The NBA draft cycle is a weird, beautiful grind. One minute you’re watching a kid in a high school gym in Maine, and the next, he’s the projected savior of a billion-dollar franchise. We’ve reached that point in the calendar where the 2025 NBA draft isn't just a date on a Google Calendar; it's a looming reality that’s making front offices sweat.
Honestly, the 2024 draft was a bit of a scavenger hunt. Teams were looking for "guys who might be starters." But 2025? This is different. This is about finding the guy.
The Cooper Flagg Effect: Is He Actually a Lock?
You’ve probably heard the name enough to be sick of it by now, but Cooper Flagg is the real deal. He’s not just a "good prospect." He’s a 6-foot-9 Swiss Army knife who basically broke the ACC in his lone season at Duke.
Most people look at his 19.2 points per game and think "scorer," but that’s not even the best part of his game. It’s the defensive ground coverage. He blocks shots that he has no business reaching. He’s the type of player who makes a coach's life easy because he can switch onto a point guard and then go contest a seven-footer at the rim on the very next play.
There was this game against Notre Dame back in January 2025—it feels like forever ago now—where he dropped 42 points. He went 16-of-17 from the free-throw line. That’s the stuff that gets scouts' hearts racing. He isn't just an athlete; he's a technician.
Is there a world where he doesn't go number one?
Probably not. Unless a team at the top is completely convinced by the Rutgers duo, Flagg is the blue-chip stock you don't bet against.
The Rutgers Revolution: Bailey and Harper
It’s kinda wild to think that Rutgers—yes, the Scarlet Knights—became the most important scouting stop in the country for a year. Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper aren't just teammates; they are the two biggest threats to the "Flagg at #1" consensus.
Ace Bailey is the definition of a "polarizing" prospect. You watch him for five minutes and see a 6-foot-10 wing who can pull up from the logo and finish with a windmill dunk. Then you look at the shot selection. It’s... adventurous. Some scouts worry about his "shot diet," a fancy way of saying he takes too many contested mid-range jumpers. But the upside? It’s through the roof. If he lands with a team like the Hornets or the 76ers that already has established stars, he won't have to carry the scoring load immediately. That could be the best thing for him.
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Dylan Harper, on the other hand, is just solid. He’s the son of Ron Harper, so the pedigree is there. He’s a 6-foot-6 lead guard who plays with a pace that feels like he’s 30 years old. He doesn't get rattled. He’s big, he’s strong, and he gets to his spots. Many have him pegged for the San Antonio Spurs because, let’s be real, pairing him with Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle sounds like a nightmare for the rest of the league.
The International Wildcards
If you aren't paying attention to what’s happening in France and Spain, you’re missing half the story. The NBA’s obsession with French talent hasn't cooled down since Wemby arrived.
Nolan Traore is the name you need to know. He’s a 6-foot-4 guard playing for Saint-Quentin who has that "it" factor in the pick-and-roll. His burst is elite. He’s not quite the finished product as a shooter yet—his jumper can look a little rushed—but his ability to break down a defense is NBA-ready right now.
Then there’s Hugo Gonzalez from Real Madrid. He didn't get a ton of minutes because, well, it’s Real Madrid and they’re trying to win EuroLeague titles, not develop teenagers for the NBA. But when he did play, the defensive intensity was staggering. He’s a "connector" wing. He might not be your leading scorer, but he’s the guy who does the dirty work that wins playoff games.
A Quick Look at the Top Tier
- Cooper Flagg (Duke): The undisputed prize. Two-way monster.
- Dylan Harper (Rutgers): High-IQ lead guard. Pro-ready frame.
- Ace Bailey (Rutgers): High-variance wing with superstar potential.
- VJ Edgecombe (Baylor): Absolute pogo stick. Explosive scorer from the Bahamas.
- Khaman Maluach (Duke): 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. Still raw, but the defensive ceiling is terrifying.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Draft
A lot of the "draft experts" focus entirely on the freshmen. But this class has some serious depth among the returning players.
Take Collin Murray-Boyles from South Carolina. He’s not the flashiest name, but his advanced stats are ridiculous. He’s a Tier 2 "All-Star Upside" guy on many analytical boards because his defensive impact and efficiency are so high. He’s the type of player who ends up going 12th and people wonder three years later why he didn't go in the top five.
Also, don't sleep on the "older" guys. Ryan Kalkbrenner at Creighton or Johni Broome at Auburn might not have the "one-and-done" hype, but they are ready to contribute to a rotation immediately. In an era where teams are capped out and need cheap, productive players, these veterans are going to be more valuable than ever.
The Bottom Line for NBA Teams
The 2025 NBA draft is a "reset" draft. For teams like the Wizards, Nets, or Jazz, this is the moment you’ve been tanking for.
If you're an NBA GM, you're looking for one of two things this June: a franchise cornerstone (Flagg, Bailey) or a high-level starter who can play in a modern, positionless system (Edgecombe, Traore). The "middle" of this draft is surprisingly deep, but the top is where the transformative power lies.
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Next Steps for Your Draft Research:
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, stop looking at "points per game" and start looking at "defensive playmaking." Watch how Cooper Flagg rotates on the weak side. Check out Dylan Harper’s assist-to-turnover ratio against Top-25 opponents. That’s where the real evaluation happens. Keep an eye on the medical reports for VJ Edgecombe as we get closer to the combine; his health will be the deciding factor for whether he stays in the top five or slides to the late lottery.
Actionable Insight: Watch the 2026 college cycle concurrently. Because of NIL, many players who would have been second-rounders in 2025 are choosing to stay in school for the 2026 draft, which is already being headlined by AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. This means the 2025 second round might be "thinner" than usual, making those late first-round picks even more valuable for teams looking to trade into the top 10.