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My squad grades for the 2025 NBA draft, completed Thursday night, are the lone ones you'll work that aren't acrophobic with results.
After the teams telephone successful their picks, factors extracurricular their power -- and adjacent possibly extracurricular the player's control, peculiarly wellness -- volition find the results. No team, not adjacent the Brooklyn Nets with their 5 first-round picks, drafts capable players successful 1 twelvemonth for that to adjacent out.
Keeping that successful mind, we're evaluating picks based solely connected the accusation disposable to america astatine the clip they were made successful presumption of worth and fit. Naturally, I'm relying heavy connected my stats-based projections for prospects, arsenic good arsenic investigation from ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.
Trades are besides considered. In general, teams thin to overpay to determination up successful the draft, overestimating their quality to measure prospects amended than their peers. Even by those standards, this year's commercialized up from No. 23 to No. 13 by the New Orleans Pelicans stands retired arsenic particularly risky. As a result, the Pelicans got the worst people of immoderate squad portion the Atlanta Hawks (who dealt with New Orleans) are tied for the best.
Let's tally done my grades for each team.
It astir didn't substance who the Hawks took aft getting an unprotected 2026 first-round prime -- the amended of those from Milwaukee and New Orleans -- via the Pelicans to determination down 10 spots. I mightiness person made that commercialized consecutive up without getting No. 23. All the amended that Atlanta did instrumentality a imaginable ranked 13th successful my projections.
Time volition archer if Newell cracks the rotation rapidly capable to brace with recently acquired Kristaps Porzingis, but I emotion that acceptable since Porzingis' strengths acceptable perfectly with the shortcomings that marque Newell thing of a forward/center tweener.
Gonzalez would person made much consciousness for Boston arsenic a stash pick, to travel implicit aboriginal successful his development. Instead, Brad Stevens indicated the Celtics program to bring him to the NBA adjacent season.
On the broadcast, Gonzalez was compared to Denver Nuggets helping Christian Braun. One cardinal difference: Braun, though not thought of arsenic a shooter, deed 38% of his 3s successful college. Gonzalez changeable 27% astatine Real Madrid.
Williams is an intriguing imaginable with aggregate strengths arsenic a rebounder, rim protector and facilitator astatine the elbow. However, helium changeable conscionable 54% vocation connected 2s, precise mediocre for a halfway who doesn't agelong the floor. Shulga, the past of Boston's 3 picks, really projected champion my exemplary due to the fact that of his 39% vocation 3-point shooting.
The record-setting measurement of first-round picks the Nets made is astir much important from a process standpoint than the picks themselves, 1 crushed I graded the trades to get them well.
That said, Brooklyn is betting connected processing a singular fig of teenagers, galore of them with overlapping accomplishment sets. In particular, Demin and Traore stock a batch of traits arsenic beardown playmakers with size whose shooting and scoring ratio request work. They tin play unneurotic defensively, but spacing the level with those groups could beryllium challenging.
Drafting truthful galore projects should assistance the Nets' efforts to onshore successful the lottery again successful 2026, the past twelvemonth they power their first-round prime earlier the Houston Rockets get it successful 2027.
Cue the jokes astir the Hornets' penchant for drafting players from the Research Triangle, but Knueppel was 2nd successful my projections and perfectly fits a void for Charlotte astatine shooting guard.
Although the aforesaid was existent of Tre Johnson, Knueppel was a acold much businesslike scorer astatine Duke and rated amended by my metrics than Johnson successful a larger on-ball relation successful the Nike EYBL.
Since McNeeley fits a akin mold, that was apt a best-available prime aft the UConn merchandise dropped good beneath his expected scope successful the aboriginal 20s. I'm little enamored with the Hornets going backmost to the Blue Devils good for James precocious successful the 2nd round. Strictly a relation subordinate successful 5 assemblage seasons, James ne'er had a usage complaint higher than 17.1%.
After Charlotte traded starting halfway Mark Williams, determination whitethorn beryllium an opening for Kalkbrenner to lend instantly if his pick-and-roll defence is up to speed.
Chicago Bulls: A-
Round 1: Noa Essengue (No. 12)
Round 2: Lachlan Olbrich (No. 55)
I'm intrigued by however Essengue volition acceptable with 2024 lottery prime Matas Buzelis, different young combo forward. If they 2 sprout good capable to play unneurotic astatine guardant oregon Buzelis bulks up capable to play halfway astatine times, they'd springiness Chicago combined strengths of magnitude and athleticism.
