The 2025 NBA Draft will kick off with the first round on Wednesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The second round will follow on Thursday, during which the Detroit Pistons will make their lone selection with the No. 37 pick.

The outcome of this year’s draft could shake out in various ways after the first two picks, owned by the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. Ahead of the big night, The Detroit News put together a mock draft of the 30 picks in the first round, headlined by the consensus No. 1 selection of Cooper Flagg.

▶ 1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, forward, 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, Duke

It’s still mind-blowing that the Mavericks received the No. 1 pick after trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February. By drafting Flagg, the Mavericks will have a chance to right their wrongs.

The ACC and National Player of the Year has been the consensus top pick since his senior season at Montverde Academy. He lived up to the high expectations during his one year at Duke, averaging 19.2 points on 48.1% shooting (38.5% on 3-pointers), 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals in 37 games.

As a freshman, Flagg led the Blue Devils to the Final Four. He’s entering the league as a generational talent who will likely be considered one of the top two-way players as soon as he steps onto an NBA court.

▶ 2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, guard, 6-6, 215, Rutgers

If not for Flagg, Harper would’ve been the consensus No. 1 pick. Harper is arguably the best scorer coming into the draft, averaging 19.4 points on 48.4% shooting. He sets himself apart from his peers due to his facilitating and playmaking as a prominent floor general, similar to what made Cade Cunningham the Pistons’ top overall pick four years ago.

The selection of Harper would mark the third consecutive year the Spurs have had arguably the best luck in the draft, with Victor Wembanyama (2023) and Stephon Castle (2024) each winning Rookie of the Year. Adding Harper would give San Antonio a chance to continue building a young and elite roster that could challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder within the next two years.

▶ 3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey, forward, 6-9, 205, Rutgers

The suspense of the draft begins with the 76ers. The team has the option to trade this pick as it looks to retool its roster, which features Joel Embiid and Paul George. However, if the 76ers choose to build around their young talent, like Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, then Bailey is an ideal fit despite canceling his pre-draft workout with the franchise on Wednesday.

Similar to his college teammate Harper, Bailey is a reliable scorer who can boost Philadelphia’s frontcourt, but his defensive versatility separates him from other prospects. Bailey is an athletic defender who can switch onto guards and possesses the size to hold his own against forwards and bigs. A member of the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, Bailey tallied 38 blocks and 30 steals in 30 games.

▶ 4. Charlotte Hornets: VJ Edgecombe, guard, 6-5, 195, Baylor

If the Hornets make the most of their lottery pick, they could finally pair All-Star guard LaMelo Ball with a promising backcourt mate. Edgecombe is a versatile two-way guard who could significantly enhance the Hornets’ subpar defense. While notching 15 points, Edgecombe’s 2.1 steals per game ranked fourth in the Big 12 last season.

▶ 5. Utah Jazz: Kon Knueppel, guard/forward, 6-7, 215, Duke

After finishing with the league’s worst record, the Jazz (17-65) announced that they are done tanking and are ready to take the next steps in their rebuilding process. Although Utah couldn’t capture Flagg, it has the opportunity to take Knueppel, the second-best prospect from Duke and the draft’s best 3-point shooter. While averaging 14.4 points, Knueppel shot 40.6% from deep as a freshman.

▶ 6. Washington Wizards: Khaman Maluach, center, 7-2, 255, Duke

The Wizards finished with the league’s second-worst record (18-64) and have shown no signs of improving their franchise in the coming years. As a team with several holes to fill, Maluach might be the best prospect available. He is one of the top defensive big men in this year’s class, averaging 1.3 blocks as a freshman.

▶ 7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, guard, 6-4, 180, Oklahoma

The Pelicans have been searching for a starting-caliber lead guard since they traded Jrue Holiday in November 2020. They may finally be able to fill that gap by selecting Fears. He’s a prototypical combo guard who can both score and effectively run a team’s offense while handling the ball. He averaged 17.1 points and 4.1 assists per game and shot 43.4% from the field as a freshman.

▶ 8. Brooklyn Nets: Tre Johnson, guard, 6-6, 190, Texas

The Nets have had a solid core of young talent over the last two seasons but have yet to find a player who could be a cornerstone for their franchise. By picking Johnson, they could have a chance to do so. Johnson established himself as a dynamic scorer, leading the SEC in scoring at 19.9 points per game while shooting 42.7% from the field and 39.7% from behind the arc.

