1 Prediction for Every NBA Team's Rookie Class In 2025-26
One of the most exciting parts about a fresh NBA season is getting to see the rookies get their first taste of the league.
We saw a strong 2025 class get selected in June, with players like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and others looking to make an immediate impact in the association.
Based on projected role, skill set, summer league play and other factors, it's time to make a prediction for every NBA team's 2025 rookie class.
Note: The Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets are the only teams to not feature any 2025 draft selections. The Milwaukee Bucks selected Bogoljub Marković 47th overall, although he will play in Europe this season.
Atlanta Hawks: Asa Newell Will Be In Rotation
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The Atlanta Hawks nailed the draft; partially by taking Asa Newell out of Georgia at No. 23 and also by agreeing to trade back from 13 to pick up an unprotected first-round pick from the lowly New Orleans Pelicans next year.
Newell may begin the year outside of the rotation, but he'll certainly get a chance as the season rolls along. Kristaps Porziņģis will undoubtedly miss some time, opening the door for Newell to prove himself as a permanent member of the team's frontcourt.
If he can improve his three-point shooting (29.2 percent as a freshman), Newell will become a valuable member of this improved Hawks rotation.
Boston Celtics: Amari Williams Will Make a Bigger Impact than Hugo González
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Amari Williams may have been selected nearly 20 spots after Hugo González in June's draft, although his position makes it far more likely that the Boston Celtics will call on his services.
Williams is an athletic, rim-rolling big who the Celtics desperately need after losing Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford and Luke Kornet this offseason. Despite beginning the season on a two-way deal, Williams could be converted to a regular contract at some point this year if Boston makes a consolidation trade.
González, 19, is still pretty raw compared to Williams, 23, who spent the last five years in college.
Brooklyn Nets: All Five First-Round Picks Will Miss All-Rookie Teams
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Keeping all five of their first-round picks was a wild (and unprecedented) strategy by the Brooklyn Nets, a team very much committed to the tank.
Despite the quantity of rookies, Brooklyn didn't select until No. 8 overall and seemingly reached on Egor Demin, the only potential starter of the group. The other picks consisting of Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), Ben Saraf (No. 26) and Danny Wolf (No. 27) will all be fighting for rotation minutes.
Denim could put up decent numbers given his overall game if he wins the Nets' starting point guard job, although a lack of efficiency and Brooklyn being at the bottom of the standings will ultimately keep all five first-rounders off the All-Rookie teams.
Charlotte Hornets: Two Rookies Will Earn Starting Jobs
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The Charlotte Hornets had a busy 2025 draft, starting with the No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel and later selecting Liam McNeeley (No. 29), Sion James (No. 33) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (No. 34).
By the end of the season, expect two of these four picks to be starting.
Knueppel could earn the nod by the beginning of the regular season with his floor-spacing, IQ and ability to play between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Given the lack of quality centers on this roster, Kalkbrenner, 23, has the size and shot blocking ability to beat out Moussa Diabate and Mason Plumlee.
Chicago Bulls: Noa Essengue Will Make Team Trade Patrick Williams
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Patrick Williams has long been a disappointment for the Chicago Bulls despite being selected No. 4 overall in 2020. The Bulls selection of forward Noa Essengue will finally end the Williams experiment in Chicago.
The team has become more forward heavy this offseason, especially with the selection of the 6'9" Essengue at No. 12 overall and the Lonzo Ball-Isaac Okoro swap. Matas Buzelis is already locked in as one starting forward in Chicago.
Expect Williams to hit the trade market, with Essengue's timeline of success correlating to the Bulls' motivation to move on from their former lottery pick.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyrese Proctor Sees Early Role
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Despite being the No. 49 overall pick in the draft and selected by a team that won 64 games last season, Tyrese Proctor actually has a path to playing time to begin his career.
A three-year starter at Duke, Proctor has plenty of high-level basketball already under his belt and as a 6'5" guard can fill a role for a Cleveland Cavaliers team that will begin the season without Darius Garland (toe) and Max Strus (foot).
Lonzo Ball won't play back-to-backs to begin the season and Ty Jerome left for the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency. Proctor could actually see rotation minutes towards the beginning of the season for the guard-needy Cavs.
Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg Easily Wins ROY
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Let's not overthink this. Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft, is going to coast to a Rookie of the Year victory.
Flagg will begin the season as the Dallas Mavericks' starting small forward but will inevitably play a lot of four as well with Anthony Davis' injury history.
The scoring and rebounding will come naturally. With Kyrie Irving expected to miss most, if not all, of the season, Flagg should get a ton of ball-handling duties, potentially lead the Mavs in assists per game as well.
Detroit Pistons: Chaz Lanier Will Shoot 40 Percent From Three
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Chaz Lanier is a premier shotmaker, a skill the Detroit Pistons desperately needed heading into the offseason.
Minutes aren't going to come easy for the 23-year-old, however, as Detroit added Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson to their wing this summer. It's tough to find a rotation spot for the rookie right away, even if Lanier impresses in limited minutes.
After shooting 40.2 percent from three in 142 career college games, Lanier will continue to top the 40 percent mark in whatever amount of playing time he receives.
Golden State Warriors: Rookies Won't See Floor (If All Goes Right)
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There was a time this offseason (two weeks ago) where it looked like Alex Toohey (the No. 52 overall pick) and Will Richard (No. 56) may have to fill rotation spots due to a lack of bodies with the Golden State Warriors.
With Jonathan Kuminga now under contract and veterans like Al Horford, Seth Curry, Gary Payton II and De'Anthony Melton able to sign, both rookies will need to wait their turns.
Toohey will at least begin the season on a two-way contract while Richard has the best chance at early playing time thanks to his championship experience at Florida. If all goes right and this elderly Warriors roster is able to stay on the court, however, neither rookie will get much run in 2025-26.
Indiana Pacers: Kam Jones Will Make Post All-Star Break Impact
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The path to early playing time was there for Kam Jones, the No. 38 overall pick in the draft. No Tyrese Haliburton and now with T.J. McConnell set to miss a month with a hamstring injury, the Indiana Pacers are desperate for warm bodies who can dribble and pass.
Jones is dealing with his own ailment, however, as a back injury is set to sideline him for several weeks.
Look for Jones to make a big impact towards the second half of the season when he's recovered and the Pacers will still be without Haliburton. In what looks to be a gap year, Indiana should see what it has in Jones and No. 54 overall pick Taelon Peter, a talented shooter.
Los Angeles Clippers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser Gets Traded for Veteran Help
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Yanic Konan Niederhauser was the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round pick, although the 22-year-old center was selected before L.A. convinced Brook Lopez to join in free agency.
Both Ivica Zubac and Lopez played 80 games last season, meaning there may not be a lot of opportunity for Konan Niederhauser to actually see the floor.
Instead, with precious few future draft picks to trade or young talent on the roster, don't be surprised if the championship-hopeful Clippers end up shopping Konan Niederhauser before the deadline to sweeten a package for a win-now veteran.
Los Angeles Lakers: Adou Thiero Feasts off Cuts Next to Luka Dončić, LeBron James
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Adou Thiero is going to throw down some of the best dunks we see from a rookie this season and should feast as a cutter playing alongside two of the best passers in the NBA.
The No. 36 overall pick isn't much of a three-point shooter (25.6 percent at Arkansas last year) and isn't a traditional floor-spacer next to Luka Dončić and LeBron James.
Head coach JJ Redick will have to get creative in finding ways to get Thiero's size and athleticism on the floor without sacrificing the team's overall shooting.
Memphis Grizzlies: Cedric Coward Replaces Jaylen Wells as Starting Small Forward
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The Memphis Grizzlies simply know how to draft and develop players, with Cedric Coward looking to become their latest success story.
Memphis traded up from No. 16 to No. 11 to select Coward, a 6'6" wing who battled injuries last year but still put up 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 40.0 percent shooting from three in his six games.
Second-round standout Jaylen Wells surprised us all by winning the starting small forward job as a rookie last season, yet will get replaced at some point this year as the Grizzlies pivot towards Coward and his higher ceiling.
Miami Heat: Kasparas Jakučionis Will Make an All-Rookie Team
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The NBA has to hate that a prospect as talented as Kasparas Jakučionis fell to the Miami Heat organization.
