After a wild day one of the 2025 NBA Draft filled with chaotic trades and consensus reaches, it’s time to grade each first-round pick. I’ll consider player value, roster fit, team ecosystem and timeline as well as any trades when grading these picks.
1. Dallas Mavericks – Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
From the moment the lottery concluded, Cooper Flagg was all but guaranteed to land in Dallas. The Mavericks made the easy pick, drafting a franchise-altering talent who will help them course correct after a putrid Luka Doncic trade. Few prospects offer a ceiling like Flagg’s, with potential to develop into an offensive engine and one of the league’s best defensive players.
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Grade: A
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2. San Antonio Spurs - Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
Rumors swirled around San Antonio’s desire to swing on a huge trade for a superstar with this pick, but they stayed put and drafted Dylan Harper. He’s the clear second-best prospect in the class with true initiator upside based on his dominant slashing and projectable jumper. Drafting elite talents always makes sense and the Spurs still have plenty of roster flexibility to maneuver now and in the future.
Grade: A
3. Philadelphia 76ers - VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
Philadelphia followed expectations and stayed put at three, drafting one of the best athletes in the 2025 class. Edgecombe’s excellent defensive potential and off-ball shooting fit well with a Philly team with offensive stars in place. I’m not as high on Edgecombe’s ceiling as some due to handling and creation concerns, but it’s a solid pick.
Grade: B-
4. Charlotte Hornets - Kon Knueppel, F, Duke
Knueppel vastly contrasts with Charlotte’s usual type of prospect they often favor in the draft — they often value athletic, toolsy project players (Tidjane Salaun, Kai Jones, JT Thor, Mark Williams). They went with a much-needed changeup in 2025, though. Knueppel’s incredible blend of shooting and feel makes him one of the safest players in the class while sporting considerable offensive potential.
Grade: A+
5. Utah Jazz - Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
Assuming Bailey assimilates with the Jazz smoothly, this makes a ton of sense as a basketball fit. Utah badly needs two-way wings and will benefit from Bailey’s defensive potential. They won’t have to rely on him as a creator and pairing him with a creative offensive coach like Will Hardy only boosts his value. I value Bailey a smidge lower than this, but this one makes sense, assuming everyone is happy.
Grade: B+
6. Washington Wizards - Tre Johnson, G, Texas
After drafting plenty of intriguing complementary players over the last few years, Washington invested in an offensive centerpiece. Johnson’s incredible shooting, strong handle and passing vision make him a dangerous offensive weapon. His struggles creating downhill, finishing at the hoop and defending cast some doubt on his ceiling, but Johnson has enough shooting gifts to raise his floor.
Grade: B+
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma
The Pelicans had a strange draft (but not the strangest). Jeremiah Fears is an excellent value at this spot and his offensive upside rivals most players in the class. He’s a phenomenal handler and advantage creator with a promising shooting profile, but Charlotte just traded for Jordan Poole and will return Dejounte Murray next year. Still, Fears is talented enough to justify this pick even with some potential roadblocks to playing time.
Grade: A-
8. Brooklyn Nets - Egor Demin, G, BYU
Brooklyn made the first of many surprising first-round picks, drafting a forward-height point guard as a foundational piece for their rebuild. Demin is a brilliant passer, but his lack of ballhandling, scoring and defensive acumen makes it challenging for him to unlock that playmaking. This was a major reach for me.
Grade: D-
9. Toronto Raptors - Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
The Raptors drafted a non-shooting, shorter big on a roster without much spacing or off-ball movement. I still enjoy this pick, as Murray-Boyles’s defensive upside and excellent passing are worth building around. Toronto drafted arguably the best player on the board with plenty of routes to high NBA impact.
Grade: A-
10. Phoenix Suns - Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
It’s a dream scenario for Phoenix, who lands their defensive anchor of the future. Maluach will take some time to refine his feel and add strength, but he brings huge upside as a rim protector and paint finisher. Trading for Mark Williams right as they selected Maluach was some, but that doesn’t factor in much for this grade.
Grade: A+
11. Memphis Grizzlies - Cedric Coward, F, Washington State
Memphis traded up five spots with Portland to take Coward, forking over a future first-round pick and a few seconds. Coward this high was a reach by my board, as his inexperience against high-level competition and lack of feel and ball skills means he’ll need development. He has some intriguing traits and his flexibility, touch and mobility could suggest a higher ceiling than I’m crediting him for.
Grade: C+
12. Chicago Bulls - Noa Essengue, F, Ulm
Essengue perfectly fits with Chicago’s fast-paced, transition-heavy style. He’s unstoppable in the open court and his half-court limitations shouldn’t limit him as much in Chicago. Dominant defensive upside could help him develop into an impact player and the Bulls badly need upside swings.
Grade: B-
13. New Orleans Pelicans - Derik Queen, F/C, Maryland
The Pelicans traded a ridiculous amount to draft Queen, giving up two unprotected first-round picks, including the best of New Orleans or Milwaukee’s 2026 first. That would earn a failing grade for most players, but Queen is a star prospect worth swinging on. If he reaches his ceiling, Queen can develop into an offensive centerpiece.
Grade: B+
14. San Antonio Spurs - Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
Bryant fits perfectly with a young but talented San Antonio team. He’s a solid spot-up shooter and won’t have much responsibility offensively aside from spacing and finishing. Bryant’s defensive upside on the perimeter and low-usage offense make him an ideal fit next to Harper and Victor Wembanyama.
