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2025 NBA Mock Draft: Vendetta Blogger Edition
2025 NBA Mock Draft: Vendetta Blogger Edition
It’s finally here! The 2025 NBA Draft has officially arrived! With that, we did our annual blogger draft with seven participants: Karl Heiser, Alex Chick III (Chickster), Trey Daubert, Garrett Burroughs, Anthony Miranda, Jarrod Prosser and myself! Here’s the full video!
Without further ado, here is all of our picks plus our rationales behind them!
(Editor’s note: This draft was done Sunday before the Kevin Durant trade, so all trades since then have not factored into our blogger’s picks.)
1. Dallas Mavericks (Karl Heiser): Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
Nothing crazy here – Cooper Flagg is coming off the board first. A remarkably polished prospect, college basketball’s reigning National Player of the Year is still just 18 years old. The big selling point for Flagg is his role versatility, as his athleticism and diverse skillset give him several avenues to provide immense value in the NBA. The Mavs land an elite defender, elite playmaker, and a capable supplementary scorer all in one.
2. San Antonio Spurs (Alex Chick III): Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
The best guard in the class, the Spurs need more scoring and playmaking. While some might think the guard room is crowded, a solid rotation of guards can keep teams afloat. He’s also left-handed, which is wrinkle playing against. Defensively, he’s average, but the Spurs defense can help with that.
3. Philadelphia 76ers (Heiser): Tre Johnson, G, Texas
I’m planting my flag for Tre Johnson here, even if it may be more likely that the 76ers go with Edgecombe, Bailey, or Knueppel. Johnson is an elite shooter who shot 39.7% from three and can connect off the catch, off the dribble, or flying off a screen. He’s got playmaking chops that have flown under the radar a bit, and I have confidence that he’ll be an extremely valuable offensive weapon at the next level. If he fills out his frame and locks in on the defensive end a bit more, especially given that he won’t have nearly the same offensive load he did at Texas, you’re looking at a guy who’s easily worth a top-3 pick.
4. Charlotte Hornets (Anthony Miranda): V.J. Edgecombe, G, Baylor
I love his athletic upside and his skill as a defender. He can round out his offensive game and three-point shot with less pressure on him since he will be the third option. Edgecombe fits in perfectly between Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
5. Utah Jazz (Jarrod Prosser): Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
Picking Bailey at 5 was a no-brainer. It was always going to be who was left from Bailey, Johnson and Edgecombe. I had Bailey at No. 3 on my board. A bucket getter, he’s perfect for Utah. He’s the sun around which their other young talents can orbit. I have no concerns about his workout shenanigans, and you can bet your last nickel that Danny Ainge won’t, either.
6. Washington Wizards (Heiser): Kon Knueppel, G, Duke
Knueppel isn’t the flashiest pick, and Wizards fans may not get super excited about him given that they expected to land a guy like Flagg or Harper before the lottery balls did their thing, but I still see this as a value add for Washington. Knueppel will be a high-level shooter at a minimum, and he has the secondary playmaking (his vision as a PnR handler is quite fun) and overall feel to be much more than that. He does plenty to impact winning and would fit well into the young core that the Wizards are building.
7. New Orleans Pelicans (Matt Hanifan): Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
While he does have athletic limitations, Jakucionis is the best point guard in this class not named Dylan Harper. He has a real nose for the ball, is a solid point-of-attack defender, has real positional size and I think he’ll fare better with more spacing. He’ll have to improve his passing accuracy and decision-making, but I like Jakucionis’ long-term upside and I believe he can function with Dejounte Murray.
8. Brooklyn Nets (Chickster): Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Nets find someone to offset Nic Claxton lack of scoring (if he’s still on the team). Derik Queen won’t do anything for you defensively and we know that. However, within 14-17 feet, Queen is money scoring the ball with very effective passes. Despite not doing well defensively, he can rebound well. He’ll have to learn how to buy in on every possession and on defense to become a starter, but there are tools for success.
