NBA mock draft 2025: Pre-lottery update with changes inside top-10

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and it’s putting a spotlight on the types of players teams need to win in the postseason. There’s a marked change in the way the game is played and officiated from the regular season to the playoffs, and it can help inform which prospects should be valued as the 2025 NBA Draft approaches.

What do you need to win in the playoffs? No ‘weak links’ that can be targeted defensively is a good place to start. Players need to be complementary fits on offense, too, that usually includes shooting, rebounding, and an ability to move the ball as a passer while avoiding turnovers. Creation remains king, and it’s harder than ever in the physical halfcourt settings of the playoffs.

The lottery standings are locked in. The final draft order will be decided on Monday, May 12, with the winner earning the rights to Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. Flagg is the only sure-thing in this class as one of the strongest American-born prospects in enter the league in the last 20 years. Flagg feels like the only lock to be a true star from this draft class, but there are plenty of other players with a chance to get there.

This draft class is full of high ceiling, low floor prospects, which makes fit more important than ever. Here’s our final 2025 NBA mock draft before the lottery, with words after the table about players and potential fits that could surprise on draft night.

Here are three players who have moved up inside the top-10 since our last mock draft:

• Duke guard Kon Knueppel moved from No. 7 to No. 4
• Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears moved from No. 10 to No. 7
• South Carolina forward Collin-Murray Boyles moved from No. 12 to No. 10

Let’s do some quick hits on every lottery pick.

