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Ranking best prospects not named Cooper Flagg

June 24, 2025

The Oklahoma City Thunder are your 2024-25 NBA champions, which means it’s time for every other team to gear up and start improving if they want to dethrone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company.

While free agency or trades can certainly help − after all, the Houston Rockets already have the trade train going after making a deal for Kevin Durant − a standout rookie always provides a huge burst. The NBA Draft is tomorrow, and with the Dallas Mavericks lined up to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the onus of finding the next best NBA talent falls on the other 29 teams.

Here are the top NBA prospects in this year’s class not named Cooper Flagg.

Best 2025 NBA Draft prospects

Immediately following Flagg, the draft pool is carried by a pair of players out of Rutgers: Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. After that pair, the college basketball scene dominates the top-10 with only one international player in ESPN’s top-10: French star Noa Essengue.

Only one other international player ranks in the top-20: Joan Beringer, France. For perspective, there are three players from Duke in that same range. Here’s a quick look at the top-20 NBA Draft prospects outside of Cooper Flagg.

1) Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 213
Strengths: Big frame for a guard, great playmaker, good shot creator, solid finisher

2) Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Position: G
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 203
Strengths: Long frame, elite scorer from all around the court, high-energy defender

3) VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Position: G
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 193
Strengths: Athleticism, great on-ball defender

4) Tre Johnson, Texas

Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 190
Strengths: Scoring, high-energy defender

5) Kon Kangepp, Duke

Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 219
Strengths: Shooting, solid playmaker and defender, can fit into practically any role placed on him

6) Khaman Maluach, Duke

Position: C
Height: 7’1″
Weight: 253
Strengths: Physicality, elite rim protector

7) Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma

Position: G
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 180
Strengths: Elite playmaker

8) Noa Essengue, France

Position: F
Height: 6’10”
Weight: 204
Strengths: high-end scoring and defensive upside, solid playmaker, young

9) Kaspar Jakucionis, Illinois

Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 205
Strengths: Good size for a guard, high basketball IQ, great playmaker, shooting

10) Acoror ismin, between you

Position: G
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 199
Strengths: Arguably the best playmaker in the draft, very high basketball IQ

11) Carter Bryant, Arizona

Position: F
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 215
Strengths: High-upside scoring and defense from the wing, size

12) Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Position: F
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 239
Strengths: Toughness, can play many defensive positions, surprisingly strong playmaker

13) Derik Queen, Maryland

Position: C
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 248
Strengths: Shot creation, passing

14) Joan Beringer, France

Position: C
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 235
Strengths: Length, rim protection

15) Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

Position: C
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 263
Strengths: Length, high defensive upside

16) Liam McNeeley, UConn

Position: G
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 215
Strengths: Pull-up shooting, toughness

17) Jase Richardson, Michigan State

Position: G
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 178
Strengths: Ball security, shot creation, defensive upside

18) Asa Newell, Georgia

Position: F
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 224
Strengths: Agility, defensive intensity

19) Nique Clifford, Colorado State

Position: G
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 202
Strengths: Offensive and defensive upside, all-around talent

20) Cedric Coward, Washington State

Position: F
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 213
Strengths: Length, shooting, scoring upside

How to watch 2025 NBA Draft

First round:

Date: Wednesday, June 25
Time: 8 PM / 5 PM PT
TV: ESPN, ABC
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Second round:

Date: Thursday, June 26
Time: 8 PM / 5 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

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