9. Toronto Raptors (Prosser): Egor Demin, G, BYU
I was hoping that Demin would fall to #9. A huge point guard with superb vision and creativity, he can be the playmaker that this team desperately needs. He is a better athlete than people realise and the jumpshot, whilst still a work in progress, looks repeatable and should improve markedly. If his shot comes around, he’ll be a star.
10. San Antonio Spurs (Chickster): Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
Trade Details:
- Rockets Receive: No. 14 overall, 2027 first-round pick
- Spurs Receive: No. 10
The backup C the Spurs have needed for years. Someone who can rebound and anchor down defensively when Wemby isn’t in the game. Malauch can’t score well from the outside, but we don’t care; he will do the dirty work that the Spurs will need when Wemby isn’t in the game and Sochan can be too small to do. He’s a true rim runner with unreal length.
11. Portland Trail Blazers (Anthony Miranda): Noa Essengue, F, France
I think the Trail Blazers have enough guards and the top two centers were gone, so I took a swing on Noa Essengue. He has great length and is extremely versatile, so he can be put in any lineup. He fits this young Trail Blazers’ time frame, and he would have the ability to develop correctly with other young talents in Portland’s rebuild.
12. Chicago Bulls (Hanifan): Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
My biggest concern with Sorber is the foot injury he suffered last season, prematurely ending his season. You could still make the case that he’s the best big in this class. Sorber, 19, is a super skilled low-post scorer, excellent shot blocker, passer, rim protector and caries legitimate shooting upside. Nikola Vucevic and Zach Collins are both entering the last years of their deals and the Bulls need a legitimate long-term option at center.
13. Atlanta Hawks (Garrett Burroughs): Asa Newell, C, Georgia
With the lack of quality bigs in Atlanta, Newell can slide right in and provide quality minutes and bring length to a lineup in need.
14. Houston Rockets (Trey Daubert): Rasheer Fleming, F, St. Joseph’s
My target was the St. Joe’s guy, but I didn’t want to take him at 10. I knew Chickster would be calling once the Duke center made it there. To collect the 2027 Hawks pick plus the guy we want just made sense. His tools are just too good to pass at this spot in the draft.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (Anthony Miranda): Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma
I took the best player available. Jeremiah Fears was phenomenal in his freshman year at Oklahoma and he is one of the youngest players in this draft. He will be given ample time to develop in the NBA game without immediate pressure to produce in OKC. However, he could still provide scoring off the bench as a rookie for OKC next year.
16. Memphis Grizzlies (Burroughs): Nique Clifford, G/F, Colorado State
I really like Clifford’s scoring upside, and if Memphis does turn into a rebuilding squad, he can be a very nice piece of a rebuild.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (Miranda): Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
I went with a 3-and-D wing here for the Timberwolves. I’m not sure what direction Minnesota wants to go next year, but a team can never have too many two-way wings. Bryant is the modern NBA archetype with good size, three-point shooting, and defensive versatility. Also, he is only 19 and has time to expand his offensive game.
18. Washington Wizards (Heiser): Cedric Coward, G, Washington State
Coward will likely be the most unheralded top-20 pick in this year’s draft, which may in turn make him the most complete prospect you’ve never heard of. He fits into the coveted two-way wing archetype as a knockdown shooter, connective playmaker, and versatile defender. His plus athleticism shows up on both ends, whether he’s finishing through contact, cutting off-ball, or crashing the defensive glass. Snagging a guy with top-10 upside at No. 18 overall would be a nice win for the Wizards.
19. Brooklyn Nets (Chickster): Hugo Gonzalez, G, Spain
One of the better pick-and-roll handlers in the draft. While scoring from the outside has never been a strong suit for Hugo, he is explosive, can finish, pass, and has energy in defense. Could be a true PG for the Nets.
20. Miami Heat (Hanifan): Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
The Heat need better guard play as much as any team in the NBA. It was between Richardson or Saraf for me, but I’ve long valued Richardson’s decision-making, efficiency from all areas of the floor and the competitiveness he has defensively. He didn’t have a ton of on-ball reps at Michigan State and I don’t expect that to immediately change, but the 6-foot-2 guard has athleticism and would work well as a secondary creator alongside Tyler Herro.
