NBA Draft First Round Recap & Reaction

Complete First-Round Picks – 2025 NBA Draft

Pick	Team	Player	Pos	School/Origin
1	Dallas Mavericks	Cooper Flagg	Forward	Duke
2	San Antonio Spurs	Dylan Harper	Guard	Rutgers
3	Philadelphia 76ers	VJ Edgecombe	Guard	Baylor
4	Charlotte Hornets	Kon Knueppel	Guard/FF	Duke
5	Utah Jazz	Ace Bailey	Guard/FF	Rutgers
6	Washington Wizards	Tre Johnson	Guard	Texas
7	New Orleans Pelicans	Jeremiah Fears	Guard	Oklahoma
8	Brooklyn Nets	Egor Demin	Guard	BYU
9	Toronto Raptors	Collin Murray‑Boyles	Forward	South Carolina
10	Phoenix Suns (from Rockets)	Khaman Maluach	Center	Duke
11	Memphis Grizzlies (from Portland Trail Blazers)	Cedric Coward	Guard	Washington State
12	Chicago Bulls	Noa Essengue	Forward	France
13	New Orleans Pelicans (from Atlanta Hawks)	Derik Queen	Center	Maryland
14	San Antonio Spurs	Carter Bryant	Forward	Arizona
15	Oklahoma City Thunder	Thomas Sorber	Center	Georgetown
16	Portland Trailblazers (from Memphis Grizzlies)	Yang Hansen	Center	China
17	Minnesota Timberwolves	Joan Beringer	Center	France
18	Utah Jazz (from Washington Wizards)	Walter Clayton Jr.	Guard	Florida
19	Brooklyn Nets	Nolan Traoré	Guard	France
20	Miami Heat	Kasparas Jakučionis	Guard	Illinois
21	Washington Wizards (from Utah Jazz)	Will Riley	Forward	Illinois
22	Brooklyn Nets (from Atlanta Hawks)	Drake Powell	Forward	North Carolina
23	Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans Pelicans)	Asa Newell	Forward	Georgia
24	Sacramento Kings (from Oklahoma City Thunder)	Nique Clifford	Guard	Colorado State
25	Orlando Magic	Jase Richardson	Guard	Michigan State
26	Brooklyn Nets	Ben Saraf	Guard	Israel
27	Brooklyn Nets	Danny Wolf	Forward	Michigan
28	Boston Celtics	Hugo González	Guard	Spain
29	Charlotte Hornets (from Phoenix Suns)	Liam McNeeley	Guard	UConn
30	Los Angeles Clippers	Yanic Konan Niederhauser	Center	Penn State

NBA Draft Night Fashion Fiasco – Seriously?

Fans and media were quick to point out that the NBA supplied draft caps looked extremely rushed—wrinkled, missing logos, and overall low-quality. This isn't exactly championship grade for the league's biggest night. 

Introducing “W” Position?

In a surprising twist, the NBA added a new classification tier beyond guard, forward, and center—dubbed "W". It seems aimed at hybrid wings who’ll blur traditional roles.

Ace Bailey’s Controversy at Pick #5

Rutgers standout Ace Bailey, selected fifth by the Jazz, refused pre-draft workouts—reportedly making him lose out on up to $2 million in guarantees per year. Though his talent was good, his defiance raised questions. Bailey then sounded less than thrilled when interviewed about landing in a rebuilding Utah squad making it a lose-lose situation.

Celtics’ Pick Raises Eyebrows

Boston's selection of Hugo González from Spain (28th pick) has raised doubts. Some see it as a gamble—turning away from established talent domestically. All while potentially watching González stay in Europe to develop and earn, as the Cs reshape their roster and continue to get rid of top players left and right.

Pregame Sports Bar Crawl: Las Vegas Edition

Experience the excitement of the game with our Pregame Sports pub crawl in Las Vegas! Join fellow fans for exclusive drink specials at some of the city's best sports bars. It's the ultimate way to gear up for game night—whether you're cheering for your team or just in it for the fun. Stay tuned for upcoming dates and exclusive deals!