2025 NBA Draft Picks By Team
The Nets and Jazz were among the teams who left Monday’s draft lottery disappointed, as Brooklyn slipped two spots to No. 8 while Utah, the NBA’s worst team during the 2024/25 season, ended up at No. 6.
Still, while they won’t be picking as high in the lottery as they might like, the Nets and Jazz will enter this year’s draft armed with plenty of ammunition. Brooklyn controls a league-high five 2025 draft picks, including four first-rounders and an early second-rounder. Utah, meanwhile, is one of just two teams (along with the Magic) controlling four picks in this year’s draft, including a pair of first-rounders.
Four other clubs – the Spurs, Hornets, Wizards, and Thunder – own three picks apiece, so those seven teams combine to control 25 of the 59 selections in the 2025 draft.
In addition to those teams with three or more picks, 12 more clubs own a pair of 2025 draft selections, while another 10 control one apiece. That latter group includes the Mavericks, whose No. 1 overall pick is their only selection in this year’s draft.
That leaves just a single NBA team without a draft pick this year: the Nuggets. Denver traded its 2025 first-rounder to Orlando back in 2021 as part of a package for Aaron Gordon in a deal that has worked out exceedingly well for the 2023 champions and sent out its 2025 second-rounder last offseason in a Reggie Jackson salary-dump. The Nuggets could still trade into this draft, but for now they’re the only team on track to sit it out.
To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2025 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 59 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Teams with more than two picks:
- Brooklyn Nets (5): 8, 19, 26, 27, 36
- Utah Jazz (4): 5, 21, 43, 53
- Orlando Magic (4): 16, 25, 46, 57
- San Antonio Spurs (3): 2, 14, 38
- Charlotte Hornets (3): 4, 33, 34
- Washington Wizards (3): 6, 18, 40
- Oklahoma City Thunder (3): 15, 24, 44
Teams with two picks:
- Philadelphia 76ers: 3, 35
- Toronto Raptors: 9, 39
- Houston Rockets: 10, 59
- Chicago Bulls: 12, 45
- Atlanta Hawks: 13, 22
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 17, 31
- Indiana Pacers: 23, 54
- Boston Celtics: 28, 32
- Phoenix Suns: 29, 52
- Los Angeles Clippers: 30, 51
- Memphis Grizzlies: 48, 56
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 49, 58
Teams with one pick:
- Dallas Mavericks: 1
- New Orleans Pelicans: 7
- Portland Trail Blazers: 11
- Miami Heat: 20
- Detroit Pistons: 37
- Golden State Warriors: 41
- Sacramento Kings: 42
- Milwaukee Bucks: 47
- New York Knicks: 50
- Los Angeles Lakers: 55
Teams with no picks:
- Denver Nuggets
Nuggets Notes: Fourth Quarter, Strawther, Murray, Gordon, Jokic
The Nuggets defeated the Thunder in Game 6 in Denver on Thursday, blowing the game open and keeping it out of reach in the fourth quarter. This comes one game after the Nuggets gave away a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose on the road.
Interim coach David Adelman shouldered the blame for the fourth quarter woes in Game 5, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. That game saw Nikola Jokic play the entire second half. This time around, the Nuggets were able to give Jokic some rest — for nearly four minutes of game time — and he was able to come back into the game with a larger lead than when he left.
Part of the reason for Denver’s impressive fourth quarter was the stellar play of Julian Strawther, who scored seven of his 15 points in the final frame.
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Jamal Murray was listed as questionable to play in Thursday’s game due to an illness, as we relayed earlier today. However, Murray pushed through and recorded 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes of play. After the game, Adelman credited the medical staff for getting him to a point where he could play, per the Denver Gazette’s Vinny Benedetto (Twitter link). “That’s Jamal Murray,” Adelman said. “It’s almost like the worse it is, the better he’s going to be. What a tough-minded man.“
- Aaron Gordon appeared to injure his left hamstring late in the game. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (Twitter link), concern about Gordon’s hamstring is “high,” per Adelman, but the team is fortunate to have two days between games to maximize any potential recovery time.
