Round 1 of the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday started with Cooper Flagg, the primary of three Duke gamers chosen, being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 choose. And it ended with the LA Clippers drafting heart Yanic Konan Niederhauser with choose No. 30.
There have been winners and surprises, such because the Utah Jazz choosing Rutgers guard Ace Bailey with the No. 5 choose and the Phoenix Suns touchdown the top-ranked heart in Duke’s Khaman Maluach at No. 10.
Which fan bases needs to be proud of what their favourite group did on Day 1, such because the Miami Heat touchdown a possible franchise level guard? Ought to Pelicans followers be questioning concerning the commerce New Orleans made to maneuver up and draft Derik Queen?
It is time to break down what occurred Wednesday night time in New York’s Barclays Heart. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Jeremy Woo and Kevin Pelton share their winners, surprises and largest questions after 30 picks went off the board in Spherical 1.
Spherical 2 begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Extra NBA draft protection:
Mavs draft Flagg | Bailey’s surprise by Utah
Which trade earns an A? | Trade tracker
Top 100 rankings | More draft
Givony: Largest winners of Spherical 1
The choose: Khaman Maluach (No. 10)
The Suns’ commerce for Kevin Durant appears to be like a lot completely different after the lucky fall of Khaman Maluach to No. 10, which helps them strengthen a vital place at heart whereas additionally including one of the vital proficient long-term prospects within the draft.
Maluach will convey high-level depth, rim-protection timing, rebounding capacity and switchable protection — qualities the group lacked final season — injecting much-needed youth and power right into a roster overloaded on the backcourt.
Most significantly, he’s considered one of this draft’s youngest prospects, with vital potential for progress each bodily and skill-wise. He’s extremely regarded by coaches and teammates for his distinctive off-court intangibles and needs to be a superb pick-and-roll accomplice for Devin Booker, because of his lob-catching capacity.
The choose: Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20)
It was stunning to see Jakucionis — the No. 11-ranked participant on our prime 100 massive board — fall all the way in which to No. 20.
Any short-term disappointment over the cash he misplaced was possible changed by the belief he landed in arguably probably the most fascinating state of affairs of any guard prospect on this draft — a group determined for shot creation and playmaking. He’ll additionally slot in completely from a tradition and toughness perspective.
Jakucionis’ capacity to play any of the backcourt positions offers the Warmth vital lineup flexibility when working alongside Tyler Herro within the backcourt.
It would not be stunning to see him ultimately emerge because the franchise’s future level guard, because of the savvy he shows working pick-and-roll and his distinctive really feel for the sport.
Givony: Largest surprises of Spherical 1
The choose: Yang Hansen, heart (No. 16)
Hansen, the No. 35 participant on the ESPN massive board, made the most important leap of any participant within the first spherical when Portland chosen him at No. 16.
The Path Blazers have been intrigued with Yang since scouting him with the Chinese language nationwide group on the FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary in 2023, later touring to observe him play in China, following him in scrimmages in Las Vegas final summer season as a member of the Chinese language senior nationwide group and dealing him out privately this previous month in Portland.
Regardless of choosing one other 7-footer in Donovan Clingan final 12 months, the Path Blazers view the draft via a best-player-available lens and say they’re very enthusiastic about his ability stage and off-court intangibles. They plan on bringing him to the NBA instantly to develop him.
The choose: Ace Bailey (No. 5)
Ace Bailey regarded shocked to see the Utah Jazz choose him at No. 5, after clearly making an attempt to maneuver his means additional down the board to different locations in Washington or Brooklyn. Bailey advised Andscape’s Marc Spears he had “no thought” the Jazz had been all in favour of him after the draft.
Bailey declined a number of invite requests to go to and exercise privately with Utah all through the predraft course of, in addition to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 and the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4, however the Jazz felt they knew sufficient about his recreation and profile to really feel snug drafting him regardless.
New president of basketball operations Austin Ainge interviewed Bailey on the NBA draft mix as a member of the Boston Celtics‘ entrance workplace, and the remainder of the Jazz additionally interviewed him individually. Ainge scouted him a number of instances all through the season at Rutgers.
Instantly after making the choose, Ainge advised ESPN that: “We actually like him [Bailey] as a participant and a slot in our program.”
What was one of the best choose of the night time?
Pelton: Carter Bryant to the Spurs at No. 14. Having spent most of his lone season at Arizona coming off the bench, he may not assist the Spurs instantly. Down the street, nevertheless, Bryant has the form of 3-and-D ability set that ought to ideally match alongside San Antonio’s core of Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, NBA Rookie of the Yr Stephon Castle and No. 2 choose Dylan Harper.
