2025 NBA Draft: Mavs select Cooper Flagg, Does Ace Bailey fit with Jazz?

Thirty players will hear their names called and have their lifelong dreams realized during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday at the Barclays Center in New York.

Follow along to find out where Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and other top prospects land, along with how each player will fit the team that selects them:

Here are all 30 picks in the first-round of the 2025 NBA Draft:

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, Forward, Duke

Cooper Flagg (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted first overall by the Dallas Mavericks during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Flagg will slot in seamlessly with the Mavericks’ lineup and roster-building philosophy. When Dallas traded Luka Doncic, president of basketball operations and general manager, Nico Harrison, cited defense as the foundation for their future. Flagg brings that and much more. He’s versatile, intelligent on the help-side and in pick-and-roll coverage, and can guard players at all positions. Offensively, he’s one of, if not the best, passers in the 2025 NBA Draft class and has displayed an ability to create his own jump shot, and scoring opportunities for his teammates. 

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, Guard, Rutgers

The Spurs have had the Rookie of the Year the last two seasons and have just drafted someone who could make that three in a row. Harper is the perfect player for the Spurs to add to their young core. He will complement Victor Wembanyama as a perimeter scorer and maximize his offensive ceiling as a playmaker. He will play alongside a backcourt mate that has a very similar game to him, in De’Aaron Fox, a fellow left-handed dynamic guard. That pairing will be interesting as Fox and Harper operate in similar parts of the court, but Fox should offer a good example for the young Harper. 

3. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, Guard, Baylor

Edgecombe’s ceiling is as high as any prospect in this draft as he has a comparable build and competitive drive to that of dynamic NBA guards of past and present such as Anthony Edwards and Dwayne Wade. As for his fit with Philadelphia, Edgecombe will provide an immediate force on the defensive side and alleviate pressure off Tyrese Maxey on that side of the court. Offensively, he can play off Maxey and Joel Embiid, attacking close outs, and creating offense with his instincts and quick decision-making. It will be interesting to see the direction the 76ers take now that they have Edgecombe. Do they lean into their young backcourt, or use those pieces to surround their veterans and push for immediate success?

4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Kneuppel, Guard, Duke

Knueppel might have the highest IQ of any player in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He is also one of the top perimeter shooters. From that standpoint, he should fit in well because he doesn’t need the ball to be effective and LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller will command more touches than Knueppel. Ball can set him up for 3-point shots, and he can be the team’s secondary scorer behind Miller. That being said, there are more talented players than Kneuppel that will be selected after him, and the Hornets could be left regretting this pick. 

5. Utah Jazz: Airious “Ace” Bailey, Forward, Rutgers

Ace Bailey (R) shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted fifth overall by the Utah Jazz during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 25, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images).

Bailey is the greatest enigma in the 2025 NBA Draft class. He is the only American prospect to not have a single workout with an NBA team prior to Wednesday’s draft. The Jazz are betting that isn’t a red flag. If they’re right, Bailey could be the cornerstone of their future. He’s a 6-foot-8 wing with the fluid handle of a guard. Not only is he one of the best shot creators in the draft, but he’s shown chops as a help-defender and rim protector. 

6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, Guard, Texas

Johnson is arguably the best overall shooter in the NBA Draft. He takes and makes the deepest diet of NBA-level shots such as step-back and pull-up jump shots. From the moment he steps into the league, he will be able to score. That’s exactly what the Wizards need, as they have a trio of sturdy defensive prospects in Carlton Carrington, Kyshawn George and the second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Alex Sarr. 

7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Guard, Oklahoma

Fears has one of the tightest handles of any prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class. Not many defenders can stay in front of him, which is significant because his 3-point shot needs some work. Still, the fit in New Orleans makes sense as they traded their point guard CJ McCollum on Monday and had a hole at that position. Now, they add a high-ceiling prospect that fits the timeline of their young core, including Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy. 

8. Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin, Guard, Brigham Young

A creative playmaker and passer, Demin could be the engine for an NBA offense. He’s a big guard who plays at his own pace and makes everyone around him better. He still needs to improve his individual scoring, but showed that he was working on that throughout the pre-draft process. The Nets desparately need a reset to their core, so getting their ball-handler of the future is a good way to start. 

9. Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles, Forward, South Carolina

Murray-Boyles is the quintessential Raptors’ player — a lengthy and versatile wing with loads of untapped talent. Defense will come easily to Murray-Boyles, but he’ll need to improve his outside shot and ability to attack close-outs if he wants to succeed in Toronto because the Raptors have dominant ball-handlers who aren’t dynamic perimeter shooters themselves in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. 

10. Phoenix Suns 

11. Portland Trail Blazers

12. Chicago Bulls

13. Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento)

14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta)

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami)

16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando)

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit)

18. Washington Wizards (from Memphis)

19. Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee)

20. Miami Heat (from Golden State)

21. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota)

22. Brooklyn Nets (from the L.A. Lakers)

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)

30. L.A. Clippers (from Oklahoma City)

Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!


Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more



Source link

About Media Video News From X

Check Also

TE Darren Waller Unretires, Gets Traded to Dolphins

TE Darren Waller Unretires, Gets Traded to Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have found their Jonnu Smith replacement, calling upon someone who wasn’t in …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *