2025 NBA Mock Draft — Discussion Thread

[durantbird]

Welcome to the NBA Mock Draft.

This is a structured and interactive project where each user takes control of one or more NBA teams and makes draft picks as if they were the GM. The goal isn’t to predict what teams will do — it’s to make your own call: based on your evaluations, your vision, and your philosophy. We value thoughtful analysis, creative choices, prospect discussion, and most importantly — fun.

Start Time:
Saturday, June 21 at 9:00 AM EDT

How It Works:

• Each participant is assigned one or more NBA teams, and is responsible to make all its picks.
• When it's your turn, you post your pick and an explanation of why you made it and how the player fits.
• This is not a mock for prediction. Make the pick you believe the team should make.
• No trades between participants.
• Make sure to quote the next participant after your pick.
• Real-life trades that happen during the mock will apply moving forward but won’t affect past picks.
• You can leave a pick list if you're unavailable, or post your selection quickly and add the write-up later. (Notice that I'm on a different timezone, so might be a better idea to leave lists to someone else)

Timing Rules:

• Each pick has a 2-hour clock between 9:00 AM and 12:00 AM EDT.
• The clock pauses overnight and resumes from where it left off.
• If your time runs out, the next manager can pick. In case too much time passed without a pick, the commissioners might regretfully complete the pick for you.

Draft Order:

1. Dallas Mavericks - Mavrelous - Cooper Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - ecuhus1981 - Dylan Harper
3. Philadelphia 76ers - PhillyNj - Ace Bailey
4. Charlotte Hornets - Donkedave - VJ Edgecombe
5. Utah Jazz - babyjax13 - Tre Johnson
6. Washington Wizards - durantbird - Kon Knueppel
7. New Orleans Pelicans - hoopsfan777 - Noa Essengue
8. Brooklyn Nets - vincecarter4pres - Jeremiah Fears
9. Toronto Raptors - dohboy_24 - Khaman Maluach
10. Houston Rockets - Mavrelous - Cedric Coward
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Case2012 - Kasparas Jakucionis
12. Chicago Bulls - Donkedave - Collin Murray-Boyles
13. Atlanta Hawks - Omartin - Carter Bryant
14. San Antonio Spurs - ecuhus1981 - Derik Queen
15. Oklahoma City Thunder - sterncohen - Noa Penda
16. Memphis Grizzlies - dohboy_24 - Asa Newell
17. Minnesota Timberwolves - KGdaBom - Egor Demin
18. Washington Wizards - durantbird - Jase Richardson
19. Brooklyn Nets - vincecarter4pres - Joan Beringer
20. Miami Heat - brackdan70 - Nique Clifford
21. Utah Jazz - babyjax13 - Nolan Traore
22. Atlanta Hawks - Omartin - Thomas Sorber
23. New Orleans Pelicans - hoopsfan777 - Maxime Raynaud
24. Oklahoma City Thunder - sterncohen - Danny Wolf
25. Orlando Magic - Magic_Johnny12 - Rasheer Fleming
26. Brooklyn Nets - vincecarter4pres - Will Riley
27. Brooklyn Nets - vincecarter4pres - Walter Clayton
28. Boston Celtics - brackdan70 - Ben Saraf
29. Phoenix Suns - tester551 - Hugo Gonzalez
30. Los Angeles Clippers - ecuhus1981 - Liam McNeely

Please post your picks in the draft viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2464648 thread and also in the following sheets https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1k55QJ7UIOF0pWouz3-HM-EPK30LfJFNiK-dkl6Com3c/edit?usp=drivesdk

Commissioners
durantbird
Texas Chuck

Questions?
Feel free to ask in the discussion thread.

Looking forward to a great mock. Let’s get started.

In case of any unclarities during the draft, the commissioner will help mediate.

Please post your picks and explanations here viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2464648

You can pick

[Mavrelous]

Are trades allowed?
I made the pick already, because I don't think trade is relevant but for future picks, can we propose trades?

