Maine native Cooper Flagg is expected to be the first New Englander to be taken first in the NBA Draft since the Knicks selected Patrick Ewing of Cambridge in 1985.
Maine native Cooper Flagg is expected to be the first New Englander to be taken first in the NBA Draft since the Knicks selected Patrick Ewing of Cambridge in 1985.Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press
The 2025 NBA draft begins Wednesday, and everyone is pretty sure a New Englander will go No. 1 for the first time in 40 years. (We’ve got your guide to the two-day event here.)
Gary Washburn offers up his mock draft, making selections for all 30 picks in the first round, with the Celtics set to pick at No. 28.
Gary Washburn’s mock draft
1) Dallas — Cooper Flagg, F (Duke). This is a slam-dunk pick. Flagg is a generational talent and the Mavericks need some good PR after that disastrous Luka Doncic trade. Flagg fits right into the Mavericks frontcourt and immediately becomes a cornerstone. Flagg has no weaknesses in his game as led Duke to the Final Four as an 18-year-old. Not too many sure things in this draft, but this one of them.
2) San Antonio — Dylan Harper, SG (Rutgers). The Spurs lucked into landing this pick by rising in the lottery and they’ll use it on the talented Harper, who gives them another backcourt option. The Spurs have a load of younger players and may need to make some moves to acquire a much-needed veteran to join Victor Wembanyama, but the club likes Harper and his upside alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.
3) Philadelphia — VJ Edgecombe, SG (Baylor). The 76ers were at risk of losing this pick if it had finished outside the top six. Instead, they get another chance to add a potential cornerstone. Edgecombe has risen in recent weeks and gives the 76ers another athlete in the backcourt to join Tyrese Maxey. With Jared McClain coming back from a season-ending knee surgery, the 76ers are loading their roster with youth. Edgecombe won’t be relied upon to contribute immediately.
4) Charlotte — Kon Knueppel, SF (Duke). The Hornets just need a stroke of good luck here and the versatile Knueppel is the safest pick here and added depth to their backcourt. He will be a popular pick because of where he played in college and will add some maturity and a steadiness to a franchise that needs it desperately. Charlotte is opening to moving out of this spot but for now it will take the most consistent talent.
5) Utah — Tre Johnson, SG (Texas). Hard to determine what the Jazz will do here with Austin Ainge now taking over the reigns as general manager. But they desperately need talent and Johnson had a sparkling freshman season for the Longhorns. He can pair with Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier in the backcourt and is a bigger option with an upside. Utah takes the best talent available here because it has a lot of needs.
6) Washington — Ace Bailey, SF (Rutgers). This is becoming the most interesting story of the draft, the slipping of Bailey, who has refused to workout for any teams and has pegged only East Coast teams as his future destination. Bailey is talented but he’s already trying to determine his first NBA team and will land in Washington, which is racking up a slew of young players to foster their rebuild. Bailey was once a projected No. 1 pick, so the Wizards will find a place for his talents.
7) New Orleans — Jeremiah Fears, PG (Oklahoma). The Pelicans have been in search of a point guard. The drafting of Kira Lewis didn’t work out while Jose Alvarado may not be a frontline, full-time point guard. Fears played his best basketball toward the end of his freshman season, scoring 28 points in the 1-point loss to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament and 20 in the NCAA first-round loss to UConn.
8) Brooklyn — Khaman Malauch, C (Duke). This is more of a potential pick because Malauch was solid but not spectacular in his lone season at Duke. He did not record a rebound in 21 minutes in the Final Four loss to Houston. The Nets aren’t in a rush with Nic Claxton already on the roster, so there’s time for Malauch to develop. And the hope for the Nets is he shows an element to his game he didn’t get a chance to at Duke.
9) Toronto — Jace Richardson, G (Michigan State). Richardson, the son of former NBA standout Jason Richardson, was perhaps Michigan State’s best player at the end of the season and he lands right into a franchise that needs scoring and young talent. The Raptors could be one of the more active teams in trades over the next few weeks and Richardson is a good start to their summer plans.
