2025 NBA Mock Draft: Picking lottery, Boston Celtics selections

The 2025 NBA Draft is officially just a few days away, marking the start of a new league year. While the NBA Finals just finished, the other 28 teams have been waiting to get onto the offseason. After the draft, it’ll soon be free agency, Summer League and other events, putting the NBA in the spotlight.

With the draft this week, expect teams to start making trades after the past several weeks of rumors. Picks are usually involved in these deals as teams look to set up their franchises for the future. The Celtics are one of those teams who could be active as they’re looking to shed salary off their payroll going into next season.

The C’s also have two draft picks coming up at No. 28 and No. 32 overall. The draft will take place from June 25-26 with each round taking up a night. That’s a relatively new development, giving front offices a bit more time to negotiate trades after the initial first round.

The top-2 of the draft seems relatively set, but what happens after that is when it starts to get interesting. There’s also the oddity of Ace Bailey’s case as he hasn’t taken a predraft visit to any team even though he’s expected to go early in the draft. So, that sets the stage for what should be an interesting few days around the league.

MassLive already looked at four guards, four wings and four big men who could fit the Celtics, along with a full first-round mock draft. Now, here’s a mock draft looking at every lottery pick, so Nos. 1-14, plus the Celtics’ two draft selections:

No. 1: Cooper Flagg, Mavericks

Flagg entered the draft process as the assumed No. 1 pick and that hasn’t changed much by all indications. The Mavericks recently hosted Flagg on a predraft visit and were wowed by his workout. Out goes Luka Doncic, in comes Flagg, another potential franchise star as the Mavs look like potential playoff contenders next season. The Maine native is set to be the next big thing in the NBA.

No. 2: Dylan Harper, Spurs

There were some murmurs that the Spurs could look to move the No. 2 pick. However, it seems they’re content on landing a potential star in Harper, who excelled at Rutgers last season. The Spurs already have Victor Wembanyama and Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, allowing them to add another talented player to their roster.

No. 3: V.J. Edgecombe, 76ers

Here’s where things get interesting. The Sixers were set to host Bailey roughly a week before the draft, but Bailey’s camp ended up canceling the visit. So, instead, the Sixers end up going with Edgecombe out of Baylor, who’s one of the most explosive players in the draft. Philadelphia endured a losing season and almost lost this pick, depending on the lottery, but instead get another talented player in the mix.

No. 4: Tre Johnson, Hornets

The offensive talent is there for Johnson, who shined at Texas despite playing in a loaded SEC. Aside from some of the top picks, Johnson looks like he could be an offensive star considering his shooting. He’s still only 19 as the future seems bright, and the Hornets could certainly use some of that offensive firepower.

No. 5: Ace Bailey, Jazz

Bailey is just too tantalizing a prospect to leave on the board as he ends up on a rebuilding Jazz team. Former Celtics executive Austin Ainge is calling the shots in Utah now and he ends up with Bailey. Now, this is a spot where teams could try to trade up to grab Bailey, so keep an eye on that, as well.

No. 6: Kon Knueppel, Wizards

While the Wizards end up interested in trading up for Bailey, they end up with another Duke product in Knueppel. The 6-foot-7 wing shot 40.6% on 3-pointers last season as part of the Duke rotation as he looks the part of an NBA player. He has all the intangibles teams are looking for as he ends up on a Wizards team looking to take steps toward competitiveness.

No. 7: Khaman Maluach, Pelicans

Maluach is still raw considering he hasn’t been playing basketball that long compared to some of his fellow draft prospects. Plus, he’s also one of the youngest players in the draft as he doesn’t turn 19 until September. He already has the frame that could be an impact NBA player, though he’ll need to add strength and skills. Still, the potential is intriguing as he rounds out the three Duke products going in the top-10.

No. 8: Kasparas Jakucionis, Nets

The Nets end up with Jakucionis, who had an impressive season at Illinois. While Jakucionis can still improve his game, the Illini asked for a lot from him throughout the season as he hit the freshman wall. Jakucionis will certainly need to clean up the turnovers, but there’s a lot to like from the Lithuanian.

No. 9: Noa Essengue, Raptors

Essengue is a bit of a mystery in this draft as he hasn’t been able to go through many workouts ahead of the draft. That’s because his German team, Ratiopharm Ulm, is in the finals of the Basketball Bundesliga against Bayern Munich. Essengue is a bundle of potential as the French native is already an impact player in the pros. He’s considered to be one of the wild cards of this draft.

No. 10: Derik Queen, Suns

The Suns land a big man in Derik Queen fresh off trading Kevin Durant on Sunday. Phoenix is looking a bit aimless considering it didn’t get a huge haul for Durant, but the Suns get a talented player in Queen. The Maryland product has a polished offensive game, and while adding some range will help, his offensive skillset pops out. The Suns need a big man, so they end up with Queen.

No. 11: Egor Demin, Trail Blazers

The Blazers are set up front, so they end up taking Demin, whose passing mixed with his 6-foot-8 size makes him versatile. Demin will need to be a better shooter in the pros as he shot just 27.3% on 3-pointers at BYU last season. But he just turned 19 a few months ago, so the potential to keep improving is there. The Blazers showed life in the second half of the season as they’re a team to keep an eye on going forward.

No. 12: Jeremiah Fears, Bulls

The Bulls go with upside by picking Fears, one of the youngest players in the draft. The Bulls have continued to be in limbo as they stack up the play-in tournament appearances, so they end up with the Oklahoma product. Fears reclassified and was far from a can’t-miss product coming into the season. While, yes, he showed some rough edges to his game, considering what was asked from him, he projects as a potential lead guard at the next level.

No. 13: Jase Richardson, Hawks

The Hawks have been looking for a potential guard, so they go with Richardson, whose dad, Jason, played 14 years in the NBA. But make no mistake, the younger Richardson has a much different game than his father, though they both starred at Michigan State. The concern is Richardson measuring in at 6-foot at the NBA Draft combine without shoes. He’s still raw and could work on other parts of his game, but the intangibles pop out on his tape. Richardson is savvy and makes tough shots, plus has underrated playmaking skills. Still, the size and physicality are still a question mark.

No. 14: Danny Wolf, Spurs

The Spurs already get a potential core piece with Harper, so they end up taking another big man in Wolf to pair with Wembanyama. Wolf is another 7-footer who could work alongside Wembanyama as Wolf plays with physicality. Now, shooting and turnovers are a concern with Wolf as he showed at Michigan. But his offensive skillset and size would be a fascinating fit with the Spurs.

Celtics picks

No. 28: Drake Powell

Powell is an extremely raw product after one season at North Carolina as his stats don’t pop off the page. But he’s graded as one of the most athletic players in the draft, and at this point late in the first round, he’s worth taking a flier. Powell can be a force defensively, though he’ll need to improve his offensive game to be a consistent factor.

No. 32: Ryan Kalkbrenner

The Celtics, considering their big man uncertainty this summer, end up picking one of the most experienced bigs on the board. Kalkbrenner is a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and will fit a need on the roster. He was measured in at 7-foot-1 without shoes and could fill a backup center role should the Celtics be unable to re-sign one of their free agent bigs.

2025 NBA Mock Draft: Picking lottery, Boston Celtics selections

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