Reviewing the picks in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The 2025 NBA Draft came to an end on Thursday, June 26. The two-day extravaganza saw the Dallas Mavericks taking Duke Blue Devils superstar Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 overall pick as expected. The Brooklyn Nets set an NBA record as they made five first-round picks in the draft. While the opening day of the draft marked a few predictable picks, the second round saw many surprises as the teams went up and down the charts.
Several picks were traded, and a few unexpected moves were made. With the teams getting new faces for the forthcoming season of the league, let’s analyze each franchise’s picks and rate them.
Picks: No. 28- Hugo Gonzalez, No. 46 Amari Williams, No. 57 Max Shulga
Grade: A
Hugo Gonzalez, the Spanish forward, finished the last season of his collegiate career with an average of 3.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. He is expected to fit seamlessly in the Boston Celtics’ culture. Standing tall at 6 ‘6.25”, he is not only a strong defender but also has a unique offensive style.
Amar Williams, the English center, finished his graduate season at Kentucky with an average of 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He owns good instincts and legitimate size to defend the paint. All these skills make him a perfect fit for the 18-time champions.
Their third pick, Max Shugla is considered a versatile shooter. However, he doesn’t have a defined strength. Moreover, he doesn’t have a clear playing position.
Round 1: Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), Ben Saraf (No. 26), Danny Wolf (No. 27)
The Brooklyn Nets set an NBA record with five round 1 picks. Their first pick, Denim’s abilities to make impressive passes makes him a standout player. However, he has his own struggles against lengthy defenders. However, he has time to develop, and he will use his rookie season for the same.
Talking about Nolan Traore, he is the fastest player of the draft class. Talking about Drake Powell, he is a good athlete and a good defender. However, he still needs to work on his offense. It’s a major work in progress.
Ben Saraf, the Israeli southpaw guard possesses a strong frame, and he is the most creative passer off the dribble in the draft class. Saraf, though creative, has questionable shooting.
Danny Wolf, on the other hand, is a skilled ball handler and a passer. However, he has questionable shooting skills. Along with all this, his defensive skills also need to be worked upon.
Round 2: Mohamed Diawara (No. 51)
Grade: C-
Mohamed Diawara has a huge physical frame and a 7-foot-4 wingspan. However, he hasn’t been able to produce much in his overseas career. In fact, the Knicks should have gone with someone who would project more as a role player.
Round 1: VJ Edgecombe (No. 3)
Round 2: Johni Broome (No. 35)
Grade: B
The 76ers’ first pick VJ Edgecombe is an explosive winger who knows how to make his way to post dunks and chase blocks. While he has elite athleticism, Edgecombe’s needs to work on his shot creation and become more of a primary creator.
The 76ers, on the other hand, could help Johni Broome become one of the best backup centers. He was a consensus first-team All-America pick last season, and he could help the 76ers immediately with his skills.
Round 1: Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9)
Round 2: Alijah Martin (No. 39)
Grade: A
Collin Murray is 6-foot-6 and not a three-point shooter. However, he has a wingspan of seven feet and plays bigger than the size he possesses. Murray is a smart player and has versatile defensive skills. However, he needs to work on his jumper, which would ultimately help him move into All-Star status.
Alijah Martin, on the other hand, is an athletic and versatile winger. He helped two of his teams, Florida Atlantic and Florida reach the Final Four in his five-season long collegiate career. He is a hyper-athletic, and a high-energy guard who impacts the game with his toughness, rebounding and defensive grit.
Round 2: Alex Toohey (No. 52), Will Richard (No. 56)
Grade: B
Alex Toohey can be considered a jack-of-all-trades forward who has impressive defensive skills and knows how to dish the ball around. Playing alongside an icon like Stephen Curry and a veteran such as Draymond Green will help him bring out his best talents. However, his scoring and jumping skills remain questionable. Nevertheless, he would get ample time and opportunities to polish his talent while being with the Dubs.
Talking about Will Richard, a key player for Florida during their national championship has energetic defense and versatile shooting skills. He is projected to be a strong fit for the Warriors, considering he works consistently on himself.
Round 1: Yanic Konan Niederhauser (No. 30)
Round 2: Kobe Sanders (No. 50)
Grade: B
Yanic Konan Niederhauser is an elite athlete who has time and again proven himself as a finisher and a shot blocker. He has also displayed skills such as a 7-foot shot creator. However, in order to prove himself as an all-round player, Niederhauser needs to work on his fundamentals.
Talking about Kobe Sanders, he is a wing initiator with skills to hit shots off the dribble. However, he has a lack of athleticism which is something he needs to work upon.
Round 2: Adou Thiero (No. 36)
Grade: C
Adou Thiero developed himself from a bench player to a leading scorer at Arkansas while making strides as a passer, rebounder, and a defensive playmaker. To prove himself as a reliable option, Thiero needs to improve his jumper. However, he has a great frame and multiple tools to contribute to his team’s winning.
