2025 NBA Mock Draft: Cooper Flagg Locked & #1, Can Alex Karaban Creep Into The Lottery?

The embers of excitement from the 2024 NBA Draft may have cooled, but the insatiable hunger for fresh talent never truly fades within the NBA world. While the 2024 class may not have boasted the usual abundance of elite prospects, whispers of a potentially transformative crop in 2025 are already stirring anticipation. To quench this growing thirst for future stars, let’s embark on an NBA mock draft expedition for the 2025 Draft.

It’s paramount to acknowledge that the official draft order remains shrouded in the nebulousness of the regular season. To construct this mock draft, we’ll utilize the current NBA Championship odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook. However, it’s critical to remember that the NBA employs a Draft Lottery system, a mechanism that injects a layer of unpredictability. That means the final team standings don’t translate directly into draft order.

Let’s delve into the captivating intricacies of the NBA Draft Lottery, then go through another mock draft.

How Does the NBA Draft Lottery Work

Following the conclusion of the season, the NBA uses a lottery sź¦æystem to decide the first 14 picks in the draft order.

Before we look at the draft order, here’s how the NBA Draft Lottery system works:

  • Eligible Teams: The 14 teams that do not qualify for the NBA playoffs are eligible to participate in the draft lottery. This includes teams that make the Play-In Tournament but don’t advance past the Play-In Tournament.
  • NBA Draft Lottery Odds: The teams with the worst records have higher chances of winning a top pick. The teams with the three worst records have the highest chance ā€“ a 14% chance ā€“ while the odds incrementally decrease for teams with better records among the non-playoff teams.
  • Ping Pong Balls: Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 will be placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams. Those three with the highest odds will be given 140 combinations each ā€“ aka the most combinations.
  • Lottery Drawing: Finally, drawings are conducted for the first four picks of the NBA Draft. The remaining non-playoff teams are then ordered based on their regular-season records, with the team with the worst record picking fifth, followed by the team with the next worst record, and so on.
  • Also, the NBA shares the footage of the lottery drawing after each draft. You can watch the 2023 procedure .

    Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

    2025 NBA Mock Draft

    1. Detroit Pistons: Cooper Flagg – F – Duke – 17 Years Old
    2. Washington Wizards: Dylan Harper – G – Rutgers – 17 Years Old
    3. Charlotte Hornets: Ace Bailey – G/F – Rutgers – 17 Years Old
    4. Portland Trail Blazers: Nolan Traore – G – France – 18 Years Old
    5. Brooklyn Nets: Liam McNeeley – G/F – UConn – 18 Years Old
    6. Toronto Raptors: Khaman Maluach – C – Duke – 17 Years Old
    7. Utah Jazz: VJ Edgecombe – G – Baylor – 18 Years Old
    8. Chicago Bulls: Jalil Bethea – G – Miami – 18 Years Old
    9. San Antonio Spurs: Hugo Gonzalez – F – Spain – 18 Years Old
    10. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL): Tre Johnson – G – Texas – 18 Years old
    11. Houston Rockets: Egor Demin – G – BYU – 18 Years Old
    12. Orlando Magic: Noa Essengue – F – Germany – 17 Years Old
    13. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC): Michael Ruzic – F – Spain – 17 Years Old
    14. New Orleans Pelicans: Drake Powell – G/F – North Carolina – 18 Years old
    15. Indiana Pacers: Kwame Evans – F – Oregon – 19 Years Old
    16. Memphis Grizzlies: Kanaan Carlyle – G – Indiana – 19 Years Old
    17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA): Hunter Sallis – G – Wake Forest – 21 Years Old
    18. Utah Jazz (via CLE): Derrion Reid – F – Alabama – 18 Years Old
    19. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): Carter Bryant – F – Arizona – 18 Years Old
    20. Houston Rockets (via PHX): Alex Karaban – F – UConn – 21 Years Old
    21. Golden State Warriors: Kasparas Jakucionis – G – Illinois – 18 Years Old
    22. New Orleans Pelicans (via LAL): Elliott Cadeau – G – North Carolina – 19 Years Old
    23. Philadelphia 76ers: Kon Knueppel – G/F – Duke – 18 Years Old
    24. Dallas Mavericks: Ian Jackson – G – North Carolina – 19 Years Old
    25. Brooklyn Nets (via MIL): Donovan Freeman – F – Syracuse – 18 Years Old
    26. Utah Jazz (via MIN): Tyrese Proctor – G – Duke – 20 Years Old
    27. Brooklyn Nets (via NYK): Adou Thiero – F – Arkansas – 20 Years Old
    28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Rocco Zikarsky – C – Australia – 17 Years Old
    29. Orlando Magic (via DEN): KJ Lewis – G – Arizona – 19 Years Old
    30. Boston Celtics: Collin Murray-Boyles – F/C – South Carolina – 19 Years Old

    2025 NBA Mock Draft
    Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

    written by

    Matt is from the Chicagoland area and has been working in Chicago sports since 2015 with stops at WGN Radio, the Chicago Blackhawks, Stadium, and NBC Sports Chicago prior to ļ·ŗlanding at Betsperts. Matt covers just about everything for Betsperts and Bleacher Nation but focuses on the NHL and college football.

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