[durantbird]

Are trades allowed?
I made the pick already, because I don't think trade is relevant but for future picks, can we propose trades?

Specified in the rules

No trades between participants.

The reason is mini trades might be reasonable and realistic, but jumbo trades like Giannis to Spurs can shift things significantly while not necessarily be realistic. They can also delay the picks. I'd prefer we focus on drafting.

[durantbird]

you're up

[durantbird]

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Notice we started. An important clarification: the 4 hour clock on a pick is aimed to avoid out of order picks at all costs. But ideally the time for a pick should be much shorter and we want to keep things flowing

[ecuhus1981]

you're up

Ok boss, I didn't want to steal Mavrelous' thunder but I'll assume he's going to choose Cooper Flagg.

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With the 2nd pick the 2025 NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs select...

DYLAN HARPER!!!

[durantbird]

you're up

Ok boss, I didn't want to steal Mavrelous' thunder but I'll assume he's going to choose Cooper Flagg.

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With the 2nd pick the 2025 NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs select...

DYLAN HARPER!!!

He already picked Please post the pick in the Draft Thread viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2464648

[durantbird]

up

[PhillyNj]

With the third pick in the NBA draft the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers select……Ace Bailey.
It’s really a choice between Edgecombe and Bailey. Edgecombe reminds me of Melton good defender challenged score. Bailey though rough has a much higher ceiling. I am going with the player I believe will be a star in three or four years.
Bailey’s upside is too big to pass on.
That said it’s likely the Sixers trade Baily for another pick in the top 8 and a good player.

[durantbird]

Notice I opened a draft thread as well which is aimed to post the picks there. I'll copy the new picks there

[durantbird]

Can you help us sticky the discussion and draft threads? And you can unsticky the signups one. Thanks

[durantbird]

up

Charlotte up for the fourth pick!!

Make sure to post your pick in the draft thread

[brackdan70]

With the third pick in the NBA draft the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers select……Ace Bailey.
It’s really a choice between Edgecombe and Bailey. Edgecombe reminds me of Melton good defender challenged score. Bailey though rough has a much higher ceiling. I am going with the player I believe will be a star in three or four years.
Bailey’s upside is too big to pass on.
That said it’s likely the Sixers trade Baily for another pick in the top 8 and a good player.

Agree. This is where it gets interesting. Bailey arguably has the biggest upside in the draft but a lower floor than many others.

[KGdaBom]

If people are given 4 hours per pick some will take the whole clock and this will take days.

[durantbird]

If people are given 4 hours per pick some will take the whole clock and this will take days.

As long as we end before the draft itself, we're fine.

I wrote earlier:

An important clarification: the 4 hour clock on a pick is aimed to avoid out of order picks at all costs. But ideally the time for a pick should be much shorter and we want to keep things flowing

I feel like it's important to make it realistic in the sense that we don't make out of order picks. That's also the reason I asked everyone to leave lists if they aren't available

[KGdaBom]

If people are given 4 hours per pick some will take the whole clock and this will take days.

As long as we end before the draft itself, we're fine.

I wrote earlier:

An important clarification: the 4 hour clock on a pick is aimed to avoid out of order picks at all costs. But ideally the time for a pick should be much shorter and we want to keep things flowing

I feel like it's important to make it realistic in the sense that we don't make out of order picks. That's also the reason I asked everyone to leave lists if they aren't available

List made and PMed to you. I don't want to share it with the public at large because of course everyone would steal from my genius.

[brackdan70]

up

Charlotte up for the fourth pick!!

Make sure to post your pick in the draft thread

It’s a tough decision…using the full 4 hours I see

[durantbird]

up

Utah is up! Donkedave missed his pick.

Please make sure to post your pick in viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2464648

[brackdan70]

Who gets to pick for Charlotte then?

[durantbird]

Who gets to pick for Charlotte then?

It's all in the rules

If your time runs out, the next manager can pick. In case too much time passed without a pick, the commissioners might regretfully complete the pick for you.