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Raptors Draft Collin Murray-Boyles At No. 9

June 25th, 2025 at 8:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Collin Murray-Boyles is officially the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, as the Raptors used their lottery pick to select the South Carolina standout.

After establishing himself as a potential first-round pick with a strong freshman season, Murray-Boyles took another step forward as a sophomore in 2024/25, averaging 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 30.6 minutes per game across 32 outings. The 6’7″ forward/center made 58.6% of his shots from the floor and 70.7% from the free throw line.

Though he isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, Murray-Boyles has a sturdy frame and physical style that has allowed him to play bigger than his height — he has earned comparisons to Draymond Green due to his play-making, toughness, and defensive versatility.

The Raptors received considerable interest from teams hoping to trade up to the No. 9 pick, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), but they’re going to keep Murray-Boyles as part of their young foundation.

He will bring a much-needed physical presence to their front court and should help upgrade the defense. He’s also an accomplished passer and may get a chance to handle the ball frequently in Toronto’s offense.

Adding another big man in the draft could affect the Raptors’ decision on whether to re-sign Chris Boucher. The versatile 32-year-old forward is ready to hit the open market after spending the past seven years in Toronto.

Nets Use No. 8 Overall Pick On Egor Demin

June 25th, 2025 at 8:03pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Armed with five first-round picks entering Wednesday’s draft, the Nets have used the first of them – No. 8 – on BYU’s Egor Demin.

It’s the first major surprise of the night, as Demin was just outside the top 10 in most mock drafts leading up to the draft.

At 6’9″, Demin has the length of a forward but the skill set of a guard — ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has referred to him as the best passer in this year’s draft class, noting that the 19-year-old’s combination of size and play-making ability is rare.

Demin, who was born in Russia, played for Real Madrid’s B squad in Spain before making the move to BYU for the 2024/25 season. He was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after averaging 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 27.5 minutes per game across 33 starts, with a shooting line of .412/.273/.695.

On paper, Demin makes sense for a Nets team that is virtually a blank slate. Brooklyn was competitive under first-year head coach Jordi Fernandez despite the 26-56 record, but the team doesn’t have cornerstone player to build around right now. Even if they re-sign Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe, the Nets have the room to take swings on high-upside players.

Brooklyn also doesn’t have a true point guard on the roster. Demin provides lead-guard intrigue with his passing ability, though it will be interesting to see how he scores at the NBA level.

Pelicans Draft Jeremiah Fears With No. 7 Pick

June 25th, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Rory Maher

With the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, the Pelicans have selected guard Jeremiah Fears.

Fears raised his stock significantly over the course of his first and only college season at Oklahoma — he didn’t show up at all on ESPN’s 59-player mock draft last November. The former four-star recruit was among the NCAA’s best ball-handlers and play-makers as a freshman, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game in 34 outings (31 starts).

Fears’ jumper remains a work in progress, as he knocked down just 28.4% of 3.9 three-point tries per game for the Sooners, but the 6’4″ guard still has plenty of room to grow — he won’t turn 19 years old until October.

While Fears is viewed by some talent evaluators as having star-level upside, it could take him a while to reach that point, with defense and decision-making two other critical areas he needs to improve on going forward, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Interestingly, the Pelicans recently agreed to trade CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk to Washington for Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey. Assuming Poole is New Orleans’ starting point guard, Fears — whose game is somewhat similar to Poole’s — could initially be a spark-plug scorer off the bench.

Wizards Select Tre Johnson At No. 6

June 25th, 2025 at 7:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards have used the sixth overall pick in the draft to add Texas guard Tre Johnson.

A 6’6″ shooting guard with a 6’10” wingspan, Johnson averaged 19.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists on .427/.397/.871 shooting in 33 games (34.7 MPG) for the Longhorns in 2024/25 as a freshman.

Johnson was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and made the All-SEC second team in his lone college season. While there have been some questions about his inconsistent engagement level on defense, per Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Dallas native is one of the best shooters and scorers in this year’s draft class.

Johnson will bring more scoring punch to a team that just added CJ McCollum in a trade with New Orleans. Washington, which often struggled to score consistently this season, will welcome a dynamic offensive force in Johnson, who showed an ability to create his own shots in college.

