The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday was not short on surprises. While we didn't get the blockbuster trades many pundits floated, such as Jaylen Brown or Derrick White, there was plenty of movement across the board, including more than a few unexpected picks throughout the second half of the evening.
We need not look further than Portland selecting China's Hansen Yang, a projected second-round pick, 16th overall. Or what about Brooklyn taking four subpar shooting point guards with their five picks? Then there was New Orleans, trading away an unprotected 2026 first-round pick — one of the best assets in basketball — to move up from No. 23 to No. 13 to select Derik Queen, a player with similar conditioning concerns to Zion Williamson, whose on-court fit is questionable as well.
Odds are there won't be as much excitement in tonight's second round, as most of the high-profile names are off the board, but there will still be plenty of trade movement. We've already seen the Lakers trade up from No. 55 to No. 45 with Chicago, while the Suns dealt second-round picks to acquire Minnesota's selection at No. 31.
As the second round unfolds, here are live breakdowns and grades for all 29 picks. You can also check out the FanSided big board to see the best available prospects and a full top 100 ranking. Our grades for last night's first round can be found here.
FanSided's NBA Draft Central has you covered from every angle with the latest mock drafts, rankings, detailed notes on every top prospect and more.
NBA Draft live grades for all 29 second round picks
31. Phoenix Suns — Rasheer Fleming, F, St. Joseph's (Jr.)
Phoenix aggressively maneuvered up the board to acquire the first pick in the second round. That lands them Rasheer Fleming of St. Joe's, an athletic 3-and-D forward with a gaping 7-foot-5 wingspan and incredible lateral agility. Between him and Khaman Maluach, Phoenix has substantially improved its defensive foundation.
Grade: A-
32. Orlando Magic — Noah Penda, F, France (2005)
Orlando gave up four second-round picks in total to move up and select Noah Penda, the No. 17 prospect on FanSided's board. He's such a Magic prospect — a tall, strong wing who guards all over the floor and connects dots with his passing on offense. He needs to work on his 3-point shot, but the defensive impact compares with the very best players in this draft and he's an incredibly smart role player.
Grade: A
33. Charlotte Hornets — Sion James, F, Duke (Sr.)
Charlotte pairs Sion James with his Duke teammate Kon Knueppel right down the road in Charlotte. He's a sturdy, voracious wing defender who can hit spot-up 3s, hit downhill and deliver timely passes in the flow of the offense. This is another solid, win-now piece for a Hornets team in need of solid, dependable players.
Grade: B
34. Charlotte Hornets — Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (Sr.)
This is a total home run for Charlotte after the Mark Williams trade. With wide-open minutes in the frontcourt, the Hornets need a defensive anchor. Kalkbrenner is one of the best rim protectors in college basketball — a four-time Big East DPOY. He can also space the floor, finish everything at the rim and make some sharp passing reads in the post. He is a first round talent at a position of need.
Grade: A+
35. Philadelphia 76ers — Johni Broome, C, Auburn (Sr.)
After a dominant senior season at Auburn, Johni Broome — the Wooden Award runner-up behind Cooper Flagg — lands in Philadelphia, where he can potentially earn backup center minutes behind Joel Embiid. Broome's athletic limitations are a concern, but he plays so damn hard and he's an incredibly instinctual defender. Offensively, he can space the floor, attack slower bigs in space, and pummel mismatches in the paint. Great pick for Philly.
Grade: A
36. Los Angeles Lakers — Adou Thiero, F, Arkansas (Jr.)
Adou Therio was the highest-ranked player on the FanSided board (No. 16) going into the second round. He's a major athlete with long arms, a broad-shouldered frame and incredible burst. He can self-create on drives. The passing and shooting needs to progress, but Thiero's ability to pressure the rim and draw fouls is a huge boon. He's also a monster on defense, he crashes the glass — this is incredible value for L.A.
Grade: A+
37. Detroit Pistons — Chaz Lanier, G, Tennessee (Sr.)
Detroit's sudden ascent last season correlated directly with the front office's focus on adding shooters around Cade Cunningham. Chaz Lanier is another one, with plus athleticism and a gaping 6-foot-9 wingspan to boot. He's limited as a ball-handler and playmaker, but Lanier will fill it up from long range and compete on defense. There were better prospects on the board but this is a reasonable pairing of team and archetype.
Grade: B
38. Indiana Pacers — Kam Jones, G, Marquette (Sr.)
With Tyrese Haliburton out for the upcoming season, Indiana adds backcourt depth with Kam Jones — a first round talent. Jones made massive strides as a senior at Marquette, taking on full-time point guard duties in addition to his prolific slashing and high-volume perimeter shooting. There aren't too many holes here. He feels like a solid, potential day-one rotation piece.
