It has been two months since our most recent NBA 2025 mock draft, so it’s worth checking how some of the top prospects fared during a busy summer of hoops.
Cooper Flagg, Airious “Ace” Bailey, and Dylan Harper are projected as the first three picks in what is expected to be a stacked class. But the summer belonged to several intriguing talents who were making a splash across international competitions and at grassroots events.
As we gear up for the 2025 draft, here’s the latest buzz involving some of the top prospects that NBA teams will be tracking.
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Another No. 1 candidate? | European summer standouts
Emerging duo in Germany | UNC wing creating early buzz
Duke’s other top prospect | Big year for Arizona big man?
No. 1 pick in any other year? Keep tabs on this Baylor prospect
Although he faces stiff competition from the likes of Flagg and Bailey, V.J. Edgecombe showed this summer why he could be a strong candidate to be the No. 1 pick.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard and Baylor freshman (No. 5 in ESPN’s recent mock draft) excelled for his native Bahamas during the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in early July, a squad that included NBA players Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon.
The 19-year-old was the Bahamas’ best player on the court during its tournament run, averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.0 steals on terrific efficiency.
Edgecombe’s ability to get virtually anywhere on the court stood out, along with his unselfishness, feel for the game, maturity and intensity on both ends.
He attacked the rim with an exceptional burst, turning the corner as he looked to dunk on opponents from incredible vantage points, while crashing the offensive glass and jumping over bigger opponents for loose balls. He played with his head up as he made intelligent passes, driving and dishing with smart, simple reads. Edgecombe also hit his 3-pointers at a good clip (39% on 5 of 13 attempts) and showed confidence by hitting several big shots late in games.
Becoming a more nuanced ball handler and decision-maker, as well as gaining experience and polish with his floor game, will be keys to maximizing his NBA standing. Though the Bahamas didn’t reach the Olympics, Edgecombe looked much further ahead with this part of his game than he had been given credit for previously, even shouldering minutes at point guard.
Defensively, he covered ground with his quickness and ability to fly all over the court, which gives him significant upside when paired with his strong anticipation skills. He lacks strength getting over screens and looked a bit naive off the ball the way most teenagers do, but still found ways to make an impact. — Jonathan Givony
Growing pains for projected first-rounders in Europe
The FIBA U18 Eurobasket tournament, held in July, typically showcases numerous future first-round picks, and this year’s edition in Finland was no different.
In particular, three projected first-rounders from ESPN’s latest 2025 mock draft — France’s Nolan Traore, Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, and Lithuania’s Kasparas Jakucionis — were among the players who stood out
A 6-5 wizard with the ball, Traore (No. 4 in ESPN’s mock draft) has the ability to make every read and pass out of the pick-and-roll that will keep NBA teams interested. His exceptional combination of speed, ballhandling and court vision were on full display — changing gears and attacking ball screens driving in either direction while showing excellent touch shooting off the dribble inside and outside the arc.
Traore’s passing creativity, pace and ability to dish on the move was also mesmerizing, leading the event with his 9.3 assists per game, the second-best mark in U18 history dating to 2000.
He also converted 43% of his 3s, improving on his career average of nearly 30% while displaying impressive shot-making confidence.
Playing for French team Saint-Quentin this season, Traore will need to improve his defensive intensity and ability to play through contact, while cutting down on turnovers and showing better leadership qualities.
As for Gonzalez, the 6-7 wing might have been one of the few bright spots for a Spain squad that finished in 13th place. The Real Madrid youngster (No. 7 in ESPN’s mock draft) was on another level athletically, finishing fourth in scoring with 20.7 points. At 18, he showed explosiveness as he flew down the lane for putback dunks, chasing down blocks in transition and completing several long-stride above-the-rim finishes with a head of steam.
Few prospects play harder defensively than Gonzalez, who finished third in both steals and blocks. He covers the entire court, fighting over screens and busting up handoffs. When rotating to protect the rim, he flips his hips while sliding his feet on the perimeter, containing guards off the dribble with multiple effort plays. He puts a body on big men inside, and dives on the court for loose balls.
But his showing in Finland was somewhat of a mixed bag due to his shot selection, decision-making and efficiency. He was at his best attacking in a straight line — getting out in transition, posting up smaller opponents and making simple passes — but was at times overly aggressive.
Gonzalez also converted just 21% of his 3-point attempts (10 of 48) and 69% of his free throws, partially due to his outsized role on this squad. His struggles were discouraging, considering he has a career average of 29% on 3s through 175 games and made 79% of his free throws last season. But his quantity of makes and diversity of attempts (pulling up off the dribble, running off screens) bode well for his long-term outlook as a shooter.
