2025 NBA Mock Draft: 76ers' Cooper Flagg dream, Mavs replace Luka Doncic

There has never been a more consequential trade deadline in our lifetimes, which casts the 2025 NBA Draft class in an entirely new light. A lot of team-building strategies have shifted within the past week. It's a whole new world out there.

As far as the actual prospects are concerned, this remains an exceptionally strong class. Duke forward Cooper Flagg has run away with No. 1 pick odds, upgrading his skill set in ways few could've anticipated from a 17-year-old originally meant to spend this season in high school.

In addition to his titanic defensive impact, Flagg has emerged as a bonafide offensive centerpiece for the red-hot Blue Devils. His usage is through the roof, he's scoring proficiently at all three levels, and the decision-making polish is advanced well beyond most kids his age. And he was, by definition, a "kid" until less than two months ago.

At this point, the lottery is a proper race to the bottom. The 2024 draft was atypically balanced and devoid of top-end talent. There wasn't much of a difference between picking first and fifth. That is not the case this time around. The team that wins the lottery will be parading through the streets weeks in advance of the actual draft.

The talent of this class stretches well beyond Flagg, of course. Rutgers freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey continue to stake their claims as projected top-3 picks, while Flagg's own teammates, Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel, have made the most of a bright shared spotlight. VJ Edgecombe at Baylor, Kasparas Jakucionis at Illinois, Jeremiah Fears at Oklahoma — there are several productive freshmen who are impacting winning and radiating future All-Star vibes.

With that said, our virtual ping pong balls have yielded an extremely interesting lottery outcome, courtesy of Tankathon.

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock...

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2025 NBA Mock Draft: Cooper Flagg joins 76ers, Mavs attempt to replace Luka Doncic

Joel Embiid, Cooper Flagg, Paul George, Jared McCain, Tyrese Maxey. That team can win a lot of games.

This has been a nightmare season for the 76ers, stuck in injury-plagued purgatory as Paul George comes apart at the seams and Joel Embiid's knees wobble like a kite in the wind. Whether there is intent or not, Philly is tanking, and this outcome feels like the only real way to save a sinking ship. Flagg's help-side defense, connective offense, and general competitive fire would bring a much-needed spark to Philadelphia. He should scale up to stardom fairly quickly, too, perhaps giving the Sixers that multi-faceted wing hub folks expected George to be. With Embiid drawing double teams in the middle and Maxey tilting the defense with his speed, Flagg would be well-positioned for success.

Dylan Harper feels like the consensus No. 2 pick at this point, but the right scrambling of ping pong balls could vault his Rutgers teammate, Ace Bailey, to the forefront here. Portland has guards aplenty between Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe, who all feel like proper real pieces. Bailey gives the Blazers some much-needed size and versatility on the wing. At 6-foot-10, Bailey is one of the most gifted pure shot-makers to enter the NBA in a while. He needs to learn how to pass and contribute on the margins, but he's a bursty athlete with a high defensive ceiling and limitless upside if his ancillary skills ever catch up to his feather-soft jumper.

Utah gets its offensive centerpiece for the next decade. Dylan Harper is an elite rim-pressure guard who looks preternaturally comfortable generating advantages out of the pick-and-roll. He's 6-foot-6, with a deadly first step and impressive strength for finishing through contact. He can guard up a few positions on defense, he's active in passing lanes, and he's a strong positional rebounder. The chinks in his armor are few and far between.

Chicago just needs to swing for the fences here. Khaman Maluach is relatively new to basketball at 18 years old, but he's a historically dominant finisher with outlier athleticism packaged in a towering 7-foot-2 frame. Maluach navigates space well on defense and shows touch from the mid-range. He even has a couple made 3s under his belt this season. The high school tape shows flashes of face-up scoring and perimeter skill that has been muted in a small role at Duke. If Maluach puts all the pieces together, his ceiling ranks among the absolute highest in the draft.