10) Phoenix — Derik Queen, C/F (Maryland). The Suns just landed this spot after their trade of Kevin Durant to Houston and they need to boost their frontcourt. Queen had a sparkling freshman season for the Terrapins but his maturity and conditioning has come into question. He has a chance to be a real impact player and Phoenix needs some toughness and scoring in the paint.
11) Portland — Carter Bryant, F (Arizona). Another draft pick based on potential as Bryant averaged 6.5 points per game as a freshman in fewer than 20 minutes. The good news is he’s a solid 3-point shooter with a small sample size and has the potential to become a paint presence. The Trail Blazers don’t exactly need another lottery selection and could potentially move this pick.
12) Chicago — Kasparas Jakucionis, PG (Illinois). The Bulls are another team that doesn’t exactly need another 19-year-old in the room who will take years to develop but here we are. Jakucionis is a local kid with a big upside and good passing ability. With Josh Giddey due a major extension, the Bulls may decide to allow him to walk and then go young. The center position is also a focus for Chicago.
13) Atlanta — Colin Murray-Boyles, F/C (South Carolina). My goodness we actually have as a sophomore here who improved dramatically from this freshman season. With Clint Capela likely gone, the Hawks could use some bulk in the frontcourt. The Hawks have to be buoyed by Murray-Boyles’s improvement and he began taking 3-pointers in his second season, making 26 percent.
14) San Antonio — Noa Essengue, PF (France). The Spurs don’t need another young prospect after drafting second, so they’ll likely trust their overseas instincts and take Essengue, a power forward who is playing in the German professional league. There is no sense of urgency to bring Essengue over to the club this season, so there’s a good chance the Spurs will allow him to season and develop.
15) Oklahoma City — Egon Demin, PG/SG (BYU). The World Champions have set themselves up nicely with a slew of first-round picks, including this one, acquired from the Heat three years ago. The Thunder don’t have any position weaknesses so they’ll take the best prospect on the board and the Russian-born Demin improved dramatically as BYU’s season progressed. Again, the Thunder can take chances here with so many picks.
16) Memphis — Cedric Coward, PF (Washington State). A late-blooming prospect who initially decided to transfer to Duke before entering the draft, Coward has risen up draft boards despite a foot injury. The Grizzlies are playing just as much for the future as for now and they scored big with Jaylen Wells last season. Coward could fit perfectly into the Memphis culture.
17) Minnesota — Thomas Sorber, C (Georgetown). Georgetown centers generally make solid players and Sorber had a solid freshman season before being felled with a foot injury. The Timberwolves need frontcourt help but it could take a while for Sorber to become a contributor. But the most NBA-ready bigs either lack the upside or aren’t as talented as Sorber.
18) Washington — Danny Wolf, C (Michigan). A fast-riser who averaged just 2.6 points per game three years ago at Yale. But after a strong season with the Bulldogs, he transferred to Michigan and flourished at the high Division I level. He made nearly 34 percent of his 3-pointers last season and also added nearly 10 rebounds per game. He’s another potential contributing piece for the rebuilding Wizards.
19) Brooklyn — Liam McNeeley, F (UConn). The Nets are loading their roster with young players and potential trade pieces for an established veteran. McNeeley has a big upside but may have benefitted from returning to the Huskies for another season. Still, he’ll add another athletic and fearless player to Jordi Hernandez’s roster.
UConn's Liam McNeeley is expected to hear his name called during the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
UConn's Liam McNeeley is expected to hear his name called during the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.Jared C. Tilton/Getty
20) Miami — Nique Clifford, G/F (Colorado State). The Heat’s draft plan is rather blurry. They had to give their original first-round pick to Oklahoma City as the final condition of the deal that acquired Jaime Jaquez. But Miami could use good, young talent and would love to land a slipping lottery pick here that’s ready to contribute. Clifford played 154 college games and excelled during the Rams’ tournament run, shooting nearly 38 percent from three as a senior. He should help immediately.
