NBA Mock Draft Consensus 1.0

Are we done wasting time on lottery conspiracy theories? Good. Let's talk about the NBA Draft.

Monday's shocking outcome with the Dallas Mavericks winning the No. 1 overall pick and the right to select Duke's Cooper Flagg answered one giant question. The post-lottery mock drafts appear to have answers for the next three selections with a clear hierarchy for Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey and Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe.

After the first four spots, a logjam of opinions on the next group of prospects led to several picks with more than one consensus. A trio of guards — Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears, Texas' Tre Johnson and Duke's Kon Knueppel — dominate selections five through eight as mock drafters made cases for each backcourt prospect.

Several post-lottery mock drafts projected all 59 picks. (The total is one fewer than the usual 60 because the New York Knicks lost their 2025 second-rounder for breaking free agency rules during their pursuit of Jalen Brunson in 2022.) So, the first NBA Mock Draft Consensus dug deep into the second round to uncover other consensuses.

The NBA Mock Draft Consensus — like the NFL Mock Draft Consensus — is compiled by sifting through the latest mock drafts to identify the most common forecasts. Some teams have more than one projection.

The 2025 NBA Draft will be held June 25-26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Lottery picks

1. Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke

Jeremy Woo, ESPN: "Winning the lottery with just 1.8% odds is a seismic, improbable victory for the Mavericks, who will have an easy decision to make with the addition of Flagg."

2. San Antonio Spurs

Dylan Harper, guard, Rutgers

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: "The Spurs just acquired De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline. Additionally, Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle plays a similar role to Harper as a combo guard. Ultimately, I think the Spurs should just take the best talent on the board, and that’s Harper."

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Ace Bailey, forward, Rutgers

Kyle Boone, CBS Sports: "Philadelphia moving into the top three was among the big lottery night surprises. The 76ers can grab one of the big three in this class ... adding a dynamic scoring wing to a core that includes Jared McCain and Tyrese Maxey."

4. Charlotte Hornets

VJ Edgecombe, guard, Baylor

Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo Sports: "Edgecombe is an explosive, high-motor wing who flies out of nowhere for poster dunks and chase-down blocks. He pairs his elite athleticism with a knockdown spot-up jumper and fearless slashing. Edgecombe needs to improve his shot creation to become more of a primary creator, but that’ll matter less in Charlotte as long as LaMelo Ball stays healthy."

5. Utah Jazz

Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma

Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: "Unreliable range, a high turnover rate and limited off-ball skill will have certain teams looking elsewhere. But Fears seems to be a realistic candidate for guard-needy teams early in the lottery."

Tre Johnson, guard, Texas

Gilbert McGregor, The Sporting News: "Utah needs a blue-chip prospect and Johnson can be that. He was prolific in college and his game may be even better suited for the NBA level."

Kon Knueppel, guard, Duke

J. Kyle Mann, The Ringer: "One doesn’t have to watch long to get a feel for Kon’s impact: He shoots it well enough that a defense will need to track his whereabouts with constant vigilance, and even if defenders run him down, he’s sturdy as vibranium in the paint playing off two feet. Knueppel will face a learning curve on the defensive end, but he should be able to develop in Will Hardy’s system."

6. Washington Wizards

Tre Johnson, guard, Texas

Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated: "The Wizards are another team that went to bed Monday likely heartbroken over the lottery results, but Johnson represents a solid consolation prize given his elite scoring upside. Johnson is wired to score, with legitimate three-level ability and an elite 3-point stroke. He’d immediately inject life into this Washington offense as it likely gears up for another season of losing to make a run at the loaded top of the 2026 draft class."

7. New Orleans Pelicans

Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma

Gilbert McGregor, The Sporting News: "It's an interesting time in New Orleans, but the franchise is in need of some answers for the future. It gets one in Fears. With Dejounte Murray recovering from a torn Achilles and C.J. McCollum getting one year older, backcourt depth is needed. Fears is a big-time young guard who can step into a big role immediately."

8. Brooklyn Nets

Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma

Ricky O'Donnell, SB Nation: "The 6-foot-3 guard has the best combination of speed and ball handling in this class, generating paint touches at will. What happens once he beats his initial defender is often a bit of an adventure: Fears only shot 53% at the rim, and had a bad habit of throwing the ball all over the place with a 20% turnover rate. Fears should get better as a finisher as he adds strength and craft to his game, and it’s promising that he’s already a monster at getting to the foul line."

Kon Knueppel, guard, Duke

Jonathan Givony, ESPN: "Despite his modest athletic profile, Knueppel grew on NBA teams as the season moved on, producing consistently and authoring several impressive NCAA tournament performances that highlighted his value as a skilled, versatile wing who can do a bit of everything on both ends of the floor."

9. Toronto Raptors

Khaman Maluach, center, Duke

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: "With Jakob Poeltl potentially hitting free agency next year, the Raptors could use a long-term answer at center. ... Maluach isn’t a monster shot-blocker, but he understands how big he is and is excellent at using his size to cut off angles and contest on the interior. Offensively, there are more questions, largely about his hands and overall feel for the game. He got to basketball a bit late and is still working on how to see the floor around him."

10. Houston Rockets (from Suns via Nets)

Kasparas Jakucionis, guard, Illinois

Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo Sports: "Jakucionis is a slick shot-creator with a creative passing gene and a fearless scoring ability, carving up defenses with crafty finishes, step-back jumpers and jaw-dropping passes. But as a freshman he’d follow up those highlights with turnover brain-farts that derailed the hype train."

