The 2025 NBA Draft is headlined by generational talent Cooper Flagg and dynamic guard Dylan Harper, but this class runs much deeper than its marquee names. There are a number of intriguing prospects throughout the lottery and first round who will inevitably emerge as steals and surprise contributors at the next level. While the top tier feels relatively established, the middle and back end of this draft are wide open—with many evaluations coming down to individual team needs, philosophical preferences, and what scouts value most in today's NBA. 

The Prize

1. Cooper Flagg: 6-foot-8, Wing, Duke

Flagg is a generational two-way prospect. He's great as an on-ball defender and exceptional as a help defender, while also possessing all kinds of defensive versatility. Flagg is also a great offensive prospect who can score as both a driver and a shooter. He's also a great playmaker. If he improves his handle and jumper, he'll be a megastar.

Next Best Thing

2. Dylan Harper: 6-foot-5, Guard, Rutgers

Harper is a jumbo combo guard who can attack the rim with the best of them. He's also good at creating for teammates, and his jumper has shown promise. If he becomes more consistent as a shooter—both as a spot-up threat and off-the-dribble—he'll be an elite offensive engine. But he'll need to do that and play better off-ball defense to live up to his potential.

High-End Starters With All-Star Upside

3. VJ Edgecombe: 6-foot-4, Guard, Baylor

Edgecombe is an absolute dog. He's a feisty point-of-attack defender who will take on the toughest perimeter assignment every night. Offensively, he uses his athleticism to attack downhill, and he's a good three-point shooter. Edgecombe just needs to get a better with his handle, as he's a bit limited to driving in a straight line right now. However, if you have questions about him as an offensive talent, look at his FIBA tape. It tells a completely different story than what we saw at Baylor.

4. Tre Johnson: 6-foot-5, Guard, Texas

Johnson shot just about 40% from three as the top player on an SEC team, despite being a freshman. He's an absolute sniper, capable of drilling spot-up triples, movement threes, and off-the-dribble jumpers. He's also a legitimate three-level scorer, and he's decent as a playmaker. His offensive upside is outrageous.

5. Ace Bailey: 6-foot-8, Wing, Rutgers

Bailey's inefficiency as a scorer—and poor overall shot selection—was frustrating last season. And his propensity for falling asleep as an off-ball defender wasn't endearing either. Bailey has also driven some people away with some pre-draft antics, but that shouldn't be blamed on him. That's on his representation. Regardless, this is an athletic 6-foot-8 wing who can make every shot in the book. He has the potential to be a special scorer, plus he has defensive upside.

6. Derik Queen: 6-foot-9, Center, Maryland

Queen has his physical limitations, as he's undersized and slow-footed for a center. That's why scouts question his defensive fit at the next level, and he's also not a great shooter. But he's a load around the basket, has an incredible face-up game, and can really pass the ball. There's a chance he'll be a tremendous offensive hub, and he has star potential if he continues to work on his body and his defensive positioning. Becoming a more reliable shooter wouldn't hurt either.

7. Kon Knueppel: 6-foot-5, Guard, Duke

Knueppel is one of the best shooters in the draft, and he's going to be a contributor immediately. Not only can he drill spot-up threes, but he has tremendous feel for the game and has improved as an on-ball playmaker. Knueppel also has good defensive awareness and plays with some real nastiness. So while he isn't the greatest athlete and lacks an impressive physical profile, he'll compete to make sure he's not a huge negative on defense.

Lottery-Level Talents

8. Egor Demin: 6-foot-8, Wing, BYU

Demin's freshman season at BYU was a bit of a roller coaster. He started the year by shredding some weak competition, then he was an up-and-down performer against high-level opponents. But Demin is a big, long wing who plays like a point guard. NBA teams love plus-sized playmakers, and Demin can be an outrageous steal if he starts consistently knocking down jumpers. BYU coach Kevin Young, who was an assistant for the Suns two years ago, said Demin has more upside than anybody outside of Flagg and Harper. He might be right.

