2025 DBR Mock Draft - That's a wrap!

JasonEvans

JasonEvans

Host, The Duke Basketball Roundup
It is time to start picking!

Your job as GM is not just to make a pick but to also explain your rationale for said pick. There are no wrong answers (unless you pick Caleb Love) but we do expect you to discuss why you picked A instead of B or C.

Very important -- Do not make us wait many hours for you to make your pick. Every picker is will be on the clock. If you fail to make your pick in a timely fashion, I will draft for you based on the best available player on the various NBA mock draft boards. Here is how the clock will work.

  • Mon-Fri between 8am and 8pm ET, the clock is 4 hours. Make a pick in 4 hours or forfeit your pick to me (or some other designated picker).
  • Sat and Sun, the clock is 6 hours between 8am and 8pm ET (to allow for people who have activities away from the computer on weekends).
Please note -- you are allowed (and encouraged) to make picks before your time is up and you are allowed to make picks late at night even though the clock is suspended. Also, if you are worried you will not be available and can see your pick is coming up, PM some possible picks to me and I can post it for you.

Any further questions, either PM me or post in this thread.

Here is our draft order --

First Round --
1. Dallas -- toughbuff1 -- Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
2. San Antonio -- Brevity -- Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
3. Philadelphia -- RoyWhite -- VJ Edgecomb, G, Baylor
4. Charlotte -- jam -- Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
5. Utah -- coldriver10 -- Ace Bailey, SF, Rutgers
6. Washington -- accfanfrom1970 -- Kon Knueppel, F, Duke
7. New Orleans -- JNort -- Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma
8. Brooklyn -- godins -- Tre Johnson, G, Texas
9. Toronto -- FerryFor50 -- Noa Essengue, PF, Ratiopharm Ulm
10. Houston -- MrJeffSchwartz0 -- Nolan Traore, PG, France
11. Portland -- toughbuff1 -- Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
12. Chicago -- CDu -- Collin Murray-Boyles, PF, South Carolina
13. Atlanta -- Jason Evans -- Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
14. San Antonio -- Brevity -- Cedric Coward, G, Washington State
15. Oklahoma City -- DaddyLawman -- Derik Queen, C, Maryland
16. Orlando -- pfrduke -- Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
17. Minnesota -- Turk -- Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
18. Washington -- accfanfrom1970 -- Egor Demin, F, BYU
19. Brooklyn -- godins -- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State
20. Miami -- tommy -- Walter Clayton, G, Florida
21. Utah -- coldriver10 -- Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
22. Atlanta - Jason Evans -- Joan Beringer, C, France
23. Indiana - FerryFor50 -- Maxime Rarnaud, C, Stanford
24. Oklahoma City -- DaddyLawman -- Danny Wolf, Michigan
25. Orlando -- pfrduke -- Rasheer Fleming, Wing, St. Joseph’s
26. Brooklyn -- godins -- Asa Newell, F/C, Georgia
27. Brooklyn -- godins -- Ben Saraf, G, Ratiopharm Ulm, Israel
28. Boston -- pokeresq -- Drake Powell, W, unc
29. Phoenix -- Gooch -- Noah Penda, W, Le Mans Sarthe Basket, France
30. LA Clippers -- pcal6vb -- Ryan Kalenbrenner, C, Creighton

