Five Teams To Watch at the 2025 NBA Draft

The Brooklyn Nets head into the 2025 NBA Draft armed to the teeth, holding five selections inside the top 40 — Nos. 8, 19, 26, 27, and 36. And with that kind of draft capital, they’ve been among the busiest front offices leading up to draft night — and for good reason.

It’s highly unlikely Brooklyn keeps and signs all five rookies. That makes this a chessboard moment. Whether it's packaging picks to climb higher than No. 8, or bundling Nos. 19 and 26 to move into the late lottery, the Nets have options. Plenty of them. They've been casting a wide scouting net, hosting a wave of prospects for workouts and interviews, trying to extract as much value as possible from every slot on their draft board.

And here's the kicker: the Nets are also the only team with significant cap room. That gives them the flexibility not just to make their own plays, but to act as a go-between in trades involving other cap-strapped franchises.

Behind closed doors, the front office is still weighing scenarios — from trading up, to standing pat, to flipping picks for future assets. Regardless of the route, Brooklyn is thinking long-term. With a strong 2026 draft class looming and no pressure to compete right away, they’re prioritizing upside over polish.

The Dallas Mavericks striking gold by landing Cooper Flagg at No. 1 feels like either a cruel joke from the basketball gods or proof they’re just messing with the rest of the league. Either way, the former Duke phenom now finds himself as the crown jewel of the 2025 draft — a polished, elite-level two-way talent whose skillset screams franchise cornerstone from Day 1.

Flagg’s versatility jumps off the page. He's already a consistent scoring threat with a smooth, high-release jumper that defenders struggle to even challenge. His midrange work is surgical, hitting 40.8% on pull-ups, thanks to crisp footwork and a veteran’s sense of spacing. While he won’t dazzle with Luka Doncic-like flair, Flagg is a highly capable passer who reads the floor like a seasoned pro, always making the right play.

Defensively, he's a menace. Whether he’s switching onto guards or battling forwards, Flagg’s anticipation, hustle, and basketball IQ make him a problem across all four positions. He averaged 2.8 combined steals and blocks per game and posted a 16.4 Box Plus-Minus — the third-highest BPM by a freshman.

For Dallas, this isn’t just a No. 1 pick — it’s a seismic shift. Rather than carrying the burden of lifting a bottom-feeder, Flagg joins a squad that was just in the NBA Finals. The real challenge? Helping All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis chase a ring now, not later. Beyond Flagg, Dallas is reportedly exploring options to trade into the late first or early second round to add a young guard or another versatile piece, aiming to get younger and more athletic.

It's no secret around the league: the Hornets have their eyes on V.J. Edgecombe. The fit alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller is hard to ignore, a topic we've circled on the NBA Draft Notebook podcast more than once. The dilemma now? Charlotte must decide whether to play it cool and hope the Sixers pass on him at No. 3, or get bold and strike a deal to leapfrog Philly. If they stay put and Edgecombe's off the board, Tre Johnson is gaining traction. Still, there are legitimate concerns about how a Ball-Miller-Johnson trio would hold up defensively and whether they’d generate enough rim pressure on offense.

The Hornets sit at a crossroads. Make the right play, and they might finally inch their way into the Eastern Conference's playoff picture. Pick the wrong lane, and they risk spinning their wheels in that frustrating "talented but unfinished" tier. Charlotte has three cards to play: trade up, stand their ground, or slide back, and each path comes with its own roll of the dice.

There’s promise on defense: Miller has flashed potential when healthy, and Ball has shown more effort on that end. But the team's defensive backbone likely rests with Mark Williams (if he stays healthy) and Josh Green. Now with defensive-minded coach Charles Lee, a disciple of both Mike Budenholzer and Ime Udoka, calling the shots, Charlotte has a real chance to finally carve out a gritty, cohesive identity. Whether they take that step or stay stuck in neutral depends on what they do next.

The Boston Celtics haven't exactly taken their foot off the gas. In the past 24 hours, they've been full throttle in reshaping their roster—shipping off key title contributors like Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in an effort to dip below the dreaded second apron and dodge a crushing luxury tax bill. But even after pulling off those major deals, rumblings suggest Boston’s not done wheeling and dealing just yet.

The front office is eyeing a jump into the 2025 NBA Draft lottery. The buzz? A strong interest in Kasparas Jakucionis, a 6-foot-6 point guard out of Illinois, who impressed with averages of 15 points, 5.7 boards, and 4.7 assists in his lone NCAA season.

Whether the Lithuanian guard is truly their prime target or just a red herring to throw off rival GMs remains up in the air. Still, his size, court vision, and feel for the game make him a tempting prospect. The question is: Can Boston climb high enough to land him?

Speculation is swirling that the Celtics could package newly acquired Anfernee Simons, their two first-rounders at Nos. 28 and 32, reserve sharpshooter Sam Hauser, or a mix of future assets to make a move. With the draft just a day away, we won’t be in the dark much longer. Expect Brad Stevens and company to stay aggressive right up to the first pick.

Let's be fair—James Jones no longer calls the shots as GM, and the Suns aren't quite as allergic to drafting as they used to be. But with Mat Ishbia still steering the ship, Phoenix's win-now obsession remains firmly intact. The pick they snagged in Sunday's Kevin Durant blockbuster with the Rockets should be used to swing big—Phoenix desperately needs a high-upside prospect, maybe even a miracle, to patch up the wreckage of Ishbia’s all-in gamble.

Still, knowing Ishbia's track record, it's hard to ignore the very real chance he flips this selection for proven talent. The most immediate roster headache? Finding a starting center. The Suns were tipped to address that need in the Durant deal and came up empty. That puts them squarely in the market for a seasoned big man—likely via trade.

One name worth watching: Khaman Maluach, the athletic Duke center. If a team like Utah at No. 5 (who already has Walker Kessler) or Brooklyn at No. 8 (Nic Claxton) grabs him, it wouldn't be shocking to see the current starter rerouted to Phoenix. Even Daniel Gafford, who just signed an extension with Dallas, remains trade-eligible, and the Mavs still have a crowded frontcourt. Gafford alone might not be enough to grab the No. 10 pick, but he could be part of a broader package.

Phoenix should treat this pick like gold—because when you’re this deep in a mess, you can't afford to toss aside future assets. But then again, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about Ishbia, it’s this: if there’s a deeper hole to dig, he just might grab the shovel.