All You Need to Know About 2025 NBA Draft
In the National Basketball Association, you're only as good as your lottery luck. No, let me rephrase that: you're only as good as your eye for talent.
Both of them will be crucially important on June 25th and 26th as we head into the 79th NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks were the luckiest of the bunch. They may have lost Luka to the Lakers but will have the first bite of the apple. Anything but snatching Duke's prodigy Cooper Flagg would be a momentous surprise, but you can’t rule out their ability to shock, can you?
When is the NBA Draft 2025?
Like everything else these days, the NBA has once again gone for an extended version of the main event. Therefore, the 2025 NBA Draft will take place over two days, on June 25th and 26th, at the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York.
What Is the Format of the 2025 NBA Draft?
And how it all works?
The extended, two-night format will include separate nights for each of the two rounds. Every team gets one pick in each round. The first round will determine picks 15 to 30 (Mavericks to Clippers), while the second round settles picks 31 to 59 (Jazz to Rockets).
The first fourteen picks were determined by the NBA Draft Lottery, held in mid-May at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. The Dallas Mavericks won the day despite being the fourth-largest underdogs in the Lottery's 40-year history at 1.8%. The Mavs are followed by the Spurs, 76ers, Hornets, and the Jazz in the pecking order.
Top 3 Players to Watch Out
No draft selection goes without a shock or two, but I think we can safely predict the top three or top five picks and lay out what they bring to their future teams. Most teams are going for the high-floor rather than high-ceiling calculation, and these three players are most likely to make decent NBA careers.
Cooper Flagg (Duke Blue Devils)
Flagg is pretty much a lock for Mavs unless they pull a Luka and surprise us once again. A Duke prodigy, Flagg is an all-around forward with an excellent jumper who also hustles on defence. He is easily the most promising prospect on both ends of the floor and one of the most uncontested first-overall picks in recent history.
Dylan Harper (Rutgers Scarlet Knights)
The Spurs have had two rookies of the year in succession, and picking Dylan Harper of Rutgers will give them a good shot at a three-peat. The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, Dylan has the elusive skill to dictate the tempo of the game, something that Spurs build their empire around. If he fixes his jumper, Harper will be a beast in the NBA.
Kon Knueppel (Duke Blue Devils)
Knueppel is easily the most dangerous mid-range scoring machine among the Draft's prospects, averaging 14.4 points on 47.9% field goal percentage (43% on pull-ups). His sharpened eyesight and playmaking abilities make him a perfect fit for any side, and I can see either Pelicans or Hornets landing the Duke guard. Knueppel is a safe pick and will be an asset wherever he goes.
Top 3 Underrated Prospects
Finding the hidden gem is the bread and butter of the NBA lottery. Unearthing the next Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo, or even Kobe Bryant is the pipe dream of every GM around the league. Let's go through some of the players who might just make it bigger than their Draft reputation suggests.
Danny Wolf (Michigan Wolverines)
A 6'11 big man who can space the floor and can double as a power forward while sinking threes? I'm truly puzzled that not many teams get linked with Danny Wolf. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for unique players, and Wolf's ability to initiate offence in pick-and-roll sets him apart from his peers.
Kam Jones (Marquette Golden Eagles)
Jones can be the ultimate puzzle piece for almost any team in the NBA. You need a scoring guard? He averaged 19.2 points per game. You need him to create? Jones is one of the most high-IQ players in the position. But above all, the ball security is off the charts for a young prospect like him.
Amari Williams (Kentucky Wildcats)
At seven feet tall with a seven-foot-six wingspan, Amari Williams is a defensive and rebounding monster on the glass that many teams might find attractive. Sure, his offensive game needs some improvement, but Williams is the kind of player whose floor rather than ceiling will get him a decent NBA career.
2025 NBA Draft Odds and Predictions
To round things off, here are a couple of draft odds and predictions that could boost your bet slip this June.
The No.1 and No.2 picks overall are more or less sealed. Cooper Flagg to the Mavs and Dylan Harper to the Spurs is almost a done deal.
The third pick is where it gets interesting. At 1.74, the Jackbit favourite is the Baylor Bear V. J. Edgecombe, but I wouldn't be surprised for the Pelicans to land either Ace Bailey (3.45) or even Kon Knueppel (17)—as far-fetched as that may sound.
I'm having Knueppel as my fourth overall pick, though, and headed to the Hornets to get paired with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller. The odds of that coming true are 5.25 at Stake, and if I have only one pick in the 2025 Draft, that's where my money is going.
Milos Antic
Sports Betting Expert
Milos is a sports betting professional whose special skill involves sitting through countless hours of football fixtures. He entered the sports betting arena in 2017 and hasn't looked back since. He is that guy who gets stopped and asked for a handy betting tip or two. As an in-house betting expert for CryptoGamba, Milos takes much pride when results go the way he called them while always finding a fitting excuse when they don't.
