Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft full of twists and turns with surprising trades
BROOKLYN — Midway into the first round of Wednesday's NBA Draft, a slick-dressed fan shot out of his seat. Draped in heavenly garb — a white suit jacket over a white buttoned shirt with white pants dangling over his white shoes — he swung a celebratory, never-ending arm into the air as if the teacher had just called on him to present in front of the class. He trekked out of the stands at Barclays Center for a career-changing handshake.
Advertisement
Hansen Yang, the 19-year-old center who wasn't even invited to the greenroom Wednesday, had just heard commissioner Adam Silver announce news he never expected. The Portland Trail Blazers had traded for the No. 16 pick and drafted him.
The move was the biggest surprise of an evening filled with more shock from trades than from draft picks. Yang was the biggest one — literally and figuratively.
He is a broad, 7-foot-1 teenager who is known for his passing skills. He already has pro experience, most recently playing for the Qingdao Eagles in the Chinese Basketball Association. He's so tall with limbs so long that when he stretches his arms above his head, as he did in the moments after Silver announced his selection, his fingertips reach only 9 inches below the rim.
The Blazers had traded down from No. 16 with Yang in mind. After selecting Washington State's Cedric Coward at No. 11, they agreed to flip him to the Memphis Grizzlies for an unprotected 2028 first-rounder (via the Orlando Magic), two second-rounders and Wednesday's 16th pick, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
Yang said he didn't see it coming.
'At the end of the day, this was beyond (my) wildest imagination,' he said via his interpreter, shortly after emerging from the stands in sartorial excellence.
The complete draft board for the 1st round of the 2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm!
Which pick is your favorite? 🤔
2nd Round: Thursday, 8pm/et, ESPN pic.twitter.com/n3CcG9cirJ
— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025
Yang met with the Blazers a month ago, he explained, and got along well with management. He attended the draft as a fan, expecting to go at the end of the first round, not the middle of it. Many of the mock drafts were even lower on him, projecting Yang to go somewhere in the second round.
Getting picked 16th was 'a big surprise,' he said.
Advertisement
It wasn't the only one.
A couple of trades took the league by surprise, one surrounding a player already in the NBA and another surrounding one who won't be in the league until next season at the soonest.
Early in the night, the Charlotte Hornets agreed to trade fourth-year center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for a package that will include the No. 29 pick, a 2029 first-rounder and Vasilije Micić, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. Williams is only months removed from an almost-trade to the Los Angeles Lakers that occurred just before this past season's deadline. The Lakers and Hornets agreed to a deal, but Williams failed his physical, undoing the would-be trade and awkwardly sending Williams back to Charlotte for the rest of the season.
The Suns had been on the prowl for a center, cycling through Jusuf Nurkić, Mason Plumlee, Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro in 2024-25. Wednesday, they acquired two five-men — Williams and Duke's Khaman Maluach, whom they drafted with the No. 10 pick, which they acquired from the Houston Rockets in the recent trade for former MVP Kevin Durant.
Another shocker of a move involved only draft picks.
The New Orleans Pelicans opted to move up 10 slots and took a large risk to do so. Midway into Wednesday evening, they acquired the No. 13 selection from the Atlanta Hawks for No. 23 and a 2026 first-rounder that has a chance to be juicy — the better of the Pelicans' or Milwaukee Bucks' selection that season, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. New Orleans won only 21 games during an injury-riddled 2024-25. Meanwhile, an aging Milwaukee squad is without All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, who tore his Achilles this spring, for most or all of next season.
New Orleans nabbed Maryland's Derik Queen with the 13th pick. Atlanta took Georgia's Asa Newell 23rd.
Advertisement
If Yang made the surprise jump of the night, Michigan's Danny Wolf suffered the surprise fall. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie predicted the 6-foot-11 big man to go 17th in his most recent mock draft. He ended up falling to 27th, when the Brooklyn Nets took him.
The evening kicked off as expected with the Dallas Mavericks selecting Duke's Cooper Flagg first. Rutgers' Dylan Harper followed. He will head to the San Antonio Spurs, the home of the past two rookies of the year: Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
The Philadelphia 76ers chose Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe at No. 3, when the story wasn't the player selected but the team that did it. Philadelphia canvassed the league, searching for ways it could trade down from the third pick leading into the draft, league sources told The Athletic. Come Wednesday evening, it couldn't find a worthwhile deal and chose the explosive 6-foot-4 guard. Edgecombe will join second-year scorer Jared McCain and All-Star spark plug Tyrese Maxey in the Philadelphia Sixers' backcourt.
