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Jay rinse
The 2025 NBA draft will mark my 23rd straight year sitting on the main desk for ESPN. In all of those years, there have been hits and misses, we’ve been right and wrong, but every year, I gain more respect for the process. When I first started, after spending long hours on player evaluations, I probably thought I knew which prospects would hit. I quickly learned that I didn’t know. Nobody knows.
All anyone does is “believe.” Hands up all for any of those who thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a future MVP when he was drafted No. 11 out of Kentucky? How many pegged Jalen Brunson as All-NBA and Clutch Player of the Year when he came out of Villanova? Almost every draft, we will look back in five years and rank the players far differently than on draft night. Maybe that is true in every sport, but it is especially true in basketball, where decisions are made on short track records of 18- and 19-year-olds.
Players stand out in every draft. There are never guarantees — though this year’s draft (Wednesday and Thursday nights, 8 ET on ABC and ESPN) has as close to a sure thing as we’ve seen in a long time — but when you see something from these players, they make you a believer. Here are a few in this draft whom I really like.
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Draft guide | Pelton’s top 30 | More
The no-brainer
This is the Cooper Flagg Draft. If any of the 30 NBA teams had the top pick in the 2025 draft lottery, all 30 would take Flagg and never look back. Flagg is the best Duke freshman ever and the most complete player in this draft.
Though Flagg has room to improve in certain areas, no other player checks as many boxes. Few players I have scouted over the past 30 years are as proficient in as many areas as Flagg. He is a legit 6-8 with a 7-0 wingspan. He is athletic, long, can move his feet laterally and has good speed. Defensively, he has great awareness, gets steals and blocks, and is very good on the glass. Flagg is an elite transition finisher and playmaker. He is a terrific driver and finisher, and an excellent cutter.
The knock on him early was his shooting: Is he a consistent perimeter shooter? During ACC play, Flagg shot 44% from deep and almost 39% last season. Can he tighten up his handle? Yes, but his shot is hardly a problem; it just isn’t the lead story.
Flagg has All-NBA potential, and I believe that he will reach it. As long as he stays healthy, he will not fail in the NBA. He is just different. Putting aside the skills and measurable traits, Flagg is one of the most competitive players I have seen at this age. Yes, a lot of prospects are competitive, but this guy is on the highest tier of competitors. At only 18, Flagg is mature beyond his years — far beyond most 22-year-old prospects in this draft.
Flagg does not go into a game looking for numbers. Instead, he strives to make the right play — and by stacking the right play over and over, he puts up impressive numbers across the board.
The shooters
This draft has its share of excellent shooters, and freshmen entries Tre Johnson of Texas and Kon Knueppel of Duke lead the way.
Johnson is the better shotmaker and athlete. With a 6-10 wingspan, he led the SEC in scoring at 19.9 points per game and shot 39.7% from beyond the arc, hitting 89 3-pointers last season.
Despite his length and physical traits, Johnson did not have the expected defensive impact, but his speed and agility will serve him well in the NBA. Knueppel is the best catch-and-shoot guard in the draft.
He hit almost 41% from deep as a freshman in Durham, North Carolina, making 84 3s. Last season, Knueppel hit 48% on corner 3s, and canned 91.4% of his free throws. Kneuppel’s defense and physical tools are the questions. But though Kneuppel is unlikely to be named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Team, he isn’t a pushover and is always getting loose balls.
The 3-and-D guys
Length seems to translate well to the NBA, and its importance cannot be overstated. A player who can guard multiple positions, switch, disrupt and get deflections, steals and blocks can find playing time for any NBA team. Add in a reliable perimeter shot, and you are even more valuable. This year, three 3-and-D guys are somewhat under the radar but will be coveted on draft night.
Carter Bryant of Arizona, Rasheer Fleming of Saint Joseph’s and Cedric Coward of Washington State are the most tantalizing prospects in this valuable category. Bryant is expected to be first off the board among the three. Bryant, 19, is an outstanding athlete who finished in the top 5 in vertical leap and sprint time at the combine. He has size and impressive length and can hit a standstill 3-pointer. Almost half of his points last season came from made 3s, and 82% of his shot attempts were catch-and-shoot 3s or finishes at the rim.
Fleming, 20, has great versatility and a 7-5 wingspan. He’s a multi-positional defender and floor spacer who hit 62 3s on 39% shooting. His shot preparation is good, he can really change ends, and he’s an outstanding rebounder.
Coward is the mystery man. After starting his career as a Division III player, he transferred to Eastern Washington, then to Washington State. Coward played only six games in Pullman, but he scored 20 or more in three, including 30 points against Northern Colorado. Coward is not as tall as Fleming, but he’s got a 7-2 wingspan, speed, strength and great instincts on both ends of the floor. Coward was terrific at the combine, finishing in the top 6 in the sprint, vertical leap and standing vertical leap.
The wild cards
Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey would go No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, if talent and upside potential were the only variables. But the two best prospects after Flagg played together at Rutgers and had a losing record. The Scarlet Knights went 15-17 and 8-12 in the Big Ten. Though it is fair to question why neither contributed more to winning, especially with a talented point guard in Harper, I doubt the team’s record will factor into the draft position of either prospect.
Harper is the second-best prospect in this draft — a long-armed, three-level scorer who is a polished offensive player with great footwork and a shot creator. Harper is very good in pick-and-roll situations and makes great reads. He is not a consistent deep shooter, hitting only 33% from 3-point distance, but he has good mechanics. He is a worker, but not yet an impactful defender, despite his length and body.
Bailey is one of the high-risk, high-reward guys in the draft. Few have a higher ceiling and few can match his shotmaking ability, especially tough, pull-up jumpers under pressure. Bailey had 39 points against Indiana and 38 against Northwestern. Bailey has faced questions about his maturity, but he is just 18 years old, and his talent is undeniable. With Harper’s talent and skill profile, nobody passes him up at No. 2 — not even San Antonio, which needs shooting, something Harper does not provide. Bailey should follow him shortly, going anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8.
