The Latest: Who will go in the top 5 of the NBA draft?

San Francisco Chronicle​

18 hours ago

The NBA will begin welcoming its new rookie class with the start of the 2025 draft tonight.
The Dallas Mavericks bucked huge odds to get the first pick, with only a 1.8% chance of winning the draft lottery. They'll get the first chance to take Cooper Flagg, the freshman who led Duke to the Final Four in his lone college season — and the consensus player of the year.
NIL money means fewer early entrants in the NBA draft
This year's draft starts with the lowest number of prospects in at least 10 years.
It's been four years since college athletes were permitted to profit off the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), opening the door for athlete compensation that was once forbidden by NCAA rules.
It's part of a seismic change that has rippled through college athletics, impacting the NBA: Players willing to 'test the waters' in the draft before returning to school now have a lucrative option to consider against uncertain pro prospects.
'With all the money that's being thrown around in NIL, you're having a lot less players put their names in,' Detroit Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said. 'You're having pretty good players pulling their names out.'
More about how NIL money is reshaping the NBA draft
The hat game and what it means
'With the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets select ...'
That's how NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will introduce the No. 10 pick in the draft, and then awkward hilarity will likely ensue.
If past form holds, the player will be given a Rockets cap to wear for his onstage ceremony. Thing is, the guy may never play for the Rockets.
This pick will be traded to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal when it can be finalized in a couple weeks. Everyone knows it, but until then, it's still officially Houston's pick. So, for pretend purposes, the player will be on stage as a member of the Rockets.
It's weird, for sure. But at least that player, forever and ever, will be able to say that he got traded for Durant. That's a neat perk.
The 13th pick, not so unlucky
The common superstition that 13 is an unlucky number doesn't seem to ring true in NBA drafts.
Consider the last 15 years: On average, rookies taken No. 1 average 16.9 points per game, while No. 2 picks average 12.9, No. 3 picks average 12.1 and No. 4 picks average 11.0 points.
Next up: No. 13 picks, at 9.8 per game.
Some of those 13th picks over that span: Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Tyler Herro, Zach LaVine, Kelly Olynyk and Gradey Dick. Not unlucky whatsoever.
Welcome to Flagg Day
'Cooper Flagg Day,' to be specific, if you live in Maine. That's what Gov. Janet Mills proclaimed June 25, 2025, the day Flagg is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
'Cooper Flagg's extraordinary talent and dedication to basketball has earned him national acclaim as perhaps the most promising player of his generation. He is a source of tremendous pride for Maine,' Mills said in a statement posted on New Balance's website. The Maine-based apparel company has a partnership with Flagg.
'I have proclaimed today as Cooper Flagg Day, so all the people of Maine can celebrate his achievement, hard work, perseverance, and sportsmanship, which should inspire youth across our state to pursue their dreams with Cooper's signature determination.'
Flagg is a native of Newport, Maine, and as a freshman in 2022 led Nokomis High School to its first state basketball championship, earning state player of the year honors.
NBA draft's man of mystery Ace Bailey
Rutgers forward Ace Bailey has been a bit of a man of mystery with the 18-year-old not holding a public workout for any team ahead of the NBA draft.
It's a strategy that has been called out by critics from current NBA players to analysts.
Bailey insists just before the NBA draft that he does not have a preferred destination or favorite team. He plans on bringing high energy and promises whoever selects him will be getting a responsible, mature player with high energy no matter the team's record.
'I just leave it up to God,' Bailey said. 'All I can do is play basketball. Control what I can control.'
That's about what he told reporters Tuesday during some of the pre-draft festivities.
Bailey certainly won't be missed at Barclays Center when his name is called. He is wearing a shirt in his favorite color, red, with a black jacket bedazzled with black jewels to match his shoes. Like many other draft prospects, the inside of his jacket is lined with photos.
Oklahoma point guard stylin' and profilin' in Sooners' red
Point guard Jeremiah Fears cannot be missed at the NBA draft, not in an outfit representing the University of Oklahoma with his red pants and vest and a Gucci patterned jacket.
'I wanted to show them love on a stage like this,' Fears said of his look.
He also wore a pair of chains featuring his last name big and easy to read. Fears said someone gave him a '0' jewelry piece, so he added that to his look for draft night.