Credit to the Bulls for taking the champion subordinate disposable and continuing to draught young, contempt their absorption to bottoming retired and picking higher successful the lottery.
Cleveland Cavaliers: B
Round 2: Tyrese Proctor (No. 49), Saliou Niang (No. 58)
The Cavaliers didn't get connected the timepiece until good into nighttime 2 of the draught and landed an absorbing imaginable successful Proctor, who continued to make post-one-and-done hype. Proctor changeable 40.5% connected 3s past play and shows committedness arsenic an on-ball defender, though helium could basal to amended his bargain rate. Niang, a stash pick, faces longer likelihood owed to his shooting: 26% vocation connected 3s and 71% from the foul line.
1:17
What are the rookie expectations for Cooper Flagg?
Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps stock their lofty expectations for Cooper Flagg's rookie play with the Mavericks.
Dallas Mavericks: B
Round 1: Cooper Flagg (No. 1)
How agelong bash you deliberation the Mavericks' beforehand bureau spent debating this pick? From the infinitesimal Dallas' combination unexpectedly came up No. 1 successful the draught lottery, we knew Flagg was the pick, and rightfully so.
From a process standpoint, they don't get recognition for winning the lottery, lone for not screwing it up.
Denver Nuggets: Incomplete
Get utilized to seeing the Nuggets graded "incomplete." They didn't power immoderate aboriginal second-round prime earlier getting entree to their 2032 second-rounder erstwhile the draught concluded and inactive beryllium a brace of protected first-round picks, starting successful 2027.
Detroit Pistons: B
Round 2: Chaz Lanier (No. 37)
Much similar Tennessee predecessor Dalton Knecht, Lanier bloomed late, going from 4.7 PPG astatine North Florida successful 2022-23 to 18 PPG successful the SEC past season. He's a big-time shooter (40% vocation connected 3s) with size who gives the Pistons immoderate security if they can't re-sign escaped agents Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.
Golden State Warriors: B
Round 2: Alex Toohey (No. 52), Will Richard (No. 56)
Toohey's shooting is inactive a enactment successful advancement aft helium deed 31% successful the Australian NBL past season, but his antiaircraft enactment stood retired successful presumption of bargain and artifact rates. I've agelong liked Richard, who ranked successful the apical 30 of my projections by virtuousness of his precocious 2-point percentage.
Houston Rockets: Incomplete
The Rockets utilized some of this year's picks to get Kevin Durant successful a commercialized that can't officially beryllium completed until July 6. As a result, see them a victor contempt their beardown way grounds successful the draft.
Indiana Pacers: A
Round 2: Kam Jones (No. 38), Taelon Peter (No. 54)
The Pacers person made 1 of my favourite second-round picks 2 years successful a row. Unlike 2024 second-rounder Johnny Furphy, who played sparingly arsenic a rookie astatine property 20, the 23-year-old Jones has much imaginable to lend immediately. Indiana could usage the defender assistance with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined aft his heartbreaking Achilles rupture during Game 7 of the NBA Finals
Peter, who spent the bulk of his assemblage vocation astatine D-II Arkansas Tech, is simply a fascinating swing. He's a defender who averaged conscionable 1.0 APG arsenic a fifth-year elder astatine Liberty, but wherefore walk erstwhile you sprout 76% connected 2s and 45% connected 3s? I'm not definite that volition translate, but astatine the 54th pick, there's nary downside for Indiana.
LA Clippers: C-
Round 1: Yanic Konan Niederhauser (No. 30)
Round 2: Kobe Sanders (No. 50)
As a second-round pick, I could bargain the worth proposition connected the late-blooming Niederhauser, an outstanding changeable blocker who grew into a scoring menace aft transferring to Penn State.
Taking him successful the archetypal circular is simply a tougher sell, fixed Niederhauser is simply a below-average antiaircraft rebounder and posted much than doubly arsenic galore assists arsenic turnovers. The wide illustration is akin to Daniel Oturu, drafted No. 33 by the Clippers successful 2020.
Sanders was a precocious bloomer arsenic well, not having averaged double-figure scoring until his 4th twelvemonth successful college. My projections enactment much value connected earlier assemblage seasons based connected however lasting retired aboriginal has typically been a amended indicator.
Los Angeles Lakers: B+
Round 2: Adou Thiero (No. 36)
Kudos to the Lakers for utilizing currency to determination up from No. 55 each the mode to 36 aft making a brace of trades. Thiero's bargain and artifact rates suggest antiaircraft imaginable if helium tin marque capable extracurricular shots to enactment connected the court. Thiero was a vocation 28% assemblage 3-point shooter.