21. Utah Jazz (Prosser): Joan Beringer, C, France
For better or worse, I’m rolling with Isaiah Collier at the point, meaning Nolan Traore — a great value pick here — isn’t my guy. Instead, I’m selecting Joan Beringer. Supremely athletic, he can play at the 5 should the Jazz decide not to pay Walker Kessler or next to the big fella if/when they move on from Lauri Markkanen and Taylor Hendricks‘ legs betray him. The floor is low, admittedly, but the ceiling is sky high.
22. Atlanta Hawks (Burroughs): Liam McNeeley, F, Hawks
Scoring, scoring, scoring. His shooting ability should pair very nicely with Trae Young … for as long as he’s here,
23. New Orleans Pelicans (Hanifan): Danny Wolf, C, Michigan
I went with a guard for their first pick, so I’ll pick the next-best big who can play either alongside or behind Yves Missi. Wolf is one of the most unique bigs in this class because of his ability to dribble and pass with both hands as a 7-footer. He can rebound and provide some weakside rim protection. I want to see him improve as not only a 3-point shooter, but as a finisher through contact. But this is an excellent value pick for New Orleans, and one that could fill a need in the frontcourt.
24. Oklahoma City Thunder (Miranda): Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
There were no centers I liked on the board, so the Thunder got Collin Murray-Boyles. He is a great fit for the Thunder as he plays the tough-nosed defense that has become synonymous with OKC. He will need to develop a reliable 3-point shot, but for now, he would be another menace on defense for OKC.
25. Orlando Magic (Prosser): Will Riley, G/F, Illinois
Before the Bane trade, drafting a guard would have been a no-brainer. I’m also not convinced that Wedell Carter is long for the Magic Kingdom. That said, there wasn’t really a big that I was desperate to grab at pick 25. So, the pivot was to skill and despite Bane’s arrival, the Magic still need shooting in the worst way. Enter Will Riley. Not the most athletic, but is 6’9″ and can shoot the eyes out of it. He will essentially be what Orlando had hoped Caleb Houstan would be.
26. Brooklyn Nets (Chickster): Tyrese Proctor, G, Duke
High Basketball IQ player. Will transition to more of a knockdown shooter in the NBA. Lacks some natural athletic ability to get past defenders, not a liability as a defensive player, but won’t guard your best player, plays passing lanes well. Will help space the floor for Nets for guys like Claxton and interior scorers like recently-drafted Derik Queen.
27. Brooklyn Nets (Chickster): Kam Jones, G, Marquette
One of the better dribble-drive players in the draft. Has a wide toolbox of crossovers, footwork, and moves as a primary ball-handler to get to the rim. Has a plethora of finishes he can use, some of which translate to the NBA. Will have to learn how to play against more athletic defenders, and share the ball more than he does now. Instead of being a ball-handler, he’ll have to learn how to command an offense, though at an NBA level.
28. Boston Celtics (Daubert): Walter Clayton Jr., G, Florida
I never expected Clayton to fall to 28. Makes actually trading Jrue Holiday maybe more palatable. Clayton and Payton Pritchard tag-teaming the offense sounds very fun. To be completely honest, my target at 28 was the Stanford center and it looks like I would have gotten him at 32 anyway with the way this played out.
29. Phoenix Suns (Hanifan): Ben Saraf, G, Israel
I think Saraf should be a top-20 pick at worst, so I think this is great value for them at 29. While the Suns need a center, they also need guard play. Saraf operated a pro-style offense in Germany and has legit two-way upside, especially if he can figure out his pull-up shooting, which was a big concern throughout this season. He’s going to be a real rotational guard if he can figure that out.
30. Los Angeles Clippers (Burroughs): Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton
The Clippers lack a versatile scoring option at the five, and I believe he can fill the role.
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