- Jokic couldn’t care less about his shooting percentages or protecting his counting stats, as MacMahon writes. “Nobody should care about that at this time of the year,” Jokic said. The MVP candidate is putting up half-court heaves at a high rate this series after making a habit of doing so all season. “Most great shooters care about their stats. Bottom line,” Adelman said. “We’ve seen a lot of examples of guys taking shots just as the clock goes off or making that late pass to not take a bad shot. For Nikola to shoot the percentage he shoots and still shoot those shots — because, hey, there’s a chance it goes in and a chance it wins you the game — just shows how unselfish he is in all ways.“
Jamal Murray Questionable For Game 6 With Illness
Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is questionable for Thursday’s Game 6 against Oklahoma City due to an illness, per the league’s official injury report (hat tip to DNVR Nuggets).
Murray’s potential absence would be a huge blow to Denver’s chances of evening the second-round series against the Thunder. The Nuggets are on the brink of elimination, facing a 3-2 deficit entering tonight’s pivotal contest in Denver.
After averaging 21.4 points, 6.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals on .474/.393/.886 shooting in 67 regular season appearances (36.1 minutes per game), Murray has averaged 22.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG on .447/.378/.880 shooting thus far in the postseason (12 games; 41.8 MPG).
Murray, 28, has ranked second on the team in points and assists per game in both the regular season and the playoffs, only trailing perennial MVP finalist Nikola Jokic. A dynamic shot-maker who is known for his strong pick-and-roll chemistry with Jokic, Murray played a critical role in helping Denver win its first championship two years ago.
If Murray is unable to suit up on Thursday, Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther and Jalen Pickett are among the Nuggets who could receive more playing time.
Northwest Notes: Edwards, Westbrook, Jazz, Blazers
With the Timberwolves trailing Golden State at halftime in Game 4 on Monday, a locker-room speech from Anthony Edwards helped spark a huge third-quarter turnaround, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“I told them, ‘We only got two wins,'” Edwards told reporters after Minnesota’s Game 4 win. “I’ve never seen a series end 2-1. I told them we have to get two more wins and right now we’re playing like we already got four wins. … We had to figure it out because if we would have kept playing like that, we would have lost tonight.”
Edwards made good on his halftime speech by coming out and scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the third quarter. The Timberwolves as a whole outscored the Warriors 39-17, making it the largest positive margin in a single quarter in Wolves playoff history, per McMenamin.
As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, the Timberwolves will need to remain cognizant of Edwards’ message and avoid getting complacent going forward in order to finish off the series. After building a big lead in the third quarter on Monday, they saw that lead whittled down to seven points in the fourth before putting the game way. As they head home for Game 5, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker spoke about a need to “understand the moment.”
“Have to be present and understand that these are situations that are pivotal,” he said. “You have a chance to close out on your home court as opposed to having to go elsewhere and try to win and then do it again and come back on the road and travel.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Nuggets had been interested in Russell Westbrook for years before signing him last summer, believing that his energy and competitiveness would be a welcome addition to the roster, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. However, the veteran guard remains a volatile personality who reportedly pouted after being taken out near the end of a first-round loss and got into a heated discussion with Aaron Gordon in the locker room after being challenged over his attitude, sources tell ESPN. According to Shelburne, the Nuggets’ chances of advancing in the playoffs and having a shot at another title could come down to which version of Westbrook they get going forward.
- Even though there was nearly a 50/50 chance that the Jazz would end up at No. 5 in the draft, that outcome was still a gut-punch for fans in Utah on the heels of a 17-win season. Tony Jones of The Athletic weighs what’s next for the Jazz after a disappointing lottery night, suggesting that the team should still land a promising young building block at No. 5. But since that player likely won’t make an immediate impact on winning as a rookie, Utah could be back in this position in 2026, hoping for better lottery luck.
- Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the coming offseason in Portland, evaluating the Trail Blazers‘ top trade candidates and considering what a rookie scale extension might look like for Shaedon Sharpe (Smith projects $112MM over four years).