1:58
Why the Grizzlies selected Cedric Coward
Check retired the plays that led Cedric Coward to the Grizzlies successful the archetypal circular of the NBA Draft.
Memphis Grizzlies: C-
Round 1: Cedric Coward (No. 11)
Round 2: Javon Small (No. 48), Jahmai Mashack (No. 59)
It wouldn't beryllium a Grizzlies draught without a commercialized up, their 4th successful the archetypal circular since 2019. Going up 2 spots for Brandon Clarke worked out. Giving up much worth to get Jake LaRavia and Ziaire Williams did not.
In this case, Memphis sent 1 of the unprotected Orlando first-round picks acquired successful the Desmond Bane commercialized to determination up 5 picks, questionable worth astatine best. Don't instrumentality this arsenic an indictment of Coward, who ranked 13th successful the stats-only mentation of my projections. But I would person been contented to hold astatine slightest until 1 of Coward oregon Carter Bryant (No. 14) was disconnected the committee to look into moving up.
I liked the Grizzlies' worth with Small, who is -- fittingly -- undersized but scored efficiently considering his 28% usage complaint arsenic a elder astatine West Virginia. Mashack, who topped retired astatine 6.0 PPG arsenic a elder astatine Tennessee, would person acceptable the Grit n' Grind Grizzlies with his progressive defense.
Miami Heat: A-
Round 1: Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20)
Certainly Jakucionis is an imperfect prospect. His bargain and artifact rates are troublingly low, and helium besides struggled with turnovers successful his lone play astatine Illinois.
This inactive feels similar an overcorrection for a subordinate who was ranked successful the apical 10 overmuch of the year, and Miami took vantage with 1 of the draft's amended worth picks.
Milwaukee Bucks: B
Round 2: Bogoljub Markovic (No. 47)
No imaginable the Bucks could person drafted astatine the 47th prime was going to change Giannis Antetokounmpo's aboriginal successful Milwaukee. Markovic scored efficiently successful his archetypal afloat play successful the Adriatic League, shooting 61% connected 2s and 37% connected 3s, though debased bargain and artifact rates rise antiaircraft questions.
Minnesota Timberwolves: B-
Round 1: Joan Beringer (No. 17)
Round 2: Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45)
The Timberwolves tin surely envision however Beringer, a low-usage halfway who was a premier rim protector playing successful Slovenia, volition acceptable successful their system. It's unrealistic to expect Beringer to go Rudy Gobert, a premier finisher with a wingspan measured 4 inches higher astatine the NBA Draft combine.
But arsenic Gobert ages, Minnesota volition request a replacement and Beringer has the imaginable to capable that void.
In the 2nd round, the Timberwolves doubled down connected that relation by taking the 7-foot-3 Zikarsky. The 2 players person remarkably akin projections and it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however Minnesota handles their simultaneous development.
New Orleans Pelicans: F
Round 1: Jeremiah Fears (No. 7), Derik Queen (No. 13)
Round 2: Micah Peavy (No. 40)
It's imaginable for a commercialized similar the Pelicans made to instrumentality Queen astatine No. 13 to enactment out. The Phoenix Suns gave up an unprotected aboriginal first-rounder successful 2018 to determination up six spots and ne'er regretted landing Mikal Bridges.
Still, New Orleans is betting heavy connected its valuation that Queen is some little invaluable than Fears and inactive worthy moving up to get. And the downside is higher due to the fact that the Pelicans' ain 2026 prime is perchance portion of the deal. At slightest Bridges was a imaginable who rated sixth wide successful my projections. Queen was extracurricular the apical 30.
I did similar New Orleans eschewing request to instrumentality Fears astatine No. 7, erstwhile helium was the statement champion imaginable connected the board. With hindsight, however, the Pelicans would beryllium amended disconnected having drafted Queen with their ain prime than landing some prospects.
Peavy broke retired arsenic a fifth-year elder astatine Georgetown, averaging 17.2 PPG and 2.3 SPG. The leap to 40% 3-point shooting gives Peavy a changeable astatine a 3-and-D role, though helium didn't amusement the aforesaid betterment astatine the foul enactment (66%).
New York Knicks: C+
Round 2: Mohamed Diawara (No. 51)
Diawara hasn't yet developed into an interaction subordinate successful his autochthonal France, having averaged conscionable 5.8 PPG for Cholet past season. Stashing Diawara overseas mightiness marque much consciousness than having him instrumentality up a roster spot.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B
Round 1: Thomas Sorber (No. 15)
Round 2: Brooks Barnhizer (No. 44)
As with Beringer, the imaginativeness present is clear. Sorber posted terrific antiaircraft numbers astatine Georgetown and was a beardown passer for a freshman center, signaling much assists than turnovers.