9. Noa Essengue: 6-foot-9, Forward, Ratiopharm Ulm

Essengue likely won't have to wait too long to hear his name called. He's a big, toolsy forward who can handle the rock, finish at the rim, and impact the game in a number of different ways defensively. There's a lot of Aaron Gordon in him. Essengue just has to continue to improve as a processor, and he has to work hard on the jumper. Without being a consistent three-point shooter, he won't be able to live up to his potential.

10. Khaman Maluach: 7-foot-1, Center, Duke

Maluach is a massive, lengthy big with good footwork and defensive instincts. There's a real chance he'll be a defensive anchor pretty early in his NBA career. Offensively, Maluach is more of a play finisher right now, but his jumper isn't a lost cause and he makes good decisions with the basketball. Realistically, Maluach has an insanely high floor because he'll be a good rim-running center at the very least. But will he make enough strides with his jumper to turn into something more?

11. Collin Murray-Boyles: 6-foot-7, Forward, South Carolina

Murray-Boyles is an awesome defender who can guard multiple positions, and his motor is contagious. He's going to make his mark on games on that end of the floor, and he's also a good rebounder plus a good driver and finisher on offense. He's also a decent passer. Murray-Boyles just needs to develop a three-point shot. As an undersized power forward, it'll be hard for him to be a surefire starter without one.

12. Joan Beringer: 6-foot-11, Center, Cedevita Olimpija

Beringer has only been playing basketball for a few years, but he's big, long, and has strong defensive instincts for a relatively green prospect. He might already be the best rim protector in this class, and there's a chance he becomes an elite one in the NBA. Beringer just offers very little on offense, where he's nothing but a lob threat and a player who can score off offensive rebounds. His next team is going to need to be okay with him offering very little as a scorer, but the defense should be worth it—especially if he develops as a free throw shooter.

13. Jeremiah Fears: 6-foot-3, Guard, Oklahoma

Fears is one of the most electric offensive players in the class, as he's a walking paint touch and has the potential to be a high-level offensive engine in the NBA. He's just going to need to become a lethal shooter because of his smaller stature. And while he has shown some flashes of good shooting, the numbers haven't been great. At his size, with his lack of trustworthy point-of-attack defense, he can't afford to be anything but superb as an offensive player.

14. Kasparas Jakucionis: 6-foot-5, Guard, Illinois

Jakucionis is another one of this draft's dazzling playmakers. He has good size for a lead guard and he's clever as both a driver and a passer. It's going to be fun watching him with the keys to an NBA offense one day. But, like Fears, Jakucionis is going to need to become a better shooter in order to be handed those keys. Defenses won't fear him unless he becomes steadier from deep. He's also a weak defender, but he does at least have some decent size.

15. Cedric Coward: 6-foot-5, Wing, Washington State

Nobody in the draft took advantage of the NBA Draft Combine and pre-draft workouts as much as Coward. He really impressed teams with his knockdown shooting as a sturdy wing with an absurd wingspan. Coward appears to be a great three-and-D option. The problem is that he hasn't quite proven himself against real competition. If he had some good games against stronger opponents on film, he'd be higher on this list.

16. Nolan Traore: 6-foot-3, Guard, Saint-Quentin

It wasn't long ago that Traore was part of the conversation that included Flagg, Harper, and Bailey, but the French guard has underperformed playing pro ball over the last two years. Traore has now dropped on a lot of different boards, but it seems like a strong overreaction. There isn't as big of a gap between Fears and Traore as people think. The Frenchman is highly skilled, as he can create for others and score at all three levels. He should also thrive with NBA spacing. Don't give up on him yet.

17. Carter Bryant: 6-foot-7, Wing, Arizona

Bryant looks the part of an excellent three-and-D wing, but he had a weird season at Arizona. Despite the fact that the Wildcats needed a player exactly like him, Bryant didn't get consistent minutes. He also didn't showcase some of the on-ball skills we saw in high school. Bryant still has great size for a wing, real defensive potential, and a nice-looking jumper. So there's plenty of hope. He's just going to need to prove to everybody that his strange season in Tucson was a fluke.

