2025 NBA Draft Live Selection Updates!

Brooklyn, N.Y. —The 2025 NBA Draft is here, and Ballislife presents a live update of the entire draft night!

The Dallas Mavericks are projected to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall with the first pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. There will be 59 overall selections, as for the first time ever, the draft will be split into two days, with the first round taking place Wednesday (ESPN, 8 pm ET) and the second round on Thursday (ESPN, 8 pm ET).

With an exciting night ahead, Ballislife has all the updates, selection, news, trades, and more! Here are the live results from the 2025 NBA Draft held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Complete 2025 NBA Draft Order

First Round

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, 6’9, Forward, Duke (Freshman)

Drafting the Duke wunderkind is the perfect remedy to begin the Dallas’ fans healing process after the shocking Luka Doncic trade. Remember, this was a franchise that went to the 2024 NBA Finals but was in a state of mourning last year. If Cooper Flagg is as good as advertised, the Mavs received one of the all-time Draft Lottery gifts in moving up from No. 11 to be in position to draft the 18-year old who was named NCAA Player of the Year in his only season in college. 

Flagg is a special defensive player who could develop into one of the league’s best two-way players if he comes anywhere close to meeting the high expectations he comes into the league with. If his play-making skills come naturally, it will be interesting to see just how good Dallas is in 2026-27 if Kyrie Irving fully recovers from his ACL tear.       

Player Comparison: Bobby Jones

The eleven-time all-defensive pick for the 76ers is in the Hall of Fame and Coop has plenty of the same winning attributes. Not only that, Flagg is more skilled with better offense so that should give you a sense of the expectations for the former Montverde Academy FAB 50 national champ.

-Ronnie Flores

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, 6’5, Guard, Rutgers (Freshman)

To me, Dylan Harper is the clear second best prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft. We are talking about a player that has the opportunity to become a corner stone piece in San Antonio. Of course, the fit is questionable given the Spurs have top-tier guards in De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Trade rumors were swirling around Castle, who was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, with three elite guards, the future is bright for San Antonio. Harper now has the chance to rebuild alongside a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama and Castle.

Notorious for driving downhill, Harper had quite the impressive freshman campaign at Rutgers. At 6-foot-6, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 steals. In 29 games, Harper shot an efficient 48.4 percent from the field, and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. While not as explosive, Harper possesses strength and handles as a bigger guard, especially in the pick and roll.

Named Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2025, Harper is a must take here given he’s the best available on the board. Considered a combo guard, I expect him to bring versatility to this roster. It’s not often a rookie is drafted into a situation as the possible third or fourth option behind Wemby, Fox, and Castle.

Player Comparison: Deron Williams / Brandon Roy

-Sara Jane Gamelli

3. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe, 6’4, Guard, Baylor (Freshman)

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a disastrous 24-58 season, in which Joel Embiid continues to recovery from a lingering knee injury. With 11 players set to become free agents, the 76ers are committed to build around star guard Tyrese Maxey.

Considered one of the best two-way players in the draft, VJ Edgecombe will bring much needed defense and scoring to the City of Brotherly Love. Let’s not forget, with injuries to Paul George and Embiid, this is a 76ers club that ranked No. 23 in offensive rating and near dead last in defensive rating. Post NBA-Star break, the 76ers and Jazz tied for the league’s worst record at 4-24.

Edgecombe had a impressive first year at Baylor, averaging 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. At just 19 years old, he’s an incredible shot maker that possesses the athleticism that should mesh well under Nick Nurse‘s system. While his 3-point shooting can improve, his explosiveness and ability to disrupt on the wing mimics a younger Russell Westbrook or Dwayne Wade.

Player Comparison: Kris Dunn / Victor Oladipo

-Sara Jane Gamelli

4. Charlotte Hornets: Kon Knueppel, 6’5, Forward, Duke (Freshman)  

Many felt the Hornets could be in a trade down position at No. 4 and behind the scenes coveted Rutgers freshman forward Ace Bailey, but he’s had red flags for a long time, so the Hornets, which need plenty of help, chose the safest pick and most potent offensive player they could get. Kon Knueppel averaged 14.4 ppg and 40.6 percent from 3-point range and 91.4 percent from the line, as his skill set translates to a team that has nowhere to go but up.       

The Hornets could not swing for the fences based on their recent draft picks; they needed a player that could contribute in some way. He’s a terrific catch and shoot player that can take some pressure off LaMelo Ball.  The “Ace” factor has some wondering if Charlotte could have got this player at a lower pick. 

Player Comparison:  Wally Szczerbiak

Knueppel compares favorably to Szczerbiak, a former NCAA tourney star out of Miami-Ohio that made an all-star team (2002) and averaged double-digit scoring for the first nine seasons in the NBA. Wally was a solid player and Knueppel will have plenty of opportunities to carve out a more than solid NBA career because what he does translates.     