Squint and you tin spot the outline of Isaiah Hartenstein, apt to beryllium an unusual antheral retired arsenic Oklahoma City's halfway grows much expensive.
Lacking roster spots for aggregate first-round picks, the Thunder pushed the No. 24 prime down the roadworthy successful a woody with Sacramento that lacks upside (Oklahoma City can't prime higher than No. 17), but amended fits the timeline for the champs.
Barnhizer volition beryllium connected a two-way contract, per Givony. He was an inefficient assemblage scorer (.500 existent shooting percentage) who racked up steals and blocks astatine Northwestern.
Orlando Magic: B+
Round 1: Jase Richardson (No. 25)
Round 2: Noah Penda (No. 32)
There's amusive symmetry successful Richardson going to 1 of his begetter Jason Richardson's 4 NBA teams, and I similar the worth too.
Richardson was projected successful the lottery earlier measuring successful astatine 6-foot and a fractional successful bare feet successful the NBA Draft combine. Such melodramatic shifts ever confuse me. Richardson inactive produced what helium did astatine Michigan State.
Orlando doesn't request Richardson to lend now, but helium tin turn into a rotation subordinate erstwhile the Magic are feeling the effect of giving up 4 first-rounders to get Bane.
Orlando past paid a dense terms -- No. 46 and No. 57, positive 2 aboriginal second-rounders -- to commercialized up and instrumentality Penda. Penda's shooting is simply a enactment successful progress. He deed nether 70% of his escaped throws past season.
1:22
V.J. Edgecombe's household affectional aft draught selection
V.J. Edgecombe, on with his parent and brother, get affectional portion recounting their communicative from the Bahamas to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia 76ers: B+
Round 1: VJ Edgecombe (No. 3)
Round 2: Johni Broome (No. 35)
Although Knueppel was a small up successful my projections, I astir apt would person taken Edgecombe present too. I similar his operation of a antiaircraft basal to physique from with a sky-high bargain complaint astatine Baylor and the athleticism to go a changeable creator successful time.
Knueppel mightiness person acceptable much cleanly with Joel Embiid, but fixed the authorities of Embiid's health, I'm not definite that should beryllium Philadelphia's superior timeline anymore.
A statement archetypal squad All-America prime past season, Broome could assistance the Sixers immediately. He brings much accomplishment to the halfway spot than the backups (Andre Drummond and Adem Bona) who struggled to capable successful for Embiid past season.
Phoenix Suns: B
Round 1: Khaman Maluach (No. 10)
Round 2: Rasheer Fleming (No. 31), Koby Brea (No. 41)
A Duke halfway falling successful the laps of the frontcourt-needy Suns made it a spot much confusing they simultaneously traded to get erstwhile Duke halfway Mark Williams in a woody graded separately.
It's worthy wondering, peculiarly successful that context, whether Phoenix could person gotten the invaluable trades down that teams conscionable down them made. As Maluach was the apical imaginable connected the board, however, lasting pat made much consciousness for the Suns.
Active successful the 2nd round, Phoenix utilized aboriginal picks to determination up to the apical prime and No. 41. Teams were competing to instrumentality Saint Joseph's guardant Rasheer Fleming, 12th successful my stats-only projections. Fleming gives the Suns different prime changeable blocker, this clip with much range. Though Brea is yet different shooting defender connected a squad overloaded with them, Phoenix could usage his shooting -- helium has the highest accomplishment projection arsenic a shooter of immoderate subordinate successful my database -- peculiarly if Grayson Allen gets traded elsewhere.
Portland Trail Blazers: C-
Round 1: Yang Hansen (No. 16)
Hansen whitethorn beryllium an All-Star. He could pb the Blazers into title contention. None of that is knowable now. What we do cognize is different teams didn't look to worth Hansen arsenic overmuch arsenic Portland, meaning the squad is betting connected its quality to bushed the market.
To the Blazers' credit, they did prime up an other first-round prime by moving down. However, they would person been acold amended disconnected making the aforesaid commercialized the Hawks did if available.
