The NBA has invited 13 top prospects, including Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, to the 2025 Draft green room. More invites are coming, but the two-day format adds pressure to avoid second-round slides like last year’s Furphy and Filipowski incidents.
The NBA has extended green room invitations to 13 prospects ahead of the 2025 Draft, headlined by projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg out of Duke, sources told ESPN.
Cooper Flagg
Cooper Flagg
Position: PF, SF
Age: 18
Height: 206 cm
Weight: 93 kg
Birth place: United States of America
This early batch also includes top-tier talents such as Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, VJ Edgecombe, and Tre Johnson, all of whom are considered likely lottery picks.
Also invited were Khaman Maluach, Jeremiah Fears, Kon Knueppel, Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, Carter Bryant, Derik Queen, and Asa Newell. All except Newell are projected to be taken in the lottery, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.
More invitations—up to 11—are expected to be issued in the coming days, bringing the total number closer to the 24–25 range typically seen at the draft. The green room, located near the podium at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, is where prospects, families, and agents await the moment Commissioner Adam Silver calls their names. Each player is allowed to bring up to six guests.
Being invited to the green room is viewed as a strong indicator of draft status, though it’s not a guarantee of first-round selection. Notable players like Bol Bol, Nic Claxton, and Rashard Lewis endured long waits or even second-round slides despite green room invites. Just last year, Johnny Furphy and Kyle Filipowski slipped into the second round after being among the first invited.
The NBA seeks to avoid these awkward moments by consulting with team executives before issuing invitations. Team GMs and presidents submit votes on the top 25 prospects they expect to be drafted first, creating a data-backed shortlist.
The 2025 NBA Draft will again be split into two days, with the first round on June 25 and the second round on June 26, both hosted at the Barclays Center.
This new two-day format adds another layer of pressure on the league to avoid inviting players who might fall into the second round—especially now that it would mean sitting through one full day with cameras rolling and no pick to show for it.
One high-level prospect who may not attend regardless is Noa Essengue, a projected top-10 pick currently playing in the German BBL Finals with Ratiopharm Ulm. Game 5 of the series is scheduled for June 26, the day after the first round, potentially ruling him out of the live event entirely.
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