Expert comment on the 2025 draft: Flagg hits ROY Yang Hansen succeeds in his unexpected choice

The 2025 NBA Draft has been settled, Cooper Flagg was selected by the Dallas Mavericks as the No. 1 pick, and Dylan Harper was taken away by the San Antonio Spurs in the second place. The two are undoubtedly the biggest focus of the first round of this year, but the entire round of draft picks is also full of unexpected twists.

Es Bailey was selected by the Jazz in the fifth pick. This team is not on his originally expected list of landings, but from the perspective of lineup and development space, this may be a potential landing point. The Pelicans are aggressive in their moves and do not hesitate to pay valuable draft assets, successfully packing Jeremiah Fells (7th pick) and Derek Quinn (13th pick) into the lineup, striving to create a new young core.

The Blazers' choice became the biggest upset in the first round, and they chose Yang Hansen in the first round. He is only ranked 35th in our final top 100 list. The Nets made full use of the draft picks in their hands, used up all five first-round picks in one go, officially starting the reconstruction mode, and promoting the process of rejuvenation.

So, who is the most cost-effective choice in this draft? Which team has the best overall performance in the draft? Which rookies are expected to be selected for the first team of the All-Rookie Team? Our team spent several years in-depth research on the 2025 players. Now we will sort out for you: What operations are amazing? What decisions are surprising? We will also give some long-term predictions.

The following are 15 key issues and in-depth analysis we have compiled around this draft.

Which one of your favorite draft picks?

Jonathan Givoni: My favorite is Casparas Jakujonis, who was selected by the Heat in the 20th pick. The Heat not only won the 10th player on my list in this ranking, but also found a puzzle that perfectly matches their system and culture, while also filling the lineup gaps. Yakujonis is 6-foot-6 and weighs 205 pounds. He has the ball-holding and organizational ability that is urgently needed in the backcourt, and is also strong enough to allow him to partner with All-Star double-at-time defender Taylor Herro without the ball.

Considering Daveen Mitchell's outstanding performance in the playoffs (he is a restricted free agent), the Heat can completely try to put the three in the same roster. Yakujonis' figure, strength and outside projection ability give him the positional flexibility that contemporary NBA values.

What's even better is that on the night of the draft, the Heat management also signed Russian center Vlad Golding while eating traditional Eastern European food Pirog. He is the second-placed player in the ESPN Top 100 list. With the team gradually hoarding international players, including players from Lithuania and Russia in recent years, the Heat's international color has become increasingly strong. In the lineup, there are Sweden's Pelle Larson and Serbian's Nikola Jovic.

Kevin Wu: My favorite is Kaman Maruacchi, who was selected by the Suns in the 10th pick. I dare not say how strong the Suns will be next season, but I am sure that they solved some of the team's core issues last season through this draft. Maruacchi is the large frame-protecting center that the Suns are in short supply.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the Suns had no defensive recognition last season, and Maruach (plus the newly joined Mark Williams) should be able to completely reverse the temperament of the defensive end. He is also very suitable for pairing with the team's forward team that mainly controls the ball, and is an ideal puzzle for complementary internal and external.

Which player has fallen to the best team for him to realize his potential?

Givoney: I chose Es Bailey, who was selected by the Jazz in the fifth pick. Although there were rumors about Pele's tendency to go to the Wizards before the draft, his agent was even revealed to have threatened a team with the top five signings, saying that it may not be reported to the team. But in the end, the storm was successfully resolved, largely because Bailey actually did not have much bargaining chips under the labor-capital agreement, and this move also triggered a significant rebound in public opinion.

After Bailey arrived in Utah, he soon realized that he had actually come to a very ideal development environment: there were not many stars in the team competing for the ball, there were a lot of opportunities to play, the coaching team had a very reputation, and the fan base was extremely enthusiastic. These factors laid the foundation for him to move to the All-Star level.

Bailey is the No. 3 rookie on the ESPN list and has been a hot topic of debate among teams throughout the year. Now he has the opportunity to play the lead role in a young and potential team.

Wu: I chose Yegor Deming, who was selected by the Nets in the 8th pick. Although many people have doubts about his future development, I am more optimistic about him. A big ball holder like him is always scarce, and I fully understand why the Nets are willing to take such a high pick.

Deming now joins a team in rebuilding and can immediately get plenty of ball-holding opportunities, play with other pass-through rookies of this year's Nets, and still have time to polish his shots. This environment is very suitable for his growth.

Deming's rookie season may have some tests, but his selfless and team-first style is just in line with the Nets' new direction. For him, coming to a team that is in trouble is far better than squeezing into a strong team with sufficient depth, where he is likely to even have to fight for the chances he plays.

Which rookie is the most cost-effective choice?

Givoney: I think it was Liam McNealy who was selected by the Hornets at the 29th pick. I was really surprised that this player ranked 17th in our top 100 list was able to fall to the end of the first round. McNeley has been known for his outstanding shooting ability, but he has only 32% of his three-point shooting percentage at UConn this season and has not shown the team's expected shooting performance in some trials.

However, I have seen McNeilly's hot hand performance in many different environments, and I firmly believe that he will perform better in a wider space and simpler offensive role in the NBA. In addition, he has a height of 6-foot-8, tough play style, excellent game understanding and comprehensive skills.

Which is your favorite draft day deal?

Givoney: My favorite thing is the Eagles' downward trade, and finally selected Asa Newell at the 23rd pick. Although Wu has analyzed the deal about Derek Quinn from the Pelicans' perspective, I think the Hawks' new management (led by Anthie Saleh) deserves a thumbs up.

