Everything You Need to Know About the 2025 NBA Draft

Here is a primer to get you ready for this year’s draft, including some NBA draft odds.

No. 1 Pick: Cooper Flagg

Unless you’ve missed all the NBA news this year, you should know that Duke’s stellar freshman Cooper Flagg is a virtual lock to go No. 1 overall with -50000 odds at BetUS. Not even GM Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks could mess this one up, though it was shocking they won the NBA’s draft lottery given they had a 1.8% chance of doing so.

📸🏀@Cooper_Flagg pic.twitter.com/I3Z28arPyv

— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2025

NBA expert picks have had Flagg as the No. 1 prospect all along, and it should be interesting to see how he can mesh with Anthony Davis (and maybe Kyrie Irving) in Dallas this season.

The 2025 #NBADraftLottery presented by State Farm Results! pic.twitter.com/rk5R8IVurT

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2025

2025 NBA Draft Order and Betting Favorites

The 2025 NBA Draft features 59 picks as the Knicks lost their second-round pick over a 2022 free-agent violation. The top 14 picks are the lottery picks for non-playoff teams. Here is the NBA draft order for the top 10 picks with the prospect with the highest odds to go at that pick (but not necessarily that team because of trades):

• No. 1 Dallas Mavericks – F Cooper Flagg, Duke (-50000)
• No. 2 San Antonio Spurs – G Dylan Harper, Rutgers (-10000)
• No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers – G VJ Edgecombe, Baylor (-300)
• No. 4 Charlotte Hornets – F Kon Knueppel, Duke (-160)
• No. 5 Utah Jazz – G Tre Johnson, Texas (+175)
• No. 6 Washington Wizards – F Ace Bailey, Rutgers (+135)
• No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans – G Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma (+125)
• No. 8 Brooklyn Nets – F Noa Essengue, France (+350; tied with Ace Bailey)
• No. 9 Toronto Raptors – C Khaman Maluach, Duke (+160)
• No. 10 Houston Rockets – C Derik Queen, Maryland (+350)

You can also bet on which players will be drafted in the top 5 or top 10 picks, which could be a huge night for Duke and Rutgers, with multiple players expected to go high in the top 10.

Even though the Charlotte Hornets didn’t win Flagg in the lottery, they are favored to take his teammate Kon Knueppel with the No. 4 pick. After that, things get more unpredictable, and you can also place bets on the over/under for a player’s draft position.

For instance, maybe center Derik Queen (O/U 11.5) goes under as the newest pick by the Houston Rockets, who acquired that No. 10 pick from Phoenix in this week’s Kevin Durant trade.

While Flagg is the top prize, don’t sleep on Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, the favorite to go No. 2 to San Antonio, which has produced the last two Rookie of the Year winners (Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle).

🧵PROSPECT FOCUS🧵

Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper has the tools to be a talented floor general with position versatility in the backcourt.

Harper continued to impress this year at Rutgers with his ability to take over a game in a variety of ways. Listed at around 6’6″,… pic.twitter.com/R3T78bhIa8

— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) June 24, 2025

For some international flavor, France’s Noa Essengue is the top-ranked prospect with potential to land in the top 10 picks (-125 at BetUS).

Raptors, Nets, and Suns reportedly have a lot of interest in Noa Essengue, according to ESPN.

Essengue, only 18, is a 6’10” SF/PF with incredibly special physical skills. He compares his own game to guys like Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes.

pic.twitter.com/GXFvrfq83L

— LEEZUS (@AndrewLeezus) June 25, 2025

Don’t forget, trades are always possible, as the great Kobe Bryant was traded after the draft from Charlotte to the Lakers in 1996.