The Oklahoma City Thunder are your 2024-25 NBA champions, which means it’s time for every other team to gear up and start improving if they want to dethrone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.
While free agency or trades can certainly help − after all, the Houston Rockets already have the trade train going after making a deal for Kevin Durant − a standout rookie always provides a huge burst. The NBA Draft is tomorrow, and with the Dallas Mavericks lined up to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the onus of finding the next best NBA talent falls on the other 29 teams.
Here are the top NBA prospects in this year’s class not named Cooper Flagg.
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Best 2025 NBA Draft prospects
Immediately following Flagg, the draft pool is carried by a pair of players out of Rutgers: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. After that pair, the college basketball scene dominates the top-10 with only one international player in ESPN’s top-10: French star Noa Essengue.
Only one other international player ranks in the top-20: Joan Beringer, France. For perspective, there are three players from Duke in that same range. Here’s a quick look at the top-20 NBA Draft prospects outside of Cooper Flagg.
1) Dylan Harper, Rutgers
Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 213
Strengths: Big frame for a guard, great playmaker, good shot creator, solid finisher
2) Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Position: G
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 203
Strengths: Long frame, elite scorer from all around the court, high-energy defender
3) VJ Edgecombe, Baylor
Position: G
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 193
Strengths: Athleticism, great on-ball defender
4) Tre Johnson, Texas
Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 190
Strengths: Scoring, high-energy defender
5) Kon Knueppel, Duke
Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 219
Strengths: Shooting, solid playmaker and defender, can fit into practically any role placed on him
6) Khaman Maluach, Duke
Position: C
Height: 7’1″
Weight: 253
Strengths: Physicality, elite rim protector
7) Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
Position: G
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 180
Strengths: Elite playmaker
8) Noa Essengue, France
Position: F
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 204
Strengths: high-end scoring and defensive upside, solid playmaker, young
9) Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois
Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 205
Strengths: Good size for a guard, high basketball IQ, great playmaker, shooting
10) Egor Demin, BYU
Position: G
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 199
Strengths: Arguably the best playmaker in the draft, very high basketball IQ
11) Carter Bryant, Arizona
Position: F
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 215
Strengths: High-upside scoring and defense from the wing, size
12) Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina
Position: F
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 239
Strengths: Toughness, can play many defensive positions, surprisingly strong playmaker
13) Derik Queen, Maryland
Position: C
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 248
Strengths: Shot creation, passing
14) Joan Beringer, France
Position: C
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 235
Strengths: Length, rim protection
15) Thomas Sorber, Georgetown
Position: C
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 263
Strengths: Length, high defensive upside
16) Liam McNeeley, UConn
Position: G
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 215
Strengths: Pull-up shooting, toughness
17) Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Position: G
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 178
Strengths: Ball security, shot creation, defensive upside
18) Asa Newell, Georgia
Position: F
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 224
Strengths: Agility, defensive intensity
19) Nique Clifford, Colorado State
Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 202
Strengths: Offensive and defensive upside, all-around talent
20) Cedric Coward, Washington State
Position: F
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 213
Strengths: Length, shooting, scoring upside
How to watch 2025 NBA Draft
First round:
Date: Wednesday, June 25
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN, ABC
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
Second round:
Date: Thursday, June 26
Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NBA Draft: Ranking best prospects not named Cooper Flagg
