NBA mock draft 2025: Pre-lottery replace with modifications inside top-10

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and it’s placing a highlight on the sorts of gamers groups have to win within the postseason. There’s a marked change in the best way the sport is performed and officiated from the common season to the playoffs, and it will probably assist inform which prospects must be valued because the 2025 NBA Draft approaches.

What do that you must win within the playoffs? No ‘weak hyperlinks’ that may be focused defensively is an efficient place to start out. Gamers should be complementary suits on offense, too, that normally consists of capturing, rebounding, and a capability to maneuver the ball as a passer whereas avoiding turnovers. Creation stays king, and it’s tougher than ever within the bodily halfcourt settings of the playoffs.

The lottery standings are locked in. The ultimate draft order will probably be selected Monday, Might 12, with the winner incomes the rights to Duke freshman phenom Cooper Flagg. Flagg is the one sure-thing on this class as one of many strongest American-born prospects in enter the league within the final 20 years. Flagg appears like the one lock to be a real star from this draft class, however there are many different gamers with an opportunity to get there.

This draft class is filled with excessive ceiling, low ground prospects, which makes match extra vital than ever. Right here’s our closing 2025 NBA mock draft earlier than the lottery, with phrases after the desk about gamers and potential suits that might shock on draft evening.

Listed here are three gamers who’ve moved up contained in the top-10 since our final 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 ahead Collin-Murray Boyles moved from No. 12 to No. 10

Let’s do some fast hits on each lottery choose.