The 20th overall pick, Jakučionis is going to see a better than expected role early with Tyler Herro expected to miss the first few weeks of the season following foot surgery. A starting point guard role alongside Norman Powell is a real possibility.
After averaging 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game last season at Illinois, Jakučionis will put up good enough numbers to make an All-Rookie team this season in Miami.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Joan Beringer, Rocco Zikarsky Begin Rudy Gobert Training
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The Minnesota Timberwolves tried to speed up their timeline by trading into the draft to acquire Rob Dillingham at No. 8 overall last year. This summer, they chose to stay patient and play the long game by selecting two centers who can learn under and grow behind Rudy Gobert for the next few seasons.
Both Joan Beringer (the No. 17 overall pick) and Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45 overall) both project to be defensive-minded centers. Who better to learn behind than Gobert, who's four Defensive Player of the Year awards are tied for the most in NBA history?
Beringer may see some minutes sprinkled in from time to time this season, although the Wolves have championship aspirations and should be comfortable with their rookies developing off the floor.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jeremiah Fears, Derik Queen Will Each Start 40-Plus Games
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The New Orleans Pelicans had perhaps the most polarizing draft class in 2025, selecting point guard Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 overall and trading up to take big man Derik Queen at 13. They also selected guard Micah Peavy at 40.
Given that starting point guard Dejounte Murray is still out for months while recovering from a torn Achilles, Fears could see some heavy minutes early and could take over the full-time starting job if the season goes south.
Queen will get spot starts at both power forward and center. With Zion Williamson's history of injuries (30 healthy games last year), we could see 40-plus starts for both Queen and Fears this season in New Orleans.
New York Knicks: Mohamed Diawara Helps Balance the Books
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The New York Knicks are knocking on the door of the second apron as they look to finalize their regular season roster.
Keeping the 51st overall pick, Mohamed Diawara, overseas for another year would have been the best decision for his development, although Ian Begley of SNYtv reports that, "Plan is for Diawara to be signed after camp/preseason to rookie free agent deal, a contract Knicks will be able to fit under second apron."
It appears keeping Diawara in the NBA is perhaps a financially-motivated decision, as the Knicks will want to avoid the second apron this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Thomas Sorber Rehabs ACL, Joins Rotation in 2026-27
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Thomas Sorber will miss the entire 2025-26 season with a torn ACL, although this wasn't the year that the Oklahoma City Thunder needed him anyway.
OKC projects to be $34 million over the second apron in 2026-27 when max deals for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will kick in. One possible release valve from this financial pressure? A $28.5 million team option attached to center Isaiah Hartenstein.
The Thunder almost certainly will be forced to decline this option, paving the way for the 6'10" Sorber to join the rotation next year when healthy.
Orlando Magic: Jase Richardson Will Look Like One of Draft's Biggest Steals
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Jase Richardson was awesome as a freshman at Michigan State, although an official 6'0" measurement likely caused the combo guard to fall to the Orlando Magic at No. 25 overall.
The Magic were smart not to overthink this. Richardson possesses a 6'6" wingspan and a 38 inch vertical leap, qualities that more than make up for his lack of height.
A great athlete and talented shooter, Orlando came away with one of the draft's biggest steals in Richardson.
Philadelphia 76ers: VJ Edgecombe Will Justify His Selection over Ace Bailey, Others
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There were whispers that the Philadelphia 76ers may shop the No. 3 overall pick to get off of Paul George's contract and bring in a veteran star. We also saw a lot of Ace Bailey projections early on before Philly ultimately made the decision to go with VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor.
This season, Edgecombe will prove they made the right choice.
The 6'5" super athlete looks capable of operating both as a go-to scorer and as a complementary piece between stars, using his defense, off-ball cutting and transition offense to make an impact.
With injuries still hanging like a dark cloud over this franchise, Edgecombe will be a ray of sunshine that the Sixers desperately needed.
Phoenix Suns: Khaman Maluach Will be Buried by Foolish Mark Williams Trade
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Khaman Maluach falling to the Phoenix Suns at No. 10 overall was a gift from the basketball gods, with the franchise needing a young center to build around.