Thunder Notes: Bench, Dort, Murray, Closing Out, Lottery
The Thunder‘s deep bench shined through in Game 4 on Sunday as they tied the series with the Nuggets with a 92-87 victory. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins had 11 points apiece and Alex Caruso supplied 10. The five reserves that coach Mark Daigneault utilized also combined for 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Denver used three subs and only one — Russell Westbrook — played extended minutes. He shot 2-for-12 from the field.
“It’s never, like, ‘I wonder what we should do now,’” Daigneault said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “It’s always frameworks that we work through during the seasons. We have a pretty good understanding of frameworks of lineups, frameworks of rotations, different levers we can pull. We’re not just throwing stuff against the wall in the highest stakes games.”
We have more on the Thunder:
- Luguentz Dort had a rough outing, shooting 2-for-10 from the field, all beyond the three-point arc. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Dort has struggled with his shooting in road playoff games, Lorenzi notes, but the head coach isn’t fretting. “I definitely trust the body of work over time more than small sample sizes,” Daigneault said. “If the question is whether or not I’m confident in his three-point shooting, I am. He’s the last guy I’m worried about. We also have a deep team.”
- Dort, of course, is more noted for his defensive work. The Nuggets have tried to use hard screens to dislodge him from guard Jamal Murray. “It’s been like that all year; it’s not just Denver,” Dort told The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. “I know I’m a good defender and disturb a lot of (opposing teams’) main guys. Whenever I’m off their main guy’s body, it’s good for them.”
- The Thunder lost by two points in the series opener and overtime in Game 3. Pulling out a five-point win in Game 4 shows that they’re getting better at closing out tight contests in the postseason. “Every time you take punches and you get back up, you get stronger,” Daigneault said, according to ESPN News Services. “That’s what we’re preaching to our team. We lost a tough one the other night in overtime. We stood back up (Sunday).”
- Thanks to Philadelphia’s lottery luck, moving up to the top three, the Thunder won’t have a lottery pick. The first-rounder the Sixers owe them will be top-four protected next year.
Nikola Jokic Comments On Shooting Woes In OKC Series
While evening their playoff series with Denver at 2-2, the Thunder have accomplished something that seemed impossible — they’ve found a way to keep Nikola Jokic under control. The Nuggets center finished with 27 points in Sunday’s Game 4 loss, but he remained uncharacteristically inefficient, shooting 7-of-22 from the field and being limited to three assists.
It continued a frustrating trend for Jokic, who has struggled since scoring 42 points in the series opener. He’s shooting 21-of-63 from the field over the last three games and his assist-to-turnover ratio is an awful 19-to-23. It’s the first time in his career that he has shot worse than 40% while taking at least 15 shots in three consecutive games, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” Jokic said in Sunday’s post-game media session. “They’re playing really good defense on me. They’re really into my body, physical. I think I missed two or three open looks night, so it’s a little bit of everything. They’re shrinking the floor on me. They’re having a guy behind the defender, so it’s a bit of everything. I need to do a better job, of course, but it’s part of the game.”
Jokic was noticeably off his game in the fourth quarter as Denver let an eight-point lead slip away. He made just 2-of-7 shots during the quarter and went 1-of-4 from the foul line, including two costly misses with the Nuggets trailing by four points and 3:15 remaining.
In contrast, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has battled Jokic as the MVP favorite throughout the season, was outstanding in the clutch on Sunday. The OKC guard hit three shots in the final 4:36 and finished with 25 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander wouldn’t reveal any secrets about the Thunder’s defensive strategy against Jokic, telling reporters he’s “not sure” how they’re shutting him down and adding, “but we have to keep doing it if we want to win.”
It has been suggested that fatigue might be playing a role in Jokic’s subpar numbers, and MacMahon points out that Sunday marked Denver’s seventh game in the past 13 days. There was a short turnaround as the teams tipped off roughly 36 hours after the end of Friday’s exhausting overtime matchup. Nuggets coach David Adelman said both teams had “tired legs” as they combined to shoot 33.5% from the floor, which MacMahon states is the worst mark for a playoff game in 21 years.
While the Thunder can rely on a deep bench to help prevent their players from wearing down, the Nuggets don’t have that luxury, especially at center. Jokic has logged 44 and 43 minutes in the last two games.
