Consensus NBA Mock Draft Roundup with Predictions from League's Top Experts
There is no rest for the weary in NBA front offices. The 2024-25 campaign wrapped up with Game 7 of the Finals on Sunday. And Wednesday, we have the first round of the NBA draft.
As we await the league's annual infusion of young talent, Bleacher Report consulted the most recent mock drafts (as of Monday morning) from ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, The Athletic and our own Jonathan Wasserman to compile a consensus mock draft of our own.
If a player was predicted to go 59th (the final pick this year) in any of the above, he received one point. If mocked at 58, he got two points, and that system went in sequence all the way up to receiving 59 points for each time a player was projected first overall.
After tallying all the points from that exercise, we got the following top 30.
Of course, the system itself doesn't consider team fit. So, you'll see that we had to sell those as you scroll through. And in the case of two ties, we deferred to Wasserman’s placement as the tiebreaker.
Ultimately, the order determined by these five outlets should help you get up to speed on the next big event on the NBA’s never-ending calendar.
1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg (Duke, PF)
1 of 30
Bleacher Report: Flagg
ESPN: Flagg
Yahoo: Flagg
CBS: Flagg
Athletic: Flagg
There's no suspense here. There really hasn't been since Christmas. Over that span, Flagg averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals, while shooting 45.1 percent from deep.
He proved himself a dynamic, multipositional defender who can generate offense for himself and others. His outside shot suddenly looked reliable. There really isn't a box he doesn't check, at least not to some degree.
And just a few months after their earth-shattering and inexplicable Luka Dončić deal, the Dallas Mavericks now have a chance to add another potentially generational talent.
2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper (Rutgers, PG/SG)
2 of 30
Bleacher Report: Harper
ESPN: Harper
Yahoo: Harper
CBS: Harper
Athletic: Harper
Another consensus pick, Dylan Harper has the explosiveness and on-ball skills necessary to be a lead guard who will grow alongside Victor Wembanyama and the size (he has a 6'10½" wingspan) to be a nominal 2 in lineups with De'Aaron Fox.
There's certainly room for Harper to grow as a shooter, but there's plenty of time for the 19-year-old to do just that.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe (Baylor, SG)
3 of 30
Bleacher Report: Edgecombe
ESPN: Edgecombe
Yahoo: Bailey
CBS: Johnson
Athletic: Edgecombe
The draft quickly gets unpredictable at No. 3, where the Philadelphia 76ers could include the pick in a trade or select from a variety of wings and forwards who could grow alongside a young core that already includes Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain.
Edgecombe may be the best option in a two-timeline sense, as his potential defensive versatility and passing probably make him likelier to impact games without shooting in lineups with Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid.
4. Charlotte Hornets: Ace Bailey (Rutgers, SF)
4 of 30
Bleacher Report: Bailey
ESPN: Knueppel
Yahoo: Knueppel
CBS: Edgecombe
Athletic: Knueppel
Three experts have Duke's Kon Knueppel going to the Charlotte Hornets, but you'll soon see which outlet has him sliding far enough to throw off the average to this degree.
If they do take Ace Bailey, it won't be too hard to figure out why. Before refusing a number of pre-draft workouts, he was a near-consensus pick at No. 3 for months. His combination of size and willingness to take (and occasionally make) tough shots is easy to imagine alongside LaMelo Ball's playmaking and Brandon Miller's shooting on the other wing.
5. Utah Jazz: Kon Knueppel (Duke, SF)
5 of 30
Bleacher Report: Johnson
ESPN: Fears
Yahoo: Edgecombe
CBS: Knueppel
Athletic: Fears
Projections are all over the place for the Utah Jazz, though winding up with Knueppel is far from a bad outcome (even if it felt like one was inevitable when the lottery moved them out of the top four).
The 19-year-old is a dynamic movement or static shooter who hit 40.6 percent of his threes and 91.4 percent of his free-throw attempts as a freshman. He also showed off a little off-the-dribble pop and an ability to distribute.
6. Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson (Texas, SG)
6 of 30
Bleacher Report: Fears
ESPN: Bailey
Yahoo: Johnson
CBS: Bailey
Athletic: Bailey
Right now, Yahoo is the only outlet projecting Tre Johnson to wind up with the Washington Wizards, but it's not hard to imagine his fit there.
Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr have shown upside, but mostly on the defensive end. Prioritizing offense with their next top-10 pick would make sense, and Johnson is one of the most dynamic shooters in this class. He can do it off the catch or the bounce and shot 39.7 percent from deep on 6.8 attempts per game.