Grade: B+
15. Oklahoma City Thunder - Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
Oklahoma City robbed the league by drafting Sorber, adding another excellent rim protector and high-feel offensive player. Sorber can learn from Isaiah Hartenstein and hopefully approximate his role as a connective hub on offense and paint protector on defense. It’s an excellent value for the defending champs.
Grade: A+
16. Portland Trail Blazers - Hansen Yang, C, Qingdao
This one was a shocker! Portland drafted one of the most skilled bigs in the league who could add an offensive punch with his great post moves and hub passing. He’s a limited defensive player with limited athletic tools who could struggle to fit with Donovan Clingan. This was another large reach for me, but the Blazers acquired assets from the trade down.
Grade: D
17. Minnesota Timberwolves - Joan Beringer, C, KK Cedevita
Beringer adds another contingency plan in the frontcourt and a long-term rotation center option. He’s a monstrous vertical athlete with excellent mobility for a near-seven-footer, giving him huge defensive and play finishing upside. He’s extremely young and will need plenty of development time, but Beringer is a solid dart throw in the middle of the first round.
Grade: B-
18. Utah Jazz - Walter Clayton Jr., Guard, Florida
Utah paid a modest price to trade up four spots and draft Clayton. He’s a flamethrowing guard who can play on and off ball, making him an ideal fit next to Bailey and Isaiah Collier, especially as a floor spacer and secondary creator. The Jazz must sort out their crowded guard room, but Clayton was a strong value here.
Grade: A-
19. Brooklyn Nets - Nolan Traore, G, Saint Quentin
Though I value Traore around this range, it’s an odd swing for the Nets after drafting another ball-dominant, shaky shooting perimeter handler in the top 10. Traore’s improved defense, off-ball shooting and decision making could help him play more off-ball, but it could be tough for him to earn on-ball touches, especially considering their other picks.
Grade: C-
20. Miami Heat - Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
Jakucionis, who many scouts projected in the lottery, fell into Miami’s lap here. Though he’ll need to improve his handle and stabilize his jumper to reach his offensive ceiling, his passing and shotmaking are high-ceiling traits worth betting on. This was one of the best value picks of the draft, especially considering Miami’s history of player development.
Grade: A+
21. Washington Wizards - Will Riley, F, Illinois
After trading down with Utah, the Wizards snagged a skilled wing with major physical limitations. Riley’s impressive shotmaking, vision and physical driving help fuel his offensive projection, but his defensive and athletic profile need quite a bit of development before he can contribute at the NBA level.
Grade: B-
22. Brooklyn Nets - Drake Powell, F, North Carolina
Powell is a phenomenal athlete with tons of potential as an on-ball defender in the NBA. A solid catch-and-shoot jumper makes him an ideal 3-and-D swing at this stage in the first round for a rebuilding Nets team, especially after a few questionable picks.
Grade: B-
23. Atlanta Hawks - Asa Newell, F/C, Georgia
Newell is a bit of a reach by my board, but his fit in Atlanta as a versatile defender and play finisher helps his case. Atlanta earns incredibly high marks for trading down from New Orleans and picking up a valuable 2026 first-round pick. They picked up a phenomenal asset without giving up much. It’s excellent work from new Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh.
Grade: A+
24. Sacramento Kings - Nique Clifford, F, Colorado State
Sacramento moved up to snag the best player on the board for me and a much-needed two-way, do-it-all wing. Clifford’s high-end passing gives him a higher ceiling than most older wings, but he’ll thrive in a lower usage role. The Kings are in a transitional stage, but adding foundational talents like Clifford is good process.
Grade: A+
25. Orlando Magic - Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
Arguably the best value pick in the entire draft. The Magic drafted a perfect fit who possibly fell because of overstated size concerns. Richardson’s incredible scoring touch and off-ball game fits perfectly with an offense-needy Orlando team with tons of long, tall defenders to cover for a six-foot guard.
Grade: A+
26. Brooklyn Nets - Ben Saraf, G, Ulm
Drafting Saraf is solid value late in the first and his size, handling and passing vision make him an intriguing upside pick. His fit in Brooklyn makes less sense as it's third on-ball guard in four picks and without a reliable outside shot. Saraf could develop into an impactful creator, but that pathway is murkier now in Brooklyn.
Grade: B-
27. Brooklyn Nets - Danny Wolf, C/F, Michigan
Brooklyn made their desire for players who can handle and pass the basketball abundantly clear, drafting a fourth of that type in Wolf. He’s a unique point-center with rare ball skills and passing vision for his size, suggesting intriguing offensive upside. But like Demin, Traore and Saraf, Wolf plays best with the ball in his hands. I have no idea how this shakes out, but the Nets are the first team ever to draft five players in the first round.
Grade: D-
28. Boston Celtics - Hugo Gonzalez, F, Real Madrid
Gonzalez adds another developmental, athletic wing to an in-flux Boston roster. They can stash him overseas or in the G League for as long as he needs to improve his outside shot, which will help unlock his excellent slashing and defensive upside.
Grade: B
29. Charlotte Hornets - Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
The Hornets add another wing sharpshooter to pair with Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. He likely won’t bring much upside due to his athletic, defensive and interior scoring limitations, but he should add solid rotation minutes on the wing.
Grade: C
30. Los Angeles Clippers - Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Penn State
This was one of the bigger reaches of the night in my evaluation. Konan Niederhauser has plenty of athletic and physical intrigue, but he’ll need plenty of development to his feel, awareness and ball skills before he can contribute on an NBA floor.
Grade: F
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