2025 NBA Draft: Ranking the best forwards, featuring consensus No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg
Let's run down the top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft by position. Here are the best forwards in the class. You can also find the entire Big Board, plus a full two-round mock draft and scouting reports for every single prospect, in the 2025 NBA Draft Guide.
Height: 6-8 • Weight: 221 • Class: Freshman • Age: 18.5
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Flagg is a do-it-all forward who hustles like a madman, makes his teammates better as a passer, and has dialed in a knockdown jumper. He's both the best offensive and defensive prospect in this draft class, making him the safest No. 1 pick in ages. It's his growth as a shot creator that will decide if he reaches his All-Star floor or soars to his Hall of Fame ceiling.
(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
Height: 6-8 • Weight: 203 • Class: Freshman • Age: 18.8
Bailey is a ridiculous shot-making machine, capable of splashing contested jumpers from every spot on the floor and with the swagger of a throwback bucket-getter. But his raw edges as a shot creator and defender need sanding down to turn him into a full-on star.
Height: 6-7 • Weight: 239 • Class: Sophomore • Age: 20
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Murray-Boyles operates like a defensive savant the way he locks down every position, uses his ninja-quick hands to swipe at the ball, and inhales rebounds. He's a special defensive presence, and offensively he's a bulldozer finisher with a playmaking feel. Improving his jumper would move him out of tweener territory and into All-Star status.
Height: 6-9 • Weight: 198 • Age: 18.5
Essengue is a toolsy forward with a fluid handle, dynamic finishing package, and highly versatile defense. But his long-term upside hinges on the jumper clicking. And if it doesn't, his defense must reach a level that prevents coaches from keeping him off the floor.
Height: 6-7 • Weight: 215 • Class: Freshman • Age: 19.5
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Bryant is a rangy, athletic forward who projects as a highly versatile defender. And though he's raw as a ball-handler, he's a skilled spot-up shooter and a hyper-aware cutter. At a minimum, he has the baseline skills to be a great role player with the upside to someday be much more.
You can find the entire Big Board, plus a full two-round mock draft and scouting reports for every single prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft Guide.
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