Round 1: Khaman Maluach (No. 10)
Round 2: Rasheer Fleming (No. 31), Koby Brea (No. 41)
Grade: B
Khaman Maluach is a rim protector with switchable mobility, who knows how to shadow guards on the perimeter. Beyond dunking lobs at a frequent rate, Maluach needs to work on his offense as he lacks screening, shooting and creating shots.
Rasheer Fleming, on the other hand, brings defensive energy on the court. However, he lacks experience in high-level competitions, and the Suns need to take responsibility to translate his ability to the NBA.
Round 1: Nique Clifford (No. 24)
Round 2: Maxime Raynaud (No. 42)
Grade: A
Nique Clifford began as a late bloomer but once he got the hand of his jumper, his game simply took off. He knows how to do it all and even fill a number of different roles as a plug-and-play option. Clifford defends multiple positions and scores from everywhere on the court. However, he lacks experience against high-level competition, which we think he will get from the Kings.
Maxime Raynaud is a seven-footer, who knows how to attack closeouts and possesses the skills of a guard. He is expected to be an impact player considering his skills set.
Round 1: Noa Essengue (No. 12)
Round 2: Lachlan Olbrich (No. 55)
Grade: B
Noa Essengue has shown drastic improvements in terms of free throw shooting and in his three-point shooting skills as well. His 10 free throws in seven games speak for the fact he lives his life on the line. If he bulks up enough to play center at times, Essengue could give Chicago combined strengths of length and athleticism.
Lachlan Olbrich, on the other hand, plays with toughness which would play a role in keeping him in the rotation.
Round 2: Tyrese Proctor (No. 49), Saliou Niang (No. 58)
Grade: A
The Cavaliers picked an interesting prospect in Tyrese Proctor, who played a crucial role in Duke’s 35 wins in the last season. He has improved in terms of shooting in the last three years and sharpened his jumper to become an even better defender.
Saliou Niang has the athleticism to finish at the rim and make a dominating defensive impact. However, he is raw physically and would need to improve his shooting as well as decision making.
Round 2: Chaz Lanier (No. 37)
Grade: B
The Piston accomplished their goal of adding scoring in the backcourt to surround Cade Cunningham as they picked Chaz Lanier. He was an All-American last season and has a career record of 40.2% while shooting from the threes. His tough-minded play style as well as the ability to score could be a nice fit for Cleveland.
Round 2: Kam Jones (No. 38), Taelon Peter (No. 54)
Grade: A
With Tyrese Haliburton possibly missing the entire next season, Kam Jones could handle the Pacers’ shot-creating responsibility. He offers a crafty combo guard skills with advanced shot creation. However, his lack of athleticism could prevent him from achieving the status of a star.
Taelon Peter, on the other hand, played three seasons in Division II at Arkansas Tech before he moved to Liberty. With them, Peter led the NCAA in shooting percentage, and made a name for himself as a crafty finisher around the rim.
Round 2: Bogoljub Markovic (No. 47)
Grade: B
Bogoljub Markovic is a high upside stretch forward who offers skills as a passer and post scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he needs to bulk up and add muscle to make an impact on the court with the Bucks.
Round 1: Asa Newell (No. 23)
Grade: A+
Asa Newell is a modern big who can easily pair with Hawks’ forwards. While he needs to work on his fouling habits, Newell has gotten positive defensive skills. However, he needs to work significantly in order to become an overall player according to today’s scenario.
Round 1: Kon Knueppel (No. 4), Liam McNeeley (No. 29)
Round 2: Sion James (No. 33), Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 34)
Grade: B
Kon Knueppel fills the void that the Charlotte Hornets had in terms of a shooting guard. He has strength scoring inside, but in order to become someone who makes an overall impact in the game, Knueppel needs to work on his athleticism.
Liam McNeeley has brilliant instincts without the ball as well as the touch to shoot from deep. Though he is not projected as a primary shot creator, McNeeley is a connective passer which gives him skills to fit into any type of offense.
Sion James possesses role-player qualities which can fit next to the Hornets’ core pieces. He is a skilled defender and knows how to set a tone of the game. At last, Ryan Kalkbrenner made his way through to the Hornets after the trade of Mark Williams on Day 1. His giant wingspan and dunking skills make him a valued player.
Round 1: Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20)
Grade: B
Kasparas Jakucionis is an imperfect prospect with low steals and blocking rates. Not only this, but he has also had a fair share with turnovers in his only season at Illinois.
Round 1: Jase Richardson (No. 25)
Round 2: Noah Penda (No. 32)
Grade: B
Jase Richardson was drafted in the same team as his father. He is a skilled combo guard and his knack for the game comes from his veteran father. However, he doesn’t have his father’s height as well as his athleticism.
Noah Penda has a winning mindset with connective playmaking and switchable defense. However, he needs to improve his jumper if he needs to shine on the long term.
Round 1: Tre Johnson (No. 6), Will Riley (No. 21)
Round 2: Jamir Watkins (No. 43)
Grade: B
Tre Johsnon has emerged as one of the most reliable clutch shot makers who knows how to heat up the game. His stats of 40.8% of catch-and-shoot 3s, over 50% of 3s off screens and 38.4% of dribble jumper 3s make him the best overall shooter in the class. However, he needs to work on his skills of developing his shot selection.
