2025 NBA Draft: Picks, Expectations, and Potential Trades

We break down our top 10 expectations for the 2025 NBA Draft, focusing on which prospects are likely to land where and the perfect team fits for each player.

• Cooper Flagg projected to go #1 to the Mavericks, forming a trio with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis
• Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey likely to go #2 and #3 to the Spurs and 76ers, with potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade implications
• Charlotte Hornets at #4 could select VJ Edgecombe to pair with LaMelo Ball or go with Kamin Malawach for a twin towers approach
• Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets lack clear direction, making their draft selections difficult to project
• Trey Johnson fits well with the Pelicans, drawing comparisons to Trey Murphy III
• Toronto Raptors could benefit from Jace Richardson as a combo guard
• Houston Rockets at #10 could target Asa Newell as a potential complement or replacement for Jabari Smith Jr

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Chapters

• 0:00 Show Intro and Draft Preview
• 1:15 Cooper Flagg to the Mavericks
• 1:55 Harper, Bailey, and Giannis Trade Talk
• 3:18 Hornets and Jazz Draft Options
• 5:31 Picks 7-10 Predictions
• 9:53 Final Thoughts and Episode Wrap-up

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

What's up everybody. It's your favorite show's favorite show. Get a Bucket. I'm your host, trey, and, as usual, I hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day.

Speaker 1: 0:08

Today we're going to talk about the 2025 NBA draft expectations, but before we do that, please make sure to hit that like and subscribe button. Comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show trying to get the ratings up a little bit. You know just a little bit. But, like I said, we're going to talk about the nba drafts. Well, expectation for the 2025 season uh, top 10 specific, if you don't mind. Uh, ladies and gentlemen, this should be a good one, should be entertaining one. I will say this we do know. Well, I'm gonna say this before we do that expectation wise, right. We understand.

Speaker 1: 0:41

Before the season started, this might have been what it looked like. Coop was projected number one, right. Ace Bailey was probably the favorite for number two. Kamin Malawach was getting some love. Dylan Harper, I thought was a little higher than this, but you know it is what it is. This might have been how it shook out. This should be how the draft should have gone, peep, how the Wizards were number one and the Jazz were number two, or you could have flip-flopped them. I would have been okay with that either, but again, this is what it should have been. You know what I'm saying, so I just want to get that out there. Some teams were robbed, it's okay, we understand that.

Speaker 1: 1:18

But now that we got that situated, ladies and gentlemen, let's talk about the well, my top 10 expectations, because it should be a decent one. Now we do have the Mavs with the number one pick. Obviously, that's going with Cooper Flagg. I think the Mavericks are actually going to keep the number one pick, in fact too. So we're going to see Cooper on the Mavs with Kyrie and AD. Ooh, that should be a good one. Number two, though, right. Number two, spurs.

Speaker 1: 1:49

Here's the interesting piece, and I'm going to link the Spurs and the 76ers because they're two and three combined. Right, because I expect the Spurs to get Dylan Harper and the 76ers to get Ace Bailey. You might flip-flop Ace for the Spurs, you could, you could, because they do have Ace for the Spurs, you could, you could, because they do have Darren Fox over there already. So maybe you want to gamble with Ace Bailey if you're the Spurs, but I personally like Dylan Harper. But again, one of those two players, or actually both of those players should go.

Speaker 1: 2:18

Second and third. And ironically, one of those two players could get traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, which we both oh, if you don't remember, they were training together and Giannis did say he was going to beat their ass when they see them, when he sees them in the NBA. So it would be kind of a coincidence that he gets traded for them as well because, remember, giannis could get paired on the Spurs or the 76ers. That would be a nice little pairing, to have Giannis with Embiid or Giannis with Wimby. Either way should be a good pairing, but that could happen. But y'all know my expectations if that Giannis trade doesn't occur.

Speaker 1: 2:57

Um, fourth though, the Hornets. Now here's my thing, ladies and gentlemen, because I said one through three seemed pretty cut and dry. There could be some hiccups in two and oh, really, three, right, really. Number three, specifically Because I do think the 76ers could have gotten Vijay Edgecombe. Okay, but if not, the Hornets could get Vijay Edgecombe, or they could go Kevin Malawach, it depends on what avenue they want to go. I do think they have Brandon Miller, who's currently 6'9". You got LaMelo Ball, who's 6'7". Vij DJ Edgecombe, who is an extreme elite athlete at like 6'4 to 6'6". That's something to add to your team, especially when you have LaMelo Ball, the playmaker that he is. Or if you want to go big right, you can go Kamin Malawach and pair him with Mark Williams, twin Towers. I think that's something doable. Now you can have LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, who are trigger happy taking a bunch of threes. So guess what you got? Offensive rebounds out. The yin-yang just saying so. That could be something to look forward to, ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 1: 3:55

But the Hornets do have some interesting pieces. I will say that and keep in mind too. What if they can make a push for Giannis? I doubt it, but there's a package there that the Bucs could take from the Charlotte Hornets. I'm not going to lie to y'all, but again, y'all heard where I expect them to do, not Giannis per se.

Speaker 1: 4:14

Let's move on down to number five, which would be the Utah Jazz. Hear me out, I ain't got nobody right now. The reason why I say that, ladies and gentlemen Lori Markin is probably going to be traded not too long, and that's going to shake up the dynamic of the team Keontae, george, isaiah Collier, walker Kessler those are some players that are currently on the team. Walker could get traded, though, so again, I don't know which direction Utah wants to go. I got a couple people that I would like to see here, but again, the Jazz could go a couple of directions. So really, if they pick anybody, I would expect it, because they have really no direction right now, no real direction they're trying to build.

