After a very exciting first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, it is time to dive in and break down the key picks, biggest winners, and biggest losers.
To no one’s surprise, the Mavericks and Spurs got their expected guys in Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. Flagg is going to be an immediate game changer in Dallas, and there is not much to say about him except … get ready, NBA.
How the No. 1 pick fell into Nico Harrison’s lap after orchestrating the worst trade in NBA history, I will never know.
NBA Draft Grade: Spurs Select Dylan Harper
Harper was the obvious pick at No. 2 for the Spurs. Although he had a very underwhelming college season at Rutgers with his former teammate and now top-five pick Ace Bailey, it was clear what a talented player he was and the huge upside that followed.
When it comes to pure skill, he is on par with Flagg, although the intangibles and tenacious defense lag slightly behind. Harper has much room to grow, and being thrown into a competent and highly driven San Antonio organization is exactly what he needed.
With rumors circulating about possible blockbuster trades, the Spurs decided to hunker down and retain the second pick. If that doesn’t show the trust the team has already placed in Harper, I don’t know what does.
De’Aaron Fox in the transition and Harper as a primarily ball-dominant guard in the half court is a recipe worth trying. The Spurs also have very promising youngsters in Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and, of course, generational superstar Victor Wembanyama.
While they aren’t immediate title contenders, the foundation is being laid and the structure is forming. The Spurs hope they can use this core to kickstart another dynasty.
Grade: A
Dylan Harper’s rookie contract compared to his dad’s career earnings 🤯 pic.twitter.com/D7vAmRj3On
— Hoops (@HoopMixOnly) June 26, 2025
NBA Draft Grade: 76ers Select VJ Edgecombe
As a 76ers fan, I was immediately thinking of all the possible ways the organization was going to mess this pick up. When the lottery concluded, it seemed that Bailey was the leading favorite to land at No. 3, but when he refused to work out or interview, the reality of a cursed Sixers team was beginning to sneak into my daily thoughts.
However, the team took the most athletic and best defender in the draft, VJ Edgecombe. He is driven, he is humble, he is a freak of nature when it comes to pure athletics, and he is someone who can make an immediate impact on this very confusing Sixers squad. He does not need the ball in his hands to make an impact, and his ability to fly off the ball will not only elevate the games of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Jared McCain, but it allows him to walk into a team with high aspirations and know the role he has to play to contribute to immediate success.
When I saw the interview with Edgecombe, his mother, and his brother breaking into tears and speaking of the challenges they overcame to finally make it to the big stage, it became clear that the 76ers got themselves a dawg.
Here is a player who donated all his NIL earnings to basketball funding in the Bahamas and was still the hardest player in the gym. He is someone who lived off a generator for seven straight years as a child. His story can pull the heartstrings of even the cruelest individual, and it is clear he has the drive that many former Sixers lottery picks lacked.
Grade: A-
NBA Draft Grade: Hornets Select Kon Knueppel
If someone were to say that Kon Knueppel went with the fourth overall pick about two months ago, I would’ve thought that a team overextended itself. However, with all the recent buzz after the combine and team interviews, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him go even higher.
Knueppel’s stock kept trending upwards as draft day approached, whereas a player with his style and lack of athleticism traditionally gets overlooked by teams hoping to hit on the highest ceiling player. This was not the case, though. After making an appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast, it became clear that Knueppel would go in and positively impact whichever team selected him.
He is a basketball guy through and through and seems to eat, sleep, and breathe the game. Countless times, we have seen high school stars attend college and get overshadowed by their counterparts. This was not the case the past year at Duke with Knueppel, Flagg, and Khaman Maluach. Knueppel was able to play his role to perfection, capitalize on the games in which Flagg sat, and adjust to the role given while still contributing in major ways.
When you think of Charlotte prospects, they have seemed to be off-court nightmares with inflated egos and the inability to adapt. Being able to draft Knuppel at No. 4 and then grab Liam McNeeley after his slip is the perfect culture shift for two players who already have a history of playing together at Montverde Academy in high school.
While players like Johnson and Bailey may have a faster track towards All-Star appearances and personal accolades, the right pick here was Kon Knueppel. He will be a great fit on a Charlotte team begging for a sense of identity.
Grade: B+
The Knueppel fam didn’t have to flex this hard 🔥 pic.twitter.com/6wt1MqDBPk
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 26, 2025
NBA Draft Grade: Jazz Select Ace Bailey
The final of the first five picks wound up being the talk of the draft: Ace Bailey. Here is a player who is coming off a train wreck season at Rutgers, which sparked a lot of questions about his ability to help an NBA team win. Bailey then decided to further tank his stock by refusing to work out for NBA teams and refusing to interview.
