Nets Select Nolan Traore At No. 19
The Nets have made French point guard Nolan Traore the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Traore, who turned 19 last month, was viewed as a potential lottery pick a year ago, but has seen his stock drop some during the 2024/25 season.
In a featured role with Saint-Quentin in France’s top basketball league (LNB Élite), he averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 assists on .392/.302/.701 shooting in 30 games (22.6 minutes per contest).
At 6’4″, Traore has good height for a lead guard, and offers intriguing long-term upside as a creative passer and speedy play-maker, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. However, there are real question marks about multiple aspects of his game, with consistency, efficiency and turnovers all being issues.
On tonight’s broadcast, Givony reported the team plans to keep Traore to pair with No. 8 overall selection Egor Demin. Entering the night without a true point guard, Brooklyn now has two intriguing play-makers to develop long term.
The Nets still have three more first-round picks (Nos. 22, 26 and 27), so they’ll remain busy for the rest of the night.
Wizards Trade No. 18 Pick Walter Clayton Jr. To Jazz
11:46 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Jazz.
9:17 pm: After drafting Ace Bailey fifth overall earlier in the evening, the Jazz have traded up to No. 18 and used their second first-round pick of the night on Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Washington is acquiring the Nos. 21 and 43 picks in the 2025 draft and a pair of future second-rounders in the deal, tweets Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Those future second-rounders are picks in 2031 and 2032, per Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The Wizards used the 21st pick to select Illinois wing Will Riley.
Clayton, a 6’3″ guard, is coming off a memorable senior season. He was a consensus first-team All-American, earned a spot on the All-SEC first team, and led the Gators to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and then a national title.
Clayton had a handful of big games in the NCAA tournament, racking up 30 points against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight and 34 against Auburn in the Final Four. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after registering 11 points, seven assists, and five rebounds in the championship game against Houston.
A Florida native, Clayton averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game on the season, with a strong .448/.386/.875 shooting line.
This will be the third consecutive year in which the Jazz have used a first-round pick on a guard. Clayton will join a backcourt that features 2023’s 16th overall pick Keyonte George and 2024’s 29th overall pick Isaiah Collier, along with veterans Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson, though there’s no guarantee all of those players will still be on the roster by the time the season begins this October.
Timberwolves Select Joan Beringer At No. 17
The Timberwolves have used their first-round pick at No. 17 overall to draft center Joan Beringer.
One of the top international players in this year’s draft class, Beringer had been playing for Cedevita Olimpija in Slovenia, where he averaged 4.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 18.3 minutes per game in 30 outings in the ABA League this past season.
The young Frenchman, who will turn 19 in November, has only played basketball for four years and is still learning the game, notes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who adds that Beringer possesses “outstanding” physical tools, including the coveted combination of defensive mobility and rim-protecting ability.
Beringer will have time to develop in Minnesota playing behind Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid, assuming the Wolves are able to retain the latter in free agency. They project to have plenty of front court depth, so Beringer won’t have to make an immediate impact for a team that has been to the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back years.
Beringer is still growing, according to Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who report that he measured a half-inch taller when he attended the NBA’s European combine last week. He was already an elite shot blocker for his Slovenian team, and he could develop into an eventual replacement for Gobert.
Beringer was one of the most well-traveled players during the pre-draft process. He reportedly had workouts in Chicago, Brooklyn, San Antonio, Atlanta, Memphis and Houston as well as Minnesota.
Trail Blazers Draft Hansen Yang 16th Overall
After trading down from No. 11 to No. 16, the Trail Blazers have used their first-round pick to select Chinese center Hansen Yang.
It’s a surprising pick for the Blazers, who are rolling the dice on the big man well above where he was ranked by most draft experts. ESPN had Yang at No. 35 on their last big board prior to the draft. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had him ranked No. 48 in his draft guide.
Yang has spent the past two seasons with Qingdao in the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 0.9 steals in 53 games this past season.
Yang was named the CBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2024. He led the CBA in blocked shots last year and has some really intriguing skills for a big man. He showed great touch at the rim, shooting 59.5% from the floor.
We previously noted Yang made his mark at the NBA draft combine, standing out in scrimmages. The Blazers clearly came away impressed with the young big man, and add him to a center rotation that currently includes Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams and Deandre Ayton.
Yang attended the first round of the draft tonight despite not being invited to the green room.
Thunder Use No. 15 Pick To Draft Thomas Sorber
Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber is headed to the defending champions — he has been selected 15th overall by the Thunder.
