The NBA draft's best at 20 different traits, skills: Where Flagg, Bailey and Fears stand out

NBA beforehand offices person canvassed the globe for the past twelvemonth successful mentation for the 2025 draft, scouting prospects and narrowing down their boards. Now, it's decision-making mode.

Scouting reports are filled with details and descriptors to separate prospects. Evaluation encompasses myriad factors, of people -- but which prospects person earned superlatives? Who comes to caput arsenic the champion playmakers, shooters and defenders successful this class?

Now that the draught is little than 2 weeks distant -- Round 1 begins June 25 astatine 8 p.m. ET connected ABC and ESPN -- expert Jeremy Woo matched 20 prospects with the traits that marque them special, arsenic a mode to recognize however this people stacks up and however the apical players could scope their semipermanent potential.

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Draft assets | Top 100 rankings | Pelton's apical 30

Best shot handler: Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma

Top 100 ranking: No. 7

Fears obliterated expectations astatine Oklahoma acknowledgment successful ample portion to his exceptional grip and his quality to get each implicit the level with a unrecorded dribble, keeping defenders off-balance. He applies relentless unit connected the overgarment without being the biggest oregon strongest guard, utilizing his alteration of pace, jittery benignant and instincts to get downhill.

Fears is creaseless and decisive with the shot successful his hands and doesn't discarded arsenic galore dribbles arsenic expected for a defender his property -- he's much relation than flash successful however helium creates space. It's highly awesome worldly from an 18-year-old who reclassified to commencement assemblage a twelvemonth early. As the menace of his leap changeable progresses and his decision-making improves, Fears should go an adjacent much unsafe cover.

Best changeable creator: Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers

Top 100 ranking: No. 2

Harper's size, power, pace, finishing trade and imaginativeness harvester to marque him this draft's apical changeable creator. This was connected show during his champion moments astatine Rutgers -- contempt a suboptimal squad astir him -- with his decisiveness and burst enabling him to dissect defenses and make shots for himself and teammates.

Harper finished successful the 87th percentile (inclusive of assists) for pick-and-roll handlers, per Synergy, and changeable a coagulated 36.8% successful isolation situations. He besides converted 67.6% of his shots astatine the rim. His well-rounded violative numbers assistance backmost up the comparisons to existent NBA players Cade Cunningham and Jalen Brunson.

Harper's quality to marque speedy decisions, play done interaction with explosion, divided coverages and spray passes each implicit the level sets him isolated from the remainder of this people arsenic a subordinate with the chops to yet enarthrosis the load for a palmy NBA offense.

Best pick-and-roll playmaker: Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois

Top 100 ranking: No. 10

Jakucionis has proved to beryllium a peculiarly challenging screen moving with a surface successful beforehand of him, wherever his vision, creativity and acute consciousness of timing intersect to marque him an outstanding operator. The immense bulk of his violative workload came successful shot screens -- his 501 ball-screen possessions (among the highest full successful the country) led to a handbasket 41.7% of the time, including assists (65th percentile nationally), a fig made much awesome by the information the Illini didn't person accordant 3-point shooting oregon perfect spacing astir him past season.

Jakucionis besides became much comfy getting to his ain changeable erstwhile defenses loaded up the paint, with his jumper becoming a viable antagonistic for his mean explosiveness astir the rim. Though helium presses astatine times, starring to assertive turnovers, his size, unselfish mentality and instincts navigating postulation should construe good into an NBA role, whether it's arsenic a full-time constituent defender oregon combo playmaker.

Best pick-and-roll finisher: Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton

Top 100 ranking: No. 33

Kalkbrenner developed into an highly businesslike finisher implicit 5 years successful college, adjacent if immoderate mightiness see his crippled boringly effective. The 7-foot-2 large antheral changeable a singular 73.1% connected rolls to the handbasket past play and strung unneurotic 3 consecutive seasons making much than 70% of his 2-point attempts. It's just to inquire however overmuch that level of discourtesy volition translate, arsenic Kalkbrenner isn't the quickest disconnected the level oregon astir almighty playing done contact.

However, the 23-year-old has fantabulous spatial awareness, does a bully occupation making himself a people and has reliable hands, each contributing to a elephantine drawback radius that makes him a utile lob threat. Though NBA scouts don't task him to beryllium a full-time starter -- helium is hovering successful the precocious archetypal circular astatine champion -- the numbers backmost up his lawsuit arsenic a highly efficient, low-usage halfway whose superior added worth volition beryllium protecting the overgarment defensively.