-Ronnie Flores

5. Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey, 6’8, Forward, Rutgers (Freshman)

With Danny Ainge in the front office, he’s been known for drafting the best of the best. It’s been no secret Ace Bailey wouldn’t commit to a specific team, but Utah may have hit a home run with this pick. He didn’t work out for a single NBA team, and Utah wasn’t a preferred destination. However, they reached for a potential super star with need for a wing and stardom.

With a seven-foot wingspan, Bailey is one of the best shot makers in the game. With his explosive ability, Bailey is a bucket getter, which is exactly what the Jazz need. Fishing a worst 17-65 in the Western Conference last season, Bailey was arguably a top three talent in the draft.

Given John Collins recently picked up his player option with the Jazz, Ace Bailey will be a one-two punch next to Lauri Markkanen. He’s a solid, reliable scorer who will bring much needed offense to a Jazz team that ranked almost dead last in offensive rating.  Now with Walker Kessler and Keyonte George, perhaps the darkest days in Utah are behind it.

A dominant scorer, Bailey averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his freshman season. At just 18 years old, Bailey will need some time to develop.  While talks surrounding Bailey have been turbulent to say the least, this is a high-risk pick for Utah. If it pans out, Utah may have just gotten the steal of the draft at five. Considered one of the best catch and shoot players, he should provide an instant scoring boost for Utah

Player Comparison: Jabari Smith / Rudy Gay

-Sara Jane Gamelli

6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson, 6’5, Guard, Texas (Freshman)

Days after trading Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Washington Wizards select the player who will take over as the team’s top shooting threat in Tre Johnson. Johnson averaged 19.9 points per game in his lone season at Texas, ranking 21st nationally and first among all freshmen. He’s likely the best shooter in the draft outright, but he’s certainly the best spot-up shooter in the class.

He’s not a great creator off the dribble and he certainly won’t play a facilitating role in the NBA, though he did show a decent ability to get downhill in college. He should translate into a reasonably strong 3 & D player in the league and he’ll be a good fit among Washington’s youth movement. 

Player Comparison: Allan Houston

-Will Despart

7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, 6’3, Guard, Oklahoma (Freshman)

An early entrant after reclassification to the 2024 high school class, Fears put Oklahoma basketball back on the map, making an instant impact while overcoming concerns about his size and strength to become one of the most valuable in-and-out prospects.

 In desperate need of scoring help, the former AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) standout certainly fulfills that category, establishing himself as one of the creative playmakers in the nation as a Sooner. New Orleans is one of the better places he could’ve landed, as there will be an opportunity to learn from Jordan Poole before potentially taking over for Dejounte Murray.

Player Comparison: Devin Harris

Like Fears, Harris overcame a relatively paltry size to land lottery honors. While it’s a different era, Harris established himself as an Association mainstay, lasting 15 years between five squads (primarily the Dallas Mavericks). At 18, patience will be an even greater virtue for Fears, but the playmaking potential is no doubt there.

-Geoff Magliocchetti

8. Brooklyn Nets: Egor Demin, 6’8, Guard, BYU (Freshman)

The Nets have control of five first round picks and six of the Top 40, so this is a pick that could be on the move eventually. Egor Denim, who is from Russia and got plenty of experience playing for Real Madrid’s junior team, had a big range in this draft. This puts him on the higher end of that range, but the Nets had flexibility here and it may take Demin time to make a contribution no matter what franchise he ends up with long term. What Demin brings to the table is one of the best passers in this draft and a play-maker with plenty of upside.        

Player Comparison: Josh Giddey

The obvious comparison here is to Giddey, who had a strong season for the Chicago Bulls, because of his size-skill combination. He averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 5.5 APG for BYU so he will be learning on the job, but once the strength matches his ability, watch out, this could turn out to be a tremendous value pick.

-Ronnie Flores

9. Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles, 6’7, Forward, South Carolina (Sophomore)

If the Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship run proved anything, it’s that defense wins championships in basketball again. The Toronto Raptors kept that in mind with the ninth overall pick, taking a defensive bruiser in South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles. The former Gamecock’s upside on that end of the floor is probably second only to Cooper Flagg. He averaged 16.8 points and 8.3 points per game as a sophomore this past season and he should be a solid contributor in a young, but promising Toronto lineup as a rookie. 

Player comparison: Draymond Green

At 6’7 and 240 pounds, the common comparison for Murray-Boyles is Dray due to his measurables and his traits as a “glue guy”. 

-Will Despart

10. Phoenix Suns (Via Houston Rockets): Khaman Maluach, 7’1, Center, Duke (Freshman)

As the Suns continue to pick up the pieces from the failed Kevin Durant era, they put up a fresh coat of paint in the interior in the span of five minutes: Phoenix traded the penultimate selection of the opening to acquire would-be Los Angeles Laker Mark Williams just before Houston selected Malulach for them as one of the yields of the Kevin Durant trade.

One of the most inspiring stories of the draft, as he rose from the ranks of the Basketball Without Borders program to take the stages of both Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Paris Olympics (where he repped South Sudan’s maiden ringed voyage), Malulach is armed with a 7-7 wingspan and a willingness to expand his game. At just 18 years old and taking the floor late, Malulach will likely be asked to leap into major minutes but he should be able to learn well under newfound player developer Jordan Ott, Phoenix’s fourth boss over the last four years.