Sacramento Kings: C
Round 1: Nique Clifford (No. 24)
Round 2: Maxime Raynaud (No. 42)
Having sent the No. 13 prime to Atlanta to implicit the Kevin Huerter trade, the Kings tapped into the other first-rounders coming from the De'Aaron Fox woody to get backmost successful the archetypal round. Sacramento constricted the imaginable downside of the determination by putting top-16 extortion connected the pick, which has lone a one-year model to convey.
My exemplary was little connected Clifford than scouts due to the fact that helium didn't look arsenic a superior NBA imaginable until his 5th twelvemonth of assemblage astatine property 23. Time volition archer however overmuch of that was Clifford legitimately improving his skill, arsenic opposed to utilizing an acquisition vantage that won't transportation over.
Scouts were besides higher connected Raynaud, mostly due to the fact that of his subpar artifact complaint for a center. However, my exemplary missed connected Quinten Post past year, and Raynaud brings a akin accomplishment acceptable aft hitting 67 3-pointers arsenic a senior.
San Antonio Spurs: A
Round 1: Dylan Harper (No. 2), Carter Bryant (No. 14)
Harper was ever the statement No. 2 pick, truthful speech from considering imaginable blockbuster trades, San Antonio's enactment determination was done early.
The Spurs get much recognition from a process standpoint for their different lottery pick, wherever they waited retired Bryant falling to them. I'm precocious connected Bryant's 3-and-D potential, making him an perfect acceptable connected a squad that's overflowing with changeable instauration betwixt Harper, Fox and Victor Wembanyama.
Toronto Raptors: B
Round 1: Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9)
Round 2: Alijah Martin (No. 39)
I'm a believer that Murray-Boyles' unorthodox crippled volition construe to the NBA, though Toronto wasn't needfully an perfect landing spot.
If he's going to win arsenic a powerfulness forward, Murray-Boyles needs shooting astir him, and the Raptors person a non-shooting halfway successful Jakob Poeltl and lone capable perimeter shooting.
If 2024 second-round prime Jonathan Mogbo tin make 3-point scope aft shooting 24% arsenic a rookie, the 2 undersized large men could an absorbing frontcourt pairing that's precocious connected interaction antiaircraft plays.
Martin is undersized for a shooting defender astatine 6-foot-2 but productive successful college. He ranked 26th successful my stats-only projections.
2:40
Jazz proprietor tells McAfee astir determination to draught Ace Bailey
Jazz proprietor Ryan Smith talks to Pat McAfee astir wherefore the squad drafted Ace Bailey with the 5th pick.
Utah Jazz: B+
Round 1: Ace Bailey (No. 5), Walter Clayton Jr. (No. 18)
Round 2: John Tonje (No. 53)
I've compared Bailey to the Boston Celtics' duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum coming retired of assemblage successful presumption of the payment to him going to a contending team, wherever he'd beryllium asked to refine his changeable selection.
That examination looks particularly applicable with the aforesaid executives who took those wings (Austin and Danny Ainge) taking Bailey to articulation an Utah squad that's inactive acold from winning. The worth proposition for Bailey, 5th successful my model, makes consciousness here. And I'm not peculiarly disquieted that Bailey didn't privation to onshore here.
But the Jazz volition person to cautiously negociate his improvement to crook Bailey into a perimeter prima similar the Celtics did with Brown and Tatum. Adding Clayton, an NCAA champion and unsafe extracurricular shooter, could assistance that process. Utah has a crowded backcourt, but veterans Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton whitethorn not beryllium portion of that for long, creating accidental for Clayton.
At 24, Tonje was the oldest subordinate selected, truthful his quality to get to the foul enactment astir 7 times per crippled astatine Wisconsin arsenic a sixth-year elder is worthy discounting. But Tonje hitting them astatine 91% clip and 38% of his 3s vocation should construe amended to the NBA.
Washington Wizards: B-
Round 1: Tre Johnson (No. 6), Will Riley (No. 20)
Round 2: Jamir Watkins (No. 43)
Like the Nets, the Wizards are leaning heavy into youth, taking 2 much teenagers to spell with the 4 they added from the 2024 archetypal round. (That includes AJ Johnson, acquired astatine the deadline.)
I was skeptical of Johnson arsenic a top-five imaginable due to the fact that of his mediocre antiaircraft metrics and debased 2-point percentage. Outside that range, his imaginable arsenic a shooter does much to warrant the pick. Riley went a small up of wherever I had him and besides volition person to amended his antiaircraft playmaking.
Watkins, who volition crook 24 successful July, brings much experience. There's nary questioning Watkins' antiaircraft potential. Improving 32.5% vocation 3-point shooting volition beryllium a plaything skill.
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