2025 NBA Mock Draft: Duke's Cooper Flagg the better pro prospect than Auburn's Johni Broome

The No. 1 team in college basketball has changed multiple times this season — first from Kansas to Tennessee in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, then from Tennessee to Auburn.

But do you know what hasn't changed? The projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Yes, in my eyes and in the minds of most, it's still Cooper Flagg, the 6-foot-9 phenom who is leading Duke in points per game (20.0), rebounds per game (8.0), assists per game (4.2), steals per game (1.5) and blocks per game (1.2.). Even though he entered the sport with an unusual level of hype, even for a consensus top-ranked freshman, Flagg has managed to meet all expectations and arguably exceeded them. He only turned 18 four days before Christmas but is still the best player on one of college basketball's two best teams in a year where the sport's other best team (Auburn) is being led by a man who is 53 months older than Flagg and the biggest obstacle between him possibly becoming the youngest winner in the history of the John. R. Wooden Award.

That man's name is Johni Broome.

He's in this mock draft, too.

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Because Broome will be 23 years old on Opening Night of his rookie year, some front offices will likely eliminate him from first-round consideration. That's fine. But with tax bills getting outrageous in the NBA, it's maybe never been more important than it is right now to have impactful players on rookie contracts. Most franchises with three-or-more big-contract players have a difficult time filling out their rosters, and a franchise like that should be the type who considers Broome in the first round, because if you select him outside of the top 20, what you'll have is a plug-and-play rotation piece making less than $3 million next season.

Anyway …

The order in which the franchises are selecting below in this mock draft is based on SportsLine projections. However, as always this early in the calendar, team needs are not taken into account, which more or less makes this my personal big board for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Mock Draft

Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1 Cooper Flagg PF Duke • Fr • 6'9" / 205 lbs Projected Team Washington PROSPECT RNK 1st POSITION RNK 1st PPG 20 RPG 8 APG 4.2 3P% 34.6% Whichever franchise secures the No. 1 pick would be wise to seriously consider all options, obviously. But, ultimately, they should land on Flagg, who would then become the first player born and raised in Maine to ever be selected first overall in the NBA Draft — and the sixth Blue Devil to do it following Art Heyman (1963), Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019) and Paolo Banchero (2022).

Round 1 - Pick 2 Ace Bailey SF Rutgers • Fr • 6'10" / 200 lbs Projected Team Utah PROSPECT RNK 4th POSITION RNK 1st PPG 20.2 RPG 7.8 APG 1 3P% 38.5% Reasonable minds can disagree on which of Rutgers' two five-star freshmen is the superior prospect — but I lean slightly toward Bailey, the 6-10 wing who has a chance to be the best scorer from this class. As folks sometimes say, Bailey simply does some things you cannot teach most players his size, and his shot-making ability is unmatched in college basketball (although the inconsistency connected to it can be concerning, specifically the way he might have a 13-of-15 effort from the field one week, then a 3-of-15 effort the next).

Round 1 - Pick 3 Dylan Harper PG Rutgers • Fr • 6'6" / 215 lbs Projected Team New Orleans PROSPECT RNK 2nd POSITION RNK 1st PPG 18.6 RPG 4.8 APG 4.1 3P% 33.7% Big lead guards are desirable in the NBA -- and Harper is the best one in the class. He's the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and a 6-6 playmaker who is still averaging 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game even though an ankle injury suffered in late January limited him on the court before ultimately sidelining him for each of Rutgers' past two contests.

Round 1 - Pick 4 Kasparas Jakucionis SF Illinois • Fr • 6'6" / 205 lbs Projected Team Charlotte PROSPECT RNK 5th POSITION RNK 2nd PPG 15.6 RPG 5.7 APG 5.5 3P% 35% Another lead guard with size who should go in the top five is Jakucionis, the 6-6 Lithuanian who projects as this class's best foreign-born prospect. Athleticism concerns might keep Jakucionis out of the conversation to go first overall, but it shouldn't lead to too many franchises passing on the 18 year-old.

