The player pool for the 2025 NBA draft received quite the shake-up as several prospects elected to return to college. Fewer players than usual were even testing the waters as NIL deals make the rush to pro basketball less urgent, and many of those (even potential first-rounders) elected to withdraw from the draft ahead of Wednesday’s NCAA deadline. The thinning of the pool has made this draft, especially in the second round, a bit more unpredictable, but it hasn’t caused much consternation in NBA circles, where teams are largely happy to let prospects get older and more game-ready before they turn pro. It has, however, provided opportunities for older prospects who stayed in the draft to creep into more serious consideration in the back end of the first round.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s updated mock draft with the latest buzz ahead of this month’s draft.
No drama is expected here. Flagg is the no-brainer choice at No. 1 in this draft, a potential franchise-changing add for Dallas after winning the draft lottery in May. ESPN has already reported Dallas has no plans of trading the pick and plans to select Flagg.
San Antonio continues to be the subject of trade rumors as it looks to add talent around Victor Wembanyama, but Harper seems to have separated himself as the clear No. 2 prospect on the board and the likely choice assuming San Antonio stays here. He’d join an exciting young backcourt with De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
Things really get interesting starting at No. 3, where Philadelphia has to balance a potential rare chance at a star upside swing through the draft with trying to surround Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with win-now pieces. Bailey’s the most talented player on the board and will get penciled in for now, but guards like VJ Edgecombe and Tre Johnson could earn consideration as could trade options for veterans.
Edgecombe is a logical fit with Charlotte’s young core that also features LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams. He’s an elite athlete with high-level defensive upside whose big swing skill is whether he’s a consistent outside shooter.
Johnson is the most dynamic scorer left on the board and has elite shooting potential. Utah obviously would have preferred a shot at Flagg or Harper after a miserable season but can add another building block here and shift focus to a loaded top of the 2026 draft class.
There will be plenty of speculation about Washington keeping the Baltimore native and Maryland product home. This is likely near the top of Queen’s draft range especially after he tested poorly at the combine, but there’s some logic to the fit here pairing Queen with Alex Sarr as the frontcourt of the future.
The Pelicans are in the market for a lead guard of the future and have a few options here. Fears is an intriguing option after leading Oklahoma to the NCAA tournament as an 18-year-old freshman. His three-point shot hasn’t always been consistent but he’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands.
Knueppel’s shooting ability is what put him on draft boards, but his all-around floor game is what makes him a top-10 pick. He should add a ton of value with his feel for the game, ability to pass and winning traits despite his limited athletic profile.
Maluach is an upside swing thanks to his elite physical tools, but the floor is high enough because of his ability to protect the rim for a team like Toronto that wants to push for the playoffs to draft him. If he hits, it’s easy to see a world where he returns top-three value in this class.
The analytically inclined Rockets front office could be the right landing spot for Murray-Boyles, a darling of many front office models with a funky skill set as an undersized frontcourt player with high feel and elite defensive chops. Him returning top-10 value likely requires a belief in his three-point shooting long-term.
Portland could go a number of different ways with young pieces basically at every position, but Demin is a logical target as a jumbo playmaker who can exist next to the Blazers’ score-first guards. He measured well in Chicago and has among the best passing chops in this class.
This would be a bit of a draft-day slide for Jakucionis, but the Bulls would be happy to land the Illinois product given his playmaking ability and off-dribble shooting flashes. Turnovers have been a concern, but for a Bulls team far from true contention to land a player with Jakucionis’s upside would be a win.
Targeting a center could make sense for Atlanta with Clint Capela entering free agency. This is likely near the top of Sorber’s realistic range, but it’s easy to fall in love with his two-way capabilities combined with his hawking wingspan at 7′ 6″.
Bryant is a potential lottery pick despite limited statistical production at Arizona, with NBA teams intrigued by his size, shooting ability and defensive potential. He’d be a logical fit in San Antonio as a potential elite role player around high-usage guys like Wembanyama and Fox.
Essengue is one of the younger players in this class, but has shown considerable promise of late. There isn’t a clear path to early minutes in OKC, but the Thunder could target a young upside swing like this to earn regular G League minutes and develop.
While Richardson isn’t toolsy or especially explosive, he is a hyper-efficient scorer who could carve out a role on a Magic team that needs an offensive boost. He earned some lottery buzz late in the college season but now looks like a safer bet to go in the teens.
Clifford’s end-of-season explosion for Colorado State solidified him as a likely first-rounder, and he’s an easy plug-and-play option for a number of teams in the latter half of the first round. Clifford averaged better than 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game this season.
This would be a worthwhile swing for the fences in the late teens for Washington. Riley’s scoring chops are hard to find anywhere in this draft, but he has a capable floor despite his wiry frame because if nothing else, he’s a guy I trust to blossom into a big-time shooter.
Beringer is the most talented shot blocker other than Maluach in this class. It may take a while before he’s consistently impacting NBA games, but with four first-round picks, the Nets have the ability to be patient.
Once considered a potential top-five pick, Traore being on the board at No. 20 would be a bit of a surprise but seems within the range of outcomes. Adding a guard capable of pressuring the rim the way Traore does would be a win for the Heat this late in the first round.
Newell’s incredibly productive freshman season at Georgia solidified him as a first-rounder in this class. His NBA ceiling is largely reliant on developing as an outside shooter, but he showed flashes there in his lone SEC season and can add value in other ways in the meantime as a rebounder and finisher.
After adding a young big earlier, McNeeley would give the Hawks a competitive wing with 3-and-D potential with their second first-rounder. His shooting pedigree indicates he’s a far better shooter than the 32% he shot at UConn, which was impacted by a midseason ankle injury.
Coward’s journey from Division III to a projected first-rounder is a remarkable one, and he has teams all throughout the first round interested despite playing just seven games this season at Washington State. He possesses elite physical tools with a 7′ 2″ wingspan and an impressive shooting stroke. He could be a plug-and-play option in the rotation for Indiana while still possessing some upside to keep developing as a late bloomer.
Oklahoma City’s roster crunch gets even more difficult for their second first-rounder, so don’t be surprised if we see movement with at least one of their picks. Penda is the type of high-feel role player contenders like the Thunder are likely to value in the 20s.
Raynaud was among the standouts from the scrimmages at the combine, boosting his stock by showing off his elite offensive skill set. Raynaud could add value for Orlando as a floor-spacing big that could open up the floor for stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
One of the most impressive prospects from a physical standpoint in this class is Fleming, with a chiseled 6′ 8″ frame and a 7′ 5″ wingspan and the ability to stretch the floor from beyond the arc. He’s well worth the investment for a Nets organization with the most first-round picks of any team this year.
Gonzalez’s inability to earn consistent minutes at Real Madrid has pushed his stock into more shaky territory after once being considered the top European prospect in this class. His consistent motor and positional size should keep him firmly in the first-round conversation.
Saraf’s a younger prospect who may be a bit further from making an impact in key games, but his scoring upside is unquestionable. This might be a worthy dice roll for Boston, especially with Jayson Tatum likely sidelined for all of the 2025–26 season.
Plug-and-play rotation pieces on controllable contracts are like gold to the Suns, so getting Clayton at No. 29 would be huge. The Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player is among this draft’s best shotmakers.
Expect the Clippers to hunt plug-and-play big man options, which could include Kalkbrenner, Johni Broome or Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Kalkbrenner may have the cleanest translation into NBA games as a vertical threat on both ends who has consistently improved throughout his five-year college career.