18. Asa Newell: 6-foot-9, Forward, Georgia

Newell is a high-energy player who has been insanely productive at every stop. He definitely has some work to do as a shooter, as becoming a pick-and-pop threat would do wonders for him at the next level. But he's going to be a rotation player with his ability to finish at the basket—and with touch anywhere in the paint—and make hustle plays. He also has some potential as a grab-and-go handler.

19. Jase Richardson: 6-foot-1, Guard, Michigan State

Richardson is extremely undersized, and it's hard to be a good NBA player at his height. But he's a good three-point shooter, can knock down mid-range shots, and he makes great decisions with the ball in his hands. Richardson is also a feisty point-of-attack defender. So if he's surrounded by bigger players, he could end up being a great pro. There's a little Derrick White here.

20. Danny Wolf: 6-foot-11, Center, Michigan

Wolf is a weird prospect, as he has a world of potential but will need to land in the right situation. Not every team will be willing to let a center run a ton of offense, but Wolf is such a good playmaker that he'll need those opportunities in order to really live up to his draft slot. But Wolf also needs to continue to shoot the three well, and that's a bit of a question mark as he becomes a professional. It'll also be interesting to see how he develops defensively. If he's not serviceable on that end of the floor, he'll have to be relegated to a bench role.

The Rest

21. Liam McNeeley: 6-foot-7, Wing, Connecticut
22. Thomas Sorber: 6-foot-10, Center, Georgetown
23. Hugo Gonzalez: 6-foot-6, Wing, Real Madrid
24. Adou Thiero: 6-foot-6, Forward, Arkansas
25. Rasheer Fleming: 6-foot-8, Forward, Saint Joseph's
26. Nique Clifford: 6-foot-5, Wing, Colorado State
27. Ryan Kalkbrenner: 7-foot-1, Center, Creighton
28. Noah Penda: 6-foot-7, Wing, Le Mans Sarthe Basket
29. Will Riley: 6-foot-8, Wing, Illinois
30. Bogoljub Markovic: 6-foot-11, Forward, Mega Basket
31. Walter Clayton Jr.: 6-foot-2, Guard, Florida
32. Drake Powell: 6-foot-5, Wing, North Carolina
33. Ben Saraf: 6-foot-6, Guard, Ratiopharm Ulm
34. Maxime Raynaud: 7-foot, Center, Stanford
35. Kam Jones: 6-foot-3, Guard, Marquette
36. Yanic Konan Niederhauser: 6-foot-11, Center, Penn State
37. Ryan Nembhard: 5-foot-11, Guard, Gonzaga
38. Hansen Yang: 7-foot-1, Center, Qingdao Eagles
39. John Tonje: 6-foot-5, Wing, Wisconsin
40. Tyrese Proctor: 6-foot-4, Guard, Duke
41. Chaz Lanier: 6-foot-4, Guard, Tennessee
42. Koby Brea: 6-foot-6, Wing, Kentucky
43. Sion James: 6-foot-5, Guard, Duke
44. Brice Williams: 6-foot-5, Wing, Nebraska
45. Javon Small: 6-foot-1, Guard, West Virginia
46. Johni Broome: 6-foot-9, Forward, Auburn
47. Alex Toohey: 6-foot-8, Wing, Sydney Kings
48. Ivan Almansa: 6-foot-9, Forward, Perth Wildcats
49. Kobe Sanders: 6-foot-7, Wing, Nevada
50. Jamir Watkins: 6-foot-5, Wing, Florida State
51. Eric Dixon: 6-foot-8, Forward, Villanova
52. Hunter Sallis: 6-foot-4, Guard, Wake Forest
53. Alijah Martin: 6-foot-2, Guard, Florida
54. Micah Peavy: 6-foot-6, Wing, Georgetown
55. Max Shulga: 6-foot-4, Guard, VCU
56. Rocco Zikarsky: 7-foot-3, Center, Brisbane Bullets
57. Vladislav Goldin: 7-foot, Center, Michigan
58. Dink Pate: 6-foot-6, Wing, Mexico City Capitanes
59. Brooks Barnhizer: 6-foot-5, Wing, Northwestern
60. RJ Luis Jr.: 6-foot-6, Wing, St. John's