2025 NBA Draft Lottery: Winners, Losers, Trade Possibilities

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After a maligned past few months for Mavericks executive Nico Harrison following the Luka Doncic trade and several debilitating injuries, including Kyrie Irving’s torn ACL, the franchise defied the odds by winning the lottery with only a 1.8 percent chance.

For the second time in six years, a team that traded a star to the Lakers got the No. 1 pick in the same year. Previously, the New Orleans Pelicans traded Anthony Davis to the Lakers and landed the No. 1 pick to select Zion Williamson in 2019. Now, after trading Doncic to the Lakers, the Mavericks land the No. 1 pick to select Cooper Flagg potentially. The WNBA’s Dallas Wings also landed the No. 1 pick and selected Paige Bueckers a month ago.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks have emphasized the slogan, “Defense wins championships,” since trading Doncic. They can select Flagg, regarded as the top prospect in a deep draft class and a versatile two-way forward that fits what Dallas has preached.

Conversely, Dallas could dangle the No. 1 pick and try to trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo if he decides a change of scenery is needed while the Mavericks are in a win-now mode. However, ESPN has shot down that scenario thus far.

Looking ahead, Dallas is awaiting Irving’s decision on his nearly $43 million player option for the 2025-26 season. PJ Washington ($14.15 million) and Daniel Gafford ($14.39 million) are entering the final season of their contracts. Washington and Gafford are extension-eligible. Dwight Powell has a $4 million player option. Spencer Dinwiddie and Dante Exum are entering unrestricted free agency this summer.

Gafford is a trade candidate to monitor should he not agree to an extension with Dallas. The 26-year-old center will want a pay raise, the Mavericks already have Davis on a max contract, and 21-year-old center Dereck Lively is a year away from being extension-eligible.

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The San Antonio Spurs moved up from eighth to second and put themselves in an advantageous position.

After having consecutive Rookie of the Year selections in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, San Antonio will have a chance to add another young, impactful player.

Assuming Cooper Flagg goes to Dallas with the first pick, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper has widely been considered the second-best prospect, with fellow Rutgers forward Ace Bailey third.

San Antonio already has De’Aaron Fox and Castle in the backcourt, making a potential selection of Harper a luxury. Bailey could be the team’s small forward of the future if they go that direction, given his offensive upside.

With Wembanyama and Fox entrenched as franchise building blocks going forward and Castle coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign, the Spurs could also use the pick to dangle in trade talks to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo should he desire a change of scenery.

Following the lottery, Spurs general manager Brian Wright was asked by HoopsHype how they plan to build going forward. “We’ve got to keep adding high-level talent,” Wright replied. You look at the teams still playing, and it’s high-level talent, and then you put the complimentary pieces around them. We feel like we’ve got a great young group. Stephen just won Rookie of the Year, so we’re excited about that. To get the second pick, it adds to that.”

“When you jump into the top four, you put yourself as an organization in a place to make a really big acquisition with a really good player, and that’s what we’re going to look forward to doing,” coach Mitch Johnson also said.

While it’s too early to pinpoint which direction San Antonio will ultimately go, the Spurs have all the potential ingredients to make a blockbuster trade, including draft picks, coveted guard Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes – a proven veteran and expiring contract worth $19 million for the 2025-26 season – and young forwards Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan.

Of course, any team discussing trades with San Antonio will also likely express interest in acquiring Castle.

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The Philadelphia 76ers were a big winner at the lottery after keeping their top-six protected first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder after injuries depleted the franchise’s contending expectations this season.

76ers President Daryl Morey said he plans to keep the third overall pick, which could be Ace Bailey.

Meanwhile, 76ers lottery representative Jared McCain provided an update on his recovery following left knee surgery for a torn meniscus to HoopsHype.

“It’s going great,” McCain told HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo. “Slowly getting back. I’m not trying to rush back, of course. I’m taking my time.”

McCain added he’s done running, skipping, and jumping thus far.

Furthermore, 76ers assistant coach Bobby Jackson is a potential candidate to re-join the Sacramento Kings on Doug Christie’s staff, league sources told HoopsHype. Jackson spent six of his 12 NBA seasons in Sacramento and was an assistant in Sacramento during two previous stints.

Elsewhere on Philadelphia’s assistant coaching front, Coby Karl is not expected back, league sources told HoopsHype. Karl was previously head coach of the South Bay Lakers and Delaware Blue Coats before joining Nick Nurse’s staff in 2023.

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The Charlotte Hornets avoided the doomsday scenario of falling further than the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards by only moving back one spot in the lottery.

With LaMelo Ball at point guard, Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller at forward, and Mark Williams at center, Charlotte can add to its young core from a bevy of swingmen, including VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, or Kon Knueppel.

Heading into the offseason, Charlotte has the expiring contracts of Jusuf Nurkic ($19.38 million) and Josh Okogie ($7.75 million), who could be trade candidates to watch.

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After having the league’s worst record this season, the Utah Jazz fell to the fifth pick, the worst-case scenario.

However, as we’ve recently seen with the Detroit Pistons, who similarly experienced the same fate in 2023, you can land an impactful player and turn your franchise around.