Round 1 - Pick 5 VJ Edgecombe SG Baylor • Fr • 6'5" / 180 lbs Projected Team Toronto PROSPECT RNK 6th POSITION RNK 2nd PPG 14.9 RPG 5.3 APG 3.2 3P% 39.1% Edgecombe started the season as more of a prospect than a player but has been flourishing in recent weeks — starting with a 30-point effort in a win over Kansas State. He's an explosive athlete who has averaged 3.5 made 3-pointers over Baylor's past four games to help get the Bears a single-digit seed in Jerry Palm's latest projected bracket for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Round 1 - Pick 6 Khaman Maluach C Duke • Fr • 7'2" / 250 lbs Projected Team Brooklyn PROSPECT RNK 26th POSITION RNK 3rd PPG 8.1 RPG 6.1 APG 0.3 3P% 14.3% Maluach is a 7-2, 250-pound center shooting 74.7% from the field and showing the ability to guard in space. Those things alone make him a reasonable option in the top 10, especially considering he's one of the youngest prospects in the draft with lots of room for growth.

Round 1 - Pick 7 Asa Newell PF Georgia • Fr • 6'11" / 220 lbs Projected Team Portland PROSPECT RNK 21st POSITION RNK 3rd PPG 15.2 RPG 7 APG 1 3P% 25.5% Newell was a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2024 who is now the leading scorer for a Georgia program that entered the AP poll earlier this season for the first time in 14 years. He has shown the ability to move his feet well enough on defense to switch, and is comfortable shooting jumpers even if the 3-point percentage isn't great.

From Philadelphia 76ers Round 1 - Pick 8 Kon Knueppel SF Duke • Fr • 6'7" / 217 lbs Projected Team Oklahoma City PROSPECT RNK 10th POSITION RNK 3rd PPG 13.5 RPG 3.9 APG 2.8 3P% 37.7% Knueppel is shooting 37.7% from 3 on 6.2 attempts per game — and most scouts will tell you he's a better shooter than that. The 6-7 guard is Duke's second-leading scorer at 13.5 points, and even if he never develops into a better-than-average shot-creator in the NBA, his elite jumpshot and solid defensive instincts have turned him into a top-10 option.

Round 1 - Pick 9 Tre Johnson SF Texas • Fr • 6'6" / 190 lbs Projected Team Chicago PROSPECT RNK 11th POSITION RNK 4th PPG 19 RPG 2.7 APG 2.3 3P% 37.7% Johnson got 29 points in the season opener, 28 more four nights later and is now leading the SEC in scoring at 19.0 points while making 37.7% of the 6.5 3-pointers he's attempting a game. If Bailey is the best scorer in this class, Johnson might be next on that list, and there are always millions of dollars waiting for guards with size who can get buckets like him.

From San Antonio Spurs Round 1 - Pick 10 Ben Saraf SG Israel • 6'5" / 200 lbs Projected Team Sacramento PROSPECT RNK 15th POSITION RNK 4th PPG 12.3 RPG 2.9 APG 4.4 3P% 26.3% In a break from recent norms, I have each of the first 10 picks in this mock projected as college players — but Saraf should be the prospect who breaks the string. The guard from Israel doesn't possess elite athleticism or a great body, but he's effective with the ball in his hands as a playmaker and consistently performing well as a professional in Germany at the age of 18, which has bolstered his status with evaluators.

Round 1 - Pick 11 Jeremiah Fears SG Oklahoma • Fr • 6'4" / 182 lbs Projected Team Orlando PROSPECT RNK 8th POSITION RNK 3rd PPG 16.1 RPG 4 APG 4.2 3P% 27.4% Fears has gone from the 65th-best prospect in the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, to a serious lottery option. The guard plays at a different speed than most prospects, which is among the reasons he's rising on some draft boards despite shooting below 28% from beyond the arc.

From Phoenix Suns Round 1 - Pick 12 Liam McNeeley SF Connecticut • Fr • 6'7" / 210 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 12th POSITION RNK 5th PPG 13.6 RPG 5.8 APG 2.6 3P% 37.9% McNeeley has been sidelined for a month but was starting to get comfortable in UConn's offense prior to the ankle injury that's complicated the Huskies' season. He entered college with a reputation as a solid all-around prospect who can really shoot it, and nearly everything he did in UConn's first 14 games supported that assessment.

From Sacramento Kings Round 1 - Pick 13 Egor Demin SG BYU • Fr • 6'9" Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK 3rd POSITION RNK 1st PPG 10.7 RPG 4.1 APG 5.9 3P% 29.1% BYU should have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (AJ Dybantsa) — and perhaps a top-10 pick in this one thanks to the presence of Demin, a freshman from Russia who is averaging 10.7 points and 5.9 assists. The vision and playmaking ability at his size is clearly intriguing, but subpar shooting, basically from anywhere outside of the paint, including at the free throw line, leaves some questions.

