The 2025 NBA Draft: A Wild Card After the Top Two

The 2025 NBA Draft is shaping up to be a puzzle. Beyond the top two picks, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, the landscape gets murky. Experts agree that this draft class is light on potential stars and heavy on role players, especially in the lottery and late first-round picks. The mid-to-late lottery picks don't show the same promise as in previous years. The difference between players at the start of the second round and those just making the lottery is minimal. The back half of the draft is even more unpredictable. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals have changed the college basketball scene. More high-potential players are choosing to stay in school longer. This shift has thinned out the second round and the pool of undrafted players. Some players picked in the 40s and 50s this year might not have made it to the draft board in a deeper cycle. While there might be some hidden gems, expect to see a lot of experienced college role players and potential fringe NBA talents being stashed away. To make sense of the current draft situation, a list of top prospects has been compiled. This list combines insights from ten mock drafts. These mock drafts come from various sources, including ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Athletic. The statistics for these prospects are up-to-date as of June 10, 2025. For international players, the stats represent their cumulative averages across all competitions. Points per possession (PPP) data is sourced from the Synergy Sports database. The 2025 draft class is intriguing. It's a mix of known quantities and unknowns. The top two picks are clear, but after that, it's anyone's guess. The draft is a chance for teams to find hidden talents and develop them into future stars. The NIL era has added a new layer of complexity to the draft process. Teams will need to be strategic in their picks, especially in the second round and beyond. The 2025 NBA Draft is set to be a wild ride, with plenty of surprises and potential breakthroughs.