Gonzalez will still be a projected lottery pick but has work to do. He’ll probably play a much more narrowly confined 3-and-D role for Real Madrid this season, if he’s able to play much at all for one of the deepest and most expensive rosters in European basketball. Improving his ballhandling and playmaking will be priorities, but he won’t have as long a leash as he did this summer.
Another top prospect with an up-and-down tournament was Jakucionis (No. 18 in ESPN’s mock draft). The 6-6 Lithuanian point guard had an exceptional 37-point, seven-assist outing in the loss to France in the final but was inconsistent from 3-point range and seemed turnover-prone (4.4 per game compared with 5.3 assists).
Offensively, his combination of size, aggressiveness, shotmaking diversity and pick-and-roll playmaking prowess stands out. He is prolific in the midrange, and is highly skilled in creating shots for himself using advanced footwork and polished ballhandling at different speeds.
Now entering his freshman year at Illinois after playing at Barcelona, Jakucionis’ shot creation will be put to the test as he’s not the most explosive athlete. He can operate out of hesitation moves, make reads out of pick-and-rolls and find teammates on the move but questions remain on the defensive end over his just-decent length and lateral quickness. — Givony
Why this duo in Germany will keep NBA scouts intrigued
German club Ratiopharm Ulm will get plenty of attention this season as it features two NBA prospects who also stood out during the U18 Eurobasket tournament.
Averaging 28.1 points and 5.3 assists in 33 minutes for Israel, tournament MVP Ben Saraf put himself on NBA radars with performances that included 40-point games against France and Serbia.
At 6-6, Saraf has decent size, length and frame. The lefty has more explosiveness than expected and is highly elusive with the ball: stopping and starting, changing speeds with impressive pace and using combo moves to get into the paint. He was a prolific 3-point shooter, converting 36% (17 of 47 attempts) at the event.
He is aggressive in the lane and led the event in free throw attempts but was hampered at times in traffic against bigger, longer wings who can give him trouble.
Slated to get major minutes at point guard at Ulm, Saraf’s unorthodox mechanics, as well as his shot creation and finishing, will be put to the test against better competition in the German league and EuroCup — especially when forced to his weaker right hand.
Though Saraf racked up steals and blocks at a high rate (a testament to his terrific instincts) at the U18s, NBA scouts will want to evaluate his defense. But his summer showing should earn him a spot in ESPN’s forthcoming Top 100 prospect rankings and an appearance in ESPN’s next mock draft.
The other Ulm youngster is 17-year-old Noa Essengue, who had a highly productive showing for France at the U18s (averaging 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 25 minutes), but received mixed feedback from NBA scouts.
Essengue (No. 15 in ESPN’s mock draft) has room to improve his 6-9 frame to operate inside as a big man in the NBA, weighing just 198 pounds at last February’s Basketball Without Borders Camp. That will be important considering his extreme lack of perimeter shooting ability, hitting only one three-pointer at the U18s and 69% of his free throws with mechanics that don’t inspire long-term optimism.
Essengue still scores prolifically at the youth level, crashing the offensive glass, posting up weaker power forwards and getting downhill in the open court. He is effective as a roll man and operating out of fake dribble handoffs. He has long strides, and nice creativity and touch finishing in the lane, although he lacked a degree of physicality at times. But he has the quickness to handle opponents at this level of competition, while also showing some passing prowess.
Defensively, Essengue was tasked with checking everyone from point guards to centers, showing quick feet against smaller opponents in one-on-one situations. He’s impactful when engaged but isn’t consistent with his effort, often looking as if he’s just going through the motions.
Essengue clearly has talent and advanced instincts on both ends, and probably will be the second-youngest prospect in this class (after Flagg). He’ll probably be a polarizing draft prospect but, like his club teammate Saraf, he’ll have every opportunity to improve. — Givony
A Tar Heel and a Gamecock: Two college talents who shined
The annual Nike Academy event in Portland always features plenty of elite high school and college players. At this year’s showcase in August, two players — North Carolina wing Drake Powell and South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles — stood out among the three dozen prospects.
Powell (No. 11 in ESPN’s mock draft) was easily the best college prospect in attendance, looking as if he has made a big jump both physically and skill-wise since arriving in Chapel Hill. He possesses the long-term upside that should keep him firmly in top-10 conversations (if not the top 5) as he gains strength and finds more consistency on the offense.