Washington also invested heavily in young guards in last year’s draft, selecting Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George in the first round. Johnson will arrive with a stronger pedigree than either of them and figures to have a featured role in his rookie season.

The Wizards have remade their backcourt over the past 12 months, adding point guard AJ Johnson as well in a February trade with Milwaukee. They seem likely to focus on adding more size when they pick again at No. 18.

Jazz Pick Ace Bailey Fifth Overall

June 25th, 2025 at 7:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have selected Rutgers forward Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick in the draft.

There’s no trade in the works, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that Utah intends to hang onto Bailey.

Bailey’s situation had been one of the most popular subjects of speculation in the weeks leading up to the draft. While he was widely considered the third-best prospect in this year’s class by draft experts, he canceled a workout with the Sixers at No. 3 and declined invitations to visit other teams in the top half of the lottery, fueling speculation that his agents were trying to steer him to a preferred destination.

Rumors leading up to the draft suggested that Bailey might be trying to get to a team on the East Coast, such as Washington at No. 6 or Brooklyn at No. 8. Instead, he’ll begin his NBA career in Utah.

Bailey played alongside No. 2 pick Dylan Harper at Rutgers in 2024/25. The 6’8″ forward averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game across 30 contests (all starts), registering a .460/.346/.692 shooting line.

Bailey, who will turn 19 in August, is considered one of the best scorers in this year’s draft and brought a “high level of intensity” on the defensive end as a freshman, per Givony. While there have been questions about his maturity, Bailey has the potential to be as impactful on the court as anyone in the 2025 draft.

Bailey’s high ceiling is crucial for the Jazz, who don’t have any obvious future All-Stars or franchise cornerstones among their players on rookie scale contracts and finished with a league-worst 17-65 record in 2024/25. Despite entering lottery night with the best odds of any team to land a top-four pick, Utah fell to No. 5 — having drafted Bailey, the Jazz were still able to add a prospect with legitimate star-level upside.

Hornets Draft Kon Knueppel At No. 4

June 25th, 2025 at 7:34pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets have used the No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 draft to select 6’5″ wing Kon Knueppel.

Knueppel, one of three top-10 prospects (along with Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach) from a Duke team that made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament this spring, was one of the best outside shooters in college basketball in 2024/25, knocking down 2.2 three-pointers per game at an elite rate of 40.6% as a freshman.

A member of the All-ACC second team and this year’s ACC Tournament MVP, Knueppel has also shown promise as a passer and defender and exhibited the ability to score from inside the three-point line, so he’s not just a one-dimensional shooter, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Knueppel, who turns 20 years old in August, averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal in 39 games (30.5 minutes per contest) in his freshman season for the Blue Devils, knocking down 56.7% of his twos and 91.4% of his free throws.

Charlotte opted for a high-floor prospect in Knueppel rather than going for a riskier choice who may have more long-term upside, with Ace Bailey and Maluach among the players who would have fit that bill.

Knueppel’s skill set should theoretically fit well in any system, and the Hornets certainly have a need for his shooting prowess after ranking last in the NBA in FG% and 28th in 3PT% in ’24/25. He could immediately slide into the starting lineup alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

Sixers Use No. 3 Overall Pick On V.J. Edgecombe

June 25th, 2025 at 7:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers have selected Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

Edgecombe, who was widely viewed as one of the best prospects in this year’s draft class, averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game in his lone season at Baylor, posting a shooting line of .436/.340/.782 in 33 contests (all starts).

The 6’5″ guard was the Big 12’s Freshman of the Year and made the All-Big 12 second team before declaring for the draft as an early entrant. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has referred to Edgecombe as the “most explosive” athlete in the 2025 draft class, noting that he has shown promising potential as a ball-handler and defensive play-maker.

Early in the draft process, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey was considered the most likely pick at No. 3. However, his refusal to meet with the Sixers, canceling a scheduled workout last week, pushed the team toward a safer choice. Edgecombe had an impressive workout in Philadelphia earlier this month, signaling that he might be worthy of the No. 3 pick.

The Sixers weren’t expecting to have a lottery selection when the season began, but a string of injuries quickly dashed any chance they had of competing for a title. They wound up at 24-58 and barely won at all after the All-Star break in an effort to improve their lottery odds.