The Suns did the right thing by selecting the Duke star, but then made the bizarre decision to trade for Mark Williams using their last moveable first-round pick. Williams has just one year left on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.
This either means that Williams will get extended and Maluach will be doomed to play backup center minutes for the foreseeable future or that Williams walks in free agency and the Suns wasted a first-round pick. Obviously, Neither option is good.
Maluach is going to be the superior defensive anchor between the two and should have been given a runway to a starting job.
Portland Trail Blazers: Yang Hansen Looks Like One of NBA's Best Passing Big Men
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Yang Hansen is going to need to adjust to the speed of the NBA game, isn't a big-time athlete and is still working out a reliable outside shot.
The biggest impact he'll make as a rookie (and possibly for years after) will be with his passing and feel for the game.
We should see this immediately, no matter how many minutes the 20-year-old plays this year. The Portland Trail Blazers should run a lot of plays through him, especially from the elbows and top of the key where he can find cutters getting downhill.
Hansen can become an elite passer and should be studying tape of Nikola Jokić, Domantas Sabonis, Alperen Şengün and others.
Sacramento Kings: Nique Clifford Will Become Team's Best Perimeter Defender
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The Sacramento Kings have a handful of talented scorers in Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk and others. They are painfully short on defensive stoppers, however, a problem that Nique Clifford should help solve.
The 23-year-old is what this roster needed, a Josh Hart, jack-of-all-trades-type player who doesn't need the ball in his hands to impact winning.
A 6'5" wing, Clifford has the potential to become the Kings' best perimeter defender as the season goes along and will be a necessary part of the team's rotation.
San Antonio Spurs: Will Have Best Overall 2025 Draft Class
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Cooper Flagg is receiving plenty of hype as the No. 1 overall pick, and for good reason. It feels like Dylan Harper isn't getting enough love, however, as he would have easily been the first selection in the 2024 draft and various other years.
Harper is going to dominate defenses even as his rookie with this ball-handling and driving, even if his fit alongside De'Aaron Fox isn't ideal. The San Antonio Spurs snagging Carter Bryant at No. 14 overall as a 3-and-D wing between these guards and Victor Wembanyama is a perfect fit as well.
Wembanyama was an easy choice in 2023, although let's give the Spurs credit for the way they've drafted around their generational talent since then. Harper and Bryant will end up being the best two-man combo to come out of the 2025 draft.
Toronto Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles Will Be Set Up to Fail
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Perhaps the biggest weakness on the Toronto Raptors last season was a lack of shooting, as the team ranked 29th in made threes (11.8 per game) and 23rd in accuracy (34.8 percent).
This is why picking Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9 overall was such a head-scratching move. The power forward went just 9-of-39 (23.1 percent) in two years at South Carolina and looks like a terrible fit in a frontcourt with one bad shooter (Scottie Barnes) and a non-shooter (Jakob Poeltl) who are both under contract for the next five years.
Murray-Boyles is really good in other areas, but this was a horrible fit for him. The 20-year-old is being set up to fail unless he becomes an elite three-point shooter.
Utah Jazz: Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. Both Prove They're Franchise Pillars
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Save for perhaps the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, the Utah Jazz may have had the best draft of any NBA team.
Ace Bailey's talent level is off the charts, which is precisely what this Jazz team needed. He's going to be a really good starter and one of Utah's leading scorers this season.
Walter Clayton Jr. should be thrilled that Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton were both moved this offseason, as the former Florida star should have a big role immediately. Both Bailey and Clayton are going to be franchise pillars in Utah for a long time.
Washington Wizards: Tre Johnson Looks Like Team's Best Player by Season's End
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Not landing a top-five pick in the 2025 draft after winning just 18 games last season was devastating for the Washington Wizards, although getting Tre Johnson at No. 6 was a great consolation prize.
No disrespect to players like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington or any other young talent on this roster, but no one has cemented themselves as a franchise pillar yet.
Jordan Poole has been traded. CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton will almost certainly be traded or bought out by the deadline. There's a real chance that Johnson, 19, will be viewed as the Wizards best player by the end of the year.