Second Round --
31. Minnesota - Turk -- Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke
32. Boston -- pokeresq -- Bogoljub Markovic, C, Serbia
33. Charlotte -- jam -- Will Riley, F, Illinois
34. Charlotte -- jam -- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, F, Penn St
35. Philadelphia -- RoyWhite -- Johni Broome, PF, Auburn
36. Brooklyn - godins -- Sion James, G, Duke
37. Detroit - scottdude8 -- Kobe Brea, G/F, Kentucky
38. San Antonio - Brevity - Tamar Bates, G/F, Missouri
39. Toronto -- FerryFor50 -- Hansen Yang, C, China
40. Washington -- accfanfrom1970 -- Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane, Australia
41. Golden State -- accfanfrom1970 -- Vladislav Goldin, C, Michigan
42. Sacramento -- Brevity -- Adou Thiero, W, Arkansas
43. Utah -- coldriver10 -- Kam Jones, G, Marquette
44. Oklahoma City -- DaddyLawman -- John Tonje, G, Wisconsin
45. Chicago -- CDu -- Javon Small, PG, West Virginia
46. Orlando -- pfrduke -- RJ Luis, G, St. John’s
47. Milwaukee -- phaedrus -- Hugo Gonzalez, SF, Real Madrid, Spain
48. Memphis -- House P -- Brooks Barnhizer, G, Northwestern
49. Cleveland -- ehdg -- Grant Nelson, F, Alabama
50. New York -- Billy Dat -- Dylan Cardwell, C, Auburn
51. LA Clippers -- pcal6vb -- Dink Pate, W, Mexico City Capitanes and G-League Ignite.
52. Phoenix -- Gooch -- Lachlan Olbrich, F, Illawarra, Australia
53. Utah -- coldriver10 -- Amari Williams, C, Kentucky
54. Indiana -- FerryFor50 -- Alex Toohey, F, Australia
55. LA Lakers -- KDogg -- Clifford Omoruyi, C, Alabama
— New York (pick forfeited)
56. Memphis -- House P -- Micah Peavy, G, Georgetown
57. Orlando -- pfrduke -- Eric Dixon, F, Villanova
58. Cleveland -- ehdg -- Ryan Nembhard, PG, Gonzaga
59. Houston -- MrJeffSchwartz0 -- Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest
 
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A lot has changed since last year. The weird circumstances of 2025 have produced two clear NBA winners:

1. Atlanta Hawks: no longer known as the team that made the boneheaded move of trading away Luka Dončić (thanks, Dallas Mavericks!)
2. Kyle Filipowski: no longer known as the guy with the controversial girlfriend/handler in her 20s (thanks, Bill Belichick!)

Before we get started, here are links to some helpful resources.

Important note: DON'T pick a player just because he's included in any of these links. Several players declared for the draft as early entries, but then withdrew their names for consideration. The Basketball Without Borders link is from 2024, and includes players who have never declared, including a few who will be incoming college freshmen this fall. Other than the occasional international player that's in this draft but didn't attend the NBA Combine, it holds little value.

NBA Combine

Anthro Measurements
Strength & Agility
Shooting Drills

G League Elite Camp

All Results -- Anthro, Strength & Agility, Shooting

Portsmouth Invitational

All Results -- Anthro, Strength & Agility

Basketball Without Borders

All Results -- Anthro, Strength & Agility

There's no reference out there that will list EVERY player available to draft -- there are too many seniors and super seniors who completed their eligibility. You might consider a Big Board that's been updated sometime in June, after the collegiate withdrawal deadline.
 
#1 Pick - Dallas Mavericks

With the first pick in the 2025 DBR Mock Draft the Dallas Mavericks select – Cooper Flagg, 6-9 Forward, Duke.

When you are lucky enough to win the lottery and have the first pick in the draft, and there is one talent that separates himself from the pack, you pick that talent, regardless of need. Yes, the Mavericks could use some help on the perimeter, especially a point guard to fill in until Kyrie recovers from his ACL injury, but that can be addressed in free agency.

That is the certainly the case this season, where Cooper Flagg is clearly the best prospect. The 18 year old from Newport Maine can do everything, score, pass, handle the rock, and defend, all with no ego. He's the type of player who elevates his teammates, but he's not afraid to step up and take over in squeaky bum time.

He's drawn comps of Scottie Pippen, Kawhi Leonard, Andre Iguodala with better scoring, or Jayson Tatum with better defending. Versatility is the key here.

 
#2 pick - San Antonio Spurs

Damn, I was hoping Cooper Flagg would somehow fall to here. I should have known that @toughbuff1 would be a better Dallas Mavericks GM than Nico Harrison.