7. New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma, PG/SG)
7 of 30
Bleacher Report: Maluach
ESPN: Johnson
Yahoo: Maluach
CBS: Fears
Athletic: Johnson
It's not hard to see why three outlets have a guard going to the New Orleans Pelicans. On a team with Zion Williamson, you generally want players who can play from the outside.
Jeremiah Fears, specifically, would be a bit easier to sell at this spot if he'd hit more than 28.4 percent of his three-point attempts, but his playmaking and ability to put pressure on the rim would help in lineups with shooters such as Trey Murphy III and CJ McCollum.
8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach (Duke, C)
8 of 30
Bleacher Report: Essengue
ESPN: Maluach
Yahoo: Fears
CBS: Maluach
Athletic: Jakucionis
The Brooklyn Nets already have a starting-caliber center in Nic Claxton, but drafting Khaman Maluach could eventually allow them to trade Claxton for more assets.
Maluach, who's 7'2" with a near-7'7" wingpsan, looks like a potential defensive anchor who also has better touch around the rim than your typical behemoths.
9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakučionis (Illinois, PG/SG)
9 of 30
Bleacher Report: Queen
ESPN: Essengue
Yahoo: Bryant
CBS: Jakučionis
Athletic: Maluach
All five outlets see this pick going in different directions, but the point system has Kasparas Jakučionis headed to the Toronto Raptors.
And his combination of size (he has a near-6'8" wingspan) and passing ability would make him an interesting fit in lineups with Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Knowing where the creation is coming from could be a nightmare for opponents.
10. Phoenix Suns: Carter Bryant (Arizona, SF)
10 of 30
Bleacher Report: Knueppel
ESPN: Murray-Boyles
Yahoo: Jakučionis
CBS: Murray-Boyles
Athletic: Queen
Though no one has Carter Bryant specifically headed to the Phoenix Suns, it wouldn't be shocking to hear his name announced at No. 10.
Beyond the Arizona connection (it was under a different regime, but that was a factor in 2018, when Phoenix took Deandre Ayton first overall), Bryant is the kind of archetypal three-and-D wing who's worked around Devin Booker in the past.
Perhaps this pick, acquired in the Kevin Durant trade, can start to undo a string of mistakes that started with the losses of Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm, PF)
11 of 30
Bleacher Report: Bryant
ESPN: Bryant
Yahoo: McNeeley
CBS: Bryant
Athletic: Bryant
Lineups with Bryant, Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara would be loaded with three-and-D versatility, so it's not hard to see why he's a popular pick here.
But if he's gone, 18-year-old Noa Essengue would work here for similar reasons. He's bigger than Bryant, younger and was more productive than most teenagers for Ratiopharm Ulm this season, when he averaged 12.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals in just 23.7 minutes.
12. Chicago Bulls: Derik Queen (Maryland, C)
12 of 30
Bleacher Report: Newell
ESPN: Jakučionis
Yahoo: Richardson
CBS: Essengue
Athletic: Beringer
The Chicago Bulls had an interesting close to the season, thanks in large part to younger players such as Josh Giddey, Coby White, Kevin Huerter and Matas Buzelis.
Now, it might be smart to angle for a center younger than 34-year-old Nikola Vučević to play with them.
Derik Queen would be a good fit, with his touch around the rim and defensive instincts making up for his sometimes ground-bound game.
13. Atlanta Hawks: Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina, PF)
13 of 30
Bleacher Report: Jakučionis
ESPN: Demin
Yahoo: Queen
CBS: Beringer
Athletic: Murray-Boyles
Though undersized for a 4 (he measured at 6'6½" without shoes at the combine), Collin Murray-Boyles has the defensive awareness and instincts to be a switchable "big" in lineups with Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels.
He's also a solid passer for his position and rebounder for his size and profiles as the kind of gap-filler who can help most teams.
14. San Antonio Spurs: Cedric Coward (Washington State, SF)
14 of 30
Bleacher Report: Murray-Boyles
ESPN: Beringer
Yahoo: Coward
CBS: Coward
Athletic: Coward
Here we have a decent bit of agreement on Cedric Coward for the San Antonio Spurs, who should definitely be looking for the kind of player he has the potential to be.
Victor Wembanyama should be surrounded by three-and-D versatility, and Coward is almost this year's poster child for that.
