The 2025 NBA draft begins Wednesday in New York at Barclays Center, with the Dallas Mavericks on the clock holding the No. 1 pick and the right to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the consensus top prospect.
There will be 59 selections over two rounds, with the draft being held across two nights for the second time ever.
Two big questions heading into the draft: Where will Rutgers star Ace Bailey go if the Philadelphia 76ers pass on him at No. 3? How will teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, who have four first-rounders, use their multiple picks to build around their stars?
With insights and analysis from ESPN draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, we provide you with a one-stop shop for everything you need to know: times, locations, draft order, top prospects, rankings, mock drafts, stats and more. Read about the draft’s best players and what to expect this week.
Jump to a topic:
Dates, times, green room invites
Draft order | How good is this class?
Questions on Bailey, 2026, more
Top 100 rankings | Latest mock, intel
Top players by skill | Comps | 5 things to know
Round 1: Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN and the ESPN app)
Round 2: Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN and the ESPN app)
Five additional players have received invitations to attend the draft in New York and sit in the green room, adding to the 19 top prospects already invited previously.
Joan Beringer, Nique Clifford, Cedric Coward, Walter Clayton Jr. and Danny Wolf were the third and final batch of players invited by the NBA league office to take in the draft in New York City with their families. They join Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, Derik Queen, Asa Newell, Noa Essengue, Collin Murray-Boyles, Thomas Sorber, Liam McNeeley, Nolan Traore and Will Riley.
The green room is a staging area in front of the NBA draft podium where players, their families and agents await commissioner Adam Silver’s announcement of players’ names upon selection. Players are allowed to invite six people to sit at their tables.
Receiving an invitation is considered a positive sign for a player’s draft stock. However, there have been instances of prospects falling to the second round while sitting in the green room, including Johnny Furphy and Kyle Filipowski in 2024.
1:36
Why there’s a lot of uncertainty around Ace Bailey in the draft
Jonathan Givony and Brian Windhorst analyze the significance of Ace Bailey canceling his visit to the 76ers.
There will be 59 picks in this year’s draft: 1-30 on the first night and the rest on the second. The Mavericks had just a 1.8% chance to win the lottery and jumped 10 spots to grab the top pick, the biggest move by any team in lottery history, according to ESPN Research.
The Nets have the most picks with five, including four in the first round (Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27 and 36). Eight teams (Suns, Nets, Spurs, Wizards, Hawks, Thunder, Jazz and Pelicans) have multiple first-round picks. The Spurs are the only franchise with multiple lottery picks (No. 2 and No. 14).
The New York Knicks’ second-round pick was rescinded by the NBA after an investigation into Jalen Brunson’s free agency signing in the summer of 2022.
Top 14 (lottery picks):
1. Dallas Mavericks
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Phoenix Suns (from HOU)
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC)
14. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)
More: Draft assets for every team | Full draft order
How good is the 2025 draft class?
This class is strong, led by a clear franchise-caliber talent at the top, Cooper Flagg, followed by a potential All-Star, Dylan Harper, at No. 2.
There is some uncertainty after that, with a group of six players — VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson, Jeremiah Fears and Khaman Maluach — expected to follow.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
The first round is considered deep, particularly with wings and forwards likely to dominate much of the remainder, interspersed with a handful of big men and guards.
Historically, the best players in the draft rarely go in any specific order at the top. NBA executives expect this trend to continue this year, providing an opportunity for teams with elite talent evaluators and intel gatherers to distinguish themselves from those that weren’t paying close enough attention during the season and might easily become distracted in the predraft process.
The second round of this year’s class took a significant hit, as at least 15 draftable players chose not to enter by the deadline or withdrew from consideration at the NCAA and international deadlines. Though there is talent to be found in the first half of the second round, especially in the 30s, many teams believe the value of their second-round picks has been severely diminished, even compared with last year, which was not seen as a robust draft.
Financial implications surrounding the salary cap and luxury tax apron rules, which will heavily impact this summer, are likely to cause numerous trades both days. — Givony
Former Duke star Cooper Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, has been considered the front-runner to be the top pick in the draft since August 2023, when he announced his decision to graduate high school a year early and enroll in college as a 17-year-old.
Read ESPN’s coverage of the 18-year-old from Maine
The biggest questions about this draft are…
Which team will pick Bailey?
With Flagg and Harper seemingly locked in at Nos. 1 and 2, the real intrigue starts at No. 3. The 76ers are coming off a challenging season going from championship contenders to one of the worst teams in the NBA (24-58), and they face important decisions in a pivotal offseason.
Do the 76ers select Edgecombe or Bailey, or do they trade down a few spots and try to better position their salary books and pick up additional assets?
Bailey canceled a visit to the 76ers, sources told ESPN. He was slated to fly to Philadelphia on Friday for dinner with the team’s front office and a private workout, but elected to cancel Wednesday, according to the sources.