Best pull-up shooter: Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers

Top 100 ranking: No. 3

No subordinate successful this draught people is much unsafe successful a choky model than Bailey, whose quality to emergence and occurrence implicit defenders astatine hard angles and sound down pugnacious shots disconnected the bounce marque him a tantalizing scoring prospect. Though he's inactive comparatively unpolished astatine 18 years aged and operated without a ton of assistance different than Harper astatine Rutgers, that constituent of Bailey's accomplishment acceptable shone done this past season; he's acold from the astir accordant subordinate successful this draught class, but there's nary pull-up scorer arsenic projectable agelong term.

Bailey deed an awesome 47% connected midrange jumpers past play -- galore of them contested -- pointing to his shotmaking acumen, adjacent though overmuch betterment is successful bid from the escaped propulsion enactment and from 3. The prima imaginable immoderate scouts spot lies successful his quality to support converting astatine a precocious rate, a uncommon accomplishment for a helping his size astatine 6-9.

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Ace Bailey fights done 2 defenders and a ref for a basket

Referee Jeffrey Anderson gets tangled up successful the enactment arsenic Ace Bailey scores for Rutgers.

Best leaper/dunker: VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

Top 100 ranking: No. 4

Edgecombe's highlight-reel dunk against Gonzaga to statesman the 2024-25 play served arsenic his entranceway to assemblage basketball. He's an breathtaking and highly functional jock who tin enactment his explosiveness to usage successful crippled settings, giving him a perchance large vantage arsenic a changeable creator agelong term. He registered 33 dunks astatine Baylor this play -- an fantabulous fig for a defender -- capable to play bigger than his size and conscionable opponents astir the rim some arsenic a finisher and connected the antiaircraft end.

His awesome vertical leap, beardown 193-pound framework and speedy archetypal measurement underscore his upside arsenic a subordinate immoderate teams judge tin germinate into a physically talented semipermanent pb guard.

Best frame: Carter Bryant, F, Arizona

Top 100 ranking: No. 12

Bryant is built sturdy, lasting astir 6-8 successful shoes with a 6-11¾ wingspan, wide shoulders and weighing 215 pounds. His picturesque hoops assemblage has been a selling constituent for scouts passim the season. Though his magnitude isn't disconnected the charts, the projectability of his frame, which scouts judge has country to adhd much muscle, is simply a large portion of his appeal: It's not conscionable that he's a coagulated 3-and-D prospect, helium besides mightiness beryllium capable to legitimately defender 2s, 3s and 4s arsenic helium continues to capable out.

Bryant's closest carnal magnitude comp is Los Angeles Laker Dorian Finney-Smith, who has had a agelong and invaluable NBA career. Bryant's earthy spot should nutrient adjacent much antiaircraft versatility, however. At 19 years old, Bryant's carnal illustration leaves country for optimism, and has bolstered his lawsuit for the precocious lottery.

Best spot-up shooter: Kon Knueppel, G, Duke

Top 100 ranking: No. 8

Knueppel is automatic with his feet set, making 48.8% of no-dribble spot-ups, 43% of each catch-and-shoot jumpers (92nd percentile connected Synergy) and 40.6% of his 3s. His cleanable mechanics and textbook merchandise backmost up the numbers, and there's small uncertainty that his shooting offers a invaluable level projecting out.

The immense bulk of his looks were assisted, and helium didn't fare arsenic good hitting shots disconnected the bounce (32.8%), but the fantabulous spacing Knueppel volition instantly supply should proviso worth connected his rookie contract. If helium tin instrumentality it to different level shooting disconnected the bounce, his high-end outcomes commencement to get interesting.

Best question shooter: Tre Johnson, G, Texas

Top 100 ranking: No. 5

Johnson proved himself arsenic a high-level shooter astatine Texas, wherever helium was asked to bash a batch with the shot successful his hands. He was besides peculiarly effectual shooting disconnected screens, standing successful the 91st percentile connected those play types nationally, per Synergy, portion making 52.1% of his shots and proving arsenic susceptible going near and right.

Johnson has quick, compact shooting mechanics, and his imaginable to beryllium an elite off-ball scorer gives him a invaluable pathway to NBA occurrence arsenic the menace of his changeable volition apt unfastened up space. Johnson shouldn't person to beryllium a No. 1 scoring enactment to beryllium valuable, which raises his level considerably erstwhile projecting.

Best tribunal vision: Egor Demin, G, BYU

Top 100 ranking: No. 11

With a dizzying array of passes astatine his disposal astatine 6-9, Demin is the draft's astir aesthetically pleasing playmaker, with the size to spot implicit defenses and a willingness to effort things astir players won't. He's a originative passer with fantabulous timing, a accomplishment that should marque him impactful whether he's playing afloat clip connected the shot oregon off.

He tin propulsion pugnacious diagonal skip passes that unit defenses to rotate, which often pb to hockey-type assists that don't amusement up connected a stat sheet. Though Demin isn't a earthy isolation subordinate creating for himself, helium should beryllium plentifulness unsafe with a shot surface oregon moving arsenic a second-side initiator, arsenic agelong arsenic helium makes capable shots to support defenses honest.

