As we near the halfway point of the NBA season, the top three projected selections of our 2025 NBA Mock Draft remain the same. Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey will likely be your first three picks. But who will end up with them? Who will climb up the board behind them and creep into lottery territory?
Let’s run through another 2025 NBA Mock Draft as the new year begins.
Dec 4, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts at the end of a game against the Auburn Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 84-78. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
How Does the NBA Draft Lottery Work
Following the conclusion of the season, the NBA uses a lottery system to decide the first 14 picks in the draft order.
Before we look at the draft order, here’s how the NBA Draft Lottery system works:
Eligible Teams: The 14 teams that do not qualify for the NBA playoffs are eligible to participate in the draft lottery. This includes teams that make the Play-In Tournament but don’t advance past the Play-In Tournament.
NBA Draft Lottery Odds: The teams with the worst records have higher chances of winning a top pick. The teams with the three worst records have the highest chance – a 14% chance – while the odds incrementally decrease for teams with better records among the non-playoff teams.
Ping Pong Balls: Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 will be placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations are assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams. Those three with the highest odds will be given 140 combinations each – aka the most combinations.
Lottery Drawing: Finally, drawings are conducted for the first four picks of the NBA Draft. The remaining non-playoff teams are then ordered based on their regular-season records, with the team with the worst record picking fifth, followed by the team with the next worst record, and so on.
Also, the NBA shares the footage of the lottery drawing after each draft. You can watch the 2023 procedure here.
Dec 11, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) reacts after scoring a three-point basket against the Norfolk State Spartans during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
2025 NBA Mock Draft
New Orleans Pelicans: Cooper Flagg – F – Duke
Washington Wizards: Dylan Harper – G – Rutgers
Charlotte Hornets: Ace Bailey – G/F – Rutgers
Utah Jazz: VJ Edgecombe – G – Baylor
Toronto Raptors Egor Demin – G – BYU
Portland Trail Blazers: Tre Johnson – G – Texas
Brooklyn Nets: Kon Knueppel – G/F – Duke
Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI): Kasparas Jakucionis – G – Illinois
Detroit Pistons: Nolan Traore – G – France – 18 Years Old
Houston Rockets (via PHX): Asa Newell – F – Georgia
Golden State Warriors: Liam McNeeley – G/F
San Antonio Spurs: Collin Murray-Boyles – F/C – South Carolina
Indiana Pacers: Adou Thiero – F – Arkansas
San Antonio Spurs (via ATL): Boogie Fland – G – Arkansas
Utah Jazz (via MIN): Johni Broome – F/C – Auburn
Brooklyn Nets (via MIL): Will Riley – G/F – Illinois
Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA): Labaron Philon – G – Alabama
Atlanta Hawks (via LAL): Drake Powell – G/F – North Carolina
Orlando Magic: Alex Karaban – F – UConn – 21 Years Old
Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): Hugo Gonzalez – F – Spain
Dallas Mavericks: Ian Jackson – G – North Carolina
Orlando Magic (via DEN): Noa Essengue – F – Germany
Brooklyn Nets (via HOU): Ben Saraf – G – Israel
Memphis Grizzlies: JT Toppin – F – Texas Tech
Brooklyn Nets (via NYK): Mackenzie Mgbako – F – Indiana
Boston Celtics: Carter Bryant – F – Arizona
Los Angeles Clippers (via OKC): Kam Jones – G – Marquette
Utah Jazz (via CLE): KJ Lewis – G – Arizona
Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) talks to coaches from the court during the game against the University of Connecticut at the Moody Center on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024.