Bailey’s predraft strategy has perplexed NBA teams over the past month, as he is currently the only U.S.-based prospect yet to visit any clubs. He has declined invitations from multiple teams in his draft range, which is considered to be anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8. Sources say Bailey’s camp has informed interested teams that they believe he is a top-three player in the draft, but also that he seeks a clear pathway to stardom, perhaps feeling comfortable that a franchise will trade up to get him at Nos. 3 or 4 should he drop.
The Sixers have not ruled out selecting Bailey despite his refusal to visit, sources told ESPN.
Teams such as Washington, New Orleans and Brooklyn, drafting 6-7-8, are surely monitoring the situation closely, as they have ample minutes and opportunities to offer, potentially making them attractive to Bailey’s camp. — Givony and Shams Charania
Projected first-round picks Ace Bailey and Cooper Flagg work out at the NBA draft combine in Chicago in May. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
How is the projected talent-rich top of the 2026 draft affecting this year’s, if it is at all?
With 30 of the top 40 picks in the draft concentrated in the hands of just 12 teams, we’re expecting significant movement on both nights of the draft as clubs look to position their books and maintain flexibility with roster spots, contract guarantees and salary and luxury tax considerations.
Early on, teams are reporting the market for selections outside the top 10 has proved to be softer than anticipated, with more franchises open to moving picks and players than ones looking for them. The Indiana Pacers are swapping the No. 23 selection to reacquire next year’s first-rounder, giving them added flexibility this summer to aggregate more picks in a bigger trade without violating the NBA’s Stepien rule.
Things can, and likely will, change on draft night once teams are on the clock and get to see who is on the board at different slots.
Though the 2026 draft is loaded at the top — with several potential franchise-caliber talents available in Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Nate Ament — teams still have a lot to learn about the rest of the lottery and first round, as this is not considered a particularly deep high school senior class currently enrolling in college, nor the most exciting (2007-born) group of international players about to become NBA draft eligible for the first time.
With that said, a significant number of players elected to either not enter this year’s draft or withdrew at the deadline, adding quite a bit of “older” depth in the college ranks that doesn’t normally exist. Teams will have to weigh how to value future picks with that in mind, something that has become a joint venture between traditional scouts, strategy analysts and analytics departments. — Givony
The 2026 NBA draft is set to feature several players at the top, including A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson and Nate Ament. ESPN
The Nets have five picks inside the top 40. How will they approach this draft?
Brooklyn has been one of the most active teams in the lead-up to the draft out of necessity. With the No. 8, No. 19, No. 26, No. 27 and No. 36 picks, the Nets have the levers and the incentive to optimize their return on draft night, considering it’s unlikely they’ll roster five rookies next season. They are also the only team with meaningful salary cap space, giving them optimal flexibility to not only make their own moves, but also to facilitate things for other teams.
What exactly that means for the Nets is still playing out in real time behind the scenes. Can they combine their picks to move up from No. 8? Do they select at No. 8 and instead try to move from No. 19 into the late lottery? Do they use both, and then look to trade some of the later selections? The number of picks they have in different areas of the draft has allowed them to cast a wide net (no pun intended) and bring in the majority of prospects for meetings and workouts.
No matter what it ultimately does, Brooklyn is viewed by player agents as a desirable landing spot, due to the developmental minutes it has available that not many other teams can concretely offer. The Nets are looking through a long-term lens and prioritizing talent over NBA readiness, with a strong 2026 lottery class on the horizon before they start angling to flip the switch toward competing for the postseason. — Woo
How do the prospects rank?
For a full list of the top 100 prospects (including strengths and weaknesses), check out the complete rankings compiled by Givony and Woo.
Any suspense as far as Flagg was concerned was put to rest on lottery night, with the Mavericks shockingly winning the right to select him.
Expect Flagg to be up for the challenge, as he has held down the top spot on our draft board largely unchallenged, and continues to get better at an impressive rate. He’ll be an impactful defender and versatile option for Dallas immediately, with room to grow and increase his comfort as a scorer and playmaker over time. At this point, the question is more about what heights he’ll ultimately reach, with a promising future awaiting.
ESPN’s top 10 prospects:
1. Cooper Flagg, SF/PF, Duke
2. Dylan Harper, PG/SG, Rutgers
3. Ace Bailey, SG/SF, Rutgers
4. VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
5. Tre Johnson, SG, Texas
6. Kon Knueppel, SG/SF, Duke
7. Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
8. Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma
9. Noa Essengue, PF, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
10. Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois
More: Kevin Pelton’s top 30 prospects
Givony and Woo will be tracking news and team and player information until the Mavericks go on the clock Wednesday, with this version of the mock draft undergoing updates until draft time, based on our latest intel.
Walter Clayton Jr.’s landing spot?: Clayton has showcased his dynamic shotmaking in workouts and worked his way up boards in a first round that has shaped up somewhat light on point guard options. Considering the Heat’s need for a proper point guard and the way Clayton seems to fit their mold, this fit makes sense on paper.