The Hornets took Duke's Kon Knueppel at No. 4. That's when the first unexpected draft pick occurred; the Utah Jazz scooped up Rutgers' Ace Bailey, who famously forwent pre-draft workouts for the top teams, including Utah.
Bailey, a dynamic scorer, said he had 'no idea' the Jazz were interested in him but displayed an intricate knowledge of the state that was about to become his new home.
'I don't know a lot (about Utah), but I'm learning,' he said. 'I know it gets cold and hot up there.'
The Washington Wizards, the organization many speculated could end up with Bailey, selected Texas' Tre Johnson sixth. Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears went seventh to the Pelicans. BYU wing Egor Demin came off the board next, heading to the Brooklyn Nets. The Toronto Raptors took South Carolina's Collin Murray-Boyles ninth before the Suns rounded out the top 10 with Maluach.
Advertisement
By midway through the first round, trades began to fly.
The Blazers and Grizzlies swapped Nos. 11 and 16. The Pelicans and Hawks did the same for Nos. 13 and 23. The Wizards reportedly sent the No. 18 pick, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., to the Utah Jazz for No. 21 (Illinois' Will Riley), the No. 43 pick in this year's draft and two future second-rounders. The Sacramento Kings reportedly acquired the No. 24 pick, Colorado State's Nique Clifford, from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a future first-rounder.
For the second time, the NBA will hold the two rounds of the draft on separate days. The event will continue with the second round Thursday night.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
8 minutes ago
- CNN
NBA Draft 2025: Here's what you need to know
NBA Draft 2025: Here's what you need to know From Cooper Flagg's No. 1 selection and China's rising star Yang Hansen — here's what you need to know about the 2025 NBA Draft. 00:52 - Source: CNN Bezos and Sanchez arrive in Venice before wedding Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez arrived in Venice, Italy before their wedding. The couple was spotted entering the Aman Venice hotel. 00:19 - Source: CNN New Yorkers, visitors cope with heat wave New York City nearly hit 100 degrees for the first time in over a decade on Tuesday. The city's last triple-digit temperature happened on July 18, 2012, but it hasn't been 100 degrees in June since 1966 – nearly 60 years ago. 00:47 - Source: CNN CNN speaks to victim of syringe attack in France Nearly 150 people in France reported being pricked with syringes during a nationwide street music festival at the weekend. It remains unclear if date-rape drugs were used in the attacks. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne spoke to one of the victims and reports. 01:46 - Source: CNN Astronauts launch to space station after delay Axiom Space Mission 4 launched four astronauts from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The flight comes after an extended delay triggered by tests related to leaks plaguing the International Space Station. The group is expected to be in space for two weeks to help carry out about 60 experiments before returning home. 00:32 - Source: CNN Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC Democratic mayoral primary New York State assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in a speech as he is poised to win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with his top challenger Andrew Cuomo conceding the race. According to CNN's projection, Mamdani, whose campaign focused on affordability, will garner less than 50% of the vote, meaning the race will formally be decided by ranked-choice votes. 02:35 - Source: WABC Cuomo called Mamdani after conceding NYC mayoral primary New York state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani was on the brink of a stunning Democratic primary win Tuesday for New York City mayor, with his top challenger, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceding the race. 00:38 - Source: CNN Reporter asks Trump if he wants regime change in Iran When questioned about Iran while aboard Air Force 1, President Trump addressed whether he desires a change in the countries' regime. 00:58 - Source: CNN Iranians at pro-government rally tell CNN ceasefire not enough Iran's missile barrage toward US military base in Qatar was to Iranians at a pro-government rally in Tehran a show of military strength. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports from the streets of Iran's capital. 02:00 - Source: CNN At least 49 people killed near aid sites in Gaza over 24-hour period At least 49 people have been killed near aid distribution sites or while waiting for aid trucks across Gaza over just 24 hours, according to Palestinian health officials. CNN's Nada Bashir reports on the latest aid site developments in Gaza. 01:07 - Source: CNN Prosecution and defense teams rest in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister reports from the Manhattan courthouse where the prosecution and defense teams in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial have rested their cases. 01:39 - Source: CNN How Americans feel about Iran strikes President Donald Trump's decision to launch airstrikes against Iran is broadly unpopular with Americans, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS after the strikes. CNN's David Chalian explains the key findings. 01:35 - Source: CNN US strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say The US military strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country's nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by three people briefed on it. 00:49 - Source: CNN Prosecution and defense teams rest in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister reports from the Manhattan courthouse where the prosecution and defense teams in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial have rested their cases. 