Fears finished the look with all-black Gucci shoes. Why? 'It just kind of matches my outfit.'
Calm before the storm
There was a calm in the arena a few hours before the draft started.
The 24 tables next to the stage had golden basketballs on them waiting for the draftees and their families and friends. Each table has seven chairs, so draftees have to choose carefully who joins them for their big moment.
The league moved the stage to the other side of the court this year which seemed to open up more space on the floor.
In the background, there is a lounge area and a mural listing all the NBA teams with a table holding jars of candy.
The Mavs don't have another draft pick beyond the No. 1 overall choice
The Dallas team, which won the lottery despite just a 1.8% chance to do so, is expected to take former Duke star Cooper Flagg.
A dearth of picks is nothing new for Mavs general manager Nico Harrison. He also has a history of waiting around to add picks during the draft.
Harrison's widely panned decision to trade beloved superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles for Anthony Davis has shaken the confidence of his fan base. That's probably putting it mildly.
The Mavs didn't have a pick for Harrison's first draft in 2021. They almost went through the next draft without a selection before Dallas traded into the second round to get Jaden Hardy. He has been in and out of the rotation in three seasons with the Mavs.
If Harrison's history is any indication, don't be surprised if the Mavs make a move to add picks beyond the No. 1 selection.
Flagg has a chance to be the next generational talent after Dallas jettisoned Doncic
Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts likes to say he has lived three lifetimes in the six months since he took the job. It's time for the next big step in that third life.
The Mavs are set to make Cooper Flagg the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft after overcoming a 1.8% chance to win the lottery.
The first life for Rick Welts was learning a new city after the longtime NBA executive came out of retirement in December following stints with the NBA and in the front offices in Phoenix and Golden State.
The second life was the fallout from the reviled Luka Doncic trade in February. The Mavs were still reeling from that deal when the lottery shocker hit.
The prospect of the 18-year-old former Duke star joining Anthony Davis and, eventually, fellow Duke-ex Kyrie Irving has the Mavs feeling almost giddy.
Draft night fashion meets blistering heat
NBA draft night is all about getting dressed up, with players donning their finest suits for the walk on stage after their name is called.
The weather in New York is better suited for shorts and flip-flops.
Temperatures soared to 100 degrees (38 Celsius) in the city Tuesday, and little relief is expected Wednesday, making players glad that most of their time would be spent indoors.
But even just a few minutes felt like too much.
'First day I got here, I was like 'goddamn.' I was burning up,' said South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who wore a jacket and slacks Tuesday.
Still, there was no chance he would slip into something more comfortable Wednesday.
'I have no choice but to stick with what I got,' he said. 'It's too late to switch up now. Way too late.'
The Atlantic Coast Conference is positioned to have the No. 1 pick in both the NFL and NBA draft
Miami quarterback Cam Ward went No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans in April. Now, with Duke's Cooper Flagg set to be the top NBA pick, it could mark only the sixth time a league had both top picks in the same year — and only the second time in two decades.
The last time came in 2020, with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow followed by Georgia guard Anthony Edwards giving that distinction to the Southeastern Conference. Before that, it came in 2005 with the Mountain West and a pair of Utah players, quarterback Alex Smith followed by center Andrew Bogut.
The other times: the Big Ten in 1994 (Ohio State defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson, Purdue forward Glenn Robinson); the Big Ten in 1979 (Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau and Michigan State point guard Magic Johnson); and the Pac-8 in 1969 (USC running back O.J. Simpson and UCLA big man Lew Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
Edgecombe's decked out in black
VJ Edgecombe from Baylor is dressed for business at the NBA draft decked out in all black waiting to hear his name called.
The 6-foot-4, 193-pound Edgecombe is wearing a black suit with a subtle pattern with a black shirt and tie. The native of Bimini, Bahamas, has a nod to the islands with colors of the flag featured on each of his suit sleeves.
Edgecombe says his brother designed the suit, which features photos of family on the lining to bring them to the big stage at the Barclays Center.
The big men are set to take a backseat
They fall behind the forwards, led by projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, and a deep set of guards.