Collin Murray-Boyle, forward, South Carolina

Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated: "There’s not an obvious fit here given how many young players Houston has already stockpiled, making this spot one to watch for potential trades. If Houston keeps the pick, its analytically savvy front office could get excited about Murray-Boyles, an undersized frontcourt player who has popped on statistical models. He’s good around the basket and has elite defensive instincts."

11. Portland Trail Blazers

Derik Queen, center, Maryland

J. Kyle Mann, The Ringer: "Queen is a bit of an odd bird — a mostly ground-bound scoring big who can bully opponents but largely doesn’t. His craft around the basket and consistent ability to get there — whether facing up from the foul line or picking his spots as a rolling screener — are nearly peerless in this class. His role on defense and iffy shooting loom over his upside, but Portland’s roster is big and long enough to cover him on the former."

12. Chicago Bulls

Derik Queen, center, Maryland

Kyle Boone, CBS Sports: "You'll probably see Queen and Chicago linked a lot in the coming weeks. He's a skilled big man who would fill a need for the Bulls and help pieces in the frontcourt connect to Chicago's dynamic backcourt."

13. Atlanta Hawks (from Kings)

Noa Essengue, forward, Ratiopharm Ulm

Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo Sports: "Essengue is a toolsy forward with a fluid handle, dynamic finishing package and highly versatile defensive skill set. That’s why he has significant appeal for the Hawks, because any team could use a 6-foot-9 prospect with upside across the board."

Nolan Traore, guard, Saint-Quentin

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: "Traore has rebounded well from a tough start to his pro season in France. ... His overall numbers on the year aren’t that strong, but it’s worth remembering that he’s a teenager playing professional basketball for a full season for the first time in his career and leading his team to the cusp of the playoffs as the primary ballhandler at 13-16 on the season. He’s also dropped 20-plus points in back-to-back games recently, too.

14. San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks)

Carter Bryant, forward, Arizona

Jonathan Givony, ESPN: "Bryant is the type of player who could help his standing in the predraft process as teams get a better look at him in workout settings, and he ticks several boxes NBA teams actively seek at his position. ... Bryant wasn't consistently productive for Arizona coming off the bench and averaging just 6.5 points per game, as he's not much of a shot creator and has room to grow on both ends of the floor. But he has significant upside to tap into long term."

Noa Essengue, forward, Ratiopharm Ulm

Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated: "The 18-year-old Essengue would be an intriguing talent swing for the Spurs, adding a versatile defender who does the little things well offensively. If you buy into his 3-point shot, he’s an easy choice late in the lottery."

Non-lottery first round

Below are the consensus projections for the remainder of the first round.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Heat via Clippers)

Danny Wolf, forward, Michigan

16. Orlando Magic

Carter Bryant, forward, Arizona
Nique Clifford, guard, Colorado State
Will Riley, forward, Illinois

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Pistons via Knicks, Thunder and Rockets)

Nique Clifford, guard, Colorado State
Liam McNeeley, forward, UConn

18. Washington Wizards (from Grizzlies)

Egor Demin, guard, BYU

19. Brooklyn Nets (from Bucks via Knicks, Pistons, Trail Blazers and Pelicans)

Joan Beringer, center, Cedevita Olimpjia
Asa Newell, forward/center, Georgia
Nolan Traore, guard, Saint-Quentin

20. Miami Heat (from Warriors)

Will Riley, forward, Arizona
Thomas Sorber, forward/center, Georgetown

21. Utah Jazz (from Timberwolves)

Liam McNeeley, forward, UConn

22. Atlanta Hawks (from Lakers via Pelicans)

Thomas Sorber, forward/center, Georgetown

23. Indiana Pacers

Joan Beringer, center, Cedevita Olimpjia

24. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)

Hugo Gonzalez, forward, Real Madrid
Noah Penda, forward, Le Mans

25. Orlando Magic (from Nuggets)

Walter Clayton Jr., guard, Florida

26. Brooklyn Nets (from Knicks)

Ben Saraf, guard, Ratiopharm Ulm

27. Brooklyn Nets (from Rockets)

Yaxel Lendeborg, forward, UAB

28. Boston Celtics

Noah Penda, forward, Le Mans
Labaron Philon, guard, Alabama

29. Phoenix Suns (from Cavaliers via Jazz)

Yaxel Lendeborg, forward, UAB

30. Los Angeles Clippers (from Thunder)

Kam Jones, guard, Marquette

Second round

Below are the 12 consensus projections for the second round.

31. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Jazz)

Ryan Kalkbrenner, center, Creighton

32. Boston Celtics (from Wizards via Pistons and Nets)

Adou Thiero, forward, Arkansas

36. Brooklyn Nets

Labaron Philon, guard, Alabama

40. Washington Wizards (from Suns)

Alex Toohey, guard, Sydney Kings

41. Golden State Warriors (from Heat via Nets and Pacers)

Chaz Lanier, guard, Tennessee

43. Utah Jazz (from Mavericks)

Milos Uzan, guard, Houston

45. Chicago Bulls (from Kings)

Alex Condon, center, Florida

47. Milwaukee Bucks (from Pistons via Wizards)

John Tonje, guard/forward, Wisconsin

51. Los Angeles Clippers (from Timberwolves via Hawks and Rockets)

Dink Pate, guard, Mexico City Capitanes

54. Indiana Pacers

Koby Brea, forward, Kentucky

56. Memphis Grizzlies (from Rockets)

Javon Small, guard, West Virginia

59. Houston Rockets (from Thunder via Hawks)

Hansen Yang, center, Qingdao Eagles