Way too early 2025 NBA Mock Draft: Duke's Cooper Flagg lights up Team USA camp

As Team USA gears up for the Paris Olympics next month, the leading storyline out of practices in Las Vegas has been the rampant success of 17-year-old Duke commit Cooper Flagg. Honored with a spot on the select team, surrounded by burgeoning NBA stars, Flagg has been the talk of the town due to his remarkable productivity in five-on-five scrimmages.

Listed 6-foot-8, Flagg is a special athlete with the length and athleticism to oscillate between several positions on the court. He's a beast in transition, deploying elite open-court speed and burst to torch scrambling defenses. He can finish vertically at the rim, or operate in more of a connector role in the halfcourt. Flagg processes the game at light speed compared to most kids his age, whipping on-target passes in the flow of the offense and offering uncommon scalability for his size.

He's still hammering out the minor details, so to speak, but Flagg has made serious strides as an on-ball creator and pull-up shooter. He's going to score in a variety of ways and contribute however a team needs him to. Factor in unmatched defensive range, and he's one of the best prospects of the last decade.

It's not just Flagg either. The 2025 NBA Draft class is stacked with future All-Stars and alluring upside swings. There's a lot to get excited about. It's far too early to project team and prospect with anything resembling confidence, but here are the 30 best prospects in the upcoming draft, tentatively ranked.

We are determining the order via Tankathon simulation, out of habit. Just for giggles.

2025 NBA Mock Draft 1-5 (HOU, WAS, DET, CHA, BKN)

Cooper Flagg is the undisputed top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He combines absurd athleticism, positional versatility, and basketball I.Q. with an increasingly dynamic skill set. He won't turn 19 until midway through his first NBA season, but Flagg can already operate as a connector or as the primary offensive star. He's not the most advanced self-creator yet, but he's comfortable navigating pick-and-roll actions, tossing dimes on the move, and burying pull-up jumpers with a high release point. He's a dynamic defender — equally comfortable rotating for weak-side blocks or sliding his feet with ball-handlers on the perimeter — and he should fit cleanly into any scheme or personnel package. He is the ultimate modern wing, with a skill set that checks every box imaginable.

French point guard Nolan Traore dominated the summer circuit and has a sizable role in LNB Pro A with Saint-Quentin. At 18 years old, he displays impressive body control as a ball-handler, mixing speeds and nixing defenders with subtle changes in direction and momentum. He needs to prove his stability as a shooter, but Traore strung together explosive scoring performances over the summer and he's deadeye passer. He has All-Star intiator upside.

Ace Bailey is 6-foot-9 with fluid, explosive athleticism and tantalizing displays of athleticism. The most popular comp is Tracy McGrady, which is an indicator of how high scouts believe his ceiling to be. He needs to clean up his shot selection, improve as a processor, and put his frame to better use on the defensive end, but Bailey's upside is plain to see. He can spray pull-up jumpers from all over the floor, he's detonates on straight-line drives, and there's plenty of room to build out his skill set.

Dylan Harper teams up with Ace Bailey at Rutgers, putting the Scarlet Knights on the map for the first time in ages. At 6-foot-7, Harper in a tall point guard with an appealing skill level. He's not the most explosive athlete, but he shifts gears at will and keeps his defender off-balance with dexterous footwork. There are concerns about the consistency of his 3-point shot, but Harper is an ambitious playmaker with plenty of finishing craft around the basket. Every NBA team covets a big initiator.

VJ Edgecombe made waves with the Bahamian national team over the summer. The explosive 6-foot-4 scoring guard arrives at Baylor with a clearly-defined role in the backcourt. He still needs to tighten the screws on his game, but Edgecombe is an explosive slasher who can beat defenders with a deadly first step and finish with power at the rim. He can hit shots at all three levels, and there's always value in a bonafide advantage-creator. If he can improve as a passer and on-ball tactician, Edgecombe has clear All-Star potential.

2025 NBA Mock Draft 6-10 (UTA, POR, CHI, TOR, SAS)

Flory Bidunga is a nutty athlete, listed 6-foot-10 with long arms and an explosive first and second leap. He covers a ton of ground defensively, capable of meeting shots halfway up the backboard and rotating long distances for weak-side rejections. He pairs his elite athleticism with legitimate instincts, too. He's not just unmolded clay. If Bidunga comes into his own offensively at Kansas, it shouldn't take long for the 19-year-old to soar up draft boards everywhere.

Liam McNeeley stands to benefit from Dan Hurley's wizardry at UConn. He's one of the easiest projected fits at the next level, standing 6-foot-8 with an elite shooting stroke and sharp connective instincts. He won't wow as a self-creator, but McNeeley can knock down 3s, beat closeouts, and generate advantages with his off-ball gravity. He's going to plug effortlessly into the Huskies' pro-style offense and probably win a lot of games, too.

