NBA Draft Grades: Breaking Down Every First-Round Pick

What a week it's been in the NBA.

Just three days after the Oklahoma City Thunder won Game 7 of the NBA Finals to win its first championship, it's time for the start of the 2025-2026 season.

And that begins with the draft.

Tonight, the best young players not in the NBA will find out where they'll play next year when the NBA holds its draft.

The top of the draft looks predictable. The top pick belongs to the Dallas Mavericks and that looks like they'll go with Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

The San Antonio Spurs have the No. 2 pick, and it' likely they'll go with Rutgers guard Dylan Harper.

After that, things get murky. Another Rutgers star Ace Bailey is widely considered the third-best player in the draft, but it doesn't sound like he'll end up in Philly. The Sixers own the No. 3 pick, so that's where things could get interesting.

We will take you from the first pick though the final pick tonight and we'll give you our grade.

Let's get going with the 2025 NBA Draft!

Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg (Duke)

This wasn't a shocker. He was the best player, he was the obvious choice and he'll be the new face of the franchise. Grade: A

San Antonio Spurs select Dylan Harper (Rutgers)

The second pick was also a no-brainer with the Spurs taking Dylan Harper. The consensus second best player in the draft is headed to San Antonio. Grade: A

Philadelphia 76ers select VJ Edgecombe (Baylor)

The Sixers take an athletic guard to go along with their big three of Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. Edgecombe should help the process along. Grade: B

Charlotte Hornets will draft Kon Knueppel (Duke)

The Hornets could have gone a lot of different directions, but they settled with the second Duke player drafted in the top four. Knueppel, a small forward, is a great shooter, but has question marks. Grade: B-

Utah Jazz select Ace Bailey (Rutgers)

This could be the best pick of the draft. Bailey had top three upside, but his attitude heading into the draft reportedly turned off some teams. He's a good player, but will he be a problem? In the first two picks, college basketball powers Duke and Rutgers each had two players drafted. Grade: C

Washington Wizards select Tre Johnson (Texas)

It was widely reported the Wizards wanted Bailey. They lucked out. Tre Johnson is going to pile up the points in a hurry. This will end up being a very good pick. Grade: A-

New Orleans Pelicans select Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma)

Another good pick. The guard is very athletic and can do a lot of good things. One thing he can't do right now is shoot. That will have to come. Grade: B

Brooklyn Nets select Egor Demin (BYU)

The Nets have plenty of picks. They used their first one to take a point guard out of Moscow. Might be a little early, but he's a decent player. Grade: B-

Toronto Raptors select Collin Murray Boyles (South Carolina)

The Raptors get an power forward who will be a force on the defensive end. He's not a great shooter, but he's a good player who can help you in a variety of ways. Grade: B

Houston Rockets select Khaman Maluach (Duke)

This pick will head to Phoenix as part of the Kevin Durant trade. The Suns are adding a center who can play defense. His offensive game still needs a lot of work, but he'll be a force at the other end. Grade: B

Portland Trail Blazers select Cedric Coward (Washington State)

The Trail Blazers sent this pick to the Memphis Grizzlies. Coward is a talented player, but this is earlier than many expected him to go. The Grizzlies got an athlete who can play multiple positions. Grade: C

Chicago Bulls select Noa Essengue (France)

The youngster who played basketball in Germany last year shot up the draft board. He's the second youngest player in the draft after Flagg. He can do a lot, but he won't be great right away. Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks select Derik Queen (Maryland)

The Hawks traded the pick to New Orleans and the Pelicans use it to take a center with a lot of upside. A great passer, he might take a few years to contribute, but this was a good add. Grade: A-

San Antonio Spurs select Carter Bryant (Arizona)

Another good pick for the Spurs. A wing, Bryant is a 3 and D guy who can light it up and play defense. He didn't have a breakout season at Arizona, but he should develop into a good player. Grade: B

Oklahoma City Thunder select Thomas Sorber (Georgetown)

This is a great pick by the Thunder. The champions pick up a center who is raw, but has great talent. He can shoot, and is a high-character guy. He's also a New Jersey kid. The Trenton native went to Trenton Catholic as a freshman before transferring to Archbishop Ryan as a sophomore. Grade: A

Memphis Grizzlies select Hansen Yang (China)

The big man averaged a double double last year playing in China. But this is a reach. He might turn OK, but this was early. Grade: D+

Minnesota Timberwolves select Joan Beringer (France)

He's tall and only getting better. Beringer, a center, is a rim protector who has only been playing basketball for four years. He's good and should only get better once he gets more experience. Grade: B+

Washington Wizards select Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida)

The Wizards traded the pick to the Jazz, who use it to select a floor general. He can score and run the floor. He's also a winner, helping the Gators win the NCAA Tournament. Grade: B+

Brooklyn Nets select Nolan Traore (France)

The Nets take a point guard as the third player from France comes off the board. He slid down draft boards after being a lottery pick during early mock drafts. He could end up being a good lead guard. Grade: B+

Miami Heat select Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois)

He's a bit turnover prone, but the Heat found themselves a guy who can be the quarterback on the floor. He will help the Heat, but might deal with some growing pains making the jump to the NBA. Grade: B

Utah Jazz select Will Riley (Illinois)

The Jazz are sending this pick to the Washington Wizards , and they use it to select the second straight player from Illinois. They also added a wing who will score in bunches. Grade: C+

What time does the NBA Draft start tonight?

The NBA Draft begins at 8 p.m.

What channel is the NBA Draft on?

The NBA Draft is on ESPN and ABC.

How long before NBA draft picks?

In the first round, teams get five minutes to make a selection. The time shrinks to four minutes between picks in the first round.

NBA Draft first-round order

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Phoenix Suns
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks
14. San Antonio Spurs
15. Oklahoma City Thunder
16. Memphis Grizzlies
17. Minnesota Timberwolves
18. Washington Wizards
19. Brooklyn Nets
20. Miami Heat
21. Utah Jazz
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. New Orleans Pelicans
24. Oklahoma City Thunder
25. Orlando Magic
26. Brooklyn Nets
27. Brooklyn Nets
28. Boston Celtics
29. Phoenix Suns
30. Los Angeles Clippers

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NBA Draft grades: Analysis of every first-round pick of the NBA Draft