2025 NBA Draft: Hits, Misses, and Head-Scratchers
The whirlwind of the NBA offseason continued immediately after the champions were crowned, with the 2025 NBA Draft introducing the next generation of talent into the league. While the definitive impact of these selections won’t be clear for years – history is full of late picks becoming superstars (hello, Nikola Jokic!) and high lottery picks fading – it’s always insightful and fun to make an early assessment of who appears to have had the best and worst draft nights.
Based on player talent, team needs, draft positioning, and strategic decisions, here’s a look at some of the perceived winners and losers of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Winners: Teams That Stocked Up or Got Lucky
Dallas Mavericks: Landing the Consensus Top Prospect
Perhaps the biggest beneficiaries of draft night were the Dallas Mavericks. Just a year after an NBA Finals appearance, they navigated injuries and roster changes to land the seemingly unthinkable: the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery, despite having just a minuscule 1.8 percent chance.
With that top pick, Dallas secured Cooper Flagg, widely regarded as the consensus best player in this draft class and, according to some scouts, one of the most promising prospects in the last decade. Flagg is touted as a complete two-way player with elite competitiveness and a high basketball IQ. Analysts project him as a future All-NBA player with MVP upside, possessing an All-Star floor due to his well-rounded game and ability to elevate teammates.
For a Mavericks team that aimed to be defense-first and navigated significant injuries in the prior season (including season-ending issues for key stars), Flagg provides an immediate organizational centerpiece. His arrival could dramatically shift the team’s trajectory, offering a potential cornerstone alongside players like Anthony Davis (if healthy), Kyrie Irving (upon return), and rising young talent like Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. This improbable lottery win and the selection of Flagg represent a potential franchise-altering moment.
San Antonio Spurs: Continuing to Build with Top Talent
The San Antonio Spurs continued their impressive run of high draft picks, securing the No. 2 spot in the lottery, giving them a top-four selection for the third consecutive year (Victor Wembanyama at No. 1 in 2023, Stephon Castle at No. 4 in 2024).
With the second pick, the Spurs added Dylan Harper, a highly-rated guard. Harper is known for his ability to apply pressure at the rim, draw fouls effectively, and exhibits promising passing vision, projecting as a potential primary playmaker. While his pull-up jumper is noted as needing development, his creativity and catch-and-shoot ability provide a high floor, with analysts seeing potential for All-Star status and even an All-NBA ceiling if his game progresses.
San Antonio’s strategy has clearly been centered on bolstering their roster with young, talented players rather than chasing established stars via trade. Alongside Wemby, De’Aaron Fox, and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, Harper fits their vision of building a versatile young core. They also added Carter Bryant at No. 14, another versatile wing prospect known for his 3-and-D potential and positional flexibility. By making sensible, high-upside picks that fit their developmental timeline, the Spurs appear to have further solidified their promising foundation.
Beyond the Top: Surprise Rises and Value Picks
Hansen Yang (No. 16, Portland Trail Blazers): Yang’s selection significantly higher than expected (most projections placed him in the mid-to-late second round) made him one of the pleasant surprises of the draft. The 7-foot-2, 20-year-old center wasn’t even invited to the green room, learning his fate from the stands. While some analysts viewed it as a “steep reach” for Portland given his need for physical and defensive development and joining a crowded center rotation, his sheer size, passing ability, and unexpected first-round call-up represent a personal victory and a high-upside swing for the Blazers. He also made history as the first Chinese-born player drafted in the first round since Yi Jianlian in 2007.
The Rise of International Prospects: The 2025 draft highlighted a growing trend: the increasing importance of international talent outside the lottery. With changes in the U.S. college landscape due to Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules potentially keeping some players in school longer, NBA teams are increasingly looking overseas. The draft saw multiple international players selected who bypassed U.S. college basketball, with several landing in the latter half of the first round, including Yang Hansen and Kasparas Jakucionis.
- Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20, Miami Heat): Miami is frequently praised for finding value, and securing Jakucionis at No. 20 is seen as a prime example. Once viewed as a potential high-end lottery pick, his fall provided the Heat with a player who flashes significant playmaking and shooting potential, capable of reading defenses and fitting into coach Erik Spoelstra’s system. Landing a prospect with his upside this late is a solid outcome for Miami.
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Losers: Questionable Strategies and Unforced Errors
Ace Bailey and the Utah Jazz: A Risky Fit After Process Issues
Ace Bailey’s draft night became a focal point due to reports of his attempts to influence his draft position, including reportedly declining workouts and canceling meetings with top-five teams. This behavior reportedly raised questions about his maturity and seemingly backfired when he was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 5 pick – a team he reportedly didn’t target.
While Bailey possesses undeniable talent, including significant All-Star potential, analysts caution that realizing that upside is contingent on considerable improvement in areas like flexibility, strength, finishing, shooting consistency, decision-making, and defensive engagement. Some describe his path to stardom as a “house of cards” due to the number of fundamental improvements required.
For the Jazz, selecting Bailey is a high-variance gamble. Although Utah has a clear need for a high-usage wing where Bailey could get significant opportunity, drafting him “sight unseen” after his reported process issues and landing a player perceived by some as having significant developmental hurdles makes this selection one of the riskier moves in the lottery. For Bailey, the optics of the situation and landing outside his reported preferred destinations marked a potentially bumpy start to his professional career, despite the potential opportunity in Utah.
New Orleans Pelicans: A Costly Trade-Up Gamble
The New Orleans Pelicans made a significant splash by trading up in the draft, sending their No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks to acquire the No. 13 selection. With that pick, they drafted Derik Queen.
While Queen is acknowledged as a skilled, undersized center with good hands and offensive potential around the rim, his defensive limitations and need to develop his shooting are notable drawbacks. The consensus view is that paying the price of an unprotected future first-round pick – which could potentially be a high-value asset depending on the Pelicans’ future – to move up 10 spots for a player with his profile is a “massive risk.” Analysts question the fit alongside Zion Williamson, particularly on the defensive end, and view the cost as potentially exorbitant for a player not considered a clean fit or a sure thing to become a high-impact contributor. This trade is widely seen as one of the biggest gambles of the night.
Brooklyn Nets: The Quantity Approach
Holding an NBA-record five first-round picks, many anticipated the Brooklyn Nets would consolidate some of that draft capital, trading up for a higher prospect or acquiring established assets. Instead, they kept all five selections, adding Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), Ben Saraf (No. 26), and Danny Wolf (No. 27).
This strategy represents a dramatic shift from their previous “superteam” gamble that involved trading away draft assets. However, selecting five inexperienced rookies in a single draft, many with overlapping skill sets (including three players projected as point guards), presents significant challenges. Integrating this many new faces onto a roster, managing player development, and ensuring playing time for prospects needing experience is difficult. While the Nets are banking on striking gold with several picks, using five first-rounders in this manner is seen by many as an inefficient allocation of resources and a strategy with lower odds of significant success compared to consolidation.
Phoenix Suns: Doubling Down on the Frontcourt
While perhaps not as outright “losers” as others, the Phoenix Suns made some head-scratching moves by using two first-round assets to acquire two centers. They drafted Khaman Maluach at No. 10 and traded their No. 29 pick and an unprotected 2029 first-rounder to acquire Mark Williams via trade from Charlotte.
Adding size was a clear need, but dedicating two first-round assets, including a valuable future first, to the center position – especially for Williams, who reportedly failed a physical with another team earlier – raised questions about resource allocation. While Maluach provides a high-upside developmental big and Williams could be valuable if healthy, the double-dip and the cost involved were viewed by some as a puzzling use of limited draft capital.
The Long Game
Ultimately, the true success or failure of these draft-night decisions will unfold over the coming years. Some teams that were lauded may see their picks flame out, while those questioned might unearth hidden gems. The 2025 NBA Draft offered a mix of sure-thing prospects, high-upside gambles, surprising reaches, and bold strategic swings that will be fascinating to track.
