. The NBA was in a weird place in the late 90's. This was prior to the European era and a lot of the owners were desperate for a white superstar. KVH fit the description but the pressure was too much for him and he just didn't enjoy his time in the NBA as a result. I remember when the Mavericks had to drag him out of retirement because they needed to resign him to make the numbers work for the JKidd trade but he was reluctant. They were literally putting somewhere in the $5 to $10 million in front of him to play for half a season and it was like pulling teeth. To me, that showed the signs of someone who just didn't like and feel a part of the NBA

Flagg, OTOH, relishes his role as a possible new superstar. He can't shoot like KVH but he does pretty much everything else better and whereas Flagg isn't as good an athlete as Chambers, I think he's more athletic than KVH

Oops I meant to put my earlier posts from today in this thread.

Okay, FINALLY!

I'm so sick of small unbalanced teams. Hopefully the YKN selection marks the moment our FO learned a lesson about defense.

I will say this. I'm really surprised that Rasheer Fleming made it to our pick... and it's even crazier that we didn't get it.

I'm good with Yanick Konan Neiderhausen though. He reminds me of a bigger Jaxon Hayes with a much higher ceiling.

Admittedly, I didn't even have him in my 2nd round but after looking at the highlights, I think this guy will make for a solid backup for Zu

My unrealistic pick was Carter Bryant. He's a Spur now, which is pretty annoying.

I thought Rasheer Fleming was going to be the pick, and I was REALLY excited. I know there's some overlap with roles for Fleming and Kobe Brown. I get it, but the length is Triple J level. I liked YKN, Kobe Sanders, or Dink Pate in the 2nd. We got YKN early, so it sounds like some other teams were going to reach on him. Now, I hope we can buy another selection, trade up, or something like that to get Rasheer. My hopes are unrealistic, but it's still possible, LOL.

I still got my eyes on my former Cal Poly Mustang Kobe Sanders... and Dink Pate. We need as many big, switchable, secondary ball handlers who score at 3 levels as possible.

My question is whether Sanders can get by people at the next level.... and can Pate play under control in an NBA setting?

Optimal situation, they both can fix their own voids... and one falls to us at 51... the other ends up with us as a UDFA...

Good analysis. Fleming looks to be a good fit for Boston with the 2nd pick today. if there is any shot at all of getting him, that's who the Clips should be talking to

I've been checking on X a lot, and Dink Pate appears to be available still. I'm wondering if he fell because teams see him playing off ball, which would take away from his uniqueness. I'm still hoping for the possibility of bringing him in. I also lightly had my eye on Eric Dixon. For a UDFA, he just seems so polished. The guy has park game, like Naz Reid... maybe even better... but he doesn't quite have the Naz measurables and athletic ability.

I think more and more, the successful players... like Eric Dixon and Jacksen Moni... are overlooked for Ht/Wt/Speed guys. It's becoming more n' more NFL...

That's why I think PHX will turn things around soon. They're turning over their one way players for guys like Dillon Brooks, Jalen Bridges, Ryan Dunn, Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming. Their fans should be excited, and it makes me want to throw up. This is the kind of roster we should've been building since we got 213 in 2019.

Sam Presti practically turned it into an art. Calling guys that didn't get drafted and giving them make good contracts. It may very well have netted them a title as Lu Dort was one of those guys

My hope is that the Clips are on the horn with at least one of those guys that you mentioned. Time will tell

Props to the Suns. They are way too perimeter oriented or at least were coming into the draft. They were able to kill two birds with one stone by not only getting the best available but also need when they took Maluach and then Fleming. Front court was shored up in less than 48 hours