Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are first and second total in ESPN’s newest 2025 NBA mock draft, which dropped on Friday.
Flagg is headed to the Detroit Pistons on this mock, whereas Bailey goes to the Washington Wizards.
The official lottery order will not be recognized till subsequent Could, however one can surmise that groups might be very hopeful to land prime two for a shot at these gamers, significantly Flagg, who appears to be like just like the clear best choice.
Per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo:
“Many have already penciled Flagg in as the highest decide, and for good purpose after an unbelievable yr during which he demolished the Nike EYBL 16U league (averaging 26.8 factors, 12.4 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.7 assists per recreation), led Montverde Academy to a 30-0 document and nationwide championship after which had stellar showings on the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Model Traditional video games.”
The 6’9″ energy ahead is headed to Duke, whereas Bailey goes to Rutgers. The 6’8″ small ahead has acquired rave opinions, together with this one from 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein final August.
“Bailey has terrific dimension and easy athleticism on the wing. He covers the courtroom fluidity, performs means above the rim, and might transfer laterally as nicely. As a result of his bodily instruments could be so obtrusive, it is easy to underestimate his skill-set, which features a handsome capturing stroke. On prime of all that, Bailey has additionally proven indicators of an actual passing intuition. That overlap of bodily instruments together with under-rated talent and really feel, makes him a uniquely gifted wing prospect within the nationwide class. He’ll solely proceed to ascend as he develops his physique, his capacity to create his personal shot off the dribble, and proves himself in opposition to prime competitors.”
Bailey is taken into account the No. 2 choice within the class of 2024, per the 247Sports composite record.
In October, Jonathan Wasserman put out a top-30 massive board on Bleacher Report for the 2025 draft, and Flagg and Bailey had been No. 1 and No. 2 again then.
However this class additionally appears to be like loaded with expertise, together with Bailey’s future Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper, ranked fifth, per Wasserman.
There’s additionally Flagg’s future Duke teammate, 7’2″ heart Khaman Maluach, who developed his recreation in NBA Academy Africa. He might conceivably be a top-five draft decide.
As for the NBA touchdown spots, the present anti-tanking lottery system makes it near-impossible to challenge who’s going the place. Ending with the worst document within the league solely ensures a workforce a 14 p.c likelihood on the best choice, and that workforce can fall all the best way right down to No. 5.
But it surely’s clear some groups might be preventing on the backside of the NBA standings subsequent yr as they endure rebuilds, together with the Pistons, Wizards and now the Brooklyn Nets, who simply traded their prime participant, Mikal Bridges, to the New York Knicks.
So this in the end might be a race to the underside for Flagg, however groups who do not land him ought to nonetheless land an excellent prospect in what appears to be like to be an excellent draft on paper.