Credit should also go to center Isaiah Hartenstein, MacMahon adds, who was signed as a free agent last summer to help OKC match up better with opposing bigs. Jokic shot just 3-of-10 on Sunday with Hartenstein as his primary defender.
“We’re just really just focused on how to execute as a team,” Hartenstein said. “He’s a great player. We know he is going to make tough shots throughout the series, but we’ve just got to stay disciplined. I think that’s the biggest key. We’ve been doing a great job staying disciplined, great job playing team defense. Again, he’s a great player, so he is going to make shots eventually.”
Injury Notes: Towns, Hauser, Garland, Dillingham, Tyson
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to suffer a hand or finger injury in Saturday’s Game 3 loss to Boston, but he was a full participant in practice on Sunday and isn’t listed on the injury report for Monday’s Game 4, per Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News and Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter links).
It’s positive news for the Knicks after both Towns and head coach Tom Thibodeau were cagey about the potential injury following Game 3. Towns is coming off his worst shooting game of the postseason, as he made just 5-of-18 field goal attempts on Saturday, including 1-of-5 three-pointers.
The only player on Monday’s injury report for either team is Celtics forward Sam Hauser, who has been upgraded to questionable after having been initially listed as doubtful and then downgraded to out for each of the past two games. While it remains to be seen if he’ll be active for Game 4, the new designation suggests he’s nearing a return.
“He’s getting there,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said on Sunday (Twitter video link via CLNS Media). “He’s getting better. He’s day-to-day.”
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- The three injured Cavaliers who returned for Game 3 – Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter – were no longer on the injury report ahead of Game 4 on Sunday evening. Although head coach Kenny Atkinson said the trio has recovered well in the past couple days, he identified Garland as the player the Cavs are still most worried about and whose minutes will be monitored the closest (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). “He’s doing what he can do. I’ll just put it that way,” Atkinson said of the point guard. “You saw it the other night. I got him in and out. It’s something he’s grinding through. There’s been a lot of stuff that’s gone into him playing.”
- The Timberwolves‘ injury report for Monday’s Game 4 is clean, the team announced today (via Twitter). Rookie guard Rob Dillingham had been the only player listed on the injury report as of late due to a sprained ankle. He was upgraded to available for Game 3 and is now off the report altogether, though he’s unlikely to play outside of garbage time.
- Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson, who has only played in garbage time during the postseason, was inactive for Game 4 on Sunday due to a right ankle sprain, according to the club (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: SGA, Williams, Adelman, Randle
All-NBA Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken responsibility for his underwhelming play in an overtime Game 3 road loss to the Nuggets, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
The 6’6″ pro, the presumptive 2025 MVP, scored an inefficient 18 points while shooting just 7-of-22 from the field and didn’t attempt a shot during the overtime frame. All-Star Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams scored a career playoff-best 32 points.
“The game gets slower, execution matters more,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “In those moments when the game slows down, it usually comes down to your best players making shots and making plays. I didn’t do a good enough job of that tonight, and I think that’s the main reason for the outcome.”
Nuggets stars Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. all made up for MVP center Nikola Jokic‘s similarly inefficient night. Each member of that triumvirate scored at least 21 points, with Murray’s 27 leading the way.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- The ascent of Williams as a true offensive release valve for Gilgeous-Alexander is a testament to the Thunder‘s patient team-building, asserts Rylan Stiles of Thunder On SI. Despite winning 68 games during the regular season, the Thunder have struggled mightily against Denver, and currently trail the Nuggets 2-1 in their conference semifinal series, with Game 4 ongoing. The team’s young core may need more time to jell together in the postseason to really do the kind of damage it may eventually be capable of. Still, Williams has developed a steadier hand as a scorer. The third-year forward is averaging 22.6 points, 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per night across seven playoff contests so far.