Will Riley has versatile driving ability and playmaking instincts; however, he lacks athleticism and great shooting skills.
Jamir Watkins has skills to dominate the game and switch across positions on the defense. As long as he continues to work on his defense, Watkins can emerge as a key player for the Wizards.
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Minnesota Timberwolves
Round 1: Joan Beringer (No. 17)
Round 2: Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45)
Grade: C
Joan Beringer is one of the rawest projects in the entire draft class. He is a rim protector, who has shown improvement in other aspects of his defense. He is a hard worker, who has shown the zeal to get better.
Rocco Zikarsky is a big Australian center who would play the traditional role of an interior finisher and a rim protector. However, he doesn’t have much to offer at this age, and would want to work on honing his skills going forward.
Round 1: Thomas Sorber (No. 15)
Round 2: Brooks Barnhizer (No. 44)
Grade: A
Thomas Sorber has a strong frame and a skill set that go well with his soft-touch finishes and gritty drop-coverage instincts. However, in order to prove himself more than a role player, Sorber needs to improve his defense.
Brooks Barnhizer is a smart player, but he needs to improve his jump shots.
Round 1: Yang Hansen (No. 16)
Grade: B
When the Trail Blazers drafted Yang Hansen, they bet on his ability to beat the teams that didn’t trust him. The 7-footer scores with old-school craft and passes well. However, he has slow feet and a lack of shooting range which need to be worked upon in order to stick in the pros.
Round 1: Ace Bailey (No. 5), Walter Clayton Jr. (No. 18)
Round 2: John Tonje (No. 53)
Grade: A
Ace Bailey is an excellent shot maker who knows how to contest jumpers from every spot on the court. He has delivered some masterful performances, and they are not expected to stop as he dons the Jazz jersey.
Bailey combined with Walter Clayton Jr. make the Jazz look like a successful team in the next season. Clayton Jr is a fearless shooter, who is widely known for taking shots at any moment.
In addition, John Tonje has some readymade skills as an off-ball movement scorer and shooter.
Round 1: Cooper Flagg (No. 1)
Grade: A+
The Mavericks made an obvious selection when they drafted Cooper Flagg as the No. 1 pick. Flagg is a superstar, and is expected to help the Mavericks fill the void they created after trading Luka Doncic.
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Round 1: Cedric Coward (No. 11)
Round 2: Javon Small (No. 48), Jahmai Mashack (No. 59)
Grade: A
The Grizzlies picked Cedric Coward to fill the void created by Desmond Bane’s trade earlier this month. He has shown rapid development into a prospect with a valued 3-and-D skillset. Coward brings higher upside with passing vision, versatile defense, and mature approach to the game.
Javon Small is an undersized guard who plays games bigger than his body, owing to his excellent athleticism. He is a knockdown shooter and a solid lead guard, who can play alongside Ja Morant.
Jahmai Mashack is an excellent defender who goes all the way out to win games. Not only this, but he also has the length to defend some wings. However, he is not a primary creator and would need to improve his jumper.
Round 1: Jeremiah Fears (No. 7), Derik Queen (No. 13)
Round 2: Micah Peavy (No. 40)
Grade: C
Jeremiah Fears is a versatile guard and has skills to come through as a clutch shooter. He could be considered as the best ball handler of this draft class, which presents him the opportunity to be a primary shot-creator for the Pelicans. However, he is one of the youngest freshmen and his unreliable decision making skills require him some time to grow.
For Derik Queen, conditioning remains one of the biggest concerns. He lacks jump shooting and needs to improve his defensive skills. Micah Peavy is a wing stopper who has NBA-ready defense and instincts. However, he needs to work on his jumper, and if so, he would emerge as a rotation-level player.
Round 1: Dylan Harper (No. 2), Carter Bryant (No. 14)
Grade: A
Dylan Harper, the No. 2 pick, has a high floor with the skill and poise of a player who knows how to dictate the game at his own pace. He will use his 6-foot-11 wingspan to greater effect on the defensive end as well as to also utilize his interior finishing as a cutter on offense. However, he needs to work on his 3s as well as dribble jumpers.
Carter Bryant, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for the Spurs, and likewise. He makes the right play and possesses impressive defensive skills. Bryant has a simple role which will grow over the years.
Washington Wizards 
Charlotte Hornets 
Philadelphia 76ers 
Brooklyn Nets 
Toronto Raptors 
Miami Heat 
Chicago Bulls 
Atlanta Hawks 
Orlando Magic 
Detroit Pistons 
Milwaukee Bucks 
Indiana Pacers 
New York Knicks 
Boston Celtics 
Cleveland Cavaliers 
Utah Jazz 
New Orleans Pelicans 
San Antonio Spurs 
Portland Trail Blazers 
Phoenix Suns 
Dallas Mavericks 
Sacramento Kings 
Memphis Grizzlies 
Golden State Warriors 
Minnesota Timberwolves 
LA Clippers 
Denver Nuggets 
Los Angeles Lakers 
Houston Rockets 
Oklahoma City Thunder 
NBA 