Kasparas Jakucionis has cooled off after a rockin' start to the season, but the Illinois point guard still displays several telltale signs of future stardom. He is always composed as a ball-handler, operating to the beat of his own proverbial drum. His footwork is crisp and he can get to a deadly pull-up jumper however and whenever he wants. There are some James Harden-lite stepbacks in his repertoire that always illicit an audible 'wow.' Jakucionis processes the floor quickly at 6-foot-6 and throws dazzling passes out of the pick-and-roll. With all due respect to Jordan Poole and Bub Carrington, the Wizards need Jakucionis' playmaking chops to elevate this offense to the next level.

V.J. Edgecombe is a one-percent athlete with some of the best defensive metrics you'll find from a perimeter prospect. At 6-foot-5, the dude just phases from one spot to the next, whether he's hitting the turbo on a drive to the rim or exploding into a passing lane to generate a turnover. After a rough start to the season offensively, Edgecombe has been shooting lights out in recent weeks. He's somebody defenses need to account for on the perimeter, which opens up driving lanes. New Orleans will have quite the combination of length, athleticism, and skill around Zion Williamson with Edgecombe, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones on the wing.

Collin Murray-Boyles has improved across the board as a sophomore, essentially upping his volume and scoring diversity without sacrificing efficiency. There will be skeptics with a 6-foot-7 "big" who doesn't shoot 3s, but Murray-Boyles is a uniquely prolific finisher around the basket. He can punish mismatches in the post, or deploy a dazzling blend of strength and finesse on drives to the cup. Few players understand angles and the fundamentals of interior scoring better than CMB. Charlotte needs a crisp decision-maker who can clean up on easy buckets in the paint. Murray-Boyles does the trick.

Jeremiah Fears does not align with Masai Ujiri's philosophy of exclusively acquiring players listed 6-foot-9 or taller, but this Raptors team would benefit from a legitimate point guard who can create advantages with his speed and collapse the defense on a regular basis. Fears, still 18, has a long way to go as a decision-maker, but he's a special athlete. Quick, twitchy, and explosive, Fears has been exceptionally productive as a freshman. When he goes, the Sooners go. He has a few too many off-nights for some folks, but again, he's young. Toronto can afford to be patient.

Jase Richardson has made the most of limited touches at Michigan State, slowly but surely earning the trust of Tom Izzo. It's hard for freshmen to stand out with the Spartans, but Richardson is always making the right decision. He's an excellent shooter, a sharp drive-and-kick weapon, and a crafty interior finisher, despite a smallish frame and non-outlier athleticism. He won't light the stat sheet on fire this season, but once he's freed up for a more robust role at the next level — ideally, with a rebuilding team like Brooklyn — we should start to see Richardson's unique blend of skill and feel leading to more substantial numbers.

San Antonio officially has its franchise point guard in De'Aaron Fox, which means adding to the wing rotation is a top priority. Kon Knueppel just feels like a hand-in-glove fit for this Spurs system. He's a knockdown shooter with skill and creativity as a secondary ball-handler. He's comfortable attacking closeouts or running the occasional pick-and-roll. Knueppel won't generate his own offense much, but his strength, craft, and passing acumen are awfully appealing at 6-foot-7. He offers a high floor for a team looking to contend next season.

The Spurs selecting another center to pair with Victor Wembanyama sounds odd at first blush, but Derik Queen's upside is considerable. He has earned consideration in this range, and the Spurs could envision him as an optimal skill match for Wemby in the frontcourt. Wembanyama is attempting almost nine 3s per game while still cleaning up on lobs and offensive rebounds. Queen hasn't quite extended his shooting range out to the 3-point line yet, but he's getting there. In the meantime, his face-up driving and playmaking at 6-foot-10, 246 pounds is bound to capture NBA imaginations. There are defensive question marks, but Wemby can paper over a lot of flaws on that end.

Houston presumably envisions Reed Sheppard as the long-term successor to Fred VanVleet at point guard, so adding length and versatility on the wing is a logical move. Noah Penda has been quite impactful in a top French league, emerging as one of this draft's most versatile defenders. He racks up weak-side blocks, switches comfortably across positions, and creates events with his quick hands. He's also a nice dribble-pass-shoot role player on offense, typically making correct decisions in the flow of the offense.

Nolan Traore's draft stock has been on a roller coaster these past several months, but he's easily the most prolific playmaker on the board. Size, quickness, and basketball IQ are all considerable marks in Traore's favor. He has no trouble kickstarting fastbreaks or getting into the teeth of the defense, from which he can deliver every pass in the book (and perhaps a few not in the book yet). The scoring has been rough, however, as Traore is hitting 27.2 percent of his 3s and struggling to finish in traffic at the rim. Miami can bank on Traore's table-setting in the meantime while betting long-term on their excellent player development program.

Tre Johnson is a bucket. What else does he provide? That is the question NBA scouts will be asking in the months to come. It's hard to deny the sheer wow factor of watching Johnson nix defenders in isolation and bury contested jumpers from anywhere on the court. His handles, footwork, and shooting touch are mighty impressive. He's averaging a reasonably healthy 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio, but Johnson is not a high-volume creator for teammates, and he does not generate many rim attempts or free throws. Settling for tough jumpers will only get you so far in the NBA, so Johnson will need to expand and diversify. That said, Atlanta needs another source of offense aside from Trae Young. Tre and Trae. That's fun.

An elite shooter at 6-foot-7, Liam McNeeley's appeal is rather straightforward. He's coming from an optimal program at UConn, where his off-ball skills and connective instincts are on full display. McNeeley has proven himself to be more than a shooter, though, comfortable getting downhill, navigating pick-and-rolls, and uncorking a few impressive finishes in the paint. OKC needs to keep upping its 3-point volume around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. McNeeley is an easy plug-and-play fit for the West's best team.

Orlando has felt the keen sting of inadequate point guard play in recent weeks. Jalen Suggs has expanded his skill set in meaningful ways, but even when he's healthy, he is not the table-setter this Orlando team requires. Ben Saraf's limited 3-point success makes for a mildly off-putting fit with the Magic, who rank dead last in the NBA in that category right now. Still, Saraf is a productive 18-year-old in Germany's top league, getting to his spots with shifty handles and picking apart defenses as both a passer and a finisher. He has plus positional size, which Orlando values, and his touch inside the arc bodes well for his long-term outlook as a shooter.

Dallas traded Luka Doncic for a reason only God and Nico Harrison can fully understand, so there's a gaping void at point guard. Kyrie Irving can handle primary creation responsibilities, but the Mavs' complete lack of viable playmakers around Irving is going to be problematic. Egor Demin is not Luka Doncic, but he is a 6-foot-9 "point guard" who uncorks some of the nuttiest passes you'll ever see. The scoring has been rough around the edges, to say the least, but Demin's flashes rank among the very best in this draft. When it's working, it's working. He's a worthwhile gamble for a team in need of size and creativity on the perimeter.

Kam Jones has emerged as a legitimate superstar in his senior season with Marquette. Long one of college basketball's most effective scoring guards, Jones has now taken it upon himself to learn the tricks of the trade at point guard. He's averaging 5.9 assists to only 1.7 turnovers, in addition to his standard elite finishing at the rim, a healthy 3-point rate, and active hands on defense. Minnesota needs folks other than Anthony Edwards to create advantages and set the offense in motion. Jones pairs nicely with Rob Dillingham as long-term backcourt options for the Wolves.

Hugo Gonzalez has seen his role fluctuate all season with Real Madrid. It's always tough sledding for Euroleague teenagers. That said, the baseline appeal remains strong — he's an athletic slashing wing who defends his tail off on the other end. The Jazz need better wings, preferably ones capable of generating stops on defense and efficiently finishing plays in Will Hardy's motion offense. Gonzalez checks those simple boxes, and his red-hot motor should elevate his floor and increase his staying power at the next level.

Thomas Sorber has been a revelation for Georgetown, emerging as one of the most productive and impactful freshmen in the country. Brooklyn has a nice assortment of fringe rotation pieces in the frontcourt, but Sorber feels like a proper building block for the long haul. He's equal parts elegant and powerful in the post, with serious passing chops and a deep bag of tricks. Sorber's 6-foot-10 frame leaves him a bit undersized in certain matchups and he's not an elite athlete, but his mobility and instincts shine on defense. He's averaging 3.6 stocks while leading the Big East in rebounding. The floor is high.

