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We’re firmly into conference play in the college basketball season, which means it’s time to update the 2025 NBA Mock Draft here at The Athletic.
Why does conference play matter so much more than the nonconference slate? First and foremost, it’s later in the season. Freshmen have had a chance to adjust to the speed of the game. Teams are more settled, and roles are better allocated. The early growing pains have come and gone, giving way to more fully formed players and organization.
There’s still a lot up for grabs in this draft class. In general, scouts are mixed on the class. There are two players at the top in Duke’s Cooper Flagg and Rutgers’ Dylan Harper who receive universal acclaim when I speak with executives across the league. But that mid-lottery zone is a question mark right now, with several players who either display great scoring skill and little else or a lot of other skills with questionable scoring ability. Several big men have emerged as intriguing prospects, both old and young. That has actually given the class a bit of depth. But there are questions about the depth of the wing class as the draft stretches on.
Teams are searching high and low for intriguing players in this class. Some are great defensive specialists who have impressed but have questionable offensive talents, whereas others are high-level scorers with flaws beyond that. The guard group is very young but has a lot of long-term upside depending on who proves themselves worthy of staying in the draft. Players like Alabama’s Labaron Philon and Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears have created a real degree of excitement. Yet there are seemingly few complete players in this class, and those players may not be quite ready for the highest level.
A few quick notes on the structure and format of this mock draft:
• Draft order is based on team record as of January 5.
• Team needs are not taken into account. There’s not much reason to do that at this stage given that trades will likely occur throughout the year and rosters will look different than they do now. Once the trade deadline passes, we’ll get into that zone.
• Player ages are as of the projected draft day in 2025 (June 25).
1. New Orleans Pelicans – Cooper Flagg (6-9 forward, Duke, 18 years old)
…and so on. The article continues with the mock draft picks, including:
2. Washington Wizards – Dylan Harper (6-6 guard, Rutgers, 19 years old)
3. Toronto Raptors – Ace Bailey (6-10 wing/forward, Rutgers, 18 years old)
4. Boston Celtics – Johni Broome (6-10 big, Auburn, 22 years old)
…and so on, with 50 total picks.
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