Sorber, who stands 6’9″ with an impressive 7’6″ wingspan, had a strong freshman year for the Hoyas in 2024/25, serving as the team’s starting center and filling up the stat sheet with 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game in 24 outings (31.3 MPG).
Sorber’s season ended early due to a toe injury, but he still earned a spot on the All-Big East third team and decided to go pro at age 19, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility after a single college season.
Despite the injury, Sorber’s stock rose during the pre-draft process. He was linked to Oklahoma City in recent days, a team that often prioritizes strength and length and isn’t afraid to take a swing on players who may need time to get accustomed to the speed of the NBA game.
It’s worth noting that Isaiah Hartenstein‘s contract features a $28.5MM team option for 2026/27, when likely new deals for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will take effect. If he develops the way the Thunder hope, Sorber could be a long-term replacement for Hartenstein.
Spurs Pick Carter Bryant At No. 14
The Spurs have selected Arizona’s Carter Bryant using the 14th overall pick.
A 6’7″ combo forward, Bryant averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 block in 37 appearances for Arizona in 2024/25 (19.3 minutes per game). Although he didn’t play a starring role for the Wildcats as a freshman, Bryant was a reliable outside shooter (.371 3PT%) and showed off intriguing defensive versatility.
Considered a potential late first-round pick earlier in the spring, Bryant had a strong pre-draft process, with The Athletic reporting in May that he had a “ton of juice when you talk to front offices.”
Boasting a 6’11.75″ wingspan and a 39.5″ vertical leap, Bryant will go to the Spurs hoping to fit in as a high-level role player. His ability to space the floor should complement the guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper, as well as Jeremy Sochan, all of whom struggle to knock down threes to varying degrees.
The 19-year-old also offers a different look defensively than San Antonio’s other wings, namely Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, who are both slightly undersized for their positions. As Bryant fills out his frame, he will offer the potential to slide between small and power forward, and should be able to guard three positions.
Bryant’s size and skill set should allow the Spurs to unlock a level of flexibility in rotations, and could make for an intriguing bench running mate with Harper to start their shared rookie seasons.
Pelicans Acquire No. 13 Pick From Hawks, Draft Derik Queen
10:31 pm: The trade is official, the Pelicans confirmed in a press release.
8:39 pm: The Pelicans and Hawks have agreed to a trade that will send the No. 13 overall pick from Atlanta to New Orleans in exchange for No. 23 overall and a 2026 first-round pick, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The 2026 first-rounder is unprotected and will be the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ picks.
The Pelicans are using that newly acquired pick to draft Maryland big man Derik Queen, per Charania (Twitter link).
Queen was highly productive in his freshman season with the Terrapins, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.4 minutes per contest across 36 total games. He helped guide Maryland to a 27-9 record and a spot in the Sweet 16, scoring 27 points in a loss to Florida.
While Queen is perhaps the most offensively gifted big man in the 2025 draft class, reports during the pre-draft process indicated some NBA evaluators had concerns about his lack of length and explosiveness, as well as some questions about what types of players he would guard on defense.
Still, he’s an intriguing addition for a New Orleans team that badly needs frontcourt depth to complement 2024 first-rounder Yves Missi and ranked last in the NBA in defensive rebounding percentage this post season, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
Reporting earlier today from Jonathan Givony of ESPN suggested the Pelicans had their eye on Queen in part to new front office executive Troy Weaver, who has “long-standing connections” to Baltimore- and D.C.-area prospects, and whose son was a graduate assistant on Maryland’s coaching staff in 2024/25.
As for the Hawks, after agreeing to trade the No. 22 overall pick to Brooklyn in their three-team Kristaps Porzingis deal, they’ll now move down 10 spots from No. 13 and end up in that range once again. They’re using that No. 23 pick on Georgia forward/center Asa Newell.
Meanwhile, the 2026 first-rounder they’re acquiring from New Orleans could end up being a valuable one. The Bucks will be missing Damian Lillard as he recovers from a torn Achilles and Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future in Milwaukee still isn’t a certainty, while the Pelicans are coming off a 21-win season. The most favorable of those two teams’ picks could easily land in the top half of the first round.
Bulls Select Noa Essengue With 12th Overall Pick
The Bulls have used the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft to select Noa Essengue, the first prospect who has been playing overseas to come off the board.
Essengue, a 6’10” forward from France, signed with Ratiopharm Ulm in July 2023. He spent most of his first season with Ulm’s developmental team, but played a key role for the German club this past season, averaging 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 23.7 minutes per game across 18 EuroCup appearances.