In addition, they had to sweat out a close call on lottery night just to keep their draft pick, which would have gone to Oklahoma City if had landed outside the top six. Dallas and San Antonio both passed the Sixers in the lottery, but they breathed a sign of relief when their envelope landed in the top four.

Spurs Draft Dylan Harper With No. 2 Pick

June 25th, 2025 at 7:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have selected Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the second pick of the 2025 NBA draft.

The pick was expected, as Harper is widely considered the second-best prospect in this year’s class, only trailing Cooper Flagg, whom Dallas selected No. 1 overall.

While the Scarlet Knights had a disappointing season in 2024/25, going just 15-17, Harper was highly productive on an individual level, averaging 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 29 games (32.6 minutes per contest). He posted a shooting slash line of .484/.333/.750.

There had been some speculation that San Antonio might consider moving the No. 2 pick, perhaps in pursuit of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. But there has been no indication to this point that the Bucks forward will request a trade, and even if he does, Harper could still be an attractive centerpiece to a potential offer in the future.

Another reason rival teams were curious about what the Spurs would do is because Harper may not be an ideal fit in a backcourt featuring two other talented scorers with inconsistent outside shots: Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

Drafting Harper doesn’t necessarily put those questions to rest, but it does signal the Spurs are high enough on the 19-year-old that they prioritized his talent over his fit, and are prepared to see how he looks on the roster alongside Castle, Fox, and rising star Victor Wembanyama.

Like the division-rival Mavericks, who jumped from No. 11 to No. 1, the Spurs also moved up several places in the 2025 draft lottery, going from No. 8 to No. 2.

Harper is the son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, who won five championships during his 15 years in the league, and the younger brother of forward Ron Harper Jr., who is currently on a two-way contract with Detroit.

Mavericks Select Cooper Flagg With No. 1 Overall Pick

June 25th, 2025 at 7:11pm CST by Rory Maher

As expected, the Mavericks have selected Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft.

The consensus top prospect is coming off a wildly successful freshman season with the Blue Devils, having won numerous major awards, including ACC Player of the Year and AP Player of the Year, among several others.

Flagg was the driving force behind Duke’s 35-4 record and helped the team reach the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Houston, another No. 1 seed.

The 18-year-old combo forward stuffed the stat sheet all season, leading the stacked Blue Devils in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4) per game, with a strong shooting line of .481/.385/.840. Flagg made 37 appearances in 2024/25, averaging 30.7 minutes per contest.

Dallas had just a 1.8% chance of claiming this year’s top pick, jumping up from No. 11 to No. 1 when the team won the draft lottery last month. It was the first time in 17 lottery appearances that the Mavericks ended up with a better pick than their odds dictated.

In addition to being viewed as the best prospect in his class, Flagg is also (at least) a year younger than many of his peers, having reclassified from 2026 — he won’t turn 19 until December 21.

The former Blue Devil star will join a Mavericks roster headlined by 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, who reached an agreement earlier this week on a new three-year contract to remain in Dallas.

Spurs Trading No. 38 Pick To Pacers

June 25th, 2025 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have agreed to trade the No. 38 overall pick in this year’s draft to the Pacers in exchange for a future second-round pick and cash, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The pick headed to San Antonio is the Kings’ 2030 second-rounder, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

While the deal is the first reported first draft-night trade, it technically won’t even affect Wednesday’s results, since the Pacers won’t make their newly acquired No. 38 pick until Thursday.

San Antonio still holds a pair of lottery picks at No. 2 and No. 14, but Indiana previously traded away its own first-rounder and only controlled the No. 54 overall pick, so this will give them a second 2025 selection.

The fact that the Pacers are agreeing to this trade now instead of waiting to see who’s on the board suggests they’re not necessarily targeting a specific prospect at that spot.

For a team flirting with the luxury tax line, the ability to select a player at No. 38 and sign him to a rookie-minimum contract could be valuable, since that player’s cap hit (projected to be $1.27MM) would be $1MM+ less than the cap charge for a player on a veteran-minimum deal ($2.3MM). It’s also worth noting, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, that the No. 23 pick Indiana traded away last week would’ve carried a cap hit of roughly $3.2MM.

As Keith Smith of Spotrac notes (via Twitter), sending out cash will hard-cap the Pacers at the second tax apron for the 2025/26 league year.