Woo: Assuming Cooper Flagg to the Mavericks at No. 1 is ineligible for this designation, I will go together with Khaman Maluach to the Suns at No. 10, a choose Givony defined above. It was a terrific end result for Phoenix, and he is perhaps the precise sort of participant they should anchor regardless of the group goes to seem like transferring ahead.
To spotlight a distinct choice, I will go together with Thomas Sorber at No. 15, a match that makes a ton of sense for the Thunder. They had been tipped as a trade-up group however had been in a position to merely watch for him to fall to them. Oklahoma Metropolis made this choice with the long run in thoughts, contemplating beginning heart Isaiah Hartenstein is perhaps difficult to retain when Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren transfer onto their second contracts subsequent 12 months.
The Thunder snagged a prospect with the ability set to offer the same dimension and somebody who they are often affected person with over the following season or two. This choose unsurprisingly spoke to the extent of roster foresight with which the Thunder all the time strategy the draft.
1:18
What Thomas Sorber brings to the Thunder
Take a look at what makes Thomas Sorber particular because the defending champs take him within the first spherical.
Pelton: Atlanta getting the higher of Milwaukee’s and New Orleans’ first-round picks in 2026 to move back just 10 spots from No. 13 to No. 23 is one thing that would loom giant this time a 12 months from now. The Pelicans are going to be hard-pressed to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Convention, whereas the Bucks have draw back danger with Damian Lillard sidelined by Achilles rehab.
The Hawks might find yourself with a greater choose subsequent 12 months than they gave up this 12 months. Merely getting a choose within the teenagers can be an unlimited win value-wise.
Woo: As Kevin defined, the Atlanta-New Orleans commerce was possible probably the most vital of the night time from a price perspective, nevertheless it would not be my favourite, notably from the Pelicans’ aspect of issues.
We knew coming into the night time there was an actual likelihood the Pelicans had been after Derik Queen — and, presumably, the Hawks had been too, one thing they arguably exploited by extracting critical worth out of New Orleans with a 2026 first-round choose that was not solely unprotected, however is the higher of two completely different groups.
It is onerous to see a straightforward pathway for New Orleans as constituted to enter playoff territory, much more so if the group is planning to play Jeremiah Fears and Queen main minutes, which they’re going to each want to maximise their growth.
It was a complicated quantity of danger for the Pelicans to tackle, and if Atlanta lands a premium choose subsequent 12 months, it’s going to sting irrespective of how nicely Queen adjusts to the NBA.
Which title contender helped itself probably the most?
Pelton: Do I get to depend the Mavericks? To be clear, it is unlikely any of the gamers drafted Wednesday will play an necessary position within the final two rounds of subsequent season’s playoffs. I might give that a greater likelihood of occurring on Thursday.
Based mostly on that, the transfer which may have probably the most long-term influence on a 2026 title contender is perhaps the Thunder pushing again the No. 24 choose by getting a 2026 first-round choose from the Kings.
Woo: I will preface this by noting that not all that most of the clear-cut contenders made draft picks — however I did like what the Magic did on this draft, together with their aggressive-yet-measured commerce for Desmond Bane (sending the sixteenth choose as a part of a package deal to Memphis) and permitting the board to fall to them at No. 25, nabbing Jase Richardson.
Richardson may have the ability to pinch-hit for the Magic off the bench early in his profession, and he offers them a probably priceless (and cheap) depth participant throughout a window by which they’re dedicated to competing on the highest stage with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Am I able to name the Magic a bonafide contender? With the East as vast open as ever, they’d actually wish to be. They’ve actually performed the offseason nicely to this point.
0:40
Flagg: ‘Coach Kidd has a variety of confidence in me’
Cooper Flagg tells Kendrick Perkins how his exercise with the Dallas Mavericks went.
What’s your favourite prospect-team match outdoors of the lottery?
Pelton: Kasparas Jakucionis to the Warmth at No. 20. Former Miami guard Goran Dragic has been my comparability for Jakucionis if issues go proper. They’re each bodily guards with capturing capacity. Dragic improved his excessive turnover charge that restricted him as a younger participant, and Jakucionis should do the identical.
Jakucionis’ dimension at 6-foot-6 will enable him to play alongside both Tyler Herro or Davion Mitchell, presuming the Warmth retain Mitchell as a restricted free agent.
