The 2025 NBA Draft saw standout freshman Cooper Flagg fulfill months of anticipation as the Dallas Mavericks selected him first overall. The 18-year-old Duke star, who had long been seen as the top pick, expressed overwhelming joy, calling the moment a “dream come true.”
Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and earned the Wooden Award as a freshman, is expected to become the new face of the Mavericks—especially after the team’s controversial decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers earlier this year. Dallas landed the top pick with just 1.8% odds in the lottery.
The San Antonio Spurs took Rutgers guard Dylan Harper at No. 2. Harper, son of NBA veteran Ron Harper, joins a young Spurs squad led by Victor Wembanyama. Harper shared his excitement about joining a strong young core.
Philadelphia claimed the third pick, selecting Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, who averaged 15 points and 5.6 rebounds en route to Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
Duke’s Kon Knueppel went fourth to the Charlotte Hornets, marking two Duke freshmen in the top four. He noted the high-pressure environment at Duke as key preparation for the NBA.
Rutgers’ Ace Bailey rounded out the top five, picked by the Utah Jazz. Bailey and Harper now stand as Rutgers’ highest-ever NBA draftees.
The next trio of selections featured freshman guards: Tre Johnson (Texas) to Washington at No. 6, Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma) to New Orleans at No. 7, and Egor Demin (BYU) to Brooklyn at No. 8.
This is the second time Dallas has had the No. 1 overall pick—the last was in 1981, when they chose Mark Aguirre over Isiah Thomas.