Here we go! The 2025 NBA Draft tipped off with a generational talent going first overall, as the Dallas Mavericks selected standout Duke forward Cooper Flagg to open the night. While Flagg’s selection was widely expected, the rest of round one brought unexpected picks, international intrigue, and strategic moves that shook up team rosters across the league.
Flagg, just 18 years old, has been considered the consensus top pick for months. The Maine-born forward reclassified into the 2024 high school class and spent one dominant season at Duke, where he led the Blue Devils to a Final Four and averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists across 37 games.
The Mavericks landed the No. 1 pick despite having only a 1.8 percent chance in the lottery. With Flagg now in Dallas, the franchise adds a young cornerstone who has already stacked accolades throughout his young career.
Who is Cooper Flagg?
In case you have been under a proverbial basketball sized hardwood floor, Flagg’s journey began at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine, before he transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida. There, he collected multiple national honors and elevated his profile as the top recruit in the class of 2024. His lone college season ended with first-team All-American recognition and national player of the year honors.
Flagg has also represented Team USA on the world stage. At the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup, he earned All-Tournament honors after averaging 9.3 points, 10 rebounds, nearly 3 blocks, and over 2 steals per game. In the gold medal game against Spain, he recorded 10 points, 17 rebounds, 8 steals, and 4 blocks. That performance earned him the title of 2022 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, making him the youngest recipient in the award’s history.
Off the court, Flagg inked a shoe deal with New Balance before even stepping onto Duke’s campus, citing the company’s deep ties to his home state. He also made history by becoming the first male college basketball player to sign with Gatorade.
Now for the rest of Round One …
Joining Flagg at the top of the draft were some familiar names. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper went second to the San Antonio Spurs, followed by Baylor’s explosive wing V.J. Edgecombe to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3. Duke’s Kon Knueppel, Flagg’s teammate, landed with the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4.
The first big surprise came at pick No. 5, when the Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey, another Rutgers star. Bailey had kept a low profile in the lead-up to the draft and did not work out for teams, making his selection a bold and unexpected move.
An even bigger shock came at No. 16. The Portland Trail Blazers reached deep into their scouting book and took 20-year-old Chinese center Yang Hansen. Most projections had him pegged as a late second-round pick, but Portland decided to take a chance earlier than anyone expected.
While there was plenty of draft night movement, most current NBA veterans stayed put. One major move involved Charlotte center Mark Williams, who was traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for two future first-round selections. The Suns also picked up Duke’s Khaman Maluach with the 10th pick.
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets went all in on youth, holding five first-round selections and using each one. Reports indicate all five players will remain with the franchise heading into next season, signaling a full investment in development.
Here is the full list of first-round picks:
- Dallas Mavericks – Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke
- San Antonio Spurs – Dylan Harper, guard, Rutgers
- Philadelphia 76ers – VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor
- Charlotte Hornets – Kon Knueppel, guard/forward, Duke
- Utah Jazz – Ace Bailey, guard/forward, Rutgers
- Washington Wizards – Tre Johnson, guard, Texas
- New Orleans Pelicans – Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma
- Brooklyn Nets – Egor Demin, guard, BYU
- Toronto Raptors – Collin Murray-Boyles, forward, South Carolina
- Phoenix Suns – Khaman Maluach, center, Duke
- Portland Trail Blazers – Cedric Coward, guard, Washington State (traded to Memphis Grizzlies)
- Chicago Bulls – Noa Essengue, forward, France
- Atlanta Hawks – Derik Queen, center, Maryland (traded to Pelicans)
- San Antonio Spurs – Carter Bryant, forward, Arizona
- Oklahoma City Thunder – Thomas Sorber, center, Georgetown
- Memphis Grizzlies – Hansen Yang, center, China (traded to Trail Blazers)
- Minnesota Timberwolves – Joan Beringer, center, France
- Washington Wizards – Walter Clayton Jr., guard, Florida (traded to Jazz)
- Brooklyn Nets – Nolan Traoré, guard, France
- Miami Heat – Kasparas Jakučionis, guard, Illinois
- Utah Jazz – Will Riley, forward, Illinois (traded to Wizards)
- Brooklyn Nets – Drake Powell, forward, North Carolina
- New Orleans Pelicans – Asa Newell, forward, Georgia (traded to Hawks)
- Oklahoma City Thunder – Nique Clifford, forward, Colorado State (traded to Kings)
- Orlando Magic – Jase Richardson, guard, Michigan State
- Brooklyn Nets – Ben Saraf, guard, Israel
- Brooklyn Nets – Danny Wolf, forward, Michigan
- Boston Celtics – Hugo González, forward, Spain
- Phoenix Suns – Liam McNeeley, forward, Connecticut (traded to Hornets)
- Los Angeles Clippers – Yanic Konan Niederhauser, center, Penn State
Now that we got that out the way, the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft continues Thursday night, with teams hoping to uncover more hidden gems to shape the future of the league.