Grade: A+
39. Toronto Raptors — Alijah Martin, G, Florida (Sr.)
Alijah Martin is a 6-foot-3 guard with limited handles, but he's a major athlete and the ultimate competitor. He flies all over the floor defensively, crashes the glass with reckless abandon and makes himself available for backdoor finishes. With solid shooting, he should operate well off of Toronto's gaggle of playmaking wings.
Grade: A-
40. New Orleans Pelicans — Micah Peavy, F, Georgetown (Sr.)
New Orleans opts for defensive toughness on the wing with Micah Peavy. There are concerns about his 3-point shot despite a spike in efficiency as a senior, but he's a slick slasher and connective passer who will set the tone with his on-ball defense. New Orleans needs defenders to surround Zion, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who all have glaring holes on that end.
Grade: B
41. Phoenix Suns — Koby Brea, F, Kentucky (Sr.)
Phoenix is starved for depth right now. Koby Brea feels like a potential day-one contributor. He was arguably the best shooter in college basketball last season. It's unclear if Brea's athleticism will hold up defensively in the NBA, but Brea will bomb 3s with unfettered confidence and render strong off-ball decisions offensively.
Grade: A-
42. Sacramento Kings — Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford (Sr.)
Hm. This is great value in a vacuum, but the fit is... questionable. Sacramento needs a big who can space the floor, sure, but the Kings also need a viable, versatile rim protector to insulate Domantas Sabonis. That's probably thinking a little too big for a second-round pick, though. He's 7-foot-1, he shoots a high volume of 3s, and he's an ambitious passing off of drives or at the elbow. This is solid.
Grade: A-
43. Washington Wizards — Jamir Watkins, F, Florida State (Jr.)
Another extremely Wizards-coded selection, in the same vein as first-round pick Will Riley. Watkins has exceptional length and versatility on defense. He's a slick ball-handler and driver, although concerns persist around his 3-point shooting. The Wizards have the open minutes to get Watkins on the floor and let him test the limits of his skill set. The overlap between him, Riley, Kyshawn George and others in the DC roster is notable, though.
Grade: B+
44. Oklahoma City Thunder — Brook Barnhizer, G, Northwestern (Sr.)
Very OKC pick. Brook Barnhizer is a big guard with a deep ball-handling package and a heads-up playmaking gene. He also competes like hell on defense. OKC loves long, skilled players who can dribble, pass, shoot and defend — four boxes that are harder to check in unison than it sounds. Barnhizer's shooting needs work, but he can come along slowly, most likely on a two-way contract for the Thunder.
Grade: B
45. Minnesota Timberwolves — Rocco Zikarsky, C, Australia (2006)
Solid value, and Rocco Zikarsky couldn't ask for a better stylistic mentor than Rudy Gobert. That said, the Wolves also used their first-round pick on Joan Beringer and there's presumably a desire to bring back Naz Ried. Minnesota can put Zikarsky and Beringer on the back burner as developmental projects with high defensive ceilings, but this feels a little redudant.
Grade: C+
46. Boston Celtics — Amari Williams, C, Kentucky (Sr.)
A second Kentucky product comes off the board to Boston. The Celtics need frontcourt depth after trading Kristaps Porzingis and with Al Horford hitting free agency. Williams has a bit of Horford to his game, comfortable facilitating from the post or delivering pinpoint passes on the short roll. He's also a long, imposing rim protector with a high defensive motor.
Grade: A-
47. Milwaukee Bucks — Bogoljub Markovic, F, Serbia (2005)
Bogoljub Marković comes from a proven NBA pipeline with Mega Basket. He's a fluid 6-foot-11 forward who can get out in transition, handle the rock a little bit, and shoot movement 3s with ease. His physicality on defense is a real question mark, but he's a fascinating fit next to Giannis and a worthwhile project for Milwaukee. That said, the Bucks might regret taking such a long-term swing with so many pressing needs right now.
Grade: A-
48. Memphis Grizzlies — Javon Small, G, West Virginia (Sr.)
Javon Small is such a Memphis pick — the analytics darling who doesn't necessarily fit into a clean box in the modern NBA game. There just aren't many successful NBA guards at his height right now, but Small has a 6-foot-8 wingspan and major athleticism. He runs the floor, scores in bunches, and is happy to play above the rim when he gets a chance. This could be useful backcourt depth given Ja Morant's injury history.