Player Comparison: Derek Lively / Mark Williams

Malulach is a Duke big man prototype in this range, such as Lively or Williams. Ironically, the Suns are adding Williams and now another “Dukie” whose two main jobs are to be a lob threat and offer some level of rim protection.

-Geoff Magliocchetti

11. Memphis Grizzlies: (Proposed Trade via Portland Trail Blazers) Cedric Coward, 6’5, Guard, Washington State (Senior)

WE’VE GOT A TRADE! (TRADE TRACKER) The Portland TrailBlazers and the Charlotte Hornets are in agreement on a proposed trade that will see Portland select Washington State’s Cedric Coward before moving him to Charlotte in exchange for the No. 16 overall pick, two second-round picks, and another first-round pick in 2028. Coward played a season at Division III Willamette University and two seasons at Eastern Washington, averaging 15.4 points per game as a junior before transferring to Washington State.

Coward played just six games at Wazzu, but averaged 17.7 points and seven rebounds during that stretch. Coward is a strong shooter both off the catch and off the dribble and his ability to get to the rim makes him one of the better 3-level scorers in the class. He’s also an effective shot blocker, having sent back 1.7 shots per game in his six appearances last season.

Player Comparison: Jaylen Wells

Coward is the enigma of what is already a moderate draft in the middle range. Lots of projects and choosing Coward is swinging for the fences because of his body of work, which didn’t come against very good competition in his limited time at Washington St. His measurements and metrics got him drafted, and Charlotte is hoping he can have a Jaylen Wells-type impact in the league. Did we mention swinging for the fences?   

-Will Despart

12. Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue, 6’10, Forward, France

The Bulls have been stuck in no-man’s land for the past few years even after moving on from DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and newly crowned champ Alex Caruso: not quite good enough to move past the play-in tournament and not bad (or lucky enough) to get a game-changing draft pick. So what they did was take a young player (the second youngest in this draft behind No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg) from France who has plenty of upside and who just played in pro games earlier this week.    

Player Comparison: Donyell Marshall–Tayshaun Prince hybrid

Essengue is a terrific two-way prospect, but is more of a project right now and the Bulls have done solid with international prospects. Essengue has good length and can guard multiple positions. If he can get the corner 3-pointer down like Marshsall, the Bulls will have quite a weapon down the line.       

-Ronnie Flores

13. New Orleans Pelicans (Proposed Trade via Atlanta Hawks): Derik Queen, 6’9, Center, Maryland (Freshman)

One of the latest heroes of March Madness—thrusting the Terrapins into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nearly a decade with a buzzer-beater against Colorado State—is on his way to New Orleans, which gave up a valuable future asset (unprotected 2026 first-round, the more favorable of Milwaukee and a very clearly rebuilding New Orleans) to obtain his services. 

Derik Queen isn’t the best athlete, but he’s quite the playmaker for a center, pulling in nine rebounds and a steal per game in his lone tour of College Park. It’s quite the splash for the Pelicans, who continue to deal with the endless uncertainty of Zion Williamson while leaping into a new era overseen by NBA legend Joe Dumars.

Player Comparison: Boris Diaw

-Geoff Magliocchetti

14. San Antonio Spurs: Carter Bryant, 6’7, Forward, Arizona (Freshman)

The San Antonio Spurs take Arizona’s Carter Bryant at No. 14 overall. Bryant will slot as a 3&D player in the league, probably filling the sixth man role in San Antonio in the coming years once the Spurs inch closer to being contenders. Bryant is very athletic and has quite a few traits that can translate well to the professional level once he gets some development, but development is the key word in that sentence.

Bryant was a borderline decision to even enter the draft and he nearly returned for another season at Arizona, which probably wouldn’t have been a bad idea. Regardless, now he ends up as a piece of what could end up being a championship contender in San Antonio sooner rather than later.

Player Comparison: When you talk about a West Coast forward who was highly-regarded in high school who didn’t make a big splash in his only college season, images of Peyton Watson (UCLA/Denver Nuggets) come to mind. Bryant has legit shot-making ability and if he develops the mental fortitude to provide a spark off the bench, Bryant will have a long career.

-Will Despart

2025 NBA Draft First Round

2025 NBA Draft Second Round

31. Minnesota
32. Boston
33. Charlotte
34. Charlotte
35. Philadelphia
36. Brooklyn
37. Detroit
38. Indiana Pacers (Via Trade from San Antonio)
39. Toronto
40. New Orleans
41. Golden State
42. Sacramento
43. Utah
44. Oklahoma City
45. Chicago
46. Orlando
47. Milwaukee
48. Memphis
49. Cleveland
50. New York
51. LA Clippers
52. Phoenix
53. Utah
54. Indiana
55. L.A. Lakers
56. Memphis
57. Orlando
58. Cleveland
59. Phoenix

Editor's Pick

2025 NBA Draft Trade Tracker!