Let me start by saying that I will NOT be drafting Dylan Harper. I didn't watch Rutgers at all this past season, so I had to do a deep dive into Harper's game over the weekend, absorbing a lot of information about his strengths and weaknesses. Harper can play either guard position in the pros, and is arguably better than any other guard prospect in the lottery. Among point guards, he's a steadier playmaker and shooter than Jeremiah Fears and Kasparas Jakučionis, and also a slightly better scorer. Among shooting guards, he has equivalent or better measurements than VJ Edgecombe and Tre Johnson -- namely, he has more bulk and a longer wingspan. If a team wanted to draft a guard, I think they should pick Dylan Harper.

But this team? Harper is criticized as lacking a quick first step and having a low release point on his shot, which is interesting, because the former is not a problem for DeAaron Fox, while the latter is not a problem for Stephon Castle. Despite genetics -- his father is 5-time NBA champion Ron Harper -- I also have a few questions about his defense.

Because draft experts perceive Dylan Harper as the near-unanimous #2 overall pick, his best quality is his trade value. He's so solidly in that position that it doesn't matter if the real Spurs make a trade before, during, or even after the draft. They can do one of four things:

1. Pick Harper at #2 and trade down in the draft for a top 10 pick and an existing NBA player (say, to Utah for the #5 pick and Walker Kessler).
2. Pick Harper at #2 and package him in a trade for a veteran like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
3. Pick Harper at #2 and keep him.
4. Don't pick Harper at #2.

The mock Spurs don't have the first two options available. That leaves me with a simple binary choice: pick Harper, or don't. It's a dilemma, so I went to the San Antonio River Mock to gather my thoughts. I should have worn bug spray... Charles Barkley must be smoking something, because the women here are lovely... why would I use the #2 pick on a guard who doesn't do anything better than both DeAaron Fox and Stephon Castle?

Harper could eventually be a starter in San Antonio, sooner if Fox or Castle get traded. If that's the real Spurs' plan, more power to them. But as a mock GM, I have no power to do anything but make hypothetical picks at #2, #14, and #38. On Monday morning I channeled Kevin Costner in Draft Day -- a dumb but rewatchable movie about a fictional Cleveland Browns GM -- and committed my decision to a sticky note:

draftdaypick2.jpg

I didn't go straight to Khaman Maluach. I looked at Ace Bailey and Derik Queen and Kon Knueppel, and pretty much any other wing or frontcourt player who might be taken before the #14 pick. I also considered what centers the Spurs could get at #14, but ultimately decided that what Victor Wembanyama needs is a proper rim-protecting center who allows him freedom away from the basket to play his game. Even in these mock circumstances, you gotta keep the franchise player happy, so Maluach seemed like the best fit here, way-too-early pick or not.

As you know, Khaman Maluach has impressive measurements, but you may not be aware that some of them have changed from 2024 (Basketball Without Borders) to 2025 (NBA Combine). He's still 7' 0.75" without shoes, but his hands are a little longer now (9.5" to 9.75"), which explains some of his increased wingspan, from 7' 4.5" to 7' 6.75". He's made small gains in his vertical leaps, both standing (23.5" to 24") and maximum (28.5" to 30"), and despite being about 3 pounds heavier, he has shaved a little time off his three-quarter sprint (3.87 seconds to 3.5 seconds). In full disclosure, his standing reach has decreased from the well-publicized 9' 8" last year to 9' 6" now. How does that happen? I can't explain the discrepancy.

Maluach's year at Duke was a fascinating look at exponential improvement -- practically from game to game -- to those who witnessed it. He likely benefited by coming into a program that allowed him to develop at his own (rapid) pace, rather than demand too much of him from Day 1. I see him doing something similar as an NBA rookie; if the real Spurs acquired him, either trading down from #2 or trading up from #14, he may only need a couple of months to get his bearings before becoming a regular option to share the floor with Wemby as a legitimate threat on offense and defense. San Antonio knows something about playing two bigs with great success, and I'm confident that Duke's Justin Robinson would be able to provide Maluach with a close perspective of that history.