Noa Essengue is a special athlete at 6-foot-9. He's also the second-youngest player in the draft. That should appeal to Indiana, whose dynamic, up-tempo offensive ecosystem can mitigate Essengue's more worrisome shortcomings. Essengue isn't particularly advanced when it comes to creating his own offense, but he can feast on lobs and backdoor cuts, sprint like a gazelle in transition, and beat closeouts with his straight-line speed. He uses his frame to its fullest potential, and the defensive ceiling is substantial — something these Pacers need to invest in.

Asa Newell has been exceptionally productive all season for UGA, despite a fairly streamlined skill set. He's a mediocre shooter and not much of a passer at the four spot, but Newell has a nose for lobs, dunker spot finishes, and offensive rebounds. He competes hard defensively, too, and should continue to find his way to easy points with the right NBA team. OKC needs more size and physicality in the frontcourt. Newell can oblige, while benefitting immensely from the Thunder's potpourri of advantage creators and high-level passers.

Johni Broome is arguably the best player in college basketball. There are understandable concerns over his lack of size or elite athleticism, but at a certain point, skill and productivity take the cake. Broome operates with great physicality and high feel. He understands how to use his body to create scoring angles in the paint and he's a legitimate playmaking hub at the elbow. Broome would excel in two-man actions with Trae Young. The Hawks need frontcourt depth with Clint Capela aging out of usefulness.

Sergio De Larrea continues to make the most of limited touches in Spain. He's shooting over 48 percent on 3s and creating for teammates at a high level, snaking through the lane with herky-jerky handles and a keen eye for passing. He will need to answer questions at the next level, primarily about his defense, but De Larrea's offensive skill level could prove uniquely valuable this late in the first round. Brooklyn may also be in the market for draft-and-stash options with four first-round picks.

The Magic need 3-point shooting and playmaking. Miles Byrd can provide both on the wing. He has emerged as a legitimate pick-and-roll creator for San Diego State, posting a 1.73 assist-to-turnover ratio while attempting six 3s per game. He's not finishing with the optimal efficiency at the rim, but Byrd's also an incredible defensive disruptor at 6-foot-7. Long, skilled, versatile wings are the name of the game for this Orlando front office.

Rasheer Fleming ranks among the very best defenders in the 2025 draft. He covers a lot of ground at 6-foot-9, netting 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He's also hitting 41.7 percent of his 3s while occupying an increasingly central role in the St. Joe's offense. Fleming is not a high-level creator, but he can score off straight-line drives or clean up on acrobatic finishes in the lane. Washington ought to get excited thinking about the combined defensive powers of Fleming, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly in the frontcourt.

Another potential draft-and-stash option for Brooklyn. Hailing from Nikola Jokic's former team, Mega Basket, Bogoljub Markovic is a rangy 6-foot-11 forward capable of hitting spot 3s, running the floor in transition, and dominating on the glass. He isn't overly physical, but the raw production in a solid European league is encouraging. The intersection of size and skill has never been more valued in the NBA. With their fourth pick, Brooklyn might as well swing for the fences.

Labaron Philon has been an incredibly polished slasher, playmaker, and defender out of the gates for Alabama. He needs to expand his shooting range and, ideally, add some mid-range pull-ups to his bag, but Philon's footwork and tempo on drives is mighty compelling. He's averaging 3.5 assists to 1.6 turnovers, with a competitive edge on defense and enough 3-point volume to express confidence in his long-term development. Boston is a great landing spot, even if playing time will be sparse out of the gate. Philon learning the ropes from Jrue Holiday and Derrick White is perfect.

Flory Bidunga has been on the upswing lately for Kansas. The high-flying freshman has only started five games so far, averaging 16.4 minutes for the season, but he's finishing 76.9 percent of his shot attempts and racking up 5.8 blocks per 100 possessions. Bidunga navigates space well on defense and should be comfortable in a variety of schemes at the next level. Phoenix, more than really any other NBA team, needs a proper defensive anchor.

Tahaad Pettiford will fight an uphill battle in the NBA — he's listed 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds — but the offensive production has been undeniable as a freshman on college basketball's best team. Pettiford is an electric pull-up shooter with plenty of ball-handling and passing craft to offset physical limitations at the next level. He's posting a 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio and holding his own on defense, averaging 1.1 steals.