The Hawks won the 8th pick in the 2026 draft through this downward 10-point deal. Although Quinn is 23 places higher than Newell in my personal list, and there is indeed controversy from the perspective of selecting people, the overall operation is still very smart.

In contrast, the Pelicans operate in this trade seems much more sloppy. They released their strong interest in Quinn too early and obviously before the draft, resulting in limited bargaining space and finally paid a possible very high pick for the 2026 first-round pick. In terms of the value of that asset, the Pelicans should have exchanged for more.

Wu: My favorite thing is the Jazz's up-graded pick, winning Walter Clayton Jr. They picked him at the 18th pick. To be honest, I was not particularly optimistic about Clayton during the season, but as I studied it further, I gradually became convinced by his excellent shooting ability - especially in this draft year with relatively scarce point guard resources, he was a worthy bet.

More importantly, the Jazz paid little for this. While Clayton may need to compete for playing time in the near term, he has the potential to contribute value in the NBA, a good bet with both risk and benefit.

Which draft day deal do you dislike the least?

Givoney: What I like the least is the deal between the Grizzlies and the Trail Blazers - the Grizzlies paid a considerable price to move from the 16th to the 11th. They gave out a 2028 unprotected first-round pick from Magic, plus two second-round picks (2027 from the Eagles and 2028 from Magic). Just to jump up to five signs, this investment is too big.

Although there are indeed rumors that the Thunder (with the 15th pick) is also actively trying to trade upwards, with the goal being Cedric Coward, I don't think he deserves to be selected at such a high position, so I can only wait for time to verify the result of the bet.

From the perspective of the pioneers, I originally hoped that they could trade five to ten more places down to choose Yang Hansen and get more assets in the process. But it seems that the trading market after the middle of this year's draft is very cold, and almost no transactions occurred in the second half of the first round.

Wu: I chose the Pelicans to smash future draft picks for Quinn. In my opinion, no matter how optimistic you are to this Maryland center, or who you think you should have chosen the 13th pick, it is difficult for me to understand the rationality of this operation with a 2026 first round pick to exchange for the 10th place this year.

I am not questioning the player himself, but I am confused by this decision-making process. This is more like a "spendence at any cost to get the person you want." But when the price is a draft pick that may be very high in the future, this kind of big bet will be particularly heavy.

Five years later, we may all wonder: Why did he drop so low in the draft?

Givoney: I chose Hugo Gonzalez. He was selected by the Celtics at the 28th pick. I ranked him at No. 15 on my list, 13th place higher than he was selected. He was originally recognized as the top ten hottest, but his decline in position is not difficult to understand because he struggled to get stable playing time in the talented Real Madrid senior team.

However, if Gonzalez chose to join the Ulm club in Germany, signed by Brigham Young University (he had strongly recruited him), or participated in the Australian NBL's Stars program, I believe he would definitely be selected in the lottery zone. He has an excellent resume in FIBA ​​youth competitions and the European Youth League and is one of the hottest young players in international basketball.

I also like his fitness with Boston. His defensive fighting spirit is destined to become the darling of Celtic fans. As far as I know, the Celtics have told some player agents that they plan to use this lottery to select a player who can be signed with 80% of the rookie salary standard. But with a $1.4 million termination clause between Gonzalez and Real Madrid, this obviously doesn't work - he even had to pay most of it out of his own pocket.

Wu: I chose Will Riley, who was selected by the Wizards in the 21st pick. I was probably one of the analysts who watched him play the most, and I watched several Illinois games on site last season.

I am very optimistic about Riley's talent and believe that he has a chance to stand out in a rebuilding team like the Wizards. The Wizards leave a lot of time and opportunities to young players, and he is the kind of person who can make a fortune on his own. Of course, he must work hard on his physical ability to fight. Riley is 6-foot-8, but weighs only 180 pounds. But how many forwards in history have qualified figures and outstanding offensive skills that cannot gain a foothold in the NBA because they are too thin?

Riley is not lacking in real basketball skills. I believe he will slowly make a name for himself and bring surprises to people.

Who will win the Rookie of the Year?

Givoney: I chose Cooper Flag. He is the best player in this draft and will immediately play a key role in the Mavericks. The team currently lacks manpower in terms of offensive starting point, so he needs to play star performance from day one. While Kyrie Irving was absent due to a knee injury, the Mavericks needed to rely on him to maintain competitiveness in the West surrounded by strong enemies.

Wu: Who else is Schafragher? I'm afraid it's impossible. This is not to belittle other rookies, but that this judgment itself is not risky at all. He will have a great chance to play in Dallas and will be able to play with his presence from the start. I think he will adapt to the pace of the NBA very quickly and quickly find the game feel.

In the future, it is still unknown whether NIL will be subject to income sharing restrictions due to the settlement of the "House Litigation Case". If the NIL system shrinks, it may bring more international players back to the traditional European youth training system.

Wu: My feelings are the so-called "consensus", but in fact they are just concepts.

The many "upset" choices we have seen in this draft are almost all because each team chooses to stick to their scouting system and evaluation results, rather than blindly following the consensus of the outside world. For example: The Grizzlies insist on trading upward to choose Coward; the Pelicans spend their future assets to grab Quinn; the Trail Blazers choose Yang Hansen at a high position; the Nets simply choose all five first-round picks and bet on their own vision.

draft is always a process that is different, which is why mock drafts often derail when they reach a certain stage. This draft is the best proof - many teams choose to "ignor consensus" and believe in their own judgment. This firm, courageous and willingness to bear the consequences made the entire talent show night more realistic and exciting.