01:39 - Source: CNN Congresswoman accuses RFK Jr. of lying about vaccine panel Rep. Kim Schrier accused US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of lying about promises not to make changes to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. 01:25 - Source: CNN How Americans feel about Iran strikes President Donald Trump's decision to launch airstrikes against Iran is broadly unpopular with Americans, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS after the strikes. CNN's David Chalian explains the key findings. 01:35 - Source: CNN Trump arrives at NATO summit amid uneasy ceasefire US President Donald Trump has arrived in the Netherlands for an in-and-out stop at a NATO leaders' summit that's been tailored to suit his preferences. On his way over, Trump was focused on the fragile truce between Israel and Iran, but acknowledged there were other issues awaiting him in the Netherlands. 00:36 - Source: CNN Dashcam captures strike near Ashdod Dashcam footage posted on social media shows the moment an Iranian airstrike made impact near the Israeli city of Ashdod. According to Israeli national emergency service MDA, crews have been dispatched to reported impact sites across the country following a barrage of missiles from Iran. 00:46 - Source: CNN CNN team witnesses Israeli strike on Tehran Israeli airstrikes rocked the north of Tehran on Monday. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen shows the aftermath of the attack. 01:14 - Source: CNN
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
Rounding up the draft grades for the Orlando Magic's selection of Jase Richardson
Most analysts are high on the Magic's selected of Richardson deep in the first round. We now know where Jase Richardson will be playing basketball next season. The Michigan State basketball star was selected deep in the first round by the Orlando Magic, going at No. 25 overall after being considered a potential lottery pick through the process. Personally, I think this was a great pick by Orlando, and I said as much in my piece analyzing the fit. I didn't give it a grade, but if I did, I'd give it an A. But how are other media outlets looking at the selection? Below, we rounded up several draft grades and analysis from around the NBA media landscape. USA TODAY Grade: B At one point during the draft process, Michigan State's Jase Richardson was a projected lottery pick and the Magic got him at No. 25. Yahoo! Sports Grade: A+ Richardson ends up with the same team his father, Jason Richardson, played a chunk of his career for. The younger Richardson is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father. Jase didn't inherit his father's height or dunk contest athleticism, though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside. Bleacher Report Grade: A- The Magic waited way longer than necessary to address their obvious deep-range deficiencies, but maybe their patience will be rewarded. While they paid a premium to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies, he looks like a perfect fit for this roster. Jase Richardson looks like another need-filler and a legitimate bargain at this point of the draft. There are some questions about his physical tools, but those were accounted for and then some by getting him this far removed from the lottery. Richardson may not have the height (6'1") or anti-gravity bounce of his father, two-time Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson, but he shows the on-court awareness of the son of a former pro. He almost always plays hard and smart, and he showcases soft touch from everywhere. And the way he deftly handled a late-season expansion in his role suggests he has more creation and playmaking than he was able to show under Michigan State's notoriously youth-averse head coach, Tom Izzo. Richardson's lack of size could be an issue, though. He'll be targeted on the defensive end, and his ceiling will drop a bit if he can't harness the handles needed to operate as a primary playmaker at some point. NBC Sports Grade: A- This is a quality pick this late in the first round and a good fit with the roster. Jase is the son of 13-year NBA veteran Jason Richardson, but nobody is going to confuse the two on the court. Jase is a smaller point guard who plays with pace, has a great feel for the game and can get into the lane and break down defenses. He's undersized, which raises defensive concerns, but he can be a quality reserve guard for the Magic and potentially develop into more. CBS Sports Grade: B+ The Magic needed backcourt depth and floor spacing with shooting after the Desmond Bane trade. Richardson checks both boxes. He scores in many different spots and did so with efficiency. He even finished well at the rim despite his size. He can play on and off the ball and score at various levels, but he was smaller than expected at the combine. He's just under 6-1, so being a combo guard at that size is going to be tough at the NBA level. Can he develop into a point guard? The Athletic Grade: NA Richardson's size is a concern for somebody who won't be able to play point guard full time on offense, but this is a nearly perfect roster fit for him. Richardson can play off the ball in Orlando because Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have the rock, and his ability to knock down shots will be a big help to an Orlando team that struggled mightily from outside a year ago. I had Richardson 14th on my board; he doesn't have enormous upside, but he might be able to play right away. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
