Lakers, Knicks, Warriors, Celtics' Projected Picks in 2-Round ESPN 2025 NBA Mock Draft

The focus of the 2025 NBA draft is on the top of this class, especially Cooper Flagg likely going to the Dallas Mavericks at No. 1 overall, but most the marquee franchises in the sport will be deep in their scouting bag trying to find young players who might be able to contribute in the future because of where they are picking.

In his latest two-round mock draft released on Tuesday, ESPN's Jonathan Givony revealed his picks for the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.

Here are the players projected to land with those teams, according to Givony:

• Boston Celtics: Drake Powell, F, North Carolina (No. 28 overall); Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (No. 32)
• Golden State Warriors: Rocco Zikarsky, C, Brisbane (No. 41)
• New York Knicks: Lachlan Olbrich, PF/C, Illawarra (No. 50)
• Los Angeles Lakers: Hunter Sallis, SG, Wake Forest (No. 55)

The Celtics are the only team from this group that currently has a first-round pick at No. 28 overall, though they may not end up staying in that spot. Grant Afseth of RG.org noted they are among the "most active teams" exploring trade-up scenarios, along with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets.

Boston has two selections in a five-pick span at No. 28 and 32. Even though there doesn't appear to be much pressure on the front office to slash payroll amid Jayson Tatum's recovery from a torn Achilles, the organization could try to get creative in this draft.

Drake Powell is coming off an okay freshman season at North Carolina with 7.4 points on 48.3 percent shooting in 37 appearances, but there's still a ton of upside to bet on. He was ranked as the No. 11 overall recruit coming out of high school at this time last year.

Ryan Kalkbrenner, a five-year center from Creighton, did improve his shot throughout his college tenure. He connected on 34.4 percent of his 61 three-point attempts last season.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman, who also projected Kalkbrenner to Boston, wrote he's not "overly exciting" as a prospect unless his improvements as a three-point shooter stick. But the Celtics could have a need for a backup big with Al Horford and Luke Kornet set to hit free agency this summer.

The Warriors are projected to select Australian center Rocco Zikarsky after playing two seasons with the Brisbane Bullets of the NBL. He was limited to just 20 games during the 2024-25 campaign due to a knee injury.

Wasserman cited Donovan Clingan as the player comparison for Zikarsky. The Warriors desperately need as much size as they can get after having to rely on a small-ball lineup to finish last season after acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat.

Assuming the Knicks keep Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson as their top two centers next season, Lachlan Olbrich would be a good developmental prospect to bring in.

Olbrich posted double-doubles in both of his scrimmages during the NBA scouting combine. Wasserman noted the 21-year-old has limited athleticism, but his instincts, footwork and body control give him plenty of upside to play at the highest level.

The projection of Sallis to the Lakers would help satisfy their need for scoring from their second unit. He averaged 18.1 points per game in two seasons at Wake Forest after being used off the bench for two years at Gonzaga.

Sallis doesn't have great range with his shot, making just 33.3 percent of his three-point attempts in 135 college games. He did have a spike in 2023-24 with a 40.5 percent success rate, but that dipped down to 27.7 percent last season.

Wasserman wrote that Sallis' "lack of playmaking" skill will likely keep him out of the first-round mix, but he has enough offensive potential to warrant being picked in the second round.

If a team believes in Sallis' ability to score from inside the three-point line, he might not even be on the board by the time the Lakers' pick comes up at 55. They also have a two-guard with a limited skill set on the roster in Dalton Knecht that they might want to bring in someone with a wider array of talent.