Suns’ plans with their new pick at No. 10?: With the Suns desperately needing to upgrade their frontcourt — especially after losing their starting power forward in Kevin Durant — Collin Murray-Boyles is likely someone the team will consider heavily if they keep the pick.
Woo shares his list of the top prospects based on skills and traits in 20 categories. Here are notable names who stand out:
Best pull-up shooter: Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
No player in this draft class is more dangerous in a tight window than Bailey, whose ability to rise and fire over defenders at difficult angles and knock down tough shots off the bounce make him a tantalizing scoring prospect.
Best intangibles: Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
Maluach is expected to be the first center off the board because of his impact for Duke as one of college basketball’s premier paint deterrents, but his appeal as an NBA prospect also has much to do with who he is as a person and what he’ll bring to a locker room.
Best rim protector: Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija (Adriatic League)
Beringer’s draft stock skyrocketed this season as scouts gradually made the trip to see him in Europe, as his excellent defensive abilities and shot-blocking chops at 18 years old were on display.
1:11
Joan Beringer’s NBA draft profile
Check out some of the highlights that have made Joan Beringer a top NBA draft prospect.
The goal here isn’t to draw a perfect comparison for each of the 14 projected lottery picks — we’d be guaranteed to be wrong. This exercise serves as a lens to think about a prospect’s future role, examine his range of potential outcomes, and consider which areas of development are most critical to long-term success.
Here are a couple of notable comps and excerpts from Woo’s recent story:
VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
High end: Victor Oladipo
Low end: Jaden Ivey
The elevator pitch with Edgecombe centers largely around the possibility that he develops into a capable on-ball creator, where his speed, strength and elite explosiveness could best create problems for defenses. Getting him the reps he needs to make that leap will be step one wherever he lands, but the downhill, hyperathletic slashing mold he fits makes Oladipo a valid point of comparison.
Tre Johnson, SG, Texas
High end: Michael Redd
Low end: Cam Thomas, but taller
Johnson is a fairly simple prospect to understand. He’s likely going to shoot it well; he’s probably going to shoot a lot; and whatever else he ends up giving his future team will be gravy, not necessarily baked into their expectations. If Johnson can come close to the type of career Redd put together (although Redd’s peak in the early 2000s was eventually hampered by serious knee injuries in 2009), that would be a pretty outstanding result, and there are some similar components here.
More: Flagg’s best NBA comps: Tatum, Pippen and Kawhi
ESPN Research: Five things to know about this draft
1. Assuming they make the pick, the Mavericks will become the fourth team in the modern draft era (since 1966) to make the No. 1 pick in the draft within a year of reaching the NBA Finals. The others: The Bulls won the NBA Finals in 1998 and drafted Elton Brand with the No. 1 pick in 1999. The Lakers won the NBA Finals in 1982 and drafted James Worthy with the No. 1 pick in 1982. The Trail Blazers won the NBA Finals in 1977 and drafted Mychal Thompson with the No. 1 pick in 1978.
2. Flagg, who reclassified, will be 18 years and 186 days old on draft night, making him the second-youngest No. 1 pick in draft history, behind LeBron James (18 years, 178 days old) in 2003. Also, Flagg will give Duke its fifth player selected first in the draft, the most top selections of any school. The Blue Devils already had the most with four: Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019), Paolo Banchero (2022).
2025 NBA draft
• New mock draft! Predictions off trades, intel
• Our final top 100 big board: 1 to 100
• Draft’s top players at 20 skills, traits
• NBA comps for 14 players: Flagg to Tatum?
• We offer potential trades for Mavs, Flagg
• 2025 draft guide is here | More
3. Based on ESPN’s latest mock draft, the first eight picks are projected to be freshmen. If that happens, it will mark the most consecutive freshmen selected in a row at any point in a single draft. The previous most came in 2017, when the first seven picks were freshmen. In all, 12 of the 14 lottery picks are projected to be freshmen, which would set a record for most selected in the lottery era. It would mark the third time double-digit freshmen were picked in the lottery (11 in 2017 and 10 in 2018).
4. Kentucky does not have a player projected to go in Round 1, which would snap a streak of 15 consecutive drafts with a first-round pick, the longest in the modern draft era (since 1966). The last time Kentucky didn’t have a player selected in the first round was in 2009, John Calipari’s final season at Memphis before taking over at Kentucky. Cooper Flagg had yet to turn 3 years old.
5. Based on ESPN’s latest mock draft, five Frenchmen are projected to be selected in the first round (Joan Beringer, Noa Essengue, Nolan Traoré, Noah Penda and Stanford’s Maxime Raynaud). This comes one year after four players representing France were selected in the 2024 draft, which tied Canada (2019) for the most players from a non-U.S. country taken in the first round of a single draft. France has had at least one player selected in the first round in each of the past three NBA drafts, including the past two No. 1 picks.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.
Jeremy Woo is an NBA analyst specializing in prospect evaluation and the draft. He was previously a staff writer and draft insider at Sports Illustrated.