Best rim protector: Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija (Adriatic League)

Top 100 ranking: No. 15

Beringer's banal skyrocketed this play arsenic scouts gradually made the travel to spot him successful Europe, arsenic his fantabulous antiaircraft instincts and shot-blocking chops astatine 18 years aged were connected display. In his archetypal play playing astatine elder nine level with Cedevita, Beringer finished with the champion artifact percent successful the Adriatic League -- a 2.9 shots per-40 gait adjusted crossed each competitions.

At 6-11 with a 7-4½ wingspan, helium covers crushed rather good already for a subordinate who is inactive getting utilized to his assemblage and has minimal experience.

Beringer has bully feet defensively, and his ranginess should let him to win successful assorted surface coverages, capable to power and hedge amended than astir players his size. Though his discourtesy is inactive a enactment successful progress, his interaction patrolling the overgarment has earned him information arsenic a imaginable lottery prime with important country to improve.

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Joan Beringer's NBA draught profile

Check retired immoderate of the highlights that person made Joan Beringer a apical NBA draught prospect.

Best off-ball defender: Collin Murray-Boyles, PF/C, South Carolina

Top 100 ranking: No. 14

A dive into Murray-Boyles' antiaircraft habits illustrates wherefore immoderate scouts are precocious connected his NBA outlook. Despite lasting 6-6 barefoot, undersized for a four-man, he's a subordinate who regularly makes the astir of what helium has defensively, owed mostly to his outstanding awareness, beardown hands and fantabulous timing. This stood retired adjacent successful a losing discourse astatine South Carolina.

Murray-Boyles is versatile capable to power crossed positions and does a terrific occupation of speechmaking and reacting to plays, whether it's rotating implicit for a block, digging down to swipe astatine the shot oregon putting himself successful the close spot to enactment arsenic a deterrent. Those qualities assistance task him retired astatine the NBA level: There volition beryllium definite one-on-one matchups wherever his size mightiness beryllium a challenge, but Murray-Boyles is simply a large stake to heighten antiaircraft schemes and rise his team's hoops IQ connected the floor.

Best on-ball defender: Drake Powell, SG/SF, North Carolina

Top 100 ranking: No. 31

Though his banal dipped aft an uneven freshman season, Powell's quality to defender the perimeter remains a beardown selling constituent arsenic a developmental investment. At 6-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, Powell tin beryllium down successful a stance and descent with smaller guards, combat done screens, and power efficaciously astatine the constituent of onslaught -- a amended blend of antiaircraft traits than immoderate helping successful the class. His strength, magnitude and agility makes him a challenging matchup for astir shot handlers.

As an fantabulous run-jump jock who tin artifact shots successful pursuit and interaction the passing lanes, Powell's imaginable arsenic a antiaircraft cog is clear. There could beryllium worth for a diligent squad selecting him aboriginal successful the draft, provided helium tin marque capable shots to beryllium a utile relation subordinate connected the violative end.

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Drake Powell gets the and-1 to fall

Drake Powell gets the and-1 to fall

Best antiaircraft playmaker: Adou Thiero, PF, Arkansas

Top 100 ranking: No. 32

Thiero's NBA entreaty has agelong centered astir his fantabulous antiaircraft potential. When steadfast and astatine his best, the 6-8 guardant flies astir the court, which made him 1 of the astir disruptive defenders successful assemblage basketball. Thiero has a large operation of speed, strength, magnitude and explosiveness that marque him a menace to entity for blocks, leap passing lanes and stroke up plays.

His consciousness and wide tendencies could beryllium amended -- helium tin instrumentality excessively galore risks and beryllium inconsistent -- but helium has the capableness to marque highlight-reel plays that astir players can't. Thiero missed the extremity of the play due to the fact that of injuries and is inactive precise overmuch a project, but his quality to make turnovers (career 1.9 steals and 1.3 blocks gait adjusted per-40) makes him worthy a developmental investment.

Best violative rebounder: Johni Broome, C, Auburn

Top 100 ranking: No. 40

Broome's burly beingness connected the boards was an indispensable portion of Auburn's occurrence the past fewer years -- helium averaged 3.6 violative rebounds per crippled past play (14% OReb rate) and changeable 64.5% connected putbacks. At 6-10 and astir 250 pounds with an approximate 7-foot 1/4 wingspan, Broome consistently relied connected physicality and positioning to hunt 50-50 balls disconnected the solid contempt below-average verticality disconnected the floor.

And with 14.1 boards per-40 gait adjusted, Broome was the apical NCAA-based rebounder among prospects successful ESPN's Top 100 rankings. While Broome's property (he turns 23 connected July 19) and diversion illustration raises just questions astir to what grade it volition construe to the NBA, it's hard to sound his accordant enactment connected the solid and its wide interaction connected winning.

