The 2025 NBA draft is viewed by scouts as significantly stronger and deeper — especially at the top — than last year’s group of prospects.
The 2024 draft had an air of unpredictability over the No. 1 pick because of an unusually weak crop of candidates — mostly viewed as likely role players — and an array of opinions about who might emerge as the best player in the long term.
This year is different from a talent standpoint. The early favorite for the No.1 pick is Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, who has all the makings of a franchise player. Several strong contenders behind him also have massive platforms at their disposal to show they are worthy of consideration.
Still, this isn’t a Victor Wembanyama-type class like in 2023 with an automatic consensus at No. 1, as some NBA scouts tell ESPN that the door is open for them to consider other players depending on how the next nine months play out.
“I’m going into this year with an open mind about who the No. 1 pick might be,” one NBA executive recently told ESPN. “This is how mistakes are made: getting anchored to an opinion and then closing yourself off to new, much more important information that we’ll be receiving in the coming months seeing how the season plays out.
“I need to see if Cooper Flagg is indeed a No. 1-type offensive option who can be expected to carry a team at some point in his career, or if he’s more of a superstar role player who is better suited as your second- or third-best player. Every year there are surprises, new players pop up and others take an unexpected leap.”
We still have much to learn about this group, but here’s my breakdown of the five serious contenders for the No. 1 pick prior to the men’s college basketball season tipping off Nov. 4.