Essengue, who is the second-youngest player in the 2025 draft, was actually still playing for Ratiopharm Ulm as recently as Saturday, but left Germany to travel stateside for this week’s draft with Ulm holding a 2-1 lead over Bayern Munich in the best-of-five Basketball Bundesliga championship.
Because Essengue didn’t play college basketball in the United States, most American fans may not be familiar with his game. He’s mobile for his size and can guard a variety of players, but he still needs to develop his outside shot.
He’ll be a welcome addition for a Bulls team that’s loaded with guards, but low on players with size. He’ll likely need time to develop into an effective NBA player, and he may not be asked to contribute a lot right away. Chicago has other options to upgrade at power forward, especially if a rumored deal to acquire Jonathan Kuminga goes through.
Essengue reportedly had a “secret” private workout with Toronto after arriving from Germany, and there was speculation he could be taken as high as No. 9. Brooklyn and Phoenix also expressed interest, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.
Grizzlies Acquire No. 11 Pick Cedric Coward From Blazers
11:17 pm: The trade is official, according to a press release from the Grizzlies (Twitter link).
8:27 pm: Washington State forward Cedric Coward is the No. 11 overall pick, but he won’t remain with the Trail Blazers. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), Portland is sending the selection to the Grizzlies.
In exchange for No. 11, the Blazers are acquiring the 16th overall pick, a future first-rounder, and two second-round selections, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Portland surprisingly used the No. 16 pick on Chinese big man Hansen Yang — many analysts had second-round grades on the 7’2″ center.
The future first-rounder being sent to Portland is Orlando’s 2028 selection, per Charania (Twitter link). According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (Twitter link), the second-rounders will be Atlanta’s 2027 pick and Sacramento’s 2028 pick.
Coward played just six games at Washington State in 2024/25 before suffering a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the remainder of his senior season. He averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the floor and 40.0% on three-pointers during his abridged stint with the Cougars.
Before transferring to Washington State, the 6’6″ wing played two years at Eastern Washington, averaging 11.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 66 games. He spent his freshman season at Willamette University in Oregon.
Due to his lack of reps against high-level college competition, Coward was ranked outside of the first round by a number of draft experts earlier this year, but improved his standing during the pre-draft process, impressing NBA teams at last month’s combine and at workouts.
Coward has the makings of a strong pick for the Grizzlies, who are seemingly re-tooling around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. after sending away Desmond Bane to Orlando in a blockbuster trade earlier this month. Coward has a tremendous frame and a good-looking three-point shot that connects at a high rate.
The Grizzlies had the ammunition to go up and get a player they coveted after that Bane deal, which included Orlando’s 2028 first-rounder.
This move makes sense for both sides on paper. The Grizzlies get a player who can contribute early on his career, assuming he’ll be fully recovered from the shoulder injury at the start of the season. In return, Portland collects a future first and additional assets to move down five slots.
The Trail Blazers have an impressive defense, and their better-than-expected 36-46 record (including a 23-18 second half) last season reflects the growth of their young core led by the likes of Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan. With no glaring holes to address with a lottery pick, moving down a few spots to pick up a future first-rounder looks like a sound transaction.
Suns Select Khaman Maluach With No. 10 Pick
The Suns have drafted Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick.
Maluach was considered by many draft experts to be the top center among 2025’s draft-eligible prospects after starting 39 games as a freshman for a Duke team that made it to the Final Four. He averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21.2 minutes per contest for the Blue Devils.
While Maluach’s box-score numbers don’t jump off the page, he has an impressive frame – a height of 7’1″ and a wingspan of 7’7″ – and could excel in the NBA as a defensive anchor and a rim-runner and lob threat on offense. The South Sudanese big man, who won’t turn 19 until September, has also shown some shooting potential and is one of the youngest players in the draft, notes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
The Suns acquired the 10th pick as part of the Kevin Durant trade with Houston. Phoenix also acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and several second-rounders as part of that blockbuster deal.
Just before Maluach was selected, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported (via Twitter) that the Suns have traded the 29th pick in this draft as well as a 2029 first-round pick for Hornets center Mark Williams. The ’29 pick, Shams tweets, is top-five protected and is the least favorable of the Timberwolves’, Jazz’s, and Cavaliers’ picks.
By trading for Williams and selecting Malauch, the Suns have revamped their frontcourt depth in one fell swoop, and now have multiple young big men to grow with guards Devin Booker and Green.
Maluach will likely come off the bench to start, but represents a major swing for a team that is looking to rebuild its identity on the fly. A college head coach who spoke to The Athletic earlier this month stated that Maluach has “the biggest upside of anybody” in this year’s draft class.