Cooper Flagg to Mavs, Ace Bailey to 76ers in ESPN's Post-Lottery 2025 NBA Mock Draft
Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey were among the top projected picks in the latest 2025 NBA mock draft from ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo.
After the Dallas Mavericks won Monday's draft lottery, the team was expected to add Flagg at No. 1.
Here are the top five selections from the latest mock from Givony and Woo:
- Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, SF/PF, Duke
- San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper, PG/SG, Rutgers
- Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey, SG/SF, Rutgers
- Charlotte Hornets: VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor
- Utah Jazz: Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma
Expectations were high for Flagg ahead of his freshman year with the Blue Devils after he was the No. 1 prospect in the country as part of the 2024 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
He lived up to the hype, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game on 48.1/38.5/84.0 shooting splits. Flagg made an impact on both ends of the floor, recording 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on a nightly basis.
The 18-year-old took home Associated Press men's college basketball player of the year honors and was also the recipient of the Wooden Award.
"Some NBA scouts project Flagg as a bona fide franchise player, while others wonder if he might be more of an elite second star," Woo wrote. "But that grand level of conjecture supports his case as the top player in this class. His rapid improvement, versatile two-way impact, unusual focus and competitive wiring at 18 years old make him a special prospect."
If Dallas selects him, he'd be able to grow as a rookie without being immediately required to become the team's No. 1 scoring option with stars such as Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving surrounding him.
Bailey still has some room to grow as a ball-handler, but he showed off his shooting prowess throughout his lone year with the Scarlet Knights. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three-point territory.
"Bailey's shot-making chops and significant scoring upside would give Philly another strong building block for the long-term, in addition to their rising backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain," Woo wrote.
In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, the Mavericks were also projected to add Flagg with their No. 1 draft choice. As for Bailey, he was off the board at No. 4 and was expected to head to the Charlotte Hornets.
The 2025 NBA draft will occur on June 25.
