Report: NBA Evaluators 'Not Particularly Enthused' About Back Half of 2025 Lottery

While there's been a lot of attention paid to the top of the 2025 NBA draft, people within the league seem to think the talent drops off quickly after the first few picks.

Per The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, talent evaluators are "not particularly enthused" about the back half of the lottery.

Vecenie specifically noted that players in the range of Nos. 6 to 20 are "considered a massive jumble of players all in similar tiers," and there have been some questions about the value of picks three through five.

The top of this draft has been hyped for a long time at this point. Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey all entered the season with a case to be the best player in the class.

Flagg seems to have clearly separated himself from everyone else with the combination of what he did for the Team USA select team last summer and his performance at Duke this season.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected Flagg to be the top pick in his most recent mock released on Tuesday, noting the hype around him "isn't far off Victor Wembanyama's in 2023."

Once you get past Flagg at the very top of the draft, the consensus seems to be that Harper is No. 2 with Wasserman having him in that spot in his mock.

Some of the players who figure to be in the mix for the middle and back of the lottery include Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe, Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis and Duke's Kon Knueppel.

The NCAA tournament could end up playing a huge role in how the back end of the lottery plays out. If someone really levels up their game and helps their team go on a deep run, they could solidify their standing given the potential questions NBA clubs might have about this class after the first few picks.