2025 NBA Draft Tracker: Live Updates, Grades, and Analysis of Picks So Far

Posted by The News Pulse June 25, 2025 Post a Comment

The 2025 NBA Draft begins on Wednesday with the first round at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with Duke star Cooper Flagg in line to be the No. 1 pick.

Flagg is likely to be selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks , allowing the organization to fill a Luka Doncic-shaped hole with college basketball's biggest star in years.

After Flagg, Rutgers' Dylan Harper appears to be poised to go No. 2 overall by San Antonio.

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The intrigue begins with the No. 3 pick and the Philadelphia 76ers .

The Memphis Grizzlies currently own the No. 16 overall pick , acquired from Orlando in the Desmond Bane trade.

Follow along with our pick tracker for all 59 picks in the two-round draft below, with second-round picks being made on Thursday:

2025 NBA Draft pick tracker: Picks and grades

1. Dallas Mavericks | Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

Instant grade: A
Analysis: Flagg can do just about everything at a high level. At Duke , he was a quality passer, rebounder and scorer while hitting 3s at a 38.5% clip. He may not fit the traditional superstar profile (Flagg will be a different experience for Mavs fans compared to Luka Doncic) but I feel very confident in saying Flagg will be the best player on a contender in his career with multiple All-Star appearances and All-NBA nods.

2. San Antonio Spurs | Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers

Instant grade: B
Analysis: Harper and fellow lottery pick Ace Bailey shouldered the load at Rutgers to decent individual results despite the Scarlet Knights' overall struggles last season. Harper can get downhill and score in many different ways, and his 1.4 steals per game as a freshman shows he can be a disruptive defender. This is a good fit for Harper for his overall growth; Harper can filter out some rugged habits from Rutgers as a secondary option early in his career with the Spurs. He won't have to take on so much in San Antonio early.

3. Philadelphia 76ers | VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

Instant grade: B-plus
Analysis: Edgecombe won't be the biggest 2-guard in the NBA, but he showed good physicality and athleticism as a 1-and-done player at Baylor. Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey will be an interesting backcourt combination in Philly. If he can meet expectations defensively, Edgecombe could be a decade-long quality guard in the NBA.

4. Charlotte Hornets | Kon Knueppel, F, Duke

Instant grade: B-minus
Analysis: There is zero doubt about Knueppel's ability to shoot from the perimeter after making 40% from 3 last season at Duke. Can he hold up on the defensive end? There's a question as to whether he has the athleticism to be functional on that end, but Charlotte drafted the top-end shooting trait with a good understanding of the floor. The Hornets can be happy about that in this class.

5. Utah Jazz | Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers

Instant grade: B
Analysis: Bailey will have every opportunity to be the lead dog in Utah in time. Much like Harper, Bailey garnered a lot of attention at Rutgers and showed promise with elite athleticism and as a creative, if not inconsistent, finisher at the rim. Can his decision making on the floor catch up? And it's not just the passing variable, but shot selection and controlling the game tempo too. There won't be a more talented athlete picked in the rest of the first round, and Bailey has a very high ceiling. There's a lot of growth to be made.

6. Washington Wizards | Tre Johnson, G, Texas

Instant grade: B
Analysis: Johnson was a volume scorer and the ball-dominant guard late in games at Texas, but he'll need to filter those habits if he's to excel as a ball-handling guard in the NBA. His best role early in his NBA career will be as an off-ball shooter (who can also pull up at a decent clip) who made 39% from 3 as a freshman at Texas. He fell in love with the long-range 3s at Texas, but I get it in his situation as the main man. In the NBA, Johnson will get a better chance to show his playmaking ability.

7. New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma

Instant grade: C
Analysis: Fears is a 6-foot-2 guard with good quickness and understanding when going downhill in the halfcourt offense. But he's also a 6-foot-2 guard that shot 28.4% from 3 as a freshman at Oklahoma, and this won't be a good pick for New Orleans if that number can't significantly improve.

8. Brooklyn Nets | Egor Demin, F, BYU

Instant grade: C
Analysis: The talent pool gets shallow at this point in the draft, which is why Demin goes here despite shooting 27% from 3 in the space-friendly BYU offense as a freshman last season (though he has worked to change his shot per multiple reports). He is a quality passer who could be position-limited by his lack of athleticism and physicality.

9. Toronto Raptors | Collin Murray-Boyles, F/C, South Carolina

Instant grade: B
Analysis: Murray-Boyles fits the template of the undersized, position-less modern big that plays physically and is comfortable with the ball in his hands. Not every 6-foot-7 frontcourt player is going to succeed in the modern NBA, but Murray-Boyles is physical and active enough to play in the league for a while.