In three seasons at Eastern Washington and then Washington State, he averaged double figures, had solid steal and block rates, shot 38.8 percent from three and had an otherworldly 66.8 effective field-goal percentage
15. Oklahoma City Thunder: Liam McNeeley (Connecticut, SF)
15 of 30
Bleacher Report: Coward
ESPN: Queen
Yahoo: Essengue
CBS: Queen
Athletic: Sorber
He didn't shoot as well from three as his time at Montverde Academy suggested he might, but Liam McNeeley still showed off some scoring and passing at Connecticut that could intrigue the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As a freshman, he led the Huskies with 14.5 points while also dishing out 2.3 assists per game.
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Egor Demin (BYU, PG/SF)
16 of 30
Bleacher Report: Clifford
ESPN: Coward
Yahoo: Clifford
CBS: McNeeley
Athletic: McNeeley
Point guard may not be the most pressing need for the Memphis Grizzlies, but after trading Desmond Bane away, they could certainly use some secondary playmaking. And Egor Demin can provide that.
Despite standing just over 6'8" without shoes, the 19-year-old is one of the best passers in this class and may be in a group all his own in terms of court vision.
And, perhaps like Kyle Anderson before him, Demin could develop from a college point guard into a multipositional pro.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Asa Newell (Georgia, PF/C)
17 of 30
Bleacher Report: Demin
ESPN: Sorber
Yahoo: Newell
CBS: Demin
Athletic: Wolf
With Naz Reid potentially entering free agency this summer, the Minnesota Timberwolves could use some depth in the frontcourt.
And while he doesn't shoot like Reid, Asa Newell can provide an underrated form of shot creation in a way few others in this class can.
The 19-year-old grabbed 6.7 offensive rebounds per 100 possessions as a freshman and posted decent steal and block rates, too.
18. Washington Wizards: Joan Beringer (Cedevita, C)
18 of 30
Bleacher Report: Riley
ESPN: McNeeley
Yahoo: Murray-Boyles
CBS: Newell
Athletic: Essengue
At this point in their rebuild, Washington should probably be far more concerned with "best player available" than "team fit," but taking a center would still take a bit of faith in Alex Sarr's ability to play the 4.
If he can become a reliable jump-shooter, pairing him with a rim-running and -protecting 5 like Joan Beringer could work.
19. Brooklyn Nets: Nique Clifford (Colorado State, SF/PF)
19 of 30
Bleacher Report: Traore
ESPN: Newell
Yahoo: Demin
CBS: Traore
Athletic: Demin
It's fair to wonder about older players who struggled to dominate as underclassmen, and 23-year-old Nique Clifford has the added concern of struggling at a Power Five program before going to mid-major Colorado State.
Nevertheless, his fifth-year senior numbers of 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists were impressive enough to get first-round buzz. A 37.7 three-point percentage from a prototypical shooting guard frame certainly helped, too.
20 Miami Heat: Thomas Sorber (Georgetown, C)
20 of 30
Bleacher Report: Clayton
ESPN: Clayton
Yahoo: Traore
CBS: Clayton
Athletic: Newell
Three outlets may have been swayed by the Florida connection between Walter Clayton Jr. and the Miami Heat, but a traditional 5 to back up Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware would be understandable.
Those two started 34 games together for Miami, so there could still be minutes available for Sorber, who could bully reserve bigs with his old-school post game and shot-blocking.
21. Utah Jazz: Jase Richardson (Michigan State, SG)
21 of 30
Bleacher Report: Sorber
ESPN: Gonzalez
Yahoo: Sorber
CBS: Clifford
Athletic: Richardson
If the Jazz get Knueppel at No. 5, they might not be as concerned with shooting here, but you can never have too much of that skill. And Jase Richardson's most translatable skill is almost certainly his shooting.
In his lone season at Michigan State, the 19-year-old averaged 12.1 points and 1.3 threes in just 25.3 minutes, while shooting 41.2 percent from deep.
22. Atlanta Hawks: Nolan Traore (Saint-Quentin, PG)
22 of 30
Bleacher Report: Beringer
ESPN: Wolf
Yahoo: Powell
CBS: Riley
Athletic: Clifford
The Atlanta Hawks can get a fair amount of secondary playmaking from Johnson and Daniels, but the roster doesn't feature an obvious answer at backup point guard. And Nolan Traore could be an interesting project behind Trae Young.