Woo: Joan Beringer to the Timberwolves at No. 18. I am excessive on Beringer’s long-term outlook — it is onerous to search out facilities together with his caliber of bodily traits who may also run the ground and defend the rim. His age and relative inexperience leaves a ton of room for him to enhance.
Attending to develop behind one other Frenchman in Rudy Gobert, who may very well be a priceless mentor as Beringer makes a serious leap to the NBA stage, may very well be a super state of affairs to assist him faucet into his vital capacity.
This will take a while to repay, however as Minnesota continues to try to construct a winner with Anthony Edwards, touchdown a expertise of this caliber and likewise addressing a long-term want may very well be an actual coup.
True or false: Cooper Flagg will common 20 factors per recreation as a rookie.
Pelton: False. I do not suppose scoring will ever be the energy of Flagg’s recreation. However on a contending group with Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, which may add a shot creator at level guard in Kyrie Irving‘s absence? I do not suppose that is sensible.
Woo: False, however I do not view that as a priority — it relies upon extra on how a lot utilization the Mavs intend at hand him straight away than the rest — nevertheless it’s the well-roundedness of Flagg’s recreation that ought to shine via and make him the Rookie of the Yr frontrunner.
Dallas needs to be obsessed with his outlook with out giving him greater than he can deal with straight away.
Fill within the clean: New Orleans giving up its 2026 unprotected first-round choose is ___________.
Pelton: Leaping out of the airplane with no parachute. The Pelicans noticed this season what can go incorrect when accidents strike within the West. They entered the lottery with a 12.5% likelihood on the No. 1 choose. Think about the feelings in New Orleans if the Hawks are able to win the lottery with their choose.
Woo: A mistimed resolution. It is one factor to commerce your choose a 12 months out with a transparent pathway to a playoff spot, or so as to add a participant that may assist get you there. It is one other to make use of it to gamble on a rookie — even one you like — with out giving your self any form of security web if issues break dangerous.
I additionally query the match of Queen alongside Zion Williamson long-term, two bigs who’re greatest on the offensive finish however provide restricted rim safety and no floor-spacing element. I like a few of the gamers on the Pelicans’ roster, however I have been confused with precisely what the general plan is transferring ahead, and that was earlier than they determined to take an unlimited leap of religion.
1:26
The performs that Derik Queen is bringing to the Pelicans
Take a look at some prime highlights from Derik Queen because the Pelicans commerce as much as take him.
The Nets got here into Spherical 1 with 5 picks and ended up utilizing all 5. How would you grade their night time?
Pelton: Most likely a C-plus. Brooklyn appeared to lean closely within the undertaking path, taking a pair of one-and-done prospects (Egor Demin at No. 8 and Drake Powell at No. 22) along with two teenage worldwide prospects (Nolan Traore at No. 19 and Ben Saraf at No. 26). Michigan heart Danny Wolf, the final participant taken out of the inexperienced room, was the one choose older than age 19.
I might have most popular to see just a little extra confirmed manufacturing. Demin, who ranked eighth, was the one Nets choose to rank within the prime 23 in my stats-based projections.
Woo: I might give them a B. If you make 5 picks, your draft board is unlikely to ever align with consensus, however I can see the imaginative and prescient they appear to have for the roster and I am fascinated by the way it may work out for them.
The Nets are clearly dedicated to how coach Jordi Fernandez needs to play and loaded up on gamers with positional dimension and passing capacity (Demin, Traore, Saraf, Wolf) and likewise took a flier on Powell, who was considered as a possible lottery title coming into the season and was arguably misused at North Carolina enjoying a variety of time at energy ahead.
I do not know precisely how this works out for them, however I respect the way in which they approached it, they usually’ll have loads of time to guage all their guys subsequent season and chart a course ahead.
Who’re you most shocked to see nonetheless on the board heading into Spherical 2?
Pelton: Rasheer Fleming (Saint Joseph’s). At No. 27, Fleming was the very best participant within the final mock draft by Givony and Woo to not go within the first spherical. Fleming was even greater in my stats-based projections (18th).
It is going to be attention-grabbing to see whether or not groups spend Thursday jockeying to get into place to draft Fleming early in spherical 2.
Woo: Maxime Raynaud (Stanford). I believed he’d accomplished sufficient to listen to his title referred to as within the 20s, however with all the large males that had been in the end chosen within the first spherical, together with Hansen Yang’s shock leap, he was one of many gamers who in the end slipped. I might guess there might be a couple of groups looking for a technique to get him early within the 30s.