Grade: B
49. Cleveland Cavaliers — Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke (Jr.)
With Ty Jerome entering free agency, the Cavs need backcourt depth behind the All-Star duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. Tyrese Proctor makes a ton of sense as a big guard with high feel and a scalable skill set. He made significant strides as a shooter in his junior season alongside Cooper Flagg at Duke. Don't be shocked if Proctor cracks the rotation sooner than later.
Grade: A
50. Los Angeles Clippers — Kobe Sanders, F, Nevade (Sr.)
Kobe Sanders was effectively a 6-foot-8 point guard at Nevada. He's not the burstiest athlete, but he's a smooth shooter and a high-IQ, low-mistake playmaker. The Clippers need to swing for upside with an older roster; Sanders occupies a highly coveted archetype.
Grade: A
51. New York Knicks — Mohamed Diawara, F, France (2005)
Mohamed Diawara is a compelling upside swing as one of the youngest and most athletic players left on the board. He's a major athlete with NBA-level tools, including a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He gets after it on defense and loves to get out and run. He has a ways to go in terms of skill development, but for a competitive Knicks team, he is worth bringing along slowly in the shadows. There is major upside if he can unlock the 3-point shot and finish better at the rim.
Grade: B
52. Golden State Warriors — Alex Toohey, F, Australia (2004)
In the tradition of fellow countryman Andrew Bogut, Aussie forward Alex Toohey is on his way to Golden State. There are questions around his halfcourt scoring, but Toohey is great in transition, with plus athleticism and size on the wing. He makes sharp passes in the flow of the offense and he's a committed stopper on defense. This feels like a prospect who fits Golden State's scheme, assuming he can ratchet up the 3-point volume in the NBA.
Grade: A
53. Utah Jazz — John Tonje, F, Wisconsin (Sr.)
John Tonje is a dynamic shot-maker and a physical driver. He gets to the free throw line and should find gaps to attack the defense in Utah's motion offense. That said, he's a negative assist-to-turnover passer and a limited defender. This pick aligns with other prospects in the Utah system, from Ace Bailey to Brice Sensabaugh, so he will need to find a way to stand out.
Grade: C
54. Indiana Pacers — Taelon Peter, G, Liberty (Sr.)
This one comes out of left field from Indiana, a team we've seen invest in mid-major "sleepers" before. Taelon Peter was incredibly efficient from the field at Liberty, hitting 45.3 percent of his 3s and 75.6 percent of his 2s. He's not really a playmaker for teammates and there are natural concerns about how his game translates against such a steep increase in competition, but Indiana is clearly betting on strong analytics and incredible raw production in C-USA.
Grade: C-
55. Chicago Bulls — Lachlan Olbrich, C, Australia (2003)
Lachlan Olbrich was a productive player in Australia's NBL and now he heads to Chicago, where he can develop as a potential heir to Nikola Vucevic. Olbrich's defensive projection in the NBA is complicated, but he's a heady, physical offensive player, capable of leveraging his strength on post finishes and delivering high-level passes out of a variety of actions. This is strong value for Chicago late in the second round. He joins fellow Aussie Josh Giddey with the Bulls.
Grade: A
56. Golden State Warriors — Will Richard, G, Florida (Sr.)
Golden State moves up the board to select a national champion in Florida's Will Richard. He won't create much for teammates, but Richard is a stifling defender with his 6-foot-11 wingspan and a smooth shooter from all over the floor — the sort of player Golden State can always use with the second unit.
Grade: C
57. Boston Celtics — Max Shulga, G, VCU (Sr.)
Boston adds guard depth after the Jrue Holiday trade, potentially giving them more defensive thump in the backcourt. Shulga gets after it at the point of attack and he has NBA size at 6-foot-5, although there are questions about how his athleticism might translate to a higher level of competition. He's also a lights-out shooter with a savvy, well-rounded approach to the game on offense, which should fit how Boston likes to play.
Grade: A
58. Cleveland Cavaliers — Saliou Niang, F, Senegal (2004)
Saliou Niang is an interesting draft-and-stash option for Cleveland. He needs to boost his 3-point range, cut down on fouls and improve his assist-to-turnover numbers, but Niang is a fluid, bursty athlete with some driving skills and a competitive presence on defense. He rebounds well for his position, too. It's hard to see the path in Cleveland, but he's going to get another season overseas from the looks of it.
Grade: C-
Memphis Grizzlies — Jahmai Mashack, G, Tennessee (Sr.)
There's not much to Jahmai Mashack offensively right now, but he's a relentless perimeter defender with a strong frame, long arms and incredible anticipatory instincts. That alone will give him a niche path to the NBA, especially for a team with open minutes on the wing like Memphis.
Grade: B
Stay tuned for updated picks and grades as the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft unfolds.