Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey are first and second overall in ESPN’s latest 2025 NBA mock draft, which dropped on Friday.
Flagg is headed to the Detroit Pistons in this mock, while Bailey is going to the Washington Wizards.
The official lottery order won’t be known until next May, but one can surmise that teams will be very hopeful to land top two for a shot at these players, particularly Flagg, who looks like the clear top choice.
Per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo:
“Many have already penciled Flagg in as the top pick, and for good reason after an incredible year in which he demolished the Nike EYBL 16U league (averaging 26.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.7 assists per game), led Montverde Academy to a 30-0 record and national championship and then had stellar showings at the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic games.”
The 6’9″ power forward is headed to Duke, while Bailey is going to Rutgers. The 6’8″ small forward has received rave reviews, including this one from 247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein last August.
“Bailey has terrific size and effortless athleticism on the wing. He covers the court fluidity, plays way above the rim, and can move laterally as well. Because his physical tools can be so glaring, it’s easy to underestimate his skill-set, which includes a good-looking shooting stroke. On top of all that, Bailey has also shown signs of a real passing instinct. That overlap of physical tools along with under-rated skill and feel, makes him a uniquely talented wing prospect in the national class. He’ll only continue to ascend as he develops his body, his ability to create his own shot off the dribble, and proves himself against top competition.”
Bailey is considered the No. 2 option in the class of 2024, per the 247Sports composite list.
In October, Jonathan Wasserman put out a top-30 big board on Bleacher Report for the 2025 draft, and Flagg and Bailey were No. 1 and No. 2 back then.
But this class also looks loaded with talent, including Bailey’s future Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper, ranked fifth, per Wasserman.
There’s also Flagg’s future Duke teammate, 7’2″ center Khaman Maluach, who developed his game in NBA Academy Africa. He could conceivably be a top-five draft pick.
As for the NBA landing spots, the current anti-tanking lottery system makes it near-impossible to project who is going where. Finishing with the worst record in the league only guarantees a team a 14 percent chance at the top choice, and that team can fall all the way down to No. 5.
But it’s clear some teams will be fighting at the bottom of the NBA standings next year as they undergo rebuilds, including the Pistons, Wizards and now the Brooklyn Nets, who just traded their top player, Mikal Bridges, to the New York Knicks.
So this ultimately could be a race to the bottom for Flagg, but teams who don’t land him should still land a great prospect in what looks to be a great draft on paper.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