Best competitor: Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

Top 100 ranking: No. 1

We've spent overmuch of this draught rhythm highlighting the diverseness of Flagg's accomplishment acceptable and interaction -- but the peculiar prime that pulls it each unneurotic and sets him isolated from his peers is his intense-yet-controlled competitiveness and interior drive. That constituent of who helium is has nary off-switch, thing evaluators emotion astir him and person seen successful each mounting to date. As the backbone of Duke's palmy play and Final Four tally and besides 1 of the youngest players successful assemblage basketball, Flagg made rather the lawsuit for himself with not conscionable his productivity, but his approach.

There's a level of earthy enactment that stems from however helium carries himself, making him a uncommon tone-setting subordinate astatine 18 years old. When you mates Flagg's constitution with the hoops skill, playmaking versatility and on-court IQ, it's exceedingly casual to consciousness bully astir what the aboriginal holds.

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What Cooper Flagg brings to a franchise

Cooper Flagg's vigor and enactment are the large traits that basal retired to Jonathan Givony.

Best clutch player: Walter Clayton Jr., PG, Florida

Top 100 ranking: No. 27

Florida's NCAA title tally was spurred mostly by Clayton's shot-making theatrics, with a bid of immense performances and clutch shots, turning the defender into a March hero. His quality to make separation disconnected the bounce, get to his ain shot, and sprout implicit contests with composure acceptable him isolated from his peers and single-handedly boosted his draught banal successful a existent way.

While Clayton tin beryllium streaky, helium has displayed a existent clasp of large moments, vaulting himself into the first-round representation likewise to what Shabazz Napier did successful 2014. It's this benignant of big-shot mentality teams similar to stake on, the anticipation being Clayton tin go a utile extent subordinate and seat sparkplug successful abbreviated order.

Best motor: Hugo Gonzalez, SG/SF, Real Madrid (Spain)

Top 100 ranking: No. 23

Gonzalez's relation astatine Real Madrid has been inconsistent -- emblematic for a teenage imaginable trying to interruption done astatine 1 of the world's apical clubs -- but his calling paper arsenic a subordinate has agelong been the information helium plays exceptionally hard. That manifests connected the antiaircraft end, wherever helium embraces doing the soiled work: playing successful passing lanes, hustling for rebounds and adjacent chipping successful item blocks. He'll tally the level hard successful modulation going the different way, and is ever consenting to sacrifice his ain assemblage for the bully of the team.

The level of privation and tendency Gonzalez plays with has ever been endearing for scouts, and has helped him gain accrued spot and minutes implicit the past month. His sporadic violative accumulation has made it hard to amended his banal implicit the past year, but NBA teams cognize what benignant of effort helium brings, giving him a accidental to carve retired a relation successful owed time.

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Hugo Gonzalez's NBA draught profile

Check retired immoderate of the highlights that person made Hugo Gonzalez a apical NBA draught prospect.

Best backstory: Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford

Top 100 ranking: No. 24

Raynaud's late-blooming hoops vocation has unfolded connected a unsocial trajectory: He didn't prime up the athletics full-time until his last twelvemonth of precocious schoolhouse successful Paris, wherever helium was focused connected swimming and chess. He wasn't viewed arsenic a big-time imaginable adjacent aft joining French nine Nanterre, wherever helium grew adjacent with a rising prima named Victor Wembanyama earlier yet deciding to play assemblage hoops astatine Stanford. Drawn to the schoolhouse for world reasons (he primitively planned to prosecute astrophysics), helium attended arsenic a walk-on earlier converting to afloat scholarship, and yet becoming the starting center.

Raynaud is well-regarded for his affable property and has been viewed by NBA teams arsenic a subordinate with untapped imaginable present that hoops is his full-time focus, and a breakout astatine the NBA harvester successful Chicago helped solidify him arsenic a first-round level prospect.

Best intangibles: Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

Top 100 ranking: No. 6

Maluach is expected to beryllium the archetypal halfway disconnected the committee owed to his interaction for Duke arsenic 1 of assemblage basketball's premier overgarment deterrents -- but his entreaty arsenic an NBA imaginable besides has overmuch to bash with who helium is arsenic a idiosyncratic and what he'll bring to a locker room. Born successful South Sudan earlier his household took refuge successful Uganda, Maluach arrived precocious to hoops earlier landing astatine the NBA Academy Africa, wherever helium built a beardown reputation.

Maluach checks each container teams look for disconnected the court: He's regarded arsenic a beloved teammate, aggravated competitor, fantabulous on-court communicator and hard idiosyncratic who volition adhd worth to an enactment successful those respects. His large betterment implicit the past respective years from a accomplishment and consistency position speaks to his character, having turned himself from a task into a apical imaginable successful a abbreviated play of time.