▶ 9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis, guard, 6-6, 205, Illinois

After acquiring Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline, the Raptors have a logjam in the frontcourt and will likely look to enhance their backcourt with this pick. Jakucionis could make for the most realistic option due to his ability to play both on and off the ball as a versatile guard. In one season at Illinois, Jakucionis averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 33 games and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

▶ 10. Houston Rockets (from Phoenix): Carter Bryant, forward, 6-8, 215, Arizona

Due to the Rockets’ strong interest in Kevin Durant, they might not be ultimately picking here. But if the Rockets decide to keep their pick, they could enhance their subpar shooting by grabbing Bryant, who shot 37.1% from deep as a prominent 3-and-D prospect during his lone season at Arizona.

▶ 11. Portland Trail Blazers: Collin Murray-Boyles, forward, 6-8, 240, South Carolina

The Trail Blazers displayed significant improvement last season, but they are still a ways away from moving into the second phase of their ongoing rebuild. Portland doesn’t have a noteworthy need and could go after the best player available. Given the handful of players the Trail Blazers have in the backcourt, Murray-Boyles would help improve their frontcourt production. During his sophomore season, Murray-Boyles ranked ninth in the SEC in scoring at 16.8 points per game.

▶ 12. Chicago Bulls: Derik Queen, center, 6-10, 250, Maryland

With the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Nikola Vučević’s future in Chicago, the Bulls could be seeking a long-term replacement. They have a pair of dynamic guards (Josh Giddey and Coby White) who would benefit from playing alongside a big man who excels in pick-and-rolls, which would make a strong case for Queen to be the selection. As a freshman, Queen ranked third in the Big Ten in rebounds (nine) and 11th in scoring (16.5 points).

▶ 13. Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento): Egor Demin, guard, 6-9, 200, BYU

After landing Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick last year, the Hawks will be looking to add to a promising young core that also features Dyson Daniels, who won the Most Improved Player of the Year award. When building for the future, Demin gives the Hawks a chance to add someone who can develop into one of the league’s top playmakers. Demin’s 5.5 assists per game ranked fourth in the Big 12 last season.

▶ 14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta): Cedric Coward, forward, 6-6, 205, Washington State

Coward is one of the most experienced prospects in this year’s draft. He averaged 11.8 points and shot 38.8% from 3-point range over his three-year college career, which began at Eastern Washington. He possesses the skill set necessary to become the modern 3-and-D player that every team yearns for. Before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury, Coward shot a career-best 40% on 3-pointers in six games with the Cougars.

▶ 15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami): Noa Essengue, forward, 6-10, 200, France

The Thunder can do no wrong when it comes to having the first pick outside of the lottery. Essengue, although not widely known, has showcased his skills by helping his German team reach the Basketball Bundesliga Finals, averaging 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds over 40 games.

▶ 16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando): Jase Richardson, guard, 6-2, 180, Michigan State

As part of the trade that sent Desmond Bane to the Magic, the Grizzlies received the No. 16 pick in this year’s draft. Bane’s departure creates a vacancy in the Grizzlies’ backcourt that they could fill with Richardson. The second-generation guard finished his lone season at Michigan State as one of the top 3-point shooters in the country. Richardson shot 41.2% from behind the arc while scoring 12.1 points per game as a freshman.

▶ 17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit): Asa Newell, forward/center, 6-10, 225, Georgia

If not for the trade that landed Isaiah Stewart in Detroit in 2020, this would have been the Pistons’ selection. After four years, the Timberwolves could use this pick to enhance their frontcourt with Newell. The Georgia prospect has the potential to become a reliable stretch big, considering he made 26 3-pointers last season.

▶ 18. Washington Wizards (from Memphis): Nique Clifford, guard, 6-6, 200, Colorado State

The Wizards had the least productive roster this season and would likely continue their pursuit of selecting the best player available. A prospect with five years of college experience, Clifford had a career season during his final year at Colorado State, scoring 18.9 points on 49.6% shooting from the field and 37.7% shooting from deep, to go along with 9.6 rebounds. Clifford also logged the most defensive rebounds in the Mountain West with 293.

▶ 19. Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee): Liam McNeeley, forward, 6-8, 215, UConn

McNeeley can be one of the hidden gems that could emerge in the back half of the first round. Despite his struggles last season (14.5 points, 31.7% on 3-pointers), McNeeley remains one of the purest shooting prospects in this year’s class. He is a project who could find a promising rhythm if selected by the right team.