The 19-year-old playmaker has struggled with his scoring efficiency at Saint-Quentin Basketball, but his 6'8" wingspan and career average of 5.2 assists in just 22.1 minutes still make him an intriguing distributor.
23. New Orleans Pelicans: Will Riley (Illinois, SF)
23 of 30
Bleacher Report: McNeeley
ESPN: Clifford
Yahoo: Raynaud
CBS: Wolf
Athletic: Riley
It's hard to have too much depth on the wings. So despite already having Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III, Will Riley could work for the New Orleans Pelicans.
He's an aggressive scorer and talented passer who has the frame (at 6'8¼") to fit in largely positionless defensive schemes, too.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder: Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida, PG/SG)
24 of 30
Bleacher Report: Wolf
ESPN: Riley
Yahoo: Riley
CBS: Sorber
Athletic: Gonzalez
The reigning NBA champions have plenty of depth in their backcourt, but Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace are more defensive specialists than bucket-getters. And having Walter Clayton Jr. as a little scoring insurance wouldn't hurt.
Beyond his incredibly clutch jump shooting that helped Florida win the national title, the 22-year-old averaged 17.9 points and 2.8 threes as a junior and senior for the Gators.
25. Orlando Magic: Danny Wolf (Michigan, PF)
25 of 30
Bleacher Report: Richardson
ESPN: Richardson
Yahoo: Fleming
CBS: Richardson
Athletic: Clayton
The idea of Richardson's shot on the shooting-challenged Orlando Magic is easy to get behind, but they may feel better about that after trading for Desmond Bane.
Danny Wolf would bring an interesting combination of size (6'10½" with a 7'2¼" wingspan), rebounding and passing to the frontcourt.
26. Brooklyn Nets: Hugo Gonzalez (Real Madrid, SF)
26 of 30
Bleacher Report: Fleming
ESPN: Traore
Yahoo: Beringer
CBS: Penda
Athletic: Traore
Hugo Gonzalez hasn't gotten much of a chance to show his game at Real Madrid, but he has prototypical wing size and a good motor.
There is some "jack of all trades, master of none" potential here, even if it takes a couple years for the 19-year-old to uncover it.
27. Brooklyn Nets: Maxime Raynaud (Stanford, C)
27 of 30
Bleacher Report: Powell
ESPN: Fleming
Yahoo: Gonzalez
CBS: Raynaud
Athletic: Powell
Taking a center in the top 10 could affect the chances of the Nets taking another one here, but it wouldn't be the first time a team doubled up on its chances to hit on one position from one draft.
And Maxime Raynaud was productive enough as a senior at Stanford to warrant some first-round consideration.
This season, the 22-year-old (who stands just over 7'0" without shoes) put up 20.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.9 threes.
28. Boston Celtics: Drake Powell (North Carolina, SF)
28 of 30
Bleacher Report: Saraf
ESPN: Raynaud
Yahoo: Thiero
CBS: Kalkbrenner
Athletic: Kalkbrenner
With Jayson Tatum likely out for all of 2025-26, the Boston Celtics could trade some veterans, prioritize playing time for younger players and take a gap year of sorts until he returns.
Drake Powell would be an interesting addition to that timeline. Despite not having a high-volume role as a freshman at North Carolina, he showed upside as a switchable defender who also shot 37.9 percent from three.
29. Phoenix Suns: Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton, C)
29 of 30
Bleacher Report: Raynaud
ESPN: Kalkbrenner
Yahoo: Kalkbrenner
CBS: Powell
Athletic: Raynaud
The Suns could be on the lookout for a big here, especially if they don't take one with the 10th pick. Right now, the only real center on the books for 2025-26 is Nick Richards, and his salary isn't fully guaranteed.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, though one of the slowest players in this class, is 7'1" with a 7'6" wingspan and was one of the most dominant shot-blockers in college basketball throughout his five-year career at Creighton.
30. Los Angeles Clippers: Noah Penda (Le Mans Sarthe, SF/PF)
30 of 30
Bleacher Report: Lanier
ESPN: Penda
Yahoo: Clayton
CBS: Gonzalez
Athletic: Fleming
The Los Angeles Clippers made a late-season surge in 2024-25, thanks in large part to versatile and tenacious defense from all over the roster, and Noah Penda could quickly fit into that team culture.
The 6'7¼" wing with a nearly 7'0" wingspan averaged 1.4 steals in just 26.9 minutes for Le Mans Sarthe in France. And his 2.6 assists suggest feel for the game on the other end, too.