TL, DR version: With the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Khaman Maluach, 7-2 center, Duke.

As a final note, I know that I'll get dinged for this when @awhom111 makes the comparison between the DBR Mock Draft and the actual draft. That's a valuable exercise, and I'm glad it's an annual feature of this thread. But in a situation like this, I feel it's not my job to "win" by predicting what the Spurs will almost certainly do, but to wear the GM hat and make those decisions without the context of trades or free agency plans. This is a safe space; it's okay to deviate from conventional wisdom here.

My only regret is not posting my feelings sooner. With Kyrie Irving out with a long-term injury, maybe I could have convinced @toughbuff1 to pick Dylan Harper at #1, so that I can select Cooper Flagg.
 
It now falls to RoyWhite to take Kon and complete the unprecedented "top 3 picks from the same school."

And when Jam selects Sion James with the #4 pick the entire draft room will go BONKERS!
 
As an aside, I love Brevity's rationale behind his pick. If I was the Spurs I would absolutely look to trade the #2 pick. My first choice would be to package it with some other assets to try to get Giannis. Failing that, I would trade down a few spots and would be looking hard at Kon or Tre Johnson, both of whom look like they will be strong 3-point shooters at the next level, which is something San Antonio sorely needs.

But with the trade option off the board in our mock situation, Khaman is a fine choice. The Spurs rim protection would be absolutely unrivaled.
 
#3 Pick -- Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers finished the year at 24-58, 5th in the Atlantic Division. They have two highly paid, older, frequently injured stars in Joel Embiid and Paul George. The team is reportedly considering trades for the 3rd pick which makes some sense. All is not bleak on the perimeter with Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, who seemed on his way to Rookie of the Year consideration before a knee injury and surgery.

This is not an easy or quick rebuild. Cooper Flagg would have fit in well and Khaman Maluach could have been a good long-term choice. What to do now? Guards with size have always been an important part of successful NBA teams. If anything, the trend is getting stronger -- look at the contributions of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham, Stephon Castle, etc.

So the addition of another versatile perimeter player can give the 76ers an emerging identity. Maybe it's just me, but I'm spooked by Rutgers lack of team success with Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. I'll go with another versatile big guard, one who is uber-athletic and able to be a defensive asset early while the rest of his game develops.

The 76ers choose V.J. Edgecombe, 6'5 Guard from Baylor.
 
#1 Cooper
#2 Khaman

How did we lose??? 😭 I'm still not over it. Not trying to hijack the thread though and I recognize the Khaman pick while possible is unlikely in reality. This past team was truly remarkable with elite talent unlike any other. Proceed along (with mock draft picks). But this is the only place I can commiserate still, others think I'm crazy...🤣
 
brevity said:
A lot has changed since last year. The weird circumstances of 2025 have produced two clear NBA winners:

1. Atlanta Hawks: no longer known as the team that made the boneheaded move of trading away Luka Dončić (thanks, Dallas Mavericks!)
2. Kyle Filipowski: no longer known as the guy with the controversial girlfriend/handler in her 20s (thanks, Bill Belichick!)
Click to expand...
Sporks for just that much of your post. Great stuff.
 
Charlotte Hornets - Pick #4: Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Sorry, jam. I gave you 4+ hours to get this pick in. The rules of the draft say that at this point I must make a pick for you. I will select the highest rated player on the board according to mock drafts. That choice is easy as Dylan Harper has slipped from the #2 spot, which probably won't happen on draft night.

The Hornets need a whole lot of stuff. And arguably, the thing they need the most is a creative scoring wing. Viola, somehow the guy nearly everyone says is the second best player in the draft is exactly that and he has somehow dropped into their laps at #4.