▶ 20. Miami Heat (from Golden State): Joan Beringer, center, 7-feet, 235, France

The Heat will have a variety of options for improving their roster, but they will likely focus on enhancing their frontcourt depth. Beringer is a highly skilled big man who has the potential to become a productive player, especially if he is drafted by a team that has a strong developmental program like the Heat.

▶ 21. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota): Walter Clayton Jr., guard, 6-3, 200, Florida

Clayton became a household name during the NCAA Tournament, earning the title of Final Four Most Outstanding Player and leading the Gators to their third national championship in program history. While averaging 18.3 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field, Clayton demonstrated his skills as an excellent shot-creator. He also displayed how he could enhance any team’s defense with his defensive abilities.

▶ 22. Atlanta Hawks (from L.A. Lakers): Thomas Sorber, center, 6-10, 265, Georgetown

Like McNeeley, Sorber could be a hidden gem selected in the latter part of the first round. If not for a season-ending foot injury that required surgery in February, Sorber would have had a strong chance to be taken in the lottery. He emerged as a noteworthy prospect who averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and two blocks. Despite missing a portion of the season, Sorber still received Big East All-Freshman Team honors.

▶ 23. New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana): Danny Wolf, forward, 7-feet, 250, Michigan

The Pelicans landed another first-round pick in a trade with the Pacers during the NBA Finals. New Orleans could boost its frontcourt with Wolf. He’s a double-double machine who averaged 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds across 37 games in his lone season with the Wolverines.

▶ 24. Oklahoma City Thunder (from L.A. Clippers): Will Riley, forward, 6-9, 185, Illinois

This will be the Thunder’s second pick in the first round, and any player they select will be seen as a potential contributor for the future. Riley is a young prospect who may take a year or two before landing noteworthy minutes as a versatile forward. He averaged 12.6 points in 35 games as a freshman at Illinois.

▶ 25. Orlando Magic (from Denver): Nolan Traorè, guard, 6-5, 174, France

Traorè catapulted up the draft boards due to his potential as a pass-first point guard. He averaged 11.7 points and 4.8 assists as a 19-year-old pro for Saint-Quentin.

▶ 26. Brooklyn Nets (from New York): Rasheer Fleming, forward, 6-9, 240, Saint Joseph’s

The Nets possess four first-round picks and will likely move on from one of their late selections. However, should they keep the No. 26 pick and take Fleming, he gives Brooklyn a chance to add a reliable double-double prospect. The third-year forward is coming off a career season where he averaged 14.7 points and 8.5 rebounds in 35 games.

▶ 27. Brooklyn Nets (from Houston): Noah Penda, forward, 6-8, 240, France

The Nets will likely use their last selection to choose the best player available. Penda became a significant prospect in the late first round due to his physicality on both ends. As a member of Le Mans Sarthe Basket of the LNB Elite, he averaged nine points and five rebounds last season.

▶ 28. Boston Celtics: Adou Thiero, guard, 6-7, 220, Arkansas

Thiero is one of the most productive scorers any team can draft late in the first round. Given the Celtics’ roster will undergo a lot of changes this summer — in addition to the loss of their leading scorer in Jayson Tatum, who suffered an Achilles injury in the playoffs — Thiero would be a steal. He had his best year as a full-time starter with 15.1 points on 54.5% shooting, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

▶ 29. Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland): Drake Powell, guard/forward, 6-6, 200, North Carolina

Powell is projected to be a second-round pick but has the potential to move up into the first round. He’s a Swiss Army knife prospect who can do a little bit of everything on the court. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds and shot 48.3% from the field and 37.9% from deep as a freshman.

▶ 30. Los Angeles Clippers (from Oklahoma City): Maxime Raynaud, center, 7-1, 240, Stanford

Raynaud has the potential to improve any team’s depth at center, especially given his ongoing development as a stretch big man who averaged 20.2 points and shot 34.7% from 3-point range on 193 attempts.

Bonus pick

▶ 37. Detroit Pistons (from Toronto): Johni Broome, center, 6-10, 250, Auburn

Broome is entering the draft as one of the best versatile defenders. He is a proven rim protector who recorded a total of 154 rejections over his final two seasons at Auburn.

coty.davis@detroitnews.com

@cotydavis_24