In many ways, the 2025 NBA Draft starts at pick No. 3, with Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper seemingly locked in as the top two prospects. Should they keep their pick, the Philadelphia 76ers will have a tough choice between the polarizing Ace Bailey or two-way guard V.J. Edgecombe.
The decisions don't get easier after that. Will Utah go with Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, or someone else entirely at No. 5?
One of the most interesting lottery teams is the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8. They are still in the early stages of their rebuild and can afford to take a high-upside swing. Here, they take a flier on BYU's Egor Demin, the tallest guard ever measured at the combine.
Projecting the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft
Here is how the entire first round plays out in our latest projections:
Pick | Team | Player | School | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dallas Mavericks | Cooper Flagg | Duke | F |
2 | San Antonio Spurs | Dylan Harper | Rutgers | G |
3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Ace Bailey | Rutgers | SF |
4 | Charlotte Hornets | V.J. Edgecombe | Baylor | SG |
5 | Utah Jazz | Tre Johnson | Texas | SG |
6 | Washington Wizards | Kon Knueppel | Duke | SG/SF |
7 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears | Oklahoma | PG |
8 | Brooklyn Nets | Egor Demin | BYU | G |
9 | Toronto Raptors | Khaman Maluach | Duke | C |
10 | Houston Rockets (via PHX) | Kasparas Jakucionis | Illinois | G |
11 | Portland Trail Blazers | Noa Essengue | Ratiopharm Ulm | F |
12 | Chicago Bulls | Derik Queen | Maryland | C |
13 | Atlanta Hawks (via SAC) | Collin Murray-Boyles | South Carolina | PF |
14 | San Antonio Spurs (via ATL) | Carter Bryant | Arizona | F |
15 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA) | Cedric Coward | Washington St. | SG |
16 | Orlando Magic | Jase Richardson | Michigan St. | G |
17 | Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET) | Nolan Traore | Saint-Quentin | PG |
18 | Washington Wizards (via MEM) | Rasheer Fleming | Saint Joseph's | PF |
19 | Brooklyn Nets (via MIL) | Thomas Sorber | Georgetown | PF/C |
20 | Miami Heat (via GSW) | Nique Clifford | Colorado St. | SG/SF |
21 | Utah Jazz (via MIN) | Asa Newell | Georgia | PF/C |
22 | Atlanta Hawks (via LAL) | Liam McNeeley | UConn | SF |
23 | Indiana Pacers | Joan Beringer | KK Cedevita Junior | C |
24 | Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC) | Maxime Raynaud | Stanford | C |
25 | Orlando Magic (via DEN) | Bogoljub Marković | KK Mega Basket | PF |
26 | Brooklyn Nets (via NYK) | Will Riley | Illinois | SG/SF |
27 | Brooklyn Nets (via HOU) | Ben Saraf | Ratiopharm Ulm | G |
28 | Boston Celtics | Danny Wolf | Michigan | C |
29 | Phoenix Suns (via CLE) | Hansen Yang | Qingdao | C |
30 | Los Angeles Clippers (via OKC) | Noah Penda | Le Mans Sarthe | SF |
Regardless of how the top ten picks play out, the Portland Trail Blazers are still in a great spot at No. 11 due to the depth of this class. There are multiple prospects we could talk ourselves into the Blazers taking with this pick.
Noa Essengue would be a perfect Jerami Grant replacement for the Blazers
Our top realistic prospect, Kasparas Jakucionis, is already off the board in this scenario. Portland is forced to pivot to a rising prospect in Ratiopharm Ulm's Noa Essengue. That's an ideal backup option for the Blazers, who covet length and versatility.
But there's much more to Essengue's game than his 6-foot-9 frame that makes him worthy of a lottery pick. He's already an impactful player with his ability to score in transition, get to the charity stripe, make smart cuts, and guard multiple positions. And as the second youngest prospect in the draft, he has an intriguing ceiling as he continues to grow as an on-ball creator.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman even named Grant as Essengue's pro comparison. Outside of the frame, there are also striking similarities in terms of player development. Grant fell to the second round and wasn't a shooting threat at the beginning of his career. Essengue is shooting below 30 percent from beyond the arc and will need to improve that area of his game to reach his high ceiling.
If this is the direction the Blazers decide to go this summer, they will set themselves up nicely for the future with a versatile wing trio of Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, and Essengue. All three can play multiple positions, giving Joe Cronin flexibility with overall roster decisions and Chauncey Billups more creativity with rotations and matchups.
The Blazers need to find a way to get off Jerami Grant's contract, which is easier said than done. Despite Grant's disappointing season, which was magnified by his massive contract, Portland would still miss his presence as a lengthy forward (whether Blazers fans want to admit it or not).
Finding a way to swap Grant for the younger and cheaper Essengue would be an ideal step in the Blazers' path back to building a sustainable contender.