There was a belief from some executives around the league that if Utah landed Cooper Flagg alongside Lauri Markkanen in the frontcourt, the Jazz would become more aggressive on the trade market to improve the team.

Now, that direction is unclear, and it remains to be seen what Markkanen’s future will hold as the only building block under a long-term contract. Several teams previously inquired about the availability of Markkanen before he extended with Utah in August of 2024.

Heading into the offseason, Utah is awaiting John Collins’ $26.58 million player option decision. If Collins exercises his player option, Utah will also have Collin Sexton ($19.18 million), Jordan Clarkson ($14.29 million), and KJ Martin ($8.03 million) all on expiring contracts for the 2025-26 season.

In other news, former two-time Jazz All-Star forward Carlos Boozer is with the team here at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago and is expected to join the organization as a scout, league sources told HoopsHype.

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The Washington Wizards had a tough night and fell to the sixth pick, their mathematical worst-case scenario, in what was a cruel twist of fate after rookie Bub Carrington had a buzzer-beating win at the end of the season, giving Washington the second-worst record.

With Washington projected for another lottery season, the Wizards have several potential veteran trade chips to monitor this summer with Khris Middleton – assuming he exercises his $33.35 million player option – Marcus Smart ($21.59 million), and Richaun Holmes ($13.28 million) all on expiring contracts. Malcolm Brogdon is also entering unrestricted free agency.

The veteran locker room impact Middleton, Smart, and Brogdon have brought to the Wizards has been praised internally for helping to develop the team’s young core and win games down the stretch of the season to nurture more winning habits. Holmes was also a useful backup center when he played.

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The New Orleans Pelicans fell three spots to the seventh pick in the lottery.

With a young frontcourt of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Yves Missi, guard Dejounte Murray expected to miss significant time with a torn right Achilles tendon, and CJ McCollum entering the final season of his contract at $30.67 million, will the Pelicans select a guard or the best available talent?

Despite falling in the lottery, it’s worth noting the Pelicans still control Milwaukee’s first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, which could be valuable in multi-team trade talks if Giannis Antetokounmpo desires a new situation and the Bucks enter a rebuild.

It’s also worth noting that while former executive David Griffin wanted to re-sign unrestricted free agent Bruce Brown and keep center Kelly Olynyk into next season, according to league sources, it’s unclear how new executive Joe Dumars feels about both players.

Olynyk’s stretch-five skillset and $13.45 million expiring salary for next season make him a worthwhile trade candidate.

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The Brooklyn Nets fell two spots to the No. 8 pick but have five picks overall (8, 19, 26, 27, and 36), the most cap space to utilize, and arguably the most optionality in the league this offseason.

Brooklyn has been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo if he desires a new destination heading into the offseason. Yet, rival executives question how the Nets would surround him with championship-contending talent next season, given the treasure chest of draft picks it would likely take and salaries such as Nic Claxton to make a trade happen on paper.

Others around the league have wondered if Brooklyn would dip into the restricted free agent market this summer with players such as Josh Giddey, Jonathan Kuminga, Santi Aldama, and Quentin Grimes all available.

However, the Nets are expected to make big splashes on the trade market and/or in free agency only if it helps them become a top-four team in the East next season as a contender. Locking the franchise into the sixth or seventh seed doesn’t move the collective needle for the franchise, as executive Sean Marks noted in April.

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The Toronto Raptors fell from seventh to ninth in the lottery but have historically selected well in this position several times.

“Tracy McGrady. DeMar DeRozan. Jakob Poeltl,” as Raptors executive Masai Ujiri recounted previous Raptors selections at No. 9 overall. “We’ll be fine. I guarantee you we’ll be fine.”

With a healthy Brandon Ingram in the fold for next season, Ujiri and the organization are looking for a marked improvement.

“Continue to grow as a team,” Ujiri said regarding expectations for next season. “Everybody make a jump and see. Get BI (Ingram) back healthy and see how we all gel together. I think it’ll be great.”

Toronto will have some frontcourt decisions to make this offseason first, including what to do with RJ Barrett’s future, whether to extend center Jakob Poeltl, and whether or not they’ll re-sign Chris Boucher.

As previously reported on HoopsHype, the Raptors discussed trading Barrett in trade talks for Ingram before the Pelicans went with another package.

Poeltl is owed $19.5 million for the 2025-26 season and has a player option for the same figure for the 2026-27 season. Should Poeltl not get an extension done with Toronto, a team such as the Los Angeles Lakers – who are seeking an upgrade at center – could have trade interest. Poeltl has previously signaled he’d like to get an extension done and remain a Raptor, if possible, and Ujiri called him a “backbone” during his exit media availability.

Boucher, the longest-tenured Raptor, is valued and well-liked by many in Toronto’s organization. The question is if Ujiri wants to see more of what Jonathan Mogbo and Jamison Battle can do with more minutes, a scenario he also alluded to during his exit media availability.

With all this in mind, a rookie big man such as Derik Queen could make sense for Toronto.

