The first round of the NBA Draft was an interesting affair. The top went off pretty much as expected but then it turned into kind of crap-shoot with teams maneuvering to get their guy. The fun started with Khaman Maluach falling to no.10 where he was drafted by the fading Suns, and then the rest of round 1 was a mix of some good value picks, some head-scratchers and some “holy mother” moments.
18 freshmen selected in the first round
A record 18 college freshmen were selected in the first round of the 2025 draft including 9 out of the first 10 picks. NCAA basketball is attracting talent from around the world and proving to be a very good development ground for NBA prospects. We’ll see a bunch more freshmen get drafted in the second round tonight but we’ll also see a lot more upperclassmen and international players come off the board.
Ace Bailey’s Best Efforts Are Thwarted, Goes To Utah
The enigmatic high-scoring forward did everything in his power to not land in Utah but the Ainge’s were having none of it, and took Bailey anyway. I don’t fault a guy for wanting to steer where he gets picked and I also don’t fault a team for selecting who they want to select. Bailey will be just fine in Utah and might even come to love life in Salt Lake City. At the end of the day the play on the basketball court is all that really matters…but it would be nice to have a guy who wants to play for your franchise.
Let’s Talk About Nets Baby
The Nets have been catching some flack for drafting so many guards who like to have the ball in their hands and Danny Wolf who is kind of like a 7-foot point guard. I actually think this could be a good draft for Nets. It certainly introduces a new era of basketball to Brooklyn with a bunch of guys who can pass the rock, make quick decisions and play with tempo.
If I was running the team I would have made some different picks but I like all the guys they got and think this could work. Their roster was early empty when it came to guard play, now they have a bunch of guys who can compete for playing time and compliment each other. And if they keep Cam Thomas they’ll need someone to pass him the ball.
Here’s the Nets full first round haul: Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf. Yeah, that’s going to be fun.
If I was the GM and the board had fallen the way it did last night I would have selected: Khaman Maluach, Kasparas Jakucionis, Danny Wolf, Liam McNeeley and Ben Saraf, for what it’s worth.
The Pelicans Give Up Unprotected 2026 Pick To Get Derik Queen
The Pelicans made a very bold move, giving up their 2026 first rounder (unprotected) to the Hawks to move up and get Derik Queen at no.13. This could pay big dividends, Queen is nice, but that’s scary to give away that 2026 first rounder (which is actually the more favorable of the Pelicans/Bucks picks).
The 2026 NBA Draft is stacked with talent and the Pelicans aren’t exactly known for playing winning basketball. The front office had a lot of connections with Derik Queen and they decided to take the leap of faith and get their guy, even at this hefty price.
I like Queen a lot as a prospect but the fit next to Zion is a head-scratcher. They also drafted Jeremiah Fears at no.7 giving them another high upside prospect who could be really good down the road but probably won’t lead to winning basketball games next year. Hawks fans will have fun routing against this group.
Collin Murray-Boyles Shakes His Head And Curses
Getting drafted is usually one of the best moments of a players career but for CMB going to Toronto was apparently not what he wanted. After hearing his name called he shook his head and amateur lip readers across the internet could see him drop a big F bomb. I love the pick for the Raptors…apparently Collin Murray-Boyles doesn’t agree with me.
The Spurs
The Spurs took the obvious choice at no.2 in Dylan Harper and then get a steal at no.14 with Carter Bryant falling into their lap. I’m super high on Bryant and I absolutely love the fit in San Antonio. He’s exactly what they needed with his floor spacing and versatile defense. They already have stars in place, so adding high-end role players is a good move. This team is going to get really good really fast and the league better watch out.
Yang Hansen goes no.16!
Yang Hansen (who all of us in the draft community have been calling Hansen Yang for the past two years) goes higher than anybody expected after the Blazers trade back from 11 to 16 and take the talented 7-2 center from China. This was the first big “wow” moment of the draft. Read more about that pick here.
Combine Risers
Yang Hansen and Yanic Konan Niederhauser both had excellent draft combines and both flew up draft boards. Hansen was the biggest surprise of the first round going no.16 to the Blazers and YKN landed at the end of the first round. This was really cool to see, after he was not on draft boards for most of the season, then went to the G League Elite Camp before earning his way to the combine. What a rise!
The Hornets Make A Splash
The Hornets selected two talented wings in Kon Knueppel (no.4 overall) and underrated Liam McNeeley (no.29) overall, two players who are big time shooters and can really splash in 3-pointers.
To get the second first round pick they traded center Mark Williams to the Suns for that pick (no.29) and a future first. This is a really nice draft haul for the Hornets, getting two floor spacers with high basketball I.Q. to compliment the dynamic talents of Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball. After swinging on a high upside developmental player last year in Saluan, this year the team goes with two more NBA ready players. I really like these moves by the Hornets. And getting the future first is great as well.
The Suns Get The Center Of Their Universe
The Suns got their center of the future with Khaman Maluach falling right into their gravitational field at no.10 and also acquired center Mark Williams from the Hornets for a late first and a future first. The team came into the night with a black hole at the center position and now they have two star 7-footers manning the middle. After a long dark night of a season things are starting to brighten up in Phoenix.
The second round of the draft begins at 8 Eastern tonight! Here are the best available players heading into round two.
And here’s the second round of my mock draft.