Boogie Fland is the latest John Calipari guard to start the season highly ranked on NBA Draft boards. He's listed 6-foot-2 with a slight frame, so there will be natural concerns about Fland's ability to handle the physicality of NBA basketball. Even so, he's blessed with long arms and a competitive spirit on the defensive end. Offensively, he's one of the more polished weapons in the class, confident with his jumper — pulling up or spotting up — and sharp as a secondary creator or pick-and-roll ball-handler.

Rocco Zikarsky registered a 12.9 block percentage as a 17-year-old in the NBL last season. That's a block per game in 7.4 minutes. He's due for a more robust role this time around. Listed 7-foot-2 with fluid movement skills and impressive shot-blocking instincts, Zikarsky figures to anchor a defense in the NBA one day. He's not the most advanced offensive prospect, but he's a powerful finisher around the rim with soft touch and a wide frame to seal off defenders and dominate on simple dump-offs.

A classic 6-foot-6 wing on paper, Hugo Gonzalez ought to capture scouts' attention with a strong season in Spain. He's versatile on defense, with a red-hot motor and excellent athletic tools. The shooting needs to be more consistent, but Gonzalez looks confident at all three levels, with a budding handle, real passing creativity, and the strength to finish through contact on drives.

2025 NBA Mock Draft 11-15 (SAS, SAC, OKC, NOP, ORL)

He's a bit raw relative to his peers in this range, but Khaman Maluach stands out with his 7-foot-2 size, 7-foot-6 wingspan, and ridiculous athleticism in the frontcourt. He inhales space in the paint and should rack up a ton of blocks at Duke, even if his playing time is limited. He's going to clean up the offensive glass and explode for lob finishes offensively, and there's even a hint of 3-point range to invest in. He could struggle against the elite competition in college, but Maluach's upside is considerable.

Egor Demin arrives at BYU under new head coach Kevin Young, who brings NBA pedigree to the Cougars program. The 6-foot-8 Russian wing has an appealing baseline with his downhill burst and playmaking instincts. Demin is confident in pick-and-roll actions, with real passing flair and soft touch to complement his bursty rim attacks. The consistency of his motor and his jump shot will determine how high Demin climbs on draft boards.

He's not the best athlete, but Will Riley is 6-foot-7 with viable advantage-creation skills and shot-making on the perimeter. He steps into a great situation at Illinois, where he has a chance to fill the sizable shoes of Terrence Shannon Jr. Riley's ability to change speeds, play angles, and hit pull-up jumpers all suggests considerable upside, especially if he can add muscle to his frame and hold up defensively in college.

He doesn’t fit naturally into a standard NBA role, but Collin Murray-Boyles excelled defensively as a freshman. At 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds, he can guard a few positions on the wing. His footwork guarding the perimeter and his physicality at the point of attack stand out. He doesn’t shoot 3s yet — an obvious red flag — but Murray-Boyles’ efficiency as a play-finisher and impressive passing flashes lay the groundwork for a dynamic, impactful complementary piece.

Drake Powell arrives at North Carolina with an impressively well-rounded skill set. At 6-foot-7, he's a proper NBA athlete — explosive on finishes at the rim and comfortable sliding between positions on defense. Powell has a competitive drive that should appeal to scouts and translate well to the Tar Heels' system. He can hit 3s, attack closeouts, and terrorize defenses in the open court. His scalability and versatility make for easy NBA translation.

2025 NBA Mock Draft 16-20 (UTA, IND, ATL, MEM, GSW)

Listed 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, Jalil Bethea's frame is going to divide NBA scouts. He faces a real challenge against ACC defenses, but Miami has a profound need for Bethea's skill set. He's a dynamic perimeter shooter, comfortable drilling contested pull-up jumpers or flying off screens and torching defenses as a catch-and-shoot threat. His shifty ball-handling, three-level scoring, and advanced skill level are all appealing. He also competes hard, but he will need to add strength and contribute beyond his shot-making.

Tre Johnson is 6-foot-6 with a real knack for shot-making. He is the preeminent iso threat of the 2025 draft class, eager to get downhill in space and shake his defender with smooth, stop-start handles. He can drill pull-ups out to the NBA 3-point line and Johnson's ability to drain contested, often very challenging jumpers is a sign of upside — even if he needs to refine his shot selection and not be so reliant on "bad" shots. Johnson also gets to the free throw line plenty and shows flashes as a passer when he wants to.

Ian Jackson is a wirey 6-foot-4 scoring guard with an endless supply of confidence. He lives for bright lights and high stakes, which should endear him to UNC fans. He needs to improve his feel and stretch out the peripherals of his game, but Jackson should have no trouble generating buckets at the next level. He's a bursty rim-pressure guard with electric shot-making chops out to the 3-point line. If he comes along as a passer and adds muscle to complement his defensive motor, Jackson has considerable upside as a two-way engine.