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The Houston Rockets have been one of the most prominent teams linked to star players in trades, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, due to their bevy of future draft picks, young assets, and tradeable contracts.

With that in mind, It’s worth noting that Houston pushed back Fred VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option for the 2025-26 season to June 29, as ESPN first reported.

“I put my heart and soul into this, and this is where I want to be,” VanVleet said. “It’s definitely a family situation. I’ve got a lot of love for our coaching staff, Rafael (Stone), the Fertitta family, and what we set out to do when I had my free agent meeting two years ago, and we’re on that track. It was never a short-term vision. It was a long-term goal. We’re on track. We’re on schedule.”

Rockets management and coach Ime Udoka would welcome VanVleet’s return.

“I think both sides want to be here and want him here,” Udoka said. “He’s a huge part of our growth. I love everything he’s done. Perfect combo of on-and-off ball for our guards and young guys to grow. I’d love to have him back, and I think the feeling’s mutual.”

Pushing back VanVleet’s decision date gives Houston more time to gauge the potential trade market for Antetokounmpo, Durant, etc., while figuring out the rest of their roster construction and possible contract scenarios to re-sign VanVleet.

Theoretically, if Houston can pry Antetokounmpo in a trade from Milwaukee and Alperen Sengun is included, for example, could Antetokounmpo’s fellow Bucks frontcourt teammate Brook Lopez make sense as a possible target for the Rockets in free agency?

Previously, Lopez nearly signed with the Rockets as a free agent before the Bucks upped their offer significantly to re-sign him. In the hypothetical scenario outlined above, Lopez could theoretically make sense around the mid-level exception if Houston acquires Antetokounmpo and Sengun is shipped out in a trade.

Rockets executive Rafael Stone also mentioned that bringing back veteran center Steven Adams would be an offseason priority for the front office.

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After a 15-game improvement in the win column from the prior season, the Portland Trail Blazers extended executive Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups.

Another extension could get done for a core young player this offseason.

The Trail Blazers and former No. 7 overall pick Shaedon Sharpe are expected to have contract extension talks this offseason, league sources told HoopsHype.

The 21-year-old guard averaged 19.8 points in 52 games started this season. Overall, Sharpe appeared in 72 games this season.

In addition, Matisse Thybulle has an $11.55 million player option for the 2025-26 season.

Looking ahead, Portland will have several other big decisions with their roster, with Deandre Ayton ($35.55 million), Anfernee Simons ($27.68 million), and Robert Williams ($13.29 million) all entering the final season of their contracts.

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As the Chicago Bulls left the lottery with the 12th pick, an offseason with several items can take shape as the team looks ahead to a potential boatload of cap space in the summer of 2026 on the horizon.

The belief around the league is Bulls restricted free agent guard Josh Giddey hopes to command a similar five-year, $150 million deal to Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs and earn roughly $30 million annually or more.

Giddey finished the season strong to put himself in the best position to achieve his free-agent goal, averaging 21.2 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 45.7 percent from beyond the arc with 10.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 1.5 steals over his final 19 games played.

Center Nikola Vucevic, who ideally wants to win now, is set to enter the final season of his deal worth $21.48 million and, after drawing trade interest, most notably from the Warriors, is expected to come up again in trade talks this summer.

Fellow Bulls center Zach Collins is on an expiring $18.08 million deal entering next season.

Thus, one potential draft prospect who could be a fit for the Bulls and is worth keeping an eye on is Maryland center Derik Queen.

In addition, Bulls starting guard Coby White is also entering the final year of his contract at $12.89 million and is putting himself in a good position for a pay raise while averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds over the past two seasons combined.

Fellow Bulls guard Kevin Huerter is entering the final year of his deal at $18 million and drew interest from the Utah Jazz in trade talks after initially being acquired by Chicago shortly before the trade deadline, league sources told HoopsHype.

Ayo Dosunmu is, you guessed it, another Bulls guard entering the final year of his deal worth $7.52 million.

Chicago’s 25-year-old point guard Tre Jones is expected to draw interest on the free agent market this summer after averaging 11.5 points on 57 percent shooting, 4.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 18 games, including nine starts, after joining the Bulls just before the trade deadline this season.

Lastly, the Bulls await Jevon Carter’s $6.81 million player option decision for the 2025-26 season.

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Atlanta’s offseason outlook is unclear as the Hawks continue to go through the search process for a potential president over current general manager Onsi Saleh.

Extension talks with four-time All-Star Trae Young loom this summer.

Before the departure of Landry Fields, the expectation was Clint Capela would likely move on this summer in free agency, and the organization wanted to re-sign Caris LeVert and Larry Nance Jr. 

After a decision on a potential president, the organization can move forward with its roster decisions.

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While HoopsHype touched on the possibility of the Spurs trading one or both of their lottery picks in the story above, coach Mitch Johnson also looked forward to possibly adding two talented young players to develop.

“We were excited about having two lottery picks in this draft,” Johnson said following the NBA Draft Lottery. “It’s a deep draft. There are a lot of good players. There are a lot of dynamic and versatile types of players.”

You can follow Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) on X, formerly known as Twitter.