10. Phoenix Suns (from Houston via Phoenix) | Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

Instant grade: B
Analysis: There is still room for a 7-foot-2 center in the NBA, and Maluach is a massive presence that moves well enough to be an impact defensive big. For his role to increase from Year 1 to beyond, he'll have to continue to work on playing away from the basket offensively.
UPDATE: Charlotte is trading Mark Williams to Phoenix for No. 29 overall and a 2029 first-round pick, per ESPN. The Suns now add two 7-footers with similar skill sets tonight.

11. Portland Trail Blazers (proposed trade to Memphis) | Cedric Coward, G/F, Washington State

Instant grade: C-minus
Analysis: Coward is going to Memphis for No. 16 overall, a 2028 first-round pick (the Orlando pick acquired in the Desmond Bane trade) and two second-round picks, per ESPN. That is a high price to pay for a player who will be 22 years old by the start of his rookie season, even with the track record as a good shooter who rocketed up pre-draft boards despite missing most of the 2024-25 college season with a shoulder injury. We'll see what protections are on that 2028 first-rounder, but the Grizzlies got their guy tonight.

12. Chicago Bulls | Noa Essengue, F, Bundesliga

Instant grade: C
Analysis: Essengue often looked like a NBA-level athlete in the German league but has plenty of work to do in the gym to improve shooting and strength.

13. Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento; proposed trade to New Orleans) | Derik Queen, F/C, Maryland

Instant grade: D
Analysis: Queen has work to do with his jump shot, but showed playmaking ability with the ball in his hands in his one season at Maryland. No one would have blinked twice if Queen would have been a top-10 pick. Queen is a good rebounder who has a higher ceiling than most bigs around this spot in the draft. But why is New Orleans trading a possible lottery pick in 2026 for a low-lottery pick in a not-deep draft? I'll stop now before downgrading this pick even more.

PROPOSED TRADE : New Orleans acquired the No. 13 overall pick from Atlanta for the No. 23 pick and a 2026 first-round pick, ESPN reported.

14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta) | Carter Bryant, F, Arizona

Instant grade: B-plus
Analysis: Bryant should be a functional rotational player at worst for San Antonio with a decent shooting clip as a freshman at Arizona (37.1% from 3 on 105 attempts) who should be an active defender at the next level. Can he excel past that role? It wouldn't surprise.

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami) | Thomas Sorber, F, Georgetown

Instant grade: C-plus
Analysis: Sorber is a below-the-rim player who can hold up against NBA physicality but may struggle as the center in a small lineup.

16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando; proposed trade to Portland) | Yang Hansen, C, China

Instant grade: C-minus
Analysis: We're in the "eye of the beholder" portion of the draft earlier than most years, with Hansen projected by most as a second-rounder. He impressed during the NBA Draft Combine according to multiple reports, and he has good size at 7-foot-1. But is he a big of a previous era?

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit) | Joan Beringer, C, France

Instant grade: C
Analysis: At 6-foot-10 with some bounce, Beringer is the classic lottery-ticket first-round selection who can block shots but he needs to fill out his frame and offensive game.

18. Washington Wizards (from Memphis; proposed trade to Utah) | Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida

Instant grade: B-minus
Analysis: Clayton has just enough size and athleticism to carve out an NBA role, but he doesn't overwhelm with either. Still, the nation watched Clayton be the most dominant player in the NCAA Tournament en route to a national title with Florida as a senior. He can knock down shots and is comfortable (sometimes too comfortable) with the ball in his hands.

PROPOSED TRADE : Utah acquired the No. 18 overall pick from Washington for No. 21 overall and three second-round picks, ESPN reported.

19. Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee) | Nolan Traore, G, France

Instant grade: B-minus
Analysis: The Nets are slated to have four first-round picks the rest of the way, and Traore is a high-upside selection with talent that needs seasoning.

20. Miami Heat (from Golden State) |

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21. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota; proposed trade to Washington) |

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22. Brooklyn Nets (from LA Lakers via Atlanta) |

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23. New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana; proposed trade to Atlanta) |

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24. Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers) |

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25. Orlando Magic (from Denver) |

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26. Brooklyn Nets (from New York) |

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27. Brooklyn Nets (from Houston) |

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28. Boston Celtics |

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29. Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland) |

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30. Los Angeles Clippers (from OKC) |

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What channel is the 2025 NBA Draft on today?

TV channel: ABC and ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, FUBO (free trial available)

The 2025 NBA Draft will be broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN. Streaming options for the event include the ESPN app and FUBO , which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 2025 NBA Draft tracker: Live results, updates and grades of picks so far