- Just two years removed from their first-ever title as a franchise, the seasoned Nuggets seem to be capitalizing on a playoff experience edge over most of the Thunder’s young core, observes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required). Interim Denver coach David Adelman reflected on Oklahoma City’s relative inexperience in the postseason. “We were young once, and we handled it pretty well,” Adelman said. “And they do, too. That’s why they won so many games. The reason they haven’t played a lot of close games is they have completely blown the doors off people the whole season. If I was coaching a team, I would rather do that than play 55 four-point games.” As Durando notes, the Thunder logged the best point differential in league history this past regular season — but thanks in part to that, the team notched a scant 66 “clutch” minutes, the least in a season for any team in the 21st century.
- The Timberwolves rode a 24-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double from Julius Randle to carve out a 102-97 Game 3 victory and a 2-1 series edge over Golden State, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I feel like I just got a lot of different tools, you know what I mean?” Randle said. “It’s really about using my mind and taking what the defense gives me. If they don’t double-team me, score. If they double-team me, find my guys.”
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Jokic, Porter, Defense
Playoff heroics are becoming routine for Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. After hitting a three-pointer in the final seconds to beat Oklahoma City in Game 1 of their playoff series, Gordon delivered another late three Friday night that sent Game 3 into overtime. Denver eventually pulled away to claim a 113-104 win and a 2-1 series lead over the top-seeded Thunder.
“What (Gordon has) done this postseason has been unbelievable for us,” Peyton Watson said. “He’s won us games, and we need everything that we can get, so I’m just super happy for AG overall, what he’s been through, and the person that he is, and the teammate that he is. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”
Keeler points out that the acquisition of Gordon from Orlando at the 2021 trade deadline has turned out to be one of the best deals in franchise history. Since he arrived, Gordon has shown a willingness to do whatever the team needs, Keeler adds, whether it’s rebounding, defense or outside shooting. At 43.6%, this was Gordon’s best three-point shooting season by far, and he credits the improvement to hours of practice at his home gym.
“Yeah, it takes a lot of work. But the reward is itself,” he said. “I don’t really care about other people praising (it) or not. It doesn’t matter to me.”
There’s more from Denver:
- The Nuggets won despite a rare off night from Nikola Jokic, who shot 6-of-23 from the field and missed all 10 of his three-point attempts, notes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Jokic called himself “the worst player on the court today” and said he needs to find a way to counteract OKC’s defense. “I mean, I don’t know what they are doing,” he told reporters. “Because if I knew, probably I’m not gonna have those kinds of mistakes. So I need to figure out what they’re doing.”
- Michael Porter Jr., who made three combined shots in the two games at Oklahoma City, looked more comfortable in Game 3, per Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Porter is playing with a Grade 2 shoulder sprain that would normally take a month to recover from. He has been taking lidocaine injections to help relieve the pain, and Friday he contributed 21 points and eight rebounds while making 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc. “A couple of days in between is helping at this point. I felt a little bit better overall today. I was trying to space out and not do the injection every game, but right now it’s needed,” Porter said. “I still don’t feel like I can play physically or bum guys the way I would like to. But I am able to do what I can.”
- The Nuggets had the league’s 22nd-ranked defense during the regular season, but they’ve increased their intensity in the playoffs, observes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Players said they were embarrassed by the Game 2 blowout, and they made a point of being more physical on Friday.
Ben Tenzer Could Be Promoted To Nuggets’ Full-Time GM
Vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer has been involved with the Nuggets in some capacity since 2005. He has steadily worked his way up the basketball operations hierarchy since he was formally hired by the organization in 2013, having been named interim general manager in mid-April after the firing of Calvin Booth.
The Nuggets will reportedly conduct a full-fledged search for Booth’s replacement once their season ends. Timberwolves GM Matt Lloyd has been linked to the Nuggets, as has Tim Connelly, who ran Denver’s front office before being hired away by Minnesota.
In addition to external candidates, the Nuggets are also expected to consider lifting Tenzer’s interim tag and promoting him to be the new full-time GM, league sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Tenzer isn’t the only key member of the Nuggets operating on an interim basis — the same is true of head coach David Adelman, a longtime assistant. The 43-year-old guided Denver to a 3-0 record to wrap up the regular season and clinch a top-four seed in the West, followed by first-round victory over the Clippers, which went the full seven games.
The Nuggets are currently 1-1 in their semifinal series against the top-seeded Thunder ahead of Friday’s Game 3 in Denver.