21) Utah — Hugo Gonzalez, PG (Spain). Gonzalez is a 6-foot-6-inch Spanish prospect who could spend more time with Real Madrid and come over in the next few years. Again, the Jazz have filled their roster with youngsters and with Ainge taking over, it’s likely they’ll stash one of their first rounders.
22) Atlanta — Asa Newell, PF/C (Georgia). Newell enjoyed a solid freshman season for the Bulldogs and the Hawks could take the local product to supplement their frontcourt. Newell scored at a high clip, pulled down 6.9 rebounds and also added a blocked shot. The Hawks could use Newell to eventually replace Clint Capela, who is a free agent.
23) New Orleans — Will Riley, SF (Illinois). The Pelicans need talent and Riley played well during his freshman season for the Illini. Like most of these draft prospects outside the lottery, Riley could have used another year in college but he’ll become another New Orleans prospect and could pair with Trey Murphy and Herb Jones for a talented swingman trio.
24) Oklahoma City — Noah Penda, F (France). Hey, it’s the Thunder again, this time drafting in the Clippers’ spot because of a pick swap in the Paul George deal. Penda is a bruising forward and a potential draft-and-stash for the Thunder. Or, Oklahoma City could move this pick and collect another future first rounder. Sam Presti has so many options with a stacked roster that is still inexpensive.
25) Orlando — Walter Clayton Jr., PG (Florida). The Magic just traded away Cole Anthony in the Desmond Bane deal and they could use another scorer in the backcourt. Clayton, the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament, could capitalize on the league’s spike in smaller scoring guards. He’s well-seasoned and could make an early splash because of his toughness and offensive prowess.
26) Brooklyn — Nolan Traore, G (France). The Nets could move this pick or continue to load up on young players. Traore is likely a year away from making an NBA roster and the Nets could bring him back in a few years. The swingman has potential but he’s not yet 19 and likely wouldn’t be fast-tracked to the NBA if he slips this low.
27) Brooklyn — Drake Powell, F (North Carolina). More of a defender than an offensive threat, Powell, like many other prospects, would have likely been a lottery pick if he decided to stay in Chapel Hill for another season. The Nets like tough defenders and Powell will fit in nicely to their mix. But with four first-round picks, the Nets are not likely to bring four rookies into camp. They could be active on draft night.
28) Boston — Maxime Raynaud, C (Stanford). A polished 7-footer with the ability to stretch the floor, Raynaud is a four-year college player who may be ready to contribute immediately and fill a void in the Boston frontcourt. Raynaud averaged a 20-10 double-double in Stanford’s first year in the ACC and is a legit 7-footer who averaged 1.4 blocked shots. With Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Kristaps Porzingis all potentially gone, the Celtics could use another skilled big.
After averaging a double-double at Stanford last season, center Maxime Raynaud would be a good choice for the Celtics frontcourt.
After averaging a double-double at Stanford last season, center Maxime Raynaud would be a good choice for the Celtics frontcourt.Ben McKeown/Associated Press
29) Phoenix — Ryan Kalkbrenner, C (Creighton). Another potential Celtics target, Kalkbrenner played 169 games for the Blue Jays and was a premium shot-blocker and 19-point scorer. The reason Kalkbrenner is dropping to the late first round is the same reason his former teammate Baylor Schiererman did a year ago, age. But he’s ready to play in NBA games now and could be a sparkling first-year addition to a Suns team that needs frontcourt talent.
30) Los Angeles Clippers — Rasheer Fleming, F (St. Joseph’s). A rugged big man who will add toughness to the Clippers’ frontcourt. His improving 3-point shot makes him an intriguing prospect who flourished in the Atlantic 10. Fleming has had some impressive workouts and could crack into the top 20.
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.