Even a casual observe of draft prospects would tell you that they are really concerned about how poorly Rutgers did with Harper playing the lead role. But his talents as a creative scorer still jump off the page. He doesn't yet have a 3 that will scare you but that will come in time and there is no denying he is elite at getting his shot. He hit a really impressive 57.4% of his 2FGs on the season, a great number for a high-usage guard who isn't getting lobs or OReb putbacks to inflate his percentages. He is elite at drawing fouls -- just ask SGA how important that is -- and has the measurables to be a good NBA defender. 6-6 with a 6-11 wingspan... yeah, that will work on defense.

Charlotte has a long way to go to not be a lottery staple. If they land Harper alongside Miller, Lonzo, Bidges, and Mark Williams they will have the makings of a young core that could get them there.
 
It might not be a bad thing if people end their draft posts with an @ to the next GM, just to minimize deadline defaults. That way someone can get a notification when they are up, even if they have forgotten (or don't know how) to subscribe to the thread itself.

So, for example, Jason's post above could end with:

The Utah Jazz and @coldriver10 are now on the clock.
 
Sigh... I am not going to get mad that the folks with picks #4 and #5 have both let the clock expire on them. A bit frustrated, but not mad.

I am going to be really nice and let @coldriver10 make his pick. Hopefully he will have us back on track in a few hours. It is still early and we have plenty of time.

Sigh...
 
JasonEvans said:
Sigh... I am not going to get mad that the folks with picks #4 and #5 have both let the clock expire on them. A bit frustrated, but not mad.

I am going to be really nice and let @coldriver10 make his pick. Hopefully he will have us back on track in a few hours. It is still early and we have plenty of time.

Sigh...
Click to expand...

This happens every year. Someone signs up in excitement and then, nothing. It's more pronounced this year because it's so early in the draft.

As of now, @coldriver10 hasn't visited DBR in over 24 hours. @jam hasn't visited in over 36 hours. Both could have perfectly legitimate reasons for their absences, and if so, they shouldn't mind your timely intervention.

That's all very gentlemanly, and I find it deeply unsatisfying. So, for future mock drafts, I would recommend a harsher penalty: instead of selecting the Best Player Available on their behalf, use the pick on someone that no one is projecting to go that high. Imagine if RJ Davis went #4 and Jae'Lyn Withers went #5. That would send a message.
 
Hey sorry guys. In the future, it would be very helpful for the "draft your teams" post to have the start date and time of the mock draft. I looked at the initial post but didn't see it, (apologies if I missed it), so I had no idea we were starting last night or whenever it was. Of course this would be the first time I haven't logged in to DBR in 24 hours in months! I enjoy participating in this but today was very busy at work and again, didn't realize we were starting last night. I'll go make my pick now.
 
Let's face it, Utah taking Kon to give a Mormon looking front court with Kessler and Markkanen is a foregone conclusion. Moving on to #6 . . .
 
With the 5th pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz Select: Ace Bailey, SF, Rutgers

The Jazz need a lot of help. Like, a lot of help. While we are left wondering what could have been had the ping pong balls bounced our way, we will have to settle for the 5th overall pick. Having said that, we are very pleased that Ace Bailey is still available! We need star power, and this kid oozes untapped potential. He's still a bit raw but has huge upside, especially as a shot creator and scorer but also as a plus defender. We need The Guy on Jazz and we feel of all the guys left on the board, he has the best chance to become that for us.

(I would have loved to have taken Kon here and thought hard about it but ultimately I think Bailey goes before him.)

@accfanfrom1970 is now up
 
#6 Washington takes -
Kon Knueppel		SF – Duke – HT: 6-6 – WT: 219 – WING: 6/6 1/4 – Fr – The Wizards had the second best shot at winning the lottery but fall to no.6. Ouch.

Kon Knueppel would be an ideal addition on the wing, giving them one of the best shooters in the draft. He’s a very strong and smart player with elite touch on his shot. His basketball “brains” is something Washington is lacking, along with outside shooting. We were originally thinking Khaman Maluach here, but….
 
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