Speaker 1: 4:53

So with that, let's move on down to say some time and go to the Wizards, who were robbed. Both them and the Jazz were robbed. To be honest with you, the Wizards, if Vijay Edgecombe is still on the board, I could see Vijay Edgecombe going here again, pairing him with Bilal Kulbali. You got Jordan Poole. You might question the shooting. I hear that Vijay and Bilal could be a little interesting, but I think those two athletes paired together you could have something special. You could, but again, on this draft, because they were robbed. It's just unfortunate. That's what you got to settle for.

Speaker 1: 5:33

No, no disrespect, you know, because he's a good player, these are good players, but when you're talking about cooper flag is, it is a little bit of difference. I ain't gonna lie to y'all. Y'all I'm saying I'm not biased, just being real. Uh, anyways. So the wizards, possibly vj escom. Uh, the pelicans, if still on the board. I ain't saying his name yet because he could definitely be taken Hell. The Jazz could have actually snuck him off this list.

Speaker 1: 5:57

But Trey Johnson, ladies and gentlemen, if y'all know Trey Murphy III, very similar play. I think Trey Murphy might be a better defender, but Trey Johnson gives similar scoring for me 6'6" shooting. I talked about him before the season even started and I say he could be a lottery-type player. Boom, here we are Again, trey Johnson, similar player to Trey Murphy. You got to love a player named Trey, just saying, but again, I do think the Pelicans should try to go for Trey Murphy. I mean, well, they got him already, so why not add another Trey? If y'all want to sign me to a 10-day contract, hey, have three Trey's on the squad. You know what I mean? Trey balls all day.

Speaker 1: 6:36

Anyways, let's go on down to the number 18, which is the Nets. Y'all remember when I talked about the Jazz and saying they ain't got no real direction and they can draft anybody. Let's go ahead and rinse, wash and repeat, shall we? Because again, the Nets could draft anybody. I don't even know what they're trying to do. Honestly, I need to see more about what their management is trying to do before I can even give my expectations, because right now they're just drafted, just to draft, and it's a daggone shame, it really truly is. But y'all heard my expectations Not a lot for the Nets.

Speaker 1: 7:09

So let's move on down to the number 19, which I think would be a good place for this man here, jace Richardson. I do think he could be a little interesting. Now hear me out, though, because the hype thing did kind of shake me a little bit, but I think a combo guard coming off the bench for this squad. You're pairing him with Brandon Ingram, scotty Barnes, rj Barrett. They need a little slasher, they need somebody who can kill in the mid range, even though they can shoot three and hit the mid range themselves and be stars. He can complement that team. So I would like to see Jace Richardson on this Raptors team getting drafted. It'd be a nice little wonderful scenario. And you're paired with Emmanuel quickly too, off the bench. I think that could be an interesting dynamic guard combo off the bench. Everybody needs depth. So I would love to see this pairing for the Toronto Raptors, if they can get Jace Richardson, be a good addition to the team.

Speaker 1: 8:00

Now the 10th team the Houston Rockets, I think and this person could get drafted as well too. I just wanted to save him for this squad Asa Newell, ladies and gentlemen, asa Newell, to me, paired with Tristan Thompson, amin Thompson, a Singoon, a Jalen Green, jabari Smith. He would be a wonderful, either starter or backup, and I think he actually pairs with this squad, whether you're talking about keeping Jabari Smith or trading Jabari Smith, because you are starting to hit that point where you're starting to wonder are they going to keep them or trade them? And when you're talking about Asanul, he doesn't give you the offensive potency and the stretch for capability that Jabari does, at least from my opinion. But you can teach someone how to shoot the ball. That's about work ethic too, now. So for what he brings defensively and rebounding-wise, it can substitute for what Jabari does. So again, for me, I think the Rockets should look at Asanul if we're talking about drafting a player, whether you're talking about fitting now or the future, and you get them on a friendly contract. But again, ladies and gentlemen, that is my top 10.

Speaker 1: 9:16

Listing A couple of these players on this list should be some good ones. I will say I have talked about a couple of players. Right, I could see someone like a Derrick Queen going to the Jazz. I can't. Thing is, I would want some of these players to be in good scenarios to actually showcase their ability. So, again, if they get drafted and I didn't mention their name, it's because I just want to try to help them out a little bit. So you know, fingers crossed that they can be in a good situation, because the Jazz is not the best situation, the Nets is not the best situation. You know what I mean. I'm trying to help these boys out. But again though, those are my expectations point in time.

Speaker 1: 9:55

But I am curious though, ladies and gentlemen, where do you think everybody going to go? Where do you think everybody going to be? Who would you draft? Is Cooper not number one to you? Maybe we should have started there. It was my expectation as all. Do y'all expect anybody else? Please leave your thoughts and comments below. But that is all the time we have, ladies and gentlemen.

Speaker 1: 10:16

That does conclude the episode. So thank you all for listening. I greatly appreciate it. Please make sure you like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. Huh, oh, you like the jacket? I appreciate y'all. I appreciate y'all. I just tried to get on par with the boys. You know what I'm saying. I knew they was going to try to do something nice for the draft so I tried to do something right Like they got more money than me so I had to do. I tried to be low key with it. You know what I mean. Shout out to my, shout out to my fraternity. Ksi, phi, nu Phi, all that stuff, yo to the nukes. But like I said, ladies and gentlemen, that was the conclusion of the episode, so hope you all enjoyed it. Please make sure you like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host of Get a Bucket.