1. Utah Jazz – Cooper Flagg: I don’t think it’s a stretch to call Flagg a generational talent. He had elite production at Duke despite being the youngest player in this draft class, and he also has the physical tools, feel, and motor for greatness. There’s a big drop-off between Flagg and any other player in this class.
2. Washington Wizards – Dylan Harper: Harper has been the consensus No. 2 player in this class since early in the season. He’s a big guard who is great at getting downhill, and put up incredible finishing numbers (70 percent finishing at the rim) without explosive athleticism. Harper is a solid playmaker, but he feels more like a scorer than a facilitator to me. His shooting will be his major swing skill after going only 50-of-150 from three-point range as a freshman, but I’m optimistic there.
3. Charlotte Hornets – VJ Edgecombe: Edgecombe will be a polarizing prospect. He’s the draft’s best pure athlete, but he’s also small for an NBA off-guard (6’4 with a 6’6 wingspan) and he needs to develop so much more craft attacking the basket. I like the fit in Charlotte, where the Baylor freshman could space the floor as a solid spot-up shooter, and provide some turnover creation defensively next to LaMelo Ball.
4. New Orleans Pelicans – Kon Knueppel: Knueppel is the biggest riser in this mock draft (he was No. 7 in our last mock). While it might be a surprise to see him go before Ace Bailey, Knueppel just feels like a particularly good fit in New Orleans if new GM Joe Dumars keeps the roster mostly in-tact. The Duke freshman is an elite shooter who can rip threes off movement and also flip in tough shots off-balance inside the arc. His length and athleticism are certainly below-average for a top-5 pick, but he’s so skilled offensively both on- and off-the-ball that he’d slide in very nicely next to Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones.
5. Philadelphia 76ers – Ace Bailey: Bailey is a tremendous physical talent as a 6’10 wing with length, athletic explosiveness, and shot-making ability. He has a long way to go with both his skill level and his feel for the game on both ends, but he has plenty of time as a player who doesn’t turn 19 years old until the middle of Aug. Bailey feels as fit dependent as any prospect in the class, needing to go to an organization that will reinforce positive habits and encourage him to play within a team structure. He should have a high floor as a huge wing who can space the floor and recover defensively with his tools. That certainly isn’t the role he played on Rutgers when he was far too isolation and pull-up happy as a scorer, but he still has the gifts to be a solid NBA player.
6. Brooklyn Nets – Khaman Maluach: Maluach is a gigantic center who already proven to be impactful at the highest levels of college basketball despite only picking up the game in 2019. His combination of length (9’9 standing reach) and mobility gives him a sky-high ceiling if the rest of his game can continue to develop. On offense, Maluach was a super-efficient scorer (73.6 percent true shooting) mostly on rolls to the rim, but he’s also shown some touch as a shooter (76.6 percent from the foul line) and should shoot threes eventually. Maluach’s size is a major deterrent defensively even with some concerns about his positioning and motor. The Duke freshman would ideally be paired with an elite facilitator who can get him the ball, which the Nets don’t have yet. Still, Maluach is an enticing high-upside bet whose size and burgeoning skill are hard to look past.
7. Toronto Raptors – Jeremiah Fears: It feels like Fears has star upside if everything comes together. The Oklahoma guard can get wherever he wants on the floor with the best handle in the class and the speed to burn defenders off the bounce. He drew fouls at a high-level in the toughest conference in the country while being one of the youngest freshmen in DI (he won’t turn 19 until Oct.). He flashed easy shooting range from beyond the NBA line with 16 made threes beyond 25-feet, and he cleared the defensive statistical thresholds (3.1 percent steal rate) for athleticism. So what’s the catch? Well, Fears shot 28.4 percent from three while looking particularly rough on pull-ups, while also finishing only 53 percent of his opportunities at the rim. He needs to get a lot stronger physically, and he needs to cut the turnovers way down (6.5 per 100 possessions). With only average size for an NBA guard, Fears still needs plenty of skill refinement, but he does some things that just can’t be taught.
8. San Antonio Spurs – Derik Queen: Queen flashed star upside with rare creation ability for a big man during his freshman season at Maryland. Queen is quick, crafty, and strong in tight spaces, finding openings in the defense to finish with touch or draw a foul. He’ll be a factor on the offensive glass, and he has a good foundation to keep growing as a playmaker with the ability to throw passes with either hand. Queen’s star traits have to come to fruition, because he doesn’t really have a role player’s skill set. He’s not a very good defender with limited size (6’10 with 7’1 wingspan) and explosiveness for an NBA center while not always playing with a high motor. He also isn’t a reliable floor spacer yet after hitting only seven three-pointers as a freshman. The Spurs are the best possible landing spot for him, where Victor Wembanyama could protector the rim and space the floor for Queen’s drives.
9. Houston Rockets – Tre Johnson: The SEC was the toughest conference in the country, and Johnson led it in scoring as a true freshman. The 6’6 Texas guard can stockpile buckets in a hurry with an elite jump shot that has both the range and versatility to translate to the NBA. Johnson hit about 40 percent of his threes on high volume while also hitting 87 percent of his free throws, making him the best shooting bet in the class along with Kneuppel. Johnson is much more wired to score than make plays for his teammates, which can lead him to some bad shots. His defensive impact isn’t notable at this stage, and his frame/explosiveness is only average for an NBA wing. Still, this would be a major talent addition for the Rockets and could potentially make Jalen Green expendable.
10. Portland Trail Blazers – Collin Murray-Boyles: Murray-Boyles has a case as the best defensive prospect in the class as a strong-and-long 6’7 big man with sharp hands and tremendous instincts. Murray-Boyles can hold up in the post with a low center of gravity, and he can contest shots with his 7’2 wingspan. He brings a level of IQ and physicality that is hard to find on both ends of the floor. Murray-Boyles’ offense is a bigger question mark without a reliable jump shot yet, but he’s a really good short-roll passer and an opportunistic contributor on cuts and offensive rebounds. The Blazers ideally want some shooting with this pick, but Murray-Boyles could help them form a tough defensive identity alongside Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan.
11. Dallas Mavericks – Jase Richardson: Richardson immediately emerged as Michigan State’s best player as soon as he started getting real playing time midway through the season. While he’s a bit undersized for an NBA guard, Richardson is an elite shooter and high-IQ decision-maker who rarely turned the ball over. He doesn’t look like an explosive athlete at first blush, but his flexibility and touch helped him finish 69 percent of his looks around the rim despite his lack of size. How he scales up in an offense is a question mark after his low usage role in college, but Richardson’s ability to find and punish openings in the defense makes him a worthy lottery pick.
12. Chicago Bulls – Noa Essengue: Essengue is a huge and athletic French forward (6’9, 9’3 standing reach) who is already putting up impressive numbers in the German pro league as the second youngest player in this draft class (he’s three days older than Flagg). He plays a high energy game finding scoring opportunities on cuts and mismatch driving opportunities while running the floor hard in transition. His 62 percent true shooting in a low usage, play-finishing role is extremely impressive for such a young player in a pro league, and his defensive ability feels even better than his offense right now. Essengue is a switchable defender who can stay with smaller ball handlers for a couple seconds while also walling up at the rim. He is not a reliable outside shooter yet (27.6 percent from three) and doesn’t see the floor well as a passer, but his size, athleticism, and production are strong indicators for his future.
13. Atlanta Hawks – Carter Bryant: Bryant is a quick-twitch athlete with ideal size for a wing at 6’8, 225 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan. He leveraged his tools into immediate defensive impact as a freshman at Arizona, posting 5.8 percent block rate, 2.8 percent steal rate, and 17.8 percent defensive rebound rate, which are all impressive numbers. On offense, Carter showed he can space the floor by hitting 37 percent of 105 attempts from three-point territory. He is not particularly skilled with the ball in his hands and is best suited for a low-usage offensive role right now. This would be a continuation of the Hawks’ plan of putting big athletes around Trae Young … if new GM Onsi Saleh doesn’t decide to trade his star guard this summer.
14. San Antonio Spurs – Asa Newell: Newell is a big forward (6’9 with a 7-foot wingspan) who can jump out of the gym, but is still learning how to leverage his tools on both ends of the floor. Newell has an easy translation as a play-finisher after hammering home 57 dunks and shooting 73 percent at the rim as a freshman at Georgia. His three-point stroke looks projectable after making 29.2 percent on 89 attempts to go with a 75 percent mark from the foul line. Newell is a bit caught between positions and isn’t much of a passer yet, but he could find his way into tons of easy buckets playing with an elite facilitator. I’ll admit Newell would be a bit of odd choice for the Spurs after taking Derik Queen with their first selection, but he’s a clear lottery talent in this class in a vacuum.

NBA Draft 2025 lottery odds, explained

Find a full breakdown of the lottery odds at Tankathon.

NBA Draft 2025 lottery drawing date and time

Date: Monday, May 12, 2025

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Streaming: Watch ESPN

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