Chicago Tribune
19 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Who is Noa Essengue? 6 things to know about the Chicago Bulls' No. 12 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
The Chicago Bulls added another lengthy wing to their arsenal by selecting French teenager Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick in the first round of Wednesday's NBA draft. Without any NCAA playing experience, Essengue is one of the lesser-known names to be selected with a top 15 pick. So why did the Bulls take a swing on him? And what does his future look like in Chicago? Here's what to know about the newest Bull. A native of Orléans, France, Essengue came up through the French youth development system with Orléans Loiret Basket before signing his first professional contract in 2021 with Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball. Essengue left for the German league to join Ratiopharm Ulm in 2023, where he played one season in the youth development league before moving up to the top professional tier for the 2024-25 season. He averaged 10.7 points and 5 rebounds per game for Ulm this season. Essengue is also a future prospect for the French national team. He competed for the U-18 team at the 2024 FIBA U-18 EuroBasket tournament, then moved up to the senior team for EuroBasket qualifiers in 2025. Essengue caused a bit of a stir leading up to the NBA draft when he chose to leave Germany while his team, Ulm, was still competing in the finals of the Basketball Bundesliga championship. Ulm faced Bayern Munich in the fourth game of a five-game series Tuesday, only hours before the draft took place in New York City. Although Essengue missed a must-win game — a 67-53 home loss which pushed the series to a final game Thursday — the rookie said this was always the agreed-upon plan with the coaching staff. (The 18-year-old was averaging only 3.7 points in fewer than 14 minutes per game in the finals series before he left.) 'We talked a lot with my coaching staff, all the staff from Ulm,' Essengue said. 'It was like, 'If I get in the green room, I'm leaving.' And the coach said yes. So on the day I learned I'm in the green room, the coach said, 'Just go there, live your dream and we'll finish the job.'' Essengue's teammate Ben Saraf also left after he was invited for draft night festivities. Saraf was selected No. 26 by the Brooklyn Nets. General manager Marc Eversley said the front office first watched Essengue last September when Ulm played a preseason friendly against the Portland Trail Blazers. At the time, Essengue was a raw 17-year-old still finding his footing at the top level of German professional basketball. He hit a trio of 3-pointers while logging 20 points and eight rebounds, making a strong impression on Eversley and other NBA executives. Although Essengue is versatile enough to play anywhere between the three and the five, Eversley said the Bulls ideally see him as a wing who can match up against a wide range of frontcourt and backcourt opponents. Eversley drew his own comparisons between Essengue and 2024 draft pick Matas Buzelis, who excelled in his rookie season as an oversized wing who could pick up a wide variety of assignments on defense. It might seem counterproductive to draft two players with similar skillsets in back-to-back drafts, but Eversley cited this as a strength — rather than a weakness — in the team's draft strategy. 'I like the length, the versatility, the ability to be switchable on defense,' Eversley said. 'Those are all intriguing qualities.' Eversley said the Bulls kept in touch with three or four other teams to negotiate the potential of trading up for a higher pick. Such a trade could have allowed the Bulls to take a swing on a true center like Khaman Maluach (No. 10, Phoenix Suns) or a more developed forward like Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9, Toronto Raptors). Ultimately, the Bulls front office didn't feel it was worthwhile to move up in the draft order. 'We felt comfortable that the player we wanted was going to be there for us,' Eversley said. 4 players with Illinois ties were picked in 1st round of NBA draft. Here's what to know about should come as no surprise, but an untested rookie who won't turn 19 until late December is going to have more weaknesses than strengths in his debut season. So yes, Essengue will come to the Bulls with a long to-do list to build out his game to an NBA level. Although he's lengthy with large hands and a sprawling reach, the forward needs to get stronger to begin finishing through contact and providing a physical challenge to opposing bigs. Essengue is excellent at getting to the free-throw line in Germany, but it's unclear if that talent will translate to the NBA. The rookie's shooting will be a major focus. And both his ball-handling and playmaking will need extensive development — not just this year, but in the long term — to give Essengue the independence to actually create proactively. It's too early to say. Essengue will be in Chicago this weekend to begin his onboarding process. He is also expected to participate in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he will get his first minutes playing alongside Buzelis. But beyond this summer, the Bulls are still determining the appropriate timeline for the teenager. Eversley made it clear that the front office understands the patience necessary to establish a strong foundation with a selection this young. And that means the Bulls still haven't ruled out stashing Essengue for a year as they wait to clear out contracts for the 2026-27 season. Ultimately, the rookie's debut could be contingent on the front office's ability to execute a collection of crucial transactions to move players like Nikola Vučević.
