Lance King/Getty Pictures
Amid a formidable begin to his freshman season at Duke, Cooper Flagg was projected to go No. 1 general within the 2025 NBA draft to the Washington Wizards in an ESPN mock draft revealed Tuesday.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo delivered their first 2025 NBA mock draft for the reason that graduation of the 2024-25 school basketball season, and it comes as little shock that a number of celebrity freshmen are projected to dominate the draft.
Here’s a rundown of the projected prime 10 picks with Flagg and the Rutgers frosh duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper occupying the highest three spots:
1. Washington Wizards: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
2. Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
3. Toronto Raptors: Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
4. Portland Path Blazers: VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
5. Detroit Pistons: Nolan Traore, G, France
6. San Antonio Spurs: Kon Knueppel, F, Duke
7. San Antonio Spurs: Egor Demin, G, BYU
8. New Orleans Pelicans: Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
9. Brooklyn Nets: Tre Johnson, G, Texas
10. Charlotte Hornets: Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
Flagg has been thought of the possible No. 1 general decide within the 2025 NBA draft ever since he reclassified to play in the course of the 2024-25 school basketball season, and he hasn’t completed something to recommend he needs to be knocked from that perch.
Over his first two video games with the Blue Devils, Flagg has completed a bit little bit of every little thing, averaging 15.5 factors, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest.
Duke is trying just like the crew to beat, and Flagg can go a good distance towards cementing himself as the favourite to go No. 1 general with a powerful efficiency in opposition to No. 19 Kentucky on Tuesday night time.
Whereas Flagg has lengthy been the headliner of the 2024-25 freshman class, Bailey has all the time been shut behind, and he’s lining as much as be a spectacular comfort prize for the crew that does not get the No. 1 general decide within the 2025 NBA draft.
Bailey has missed Rutgers’ first two video games after suffering an injury in practice, which has paved the way in which for Harper to step up and put himself within the early Nationwide Participant of the 12 months dialog.
By way of two video games, each of which had been Rutgers victories, Harper is averaging 22.0 factors, 4.5 rebounds and a pair of.5 assists, whereas taking pictures 54.8 p.c from the sphere.
Rutgers has missed the NCAA match in every of the previous two seasons and has simply two tourney appearances since 1991, however the Scarlet Knights could possibly be championship contenders with Bailey and Harper main the way in which.
Getting previous a crew like Duke will not be simple, although, as Givony and Woo challenge two different Blue Devils gamers except for Flagg to be top-10 picks within the 2025 NBA draft.
Kon Knueppel is Duke’s main scorer so far with 18.5 factors per recreation, and Khaman Maluach has been a dominant pressure within the inside, averaging 8.5 factors and 10.0 rebounds per contest.
Duke and Rutgers mix to make up half of the highest 10 picks in ESPN’s mock, and 9 out of the ten picks are collegiate freshman, which speaks to how sturdy this yr’s crop of newcomers is.
The one non-college freshman within the prime 10 is French guard Nolan Traoré, which is an enormous departure from the 2024 NBA draft.
Three Frenchmen got here off the board over the primary six picks within the 2024 draft, together with the highest two choices in Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr.
The 2024 NBA draft was thought of one of many weaker ones in current reminiscence when it comes to top-end expertise, and whereas the jury remains to be out on that narrative, the 2025 draft does look to be a lot deeper and extra chock stuffed with potential superstars.
