2025 NBA draft lottery: Mavericks, Spurs and 76ers big winners
The Mavericks secure the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft lottery despite a 1.8% chance
They get to keep the pick!
The Philadelphia 76ers secured a top pick during the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, dispelling the worst fears among fans that the team’s lost 2024-2025 season wasn’t for nothing.
After hopes of an NBA title, the Sixers finished with the fifth worst record in the league this past season. However, there’s now hope Philly can bring in some much needed youth and athleticism to a veteran team anchored by Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.
See which pick the Sixers got:
What pick did the Sixers get?
The hearts of Sixers fans likely sank during the lottery broadcast on ESPN.
Following some confusion after ESPN’s Kevin Negandhi — a Philly fan himself — said midway through the lottery that Philadelphia would lose the pick, the Sixers secured the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft.
Who has the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft?
After the shocking midseason trade which saw the team trade star Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks were awarded the No. overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
There’s little doubt which player Dallas will select.
Who will go No. 1 overall?
There’s little doubt which player will be selected with the first pick. For months, the consensus No. 1 overall pick has been Duke freshman star Cooper Flagg.
The do-it-all young star led the Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks and shot 48.1% from the field, 38.5% on 3-pointers and 84% on free throws.
2025 NBA Draft Lottery results
- 14: San Antonio Spurs
- 13: Atlanta Hawks
- 12: Chicago Bulls
- 11: Portland Trailblazers
- 10: Houston Rockets
- 9: Toronto Raptors
- 8: Brooklyn Nets
- 7: New Orleans Pelicans
- 6: Washington Wizards
- 5: Utah Jazz
- 4: Charlotte Hornets
- 3: Philadelphia 76ers
- 2: San Antonio Spurs
- 1: Dallas Mavericks
Sixers 2025 draft picks
- No. 3
- No. 35 (second round)
Who will the Sixers draft? Top draft targets
Well, the Sixers didn’t end up with the first pick and the opportunity to draft Cooper Flagg, but they didn’t come up empty handed.
Philadelphia gets to keep its pick and moved up three spots in the draft. Here’s a look at a few of the players who they might target at No. 3:
Dylan Harper, Rutgers
- Freshman, guard, 6-6, 215, 19
- 2024-25 stats: 19.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.4 spg, 48.4% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 75% FT
The lefty stroke will remind some of Jalen Brunson, but Harper has far more size at 6-6 and tremendous length with a wingspan of 6-foot-10. Harper’s best asset at the next level might be his versatility to run point and play off the ball. In Rutgers’ lone Big Ten tournament game, Harper had 27 points (9-for-21 shooting), eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks in a double-overtime loss to Southern California.
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
- Freshman, guard-forward, 6-10, 200, 18
- 2024-25 stats: 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.3 bpg, 46% FG, 34.6% 3PT, 69.2% FT
Bailey is a hyper-athletic wing with length and size coming into a league that prioritizes players built exactly the way he is with exactly the skill set he has: an effortless and reliable shot and an attack-first mentality with an ability to finish at the rim. Needs to improve as a playmaker on the pass and free throws. But even when offense isn’t easy, he remains active on defense. He had 17 points, seven rebounds, three steals and one block in season-ending loss to USC.
VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
- Freshman, guard, 6-5, 180, 19
- 2024-25 stats: 15.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.1 spg, 43.6% FG, 34% 3PT, 78.2% FT
The Bahamian native has displayed his athleticism, has shown he can be explosive and has an elite knack for steals. He will be able to contribute at the NBA level and can be aggressive at the point of attack. The freshman is a high-level off-ball scorer but can improve when it comes to on-ball scoring. Edgecombe logged significant minutes at the end of the season. He had 16 points, six rebounds and one steal in a NCAA tournament second-round loss to Duke.
hen is the last time the Sixers picked No. 3?
The Sixers have picked No. 3 four times, including in 2014 when the team selected future MVP Joel Embiid out of Kansas. Here’s a look at Philadelphia’s other picks at three:
- Jahlil Okafor, 2015
- Jerry Stackhouse, 1995
- Charles Smith (traded to the LA Clippers for Hersey Hawkins and a 1989 first-round pick
Philadelphia also held the third pick in 2017, but traded it and a future first-round pick to the Boston Celtics to draft Markelle Fultz. The University of Washington guard mysteriously struggled with shooting and injuries after being drafted and was eventually traded to the Orlando Magic.
With the third pick in 2017, Boston took forward Jayson Tatum — a six-time NBA All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection.
USA Today NBA mock draft 2025
Check out USA Today’s latest NBA mock draft below:
- Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke
- Dylan Harper, guard, Rutgers
- Ace Bailey, guard, Rutgers
- VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
- Tre Johnson, guard, Texas
- Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma
- Kon Knueppel, guard-forwrd, Duke
- Derik Queen, center, Maryland
- Khaman Maluach, center, Duke
- Kasparas Jakucionis, guard, Illinois
- Collin Murray-Boyles, forward, South Carolina
- Jase Richardson, guard, Michigan State
- Noa Essengue, forward, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
- Egor Demin, forward, BYU
- Asa Newell, forward, Georgia
- Liam McNeeley, forward, UConn
- Nolan Traore, guard, Saint-Quentin (France)
- Carter Bryant, forward, Arizona
- Thomas Sorber, forward, Georgetown
- Danny Wolf, forward-center, Michigan
- Nique Clifford, guard, Colorado State
- Joan Beringer, forward-center, KK Cedevita (Adriatic League)
- Ben Saraf, guard, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
- Will Riley, forward, Illinois
- Rasheer Fleming, forward, Saint Joseph’s
- Walter Clayton Jr., guard, Florida
- Hugo Gonzalez, guard-forward, Real Madrid (Spain)
- Yaxel Lendeborg, forward, UAB
- Noah Penda, forward, Le Mans (France)
- Kam Jones, guard, Marquette
When is the 2025 NBA Draft?
First Round: June 25, 2025
Second Round: June 26, 2025
Jeff Zillgitt, Lorenzo Reyes, James H. Williams and USA Today Network contributed to this story.