Although Bailey received praise from players such as Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo for his ability to score the basketball in ways that seem impossible and protect the rim at all costs, the main story of Bailey is now his attitude, ego, and disinclination to play winning basketball.
Bailey reportedly had no idea that the Utah Jazz planned on selecting him, as he kept them off of potential teams he would like to play for. Aside from his ridiculous scoring ability, there is hope to be had of stardom. This is due to the man who drafted him, Danny Ainge.
Often looked at as the current best mind in basketball for what he did with the Celtics, Ainge clearly sees something in Bailey. Against Bailey’s wishes, Ainge decided to pull the trigger and take the best available talent, and it is hard to bet against the man who has pulled this off time and time again.
The Jazz have also said they are done tanking and ready to compete. Whether they will be able to achieve that is another story, but it does not seem like they took Bailey on a hope and a prayer. Rather, they invested in their own confidence in his ability and his potential to kickstart a historic rise for a franchise that is in desperate need of something positive.
Grade: C+
NBA Draft Grade: Wizards Select Tre Johnson
The definition of a human flamethrower and lights-out scorer, Johnson is a great addition to a Wizards team that is truly irrelevant. Johnson is probably the most NBA-ready player from an offensive standpoint in this draft, but it will be interesting to see how the Wizards will implement him into a young core with washed-up veteran mentors in Malcolm Brogdon, C.J. McCollum, and Khris Middleton.
Grade: B
NBA Draft Grade: Nets Selections
After pick No. 6, there was a clear drop-off in hype and talent. While there were many good players in the next 24 picks, it’s time to see which teams were the biggest winners and losers of the night.
It would feel wrong to start with anyone other than the Brooklyn Nets, who have the most cap space in the NBA and five (yes, five) first-round picks. It would seem like a reasonable move to trade off a few of the picks and acquire more assets that will allow the team to make a much-needed jump next year.
Yet, in typical Brooklyn Nets fashion, they used all five of the first-round picks and seemingly went 0-for-5. They selected five players who thrive when controlling the ball, which is not a recipe for success.
The only reason I don’t give the Nets an “F” is because one of the players drafted has to show some glimmer of stardom, right?
Grade: D-
that’s a wrap from round 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/A6dw1KpGkb
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) June 26, 2025
NBA Draft Grade: Pelicans Selections
Another loser on the night was the New Orleans Pelicans. Selecting Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 might not be the end of the world, but when an undersized guard who can’t shoot is paired with an injury-prone and relatively poor shooting Zion Williamson, as well as Jordan Poole, it’s not the best start to draft night.
However, the true loss by the Pelicans was the trade they made to select Patrick Queen. Don’t get me wrong, I love Queen and think that he has a very high ceiling, but the Pelicans traded up with the Hawks 10 spots while also giving them an unprotected first-round pick next year. Joe Dumars has done it again.
Grade: D
NBA Draft Grade: Trail Blazers Select Yang Hansen
My personal favorite pick of the night was Yang Hansen at No. 16. A complete unknown to me, Hansen was seated in the crowd when his name was called, and the first person he dapped up was his new agent, Rich Paul. After watching roughly 30 minutes of highlights, I am now a devoted lifelong fan of Yang. Although the Trail Blazers added a fifth center to their roster and potentially picked Hansen 20 to 25 spots too high, they trusted what they saw and went after it.
“If there are 1,000,000 Yang Hansen fans, I am one of them. If there are 1,000 Yang Hansen fans, I am one of them. If there are 100 Yang Hansen fans, I am one of them. If there are 10 Yang Hansen fans, I am one of them. If there is one Yang Hansen fan, it is me. If there are no Yang Hansen fans, I am dead.”
— Drew Fitzpatrick, Prime Time Sports Talk
Grade: C-
NBA Draft Grade: Suns Select Khaman Maluach
To wrap up the draft, I think the team with the biggest win on the night was the Phoenix Suns. Although the Mark Williams trade didn’t make much sense by giving up a first-round pick next year and No. 29 this year, I think the upside Maluach has dictates the mood for the night, and the front-court issues seem to be resolved in Phoenix.
Maluach is clearly passionate, as seen by his reaction. I have never quite seen a player with as many tears flowing down their face as they hug the commissioner, but now that I have, it is one of the best draft moments in memory for me. His entire family was beside themselves as his name was called, and from what scouts have said about Maluach’s desire to get better every day, I have invested as much as I could in Maluach Island.
Grade: B+
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