Duke forward Cooper Flagg will be the No. 1 pick by the Dallas Mavericks when the 2025 NBA draft opens on Wednesday, June 25. That much is almost certain. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the seven players that will be selected are similarly cementing their status at the top of the draft—though it is anyone's guess what order they'll be picked in, as trade rumors continue to swirl.
According to Fischer, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is becoming a strong favorite to be the No. 2 pick in the draft by the San Antonio Spurs. After him, the six players expected to populate the next picks, in some order: Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, Texas guard Tre Johnson, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears and two of Flagg's Duke teammates, guard Kon Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach.
An unnamed executive from an Eastern Conference team told Fischer that at least seven of those players will be picked in the top eight, forming a pretty clear top tier of the draft. Of course, that doesn't mean that every team in the league is enthralled with each of those options, and trades could shake up the proceedings in the last week before the draft.
Here is the current NBA draft order, after the Desmond Bane trade that sent the No. 16 pick from the Orlando Magic to Memphis Grizzlies:
Beyond the first two picks, there isn't much certainty on which teams will remain in their current places, but the targets at the top of the draft are becoming more clear with just over a week until the draft begins.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as These Eight Prospects Are Cementing Their Status at the Top of the 2025 NBA Draft.
