Duke forward Cooper Flagg will be the No. 1 pick by the Dallas Mavericks when the 2025 NBA draft opens on Wednesday, June 25. That much is almost certain. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the seven players that will be selected are similarly cementing their status at the top of the draft—though it is anyone's guess what order they'll be picked in, as trade rumors continue to swirl.
According to Fischer, Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is becoming a strong favorite to be the No. 2 pick in the draft by the San Antonio Spurs. After him, the six players expected to populate the next picks, in some order: Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, Texas guard Tre Johnson, Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears and two of Flagg's Duke teammates, guard Kon Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach.
An unnamed executive from an Eastern Conference team told Fischer that at least seven of those players will be picked in the top eight, forming a pretty clear top tier of the draft. Of course, that doesn't mean that every team in the league is enthralled with each of those options, and trades could shake up the proceedings in the last week before the draft.
Here is the current NBA draft order, after the Desmond Bane trade that sent the No. 16 pick from the Orlando Magic to Memphis Grizzlies:
Pick
Team
1
Dallas Mavericks
2
San Antonio Spurs
3
Philadelphia 76ers
4
Charlotte Hornets
5
Utah Jazz
6
Washington Wizards
7
New Orleans Pelicans
8
Brooklyn Nets
9
Toronto Raptors
10
Houston Rockets
11
Portland Trail Blazers
12
Chicago Bulls
13
Atlanta Hawks
14
San Antonio Spurs
15
Oklahoma City Thunder
16
Memphis Grizzlies
17
Minnesota Timberwolves
18
Washington Wizards
19
Brooklyn Nets
20
Miami Heat
21
Utah Jazz
22
Atlanta Hawks
23
Indiana Pacers
24
Oklahoma City Thunder
25
Orlando Magic
26
Brooklyn Nets
27
Brooklyn Nets
28
Boston Celtics
29
Phoenix Suns
30
Los Angeles Clippers
Beyond the first two picks, there isn't much certainty on which teams will remain in their current places, but the targets at the top of the draft are becoming more clear with just over a week until the draft begins.