June 26 (UPI) -- Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and V.J. Edgecombe started the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, which went on to feature six trades and several surprises in Brooklyn.
As expected, NBA commissioner Adam Silver called Flagg's name first Wednesday at Barclays Center, with the former Duke sensation landing with the Dallas Mavericks. He is set to join an All-Star lineup that also features Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.
"I'm really excited," Flagg told reporters. "I think I keep saying I'm excited to be a sponge, to get down there and just learn, be surrounded by Hall of Fame-caliber guys and just to be able to learn from them. It's going to be an incredible experience.
"I feel so blessed to be in the position I am. Just to get down there, be a sponge, learn and try and grow my game as much as I can."
The San Antonio Spurs went on to select Rutgers guard Dylan Harper at No. 2 overall. Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe landed with the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3.
Duke guard Kon Knueppel went to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4 overall. The Utah Jazz rounded out the Top 5 by selecting Rutgers guard Ace Bailey. A full list of first-round selections can be found below.
Harper, who averaged 19.4 points per game last season for the Scarlet Knights, will look to become the third-consecutive Spurs player to win Rookie of the Year honors, joining Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.
"It's definitely a goal of mine to make it three in a row," Harper said. "I think the coaching staff and the players are going to make it easy for me to go out there and showcase my talent, so definitely."
The Brooklyn Nets left Barclays Center with five new players. They landed BYU guard Egor Demin at No. 8 overall. They also picked up France guard Nolan Traore (No. 19), UNC guard Drake Powell (No. 22), Israel guard Ben Saraf (No. 26) and Michigan forward Danny Wolf (No. 27).
The Indiana Pacers and Spurs completed the first draft-night trade just before the start of first-round selections. The Spurs sent the No. 38 overall pick -- a second-round selection -- to the Pacers in exchange for a future second-round pick in that swap.
The Hornets went on to trade away center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the No. 29 overall pick and a 2029 first-round pick. The Hornets picked UConn guard Liam McNeeley at No. 29.
The Portland Trail Blazers traded the No. 11 overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the No. 16 overall pick, a 2028 first-round pick and two second-round selections. Washington State forward Cedric Coward, who was picked at No. 11, landed with the Grizzlies.
The Blazers made a splash by picking Chinese big man Hansen Yang -- who was a projected second-round pick by some experts -- at No. 16.
The Atlanta Hawks sent the No. 13 overall pick to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for the No. 23 pick and a 2026 first-round selection. Maryland center Derik Queen was the No. 13 pick. Georgia forward Asa Newell -- the No. 23 pick -- landed with the Hawks.
The Jazz traded away the No. 21 overall pick and two second-round selections to the Washington Wizards in order to pick up the No. 18 pick, which they used to snag Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr.
The Sacramento Kings sent a 2027 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder to land Colorado State guard Nique Clifford at No. 24.
Second-round NBA Draft coverage will start at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday and air on ESPN and the ESPN app. NBA regular-season games for the 2025-26 campaign will start Oct. 21. Summer League play will start July 5.
2025 NBA Draft
1. Dallas Mavericks -- Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
2. San Antonio Spurs -- Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
3. Philadelphia 76ers -- V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor
4. Charlotte Hornets -- Kon Knueppel, G, Duke
5. Utah Jazz -- Ace Bailey, G, Rutgers
6. Washington Wizards -- Tre Johnson, G, Texas
7. New Orleans Pelicans -- Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma
8. Brooklyn Nets -- Egor Demin, G, BYU
9. Toronto Raptors -- Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
10. Phoenix Suns -- Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
11. Portland Trail Blazers -- Cedric Coward, F, Washington State -- traded to Memphis Grizzlies
12. Chicago Bulls -- Noa Essengue, F, France
13. Atlanta Hawks -- Derik Queen, C, Maryland -- traded to New Orleans Pelicans
14. San Antonio Spurs -- Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
15. Oklahoma City Thunder -- Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
16. Portland Trail Blazers -- Yang Hansen, C, China
17. Minnesota Timberwolves -- Joan Beringer, C, France
18. Utah Jazz -- Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida
19. Brooklyn Nets -- Nolan Traore, G, France
20. Miami Heat -- Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
21. Washington Wizards -- Will Riley, G, Illinois
22. Brooklyn Nets -- Drake Powell, G, UNC
23. New Orleans Pelicans -- Asa Newell, F, Georgia -- traded to Atlanta Hawks
24. Sacramento Kings -- Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State
25. Denver Nuggets -- Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
26. Brooklyn Nets -- Ben Saraf, G, Israel
27. Brooklyn Nets -- Danny Wolf, F, Michigan
28. Boston Celtics -- Hugo Gonzalez, G, Spain
29. Charlotte Hornets -- Liam McNeeley, G, UConn
30. Los Angeles Clippers -- Yanic Konan Niederhauser, C, Penn State