From Los Angeles Lakers Round 1 - Pick 14 Thomas Sorber F Georgetown • Fr • 6'10" / 255 lbs Projected Team Atlanta PROSPECT RNK POSITION RNK PPG 14.7 RPG 8.9 APG 2.5 3P% 17.6% Fears might be the only freshman who has helped himself more this season than Sorber, who has gone from a borderline top-50 prospect in the Class of 2024 to a one-and-done lottery option. Georgetown has had lots of great bigs — among them Patrick Ewing and Roy Hibbert — and Sorber, a New Jersey native, looks like he could be the next.

From Atlanta Hawks Round 1 - Pick 15 Kam Jones PG Marquette • Sr • 6'5" / 205 lbs Projected Team San Antonio PROSPECT RNK 17th POSITION RNK 5th PPG 19 RPG 4.5 APG 6.2 3P% 32.2% Jones has long been established as a long-distance threat — but this season has seen him emerge as a real playmaker who is averaging 6.2 assists per game with a better than 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Most juniors who return to college for their senior years barely improve their draft stock, if at all, but Jones has gone from a projected second-round pick to a possible top-20 pick through the first three months of Marquette's season.

From Detroit Pistons Round 1 - Pick 16 Rasheer Fleming PF Saint Joseph's • Jr • 6'9" / 240 lbs Projected Team Minnesota PROSPECT RNK 42nd POSITION RNK 11th PPG 15.5 RPG 9.2 APG 1.4 3P% 40.7% Fleming played at Camden High in New Jersey with multiple five-star prospects and also on the EYBL circuit — point being he was very visible but still a zero-star recruit, according to 247Sports. That should illustrate how much the 6-9 forward has developed under Billy Lange at Saint Joseph's, where he's now averaging 15.5 points while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range and emerging as a legitimate option in the top 20.

From Miami Heat Round 1 - Pick 17 Nolan Traore PG France • 6'4" / 175 lbs Projected Team Oklahoma City PROSPECT RNK 7th POSITION RNK 2nd PPG 11.3 RPG 2.0 APG 4.7 3P% 27.8% Traore has mostly experienced a rough season in France as an 18 year-old playing against professionals. He likely won't be picked in June where he would've been picked in October — but somewhere in the top 20 remains a possibility.

Round 1 - Pick 18 Ian Jackson SG North Carolina • Fr • 6'4" / 190 lbs Projected Team Golden St. PROSPECT RNK 19th POSITION RNK 5th PPG 14.4 RPG 3.4 APG 1 3P% 37.6% Jackson had a terrific seven-game stretch from late December to mid-January in which he averaged 19.9 points while North Carolina went 6-1. The 6-4 guard hasn't shown much playmaking ability, but he's an obvious scorer off the bounce or from beyond the 3-point line, where he's making 37.6% of his 4.6 attempts per contest.

From Minnesota Timberwolves Round 1 - Pick 19 Jase Richardson SG Michigan State • Fr • 6'3" / 185 lbs Projected Team Utah PROSPECT RNK 28th POSITION RNK 7th PPG 9.6 RPG 2.5 APG 2.1 3P% 42.9% It's been an up and down season for Richardson, the son of former top-five pick Jason Richardson, who helped the Spartans win the 2000 NCAA Tournament. But big performances here and there (like his 20-point outing at Rutgers against Bailey and Harper), and a 3-point percentage of 42.9, should get him picked in the first round.

Round 1 - Pick 20 Labaron Philon PG Alabama • Fr • 6'4" / 177 lbs Projected Team Indiana PROSPECT RNK 16th POSITION RNK 4th PPG 10.5 RPG 3.5 APG 3.5 3P% 27.8% Philon isn't Alabama's best player — but he is the Crimson Tide's best prospect, averaging 10.5 points for a Final Four contender. His creativity with the ball and effectiveness on defense are the reasons he's a one-and-done prospect, but his bad 3-point percentage (27.8%) and small frame (175 pounds) are areas of concern.

Round 1 - Pick 21 Boogie Fland PG Arkansas • Fr • 6'2" / 175 lbs Projected Team Dallas PROSPECT RNK 9th POSITION RNK 3rd PPG 15.1 RPG 3.4 APG 5.7 3P% 36.5% Fland is likely done as a college player after suffering a thumb injury last month — and that's unfortunate. But before he was sidelined he showed enough as a shotmaker and playmaker to convince scouts he's worthy of a first-round pick even if he's on the smaller size.

