Flagg goes First

We saw the NBA Draft of 2025 kick off this week and it was no surprise that Duke's very own Cooper Flagg was snatched up at pick number one by the Dallas Mavericks. This was a widely predicted choice and would have been more surprising if they had not picked him up! 

Draft Surprises

The first round brought us a few surprises and a lot of big trade moves with some teams (definitely not looking at you, Pelicans!) making some aggressive pursuits of their ideal candidates. 

Another surprise early pick was China's Yang Hansen to the Portland Blazers. He was widely thought to be a much later pick. 

The Brooklyn Nets controlled 5 first round picks and used them all to draft rather than trading with other teams for more experienced players. This gives them a promising young team for the future. 

Overall, the teams who are considered to have had the most successful draft of 2025 include: Spurs, Heat, Pacers, Bulls and Hawks. They have chosen wisely and have some exciting rookies to watch out for. 

The worst choices were made by: Celtics (painful as it is to admit!), Nets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans and the Knicks.