1. Utah Jazz – Cooper Flagg: I don’t suppose it’s a stretch to name Flagg a generational expertise. He had elite manufacturing at Duke regardless of being the youngest participant on this draft class, and he additionally has the bodily instruments, really feel, and motor for greatness. There’s an enormous drop-off between Flagg and another participant on this class.
2. Washington Wizards – Dylan Harper: Harper has been the consensus No. 2 participant on this class since early within the season. He’s an enormous guard who’s nice at getting downhill, and put up unbelievable ending numbers (70 p.c ending on the rim) with out explosive athleticism. Harper is a strong playmaker, however he feels extra like a scorer than a facilitator to me. His capturing will probably be his main swing ability after going solely 50-of-150 from three-point vary as a freshman, however I’m optimistic there.
3. Charlotte Hornets – VJ Edgecombe: Edgecombe will probably be a polarizing prospect. He’s the draft’s finest pure athlete, however he’s additionally small for an NBA off-guard (6’4 with a 6’6 wingspan) and he must develop a lot extra craft attacking the basket. I just like the slot in Charlotte, the place the Baylor freshman might area the ground as a strong spot-up shooter, and supply some turnover creation defensively subsequent to LaMelo Ball.
4. New Orleans Pelicans – Kon Knueppel: Knueppel is the largest riser on this mock draft (he was No. 7 in our final mock). Whereas it is perhaps a shock to see him go earlier than Ace Bailey, Knueppel simply appears like a very good slot in New Orleans if new GM Joe Dumars retains the roster largely in-tact. The Duke freshman is an elite shooter who rip threes off motion and in addition flip in robust pictures off-balance contained in the arc. His size and athleticism are definitely below-average for a top-5 choose, however he’s so expert offensively each on- and off-the-ball that he’d slide in very properly subsequent to Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones.
5. Philadelphia 76ers – Ace Bailey: Bailey is an amazing bodily expertise as a 6’10 wing with size, athletic explosiveness, and shot-making capability. He has a protracted approach to go along with each his ability degree and his really feel for the sport on each ends, however he has loads of time as a participant who doesn’t flip 19 years previous till the center of Aug. Bailey feels as match dependent as any prospect within the class, needing to go to a corporation that can reinforce optimistic habits and encourage him to play inside a staff construction. He ought to have a excessive ground as an enormous wing who can area the ground and restoration defensively along with his instruments. That definitely isn’t the function he performed on Rutgers when he was far too isolation and pull-up joyful as a scorer, however he nonetheless has the presents to be a strong NBA participant.
6. Brooklyn Nets – Khaman Maluach: Maluach is a huge middle who already proved to be impactful on the highest ranges of school basketball regardless of solely choosing up the sport in 2019. His mixture of size (9’9 standing attain) and mobility offers him a sky-high ceiling if the remainder of his sport can proceed to develop. On offense, Maluach was a super-efficient scorer (73.6 p.c true capturing) totally on rolls to the rim, however he’s additionally proven some contact as a shooter (76.6 p.c from the foul line) and may shoot threes finally. Maluach’s dimension is a serious deterrent defensively even with some considerations 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 but. Nonetheless, Maluach is an attractive high-upside wager whose dimension and burgeoning ability are exhausting to look previous.
7. Toronto Raptors – Jeremiah Fears: It appears like Fears has star upside if every thing comes collectively. The Oklahoma guard can get wherever he desires on the ground with one of the best deal with within the class and the pace to burn defenders off the bounce. He drew fouls at a high-level within the hardest convention within the nation whereas being one of many youngest freshmen in DI (he received’t flip 19 till Oct.). He flashed simple capturing vary from past the NBA line with 16 made threes past 25-feet, and he cleared the defensive statistical thresholds (3.1 p.c steal fee) for athleticism. So what’s the catch? Effectively, Fears 28.4 p.c from three whereas wanting notably tough on pull-ups, whereas additionally ending solely 53 p.c of his alternatives on the rim. He must get so much stronger bodily, and he wants to chop the turnovers method down (6.5 per 100 possessions). With solely common dimension for an NBA guard, Fears nonetheless wants loads of ability refinement, however he does some issues that simply can’t be taught.
8. San Antonio Spurs – Derik Queen: Queen flashed star upside with uncommon creation capability for an enormous man throughout his freshman season at Maryland. Queen is fast, artful, and robust in tight areas, discovering openings within the protection to complete with contact or draw a foul. He’ll be an element on the offensive glass, and he has a superb basis to continue to grow as a playmaker with the flexibility to throw passes with both hand. Queen’s star traits have to come back to fruition, as a result of he doesn’t actually have a task participant’s ability set. He’s not an excellent defender with restricted dimension (6’10 with 7’1 wingspan) and explosiveness for an NBA middle whereas not all the time taking part in with a excessive motor. He additionally isn’t a dependable ground spacer but after hitting solely seven three-pointers as a freshman. The Spurs are the absolute best touchdown spot for him, the place Victor Wembanyama might protector the rim and area the ground for Queen’s drives.
9. Houston Rockets – Tre Johnson: The SEC was the hardest convention within the nation, and Johnson led it in scoring as a real freshman. The 6’6 Texas guard can stockpile buckets in a rush with an elite leap shot that has each the vary and flexibility to translate to the NBA. Johnson hit about 40 p.c of his threes on excessive quantity whereas additionally hitting 87 p.c of his free throws, making him one of the best capturing wager within the class together with Kneuppel. Johnson is way more wired to attain than make performs for his teammates, which may lead him to some dangerous pictures. His defensive influence isn’t notable at this stage, and his body/explosiveness is just common for an NBA wing. Nonetheless, this could be a serious expertise addition for the Rockets and will doubtlessly make Jalen Inexperienced expendable.
10. Portland Path Blazers – Collin Murray-Boyles: Murray-Boyles has a case as one of the best defensive prospect within the class as a strong-and-long 6’7 massive man with sharp palms and large instincts. Murray-Boyles can maintain up within the submit with a low middle of gravity, and he can contest pictures along with his 7’2 wingspan. He brings a degree of IQ and physicality that’s exhausting to search out on each ends of the ground. Murray-Boyles’ offense is an even bigger query mark with no dependable leap shot but, however he’s a very good short-roll passer and an opportunistic contributor on cuts and offensive rebounds. The Blazers ideally need some capturing with this choose, however Murray-Boyles might assist them type a tricky defensive id alongside Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan.
11. Dallas Mavericks – Jase Richardson: Richardson instantly emerged as Michigan State’s finest participant as quickly as he began getting actual taking part in time halfway by means of the season. Whereas he’s a bit undersized for an NBA guard, Richardson is an elite shooter and high-IQ decision-maker who hardly ever turned the ball over. He doesn’t appear like an explosive athlete at first blush, however his flexibility and contact helped him end 69 p.c of his seems across the rim regardless of his lack of dimension. How he scales up in an offense is a query mark after his low utilization function in school, however Richardson’s capability to search out and punish openings within the protection makes him a worthy lottery choose.
12. Chicago Bulls – Noa Essengue: Essengue is a large and athletic French ahead (6’9, 9’3 standing attain) who’s already placing up spectacular numbers within the German professional league because the second youngest participant on this draft class (he’s three days older than Flagg). He performs a excessive vitality sport discovering scoring alternatives on cuts and mismatch driving alternatives whereas working the ground exhausting in transition. His 62 p.c true capturing in a low utilization, play-finishing function is extraordinarily spectacular for such a younger participant in a professional league, and his defensive capability feels even higher than his offense proper now. Essengue is a switchable defender who can stick with smaller ball handlers for a pair seconds whereas additionally walling up on the rim. He’s not a dependable outdoors shooter but (27.6 p.c from three) and doesn’t see the ground nicely as a passer, however his dimension, athleticism, and manufacturing are sturdy indicators for his future.
13. Atlanta Hawks – Carter Bryant: Bryant is a quick-twitch athlete with very best dimension for a wing at 6’8, 225 kilos with a 7-foot wingspan. He leveraged his instruments into fast defensive influence as a freshman at Arizona, posting 5.8 p.c block fee, 2.8 p.c steal fee, and 17.8 p.c defensive rebound fee, that are all spectacular numbers. On offense, Carter confirmed he can area the ground by hitting 37 p.c of 105 makes an attempt from three-point territory. He’s not notably expert with the ball in his palms and is finest fitted to a low-usage offensive function proper now. This might be a continuation of the Hawks’ plan of placing massive athletes round Trae Younger … if new GM Onsi Saleh doesn’t resolve to commerce his star guard this summer time.
14. San Antonio Spurs – Asa Newell: Newell is an enormous ahead (6’9 with a 7-foot wingspan) who can leap out of the health club, however remains to be studying methods to leverage his instruments on each ends of the ground. Newell has a straightforward translation as a play-finisher after hammering residence 57 dunks and capturing 73 p.c on the rim as a freshman at Georgia. His three-point stroke seems projectable after making 29.2 p.c on 89 makes an attempt to go along with a 75 p.c mark from the foul line. Newell is a bit caught between positions and isn’t a lot of a passer but, however he might discover his method into tons of simple buckets taking part in with an elite facilitator. I’ll admit Newell can be a bit of strange selection for the Spurs after taking Derik Queen with their first choice, however he’s a transparent lottery expertise on this class in a vacuum.

NBA Draft 2025 lottery odds, defined

Discover a full breakdown of the lottery odds at Tankathon.

NBA Draft 2025 lottery drawing date and time

Date: Monday, Might 12, 2025

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Streaming: Watch ESPN