Freshmen Khaman Maluach of Duke and Derik Queen of Maryland are the top two bigs in the draft, positioned to be lottery prospects. There's also intriguing size and skillsets with two other freshmen in Georgetown's Thomas Sorber and Georgia's Asa Newell.
The list includes St. Joseph's Rasheer Fleming, Michigan's Danny Wolf, Stanford's Maxime Raynaud and French prospect Joan Beringer as first-round candidates.
There's a deep well of high-end backcourt talent
Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper is the top prospect among the guards, but Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, Texas' Tre Johnson, Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears and Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis are all set to be lottery picks.
The list includes BYU freshman playmaker Egor Demin, Michigan State combo guard Jase Richardson, and international prospects in Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf.
How the careers of No. 1 NBA draft picks have fared
The No. 1 overall pick faces hopes of long-term stardom. Over the past 40 years, some have lived up to those expectations, while others have fallen short.
See the career scoring, accolades and accomplishments for top picks since 1985 -- with six league MVPs among them.
Draft order for first and second rounds
FIRST ROUND:
1. Dallas Mavericks
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Houston Rockets (from Phoenix via Brooklyn; reported traded to Phoenix)
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento)
14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta)
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami via the LA Clippers)
16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando)
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit via New York, Oklahoma City and Houston)
18. Washington Wizards (from Memphis)
19. Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee via New York, Detroit, Portland and New Orleans)
20. Miami Heat (from Golden State)
21. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota)
22. Atlanta Hawks (from the L.A. Lakers via New Orleans)
23. New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana)
24. Oklahoma City Thunder (from the L.A. Clippers)
25. Orlando Magic (from Denver)
26. Brooklyn Nets (from New York)
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Houston)
28. Boston Celtics
29. Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland via Utah)
30. L.A. Clippers (from Oklahoma City)
SECOND ROUND:
31. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Utah)
32. Boston Celtics (via Washington)
33. Charlotte Hornets
34. Charlotte Hornets (via New Orleans)
35. Philadelphia 76ers
36. Brooklyn Nets
37. Detroit Pistons (via Toronto)
38. San Antonio Spurs
39. Toronto Raptors (via Portland)
40. Washington Wizards (via Phoenix)
41. Golden State Warriors (via Miami)
42. Sacramento Kings (via Chicago)
43. Utah Jazz (via Dallas)
44. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Atlanta)
45. Chicago Bulls (via Sacramento)
46. Orlando Magic
47. Milwaukee Bucks (via Detroit)
48. Memphis Grizzlies (via Golden State)
49. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Milwaukee)
50. New York Knicks (via Memphis)
51. Los Angeles Clippers (via Minnesota)
52. Phoenix Suns (via Denver)
53. Utah Jazz (via Los Angeles Clippers)
54. Indiana Pacers
55. Los Angeles Lakers
56. Memphis Grizzlies (via Houston)
57. Orlando Magic (via Boston)
58. Cleveland Cavaliers
59. Houston Rockets (via Oklahoma City)
Harper and Bailey are headliners despite Rutgers' losing record
Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey are two of the headlining prospects in the NBA draft. It comes despite the fact that they couldn't elevate Rutgers to a winning record even while teaming up as top one-and-done talents.
Harper is the top guard in the draft and a potential No. 2 overall pick for Wednesday's first round. Bailey arrived in college ranked 1-2 behind Duke's Cooper Flagg among top freshmen and is one of the top forwards.
Despite featuring an edge in high-end pro talent in almost every game, Rutgers finished just 15-17 and didn't make the NCAA Tournament.
Bailey said the underwhelming season had come up 'a couple times' in some pre-draft meetings with teams. Harper said 'life ain't gonna be perfect' but that he 'would do it all over again' during the combine.
Cooper Flagg was the nation's No. 1 recruit at 17, now he's expected to be the No. 1 draft pick
Cooper Flagg arrived at Duke as the nation's No. 1 recruit at 17 years old. Less than a year later, the Maine native is set to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft in a big week for the Blue Devils program.
The first round of the draft starts Wednesday, with the second round coming Thursday.
Flagg led the Blue Devils to their first Final Four under Jon Scheyer, the successor to retired Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski. He also became only the fourth freshman named Associated Press men's national player of the year.