From Milwaukee Bucks Round 1 - Pick 22 Noa Essengue PF France • 6'10" / 200 lbs Projected Team Brooklyn PROSPECT RNK 31st POSITION RNK 5th PPG 10.4 RPG 4.7 APG 1.2 3P% 23.1% Essengue just turned 18 in December and has shown promising flashes as a native of France playing professionally in Germany. He's a switchable wing with a good motor who just makes positive things happen and has plenty of room to grow as one of the youngest prospects available.

From Los Angeles Clippers Round 1 - Pick 23 Derik Queen C Maryland • Fr • 6'10" / 246 lbs Projected Team Oklahoma City PROSPECT RNK 18th POSITION RNK 1st PPG 15 RPG 8.3 APG 2 3P% 9.1% Queen isn't a stretch-5, that's for sure. But a 6-10, 246-pound center averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds as a freshman should be considered in this range, even if he comes with questions connected to whether he'll be able to adequately handle ball-screens at the next level.

Round 1 - Pick 24 Johni Broome PF Auburn • Sr • 6'10" / 240 lbs Projected Team Houston PROSPECT RNK 38th POSITION RNK 9th PPG 18.3 RPG 11.2 APG 3.1 3P% 30.6% Broome's age will work against him with some front offices — but, in my opinion, he's worth a pick in the 20s. Perhaps he doesn't have the same kind of perceived upside that younger prospects might possess, but Broome should be a plug-and-play option for any franchise in win-now mode and in need of rotation players on small contracts.

Round 1 - Pick 25 Collin Murray-Boyles PF South Carolina • Soph • 6'8" / 245 lbs Projected Team Memphis PROSPECT RNK 23rd POSITION RNK 4th PPG 15.6 RPG 8.8 APG 2.5 3P% 25% Murray-Boyles is a productive offensive player and plus-defender who should go in the first round somewhere — either in the teens or 20s — but that will probably be determined by whether executives believe he can develop a perimeter shot. Right now, he doesn't have one, evidence being how he takes less than one 3-pointer per game and has only made five through his first 50 appearances at South Carolina.

From New York Knicks Round 1 - Pick 26 Noah Penda SF France • 6'8" / 225 lbs Projected Team Brooklyn PROSPECT RNK 43rd POSITION RNK 12th PPG 9.9 RPG 5.5 APG 2.6 3P% 30.5% Penda possesses good defensive instincts and is strong and versatile enough to guard multiple positions. His 3-point shot remains the swing-skill, but it has appeared improved this season in France's top professional league.

From Denver Nuggets Round 1 - Pick 27 Hugo Gonzalez SF Spain • 6'6" / 205 lbs Projected Team Orlando PROSPECT RNK 25th POSITION RNK 8th PPG 3.2 RPG 1.5 APG 0.6 3P% 29.5% Gonzales doesn't project as a member of any All-Rookie teams, as he's more of an 18-year-old project than a teenager ready to flourish in an NBA rotation. But there are enough interesting things that the Real Madrid wing brings to the table — passing, intensity, etc., — to make him a first-round option.

Round 1 - Pick 28 Miles Byrd G San Diego State • Soph • 6'7" / 190 lbs Projected Team Boston PROSPECT RNK N/A POSITION RNK N/A PPG 13.8 RPG 4.3 APG 2.6 3P% 36.3% A rough shooting stretch from Byrd has lowered his 3-point percentage to 36.3. But a wing who has made at least three 3-pointers eight different times through 19 games is the type of prospect all franchises are trying to add at some point in any draft.

From Cleveland Cavaliers Round 1 - Pick 29 Nique Clifford SF Colorado State • Sr • 6'6" / 200 lbs Projected Team Phoenix PROSPECT RNK 22nd POSITION RNK 7th PPG 17.7 RPG 9.6 APG 4.1 3P% 33.7% Clifford is an older prospect like Broome whose age makes it more likely he'll go outside of the top 20 than inside of the top 15. But the wing is averaging 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and his versatility and shooting potential give him a chance to stick at the next level.

From Oklahoma City Thunder Round 1 - Pick 30 Alex Karaban SF Connecticut • Jr • 6'8" / 225 lbs Projected Team L.A. Clippers PROSPECT RNK 14th POSITION RNK 6th PPG 15 RPG 5.1 APG 3.2 3P% 37.6% Karaban, with an expanded role, is statistically a similar player to what he was last season when he helped UConn win a second straight national title. Karaban has proven to be a reliable 3-point shooter with defensive toughness and intangibles that impact winning, and that's among the reasons he'll be the fifth starter from the 2024 Huskies to eventually play in the NBA.