A fifth-year senior at Colorado State, Nique Clifford has a ready-made skill set for the next level. He's a springy, versatile 6-foot-5 wing who pops off the screen athletically. He can contribute in a variety of roles — screening and playmaking in the frontcourt, slashing from the wing, or hitting spot-up 3s. His defensive instincts and ground coverage are off the charts, and Clifford's high basketball IQ and feel should hasten his translation to the next level.

Milan Momcilovic is a 6-foot-8 sophomore with a knack for tough, contested jumpers. He loves one-footed fallaways in the mid-range and he’s comfortable sticking a pull-up in his defender’s face. There are concerns about how he will translate stylistically to the next level, but his positional size and shooting touch is hard to deny.

2025 NBA Mock Draft 21-25 (BKN, OKC, OKC, BKN, BKN)

At 6-foot-10, Kwame Evans brings a lot of desirable, modern traits to the frontcourt. He’s fluid with ball skills and a projectable jumper. He can finish with finesse or power in the paint, and there’s built-in defensive versatility with his frame. Evans already shows a special knack for generating deflections and protecting the rim from the weak side. The percentages are wonky as a freshman, but Evans’ physical tools and high free-throw percentage provide a strong foundation for long-term belief.

A towering 7-foot-1 center, China’s Hansen Yang threatens to inject old-school post artistry back into the evolving NBA. We are seeing more and more the value of smart, skilled interior bigs. If Yang can translate his intricate footwork and feather-soft touch, while adding more dynamism as a passing hub around the elbow and on the block, there’s definite NBA upside. He will need to prove that he can hang in space on defense, but the rim protection will come naturally.

Michael Ruzic offers an appealing blend of youth, size, and skill. At 6-foot-10, he's a polished shooter and face-up scorer, capable of beating closeouts and punishing mismatches with refined footwork. He's not an elite athlete, but Ruzic covers ground well enough defensively and has a frame that should fill out in time. He can fire quick passes from the elbow, toss his weight around on the block, and find creative scoring avenues around the paint. He's a fun prospect to monitor.

The younger brother of infamous Kentucky bust Kevin Knox, Karter Knox followed John Calipari to Arkansas. He should appeal to NBA teams with a strong 6-foot-8 frame and legitimate three-level scoring ability. Knox shoots a crisp 3 and he's especially dangerous on mid-range pull-ups. Scouts will closely monitor his defensive motor and general processing skills, but Knox is a bonafide NBA athlete who should contribute effectively as a straight-line driver and secondary scoring weapon for the Razorbacks.

Noa Essengue is a lanky 6-foot-10 wing with impressive defensive playmaking chops. He covers ground as well as anybody in this draft, swatting shots from the weak side, poking his long arms into passing lanes, and comfortably switching between three or four positions on a nightly basis. The offensive skill set is fairly rudimentary at this point, but Essengue can soak up easy finishes in transition, finish lobs at the rim, and provide enough spot-up shooting to instill confidence in the jumper.

2025 NBA Mock Draft 26-30 (DAL, UTA, LAC, ORL, BOS)

Kon Knueppel was an elite high school scorer and should step into a significant role at Duke. He's not traditionally flashy as an athlete, but Knueppel is a strong, broad-shouldered wing who weaponizes effortless touch, advanced feel, and great physicality to carve out scoring opportunities. He changes speeds as a ball-handler, shoots fluidly at all three levels, and fires impressive passes on the move. He can struggle on an island defensively, but Knueppel's instincts and effort translate to solid team defense.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 170 pounds, Isaiah Evans is a physical late-bloomer who still has time to grow into his frame. Strength is going to be problematic at Duke and especially in the NBA, but Evans' athleticism, shifty handles, and dynamic shot-making chops are easy enough to invest in. Evans loves contested mid-range jumpers, a habit he needs to break, but his touch and footwork as a scorer offers a solid foundation to build upon.

 At 6-foot-5, Kam Jones screams NBA bench guard. He’s a dynamic scorer, with a feathery 3-point stroke and the ball-handling craft to generate advantages one-on-one. He finishes well around the basket, flashes as a passer, and operates with a tremendous amount of self-assurance. He needs to create more for others and prove the viability of his athleticism at the next level, but Jones’ offensive skill is undeniable.

Diminutive in stature but grand in talent, Mark Sears led Alabama to the Final Four to cap off an impressive senior campaign. A deadly pull-up shooter with the ball-handling craft to create advantages on the perimeter, Sears should be able to poke holes in the defense and generate points at the next level. He reads the floor well, and even defends better than your average small guard. Opposing offenses will target him, no doubt, but Sears’ shot-making prowess and textbook craftsmanship allow him to offset concerns about limited burst and a slight frame.

Alex Karaban is a strong 6-foot-8 forward with a skill package that should translate to the next level. He’ll have to prove that he can defend in the NBA, but Karaban is a versatile shooter who looks right at home in DHO and pick-and-pop actions on the perimeter. He’s also a capable driver with some face-up juice. He doesn’t generate much separation in the lane, but he possesses tremendous touch and creative footwork.