Only operating at a fraction of his potential, Powell will be able to positively affect a game in a variety of ways. An exciting prospect who will be appealing to NBA teams who already have established scoring in place, he’s also earning rave reviews from North Carolina’s coaching staff and appears to be in line for a good role that should provide him with the runway to be a fairly high draft pick.
Powell appears to have made progress with his frame and should be a significant asset defensively right from the jump for the Tar Heels this season. In Portland, he was extremely active on and off the ball, guarding point guards regularly, sticking toe-to-toe on drives and finishing plays with volleyball spike blocks. He’s engaged off the ball, covering ground and flying around incessantly, jumping passing lanes and rejecting jump shots with his length, timing and quickness.
Improving his ballhandling and shot-creation prowess will be the next steps in his offensive evolution, as he doesn’t have a very deep bag as a mostly straight-line driver without much wiggle to his game.
As for Murray-Boyles, the 6-7 big man showed the versatility and competitiveness that landed him on last year’s SEC All-Freshman team.
An unconventional prospect (No. 23 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft) who didn’t make a 3-pointer last season, Murray-Boyles found ways to show off different parts of his game that weren’t immediately evident.
He pushed the ball off the defensive glass powerfully, creating from the midpost, and set screens and rolled to the rim with terrific footwork and body control. He showed some smart bounce passes, and dropped glimpses as a floor spacer with occasional spot-up 3s.
Everything he does is with physicality and purpose, including his powerful, emphatic finishes trying to rip off the rim with every dunk. His timing, motor and feel for the game was evident with the way he generated turnovers in bunches as he rotated intelligently to plug gaps or protect the rim and get his hands on loose balls.
Productivity and winning are Murray-Boyles’ best avenues to emerging as a lottery pick. He could still tone his frame more and will need to overhaul his mechanics eventually as the NBA’s demand for non-shooting, undersized big men has never been lower. — Givony
Not just Cooper Flagg: Why a 7-footer gives Duke a dynamic duo
While Flagg will get plenty of attention at Duke, NBA teams will also keep tabs on his Blue Devils teammate Khaman Maluach, who had a busy summer.
Currently No. 6 in ESPN’s most recent mock draft, scouts will be eager to see how he’ll adjust to Division I hoops.
After a productive run in the Basketball Africa League in April, he showed glimpses at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp and Nike Hoop Summit — where he measured at just over 7-1 in shoes with a 7-6 wingspan, giving him a standing reach at over 9-7.
Maluach, who turns 18 on Saturday, was also the youngest player at the Olympics. Playing for his native South Sudan, he had only 12 minutes in three group-stage games but had some nice moments in the team’s pre-Olympic tuneup games.
In a pre-Olympic exhibition against Team USA in July, Maluach matched up against Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid, converting a pair of jumpers. It demonstrated where he can grow offensively, although he will have to continue to develop his composure, as he can be tentative when making decisions and isn’t the fastest processor.
Maluach offers a lot to work with from a developmental perspective, running the court well for someone his size and is a presence in the paint. Coupled with his size and above-average touch and range out to the perimeter, he is a rare package of traits on both ends.
Maluach’s above-average speed gives him a chance to be a high-impact player on defense, with mobility and length. He needs to work on positioning, awareness and patience as he habitually leaves his feet early to contest shots. But he has more tools than most players his age and size, pointing to his immense potential on that end.
Maluach’s physical profile, flashes of defensive impact, shotmaking, competitiveness and a vocal nature will earn him looks from NBA teams as he gets up to speed in college. Evaluators will be watching to see his consistency and poise in Durham in one of the top defensive frontcourts in college — particularly in a draft that doesn’t appear rife with advanced rim-protecting bigs. — Jeremy Woo
Can the top-ranked returning college player level up?
Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas, No. 17 in ESPN’s mock draft and the top-ranked returning player, turned in a solid showing for Lithuania at the Under-20 Eurobasket tournament, averaging 13.7 points and 8.9 rebounds in 20 minutes. The 19-year-old is on the early shortlist of intriguing draft-eligible centers — a position lacking in depth in this class.
Krivas was able to show what makes him an interesting NBA prospect, as a true 7-footer with a plus physical profile, excellent feet and good basketball instincts. He has the mobility to backpedal, slide and cover ground in drop coverage effectively — most recently measuring with a 7-5 wingspan. He also plays with a strong motor and runs the court well, checking a range of notable boxes for a teenage center.
Despite his length, Krivas isn’t a true rim protector — his shot blocking relies more on positioning than athletic recovery — but he has a strong base of defensive skills that should make him a difference-maker at the college level. There’s clear NBA appeal if he can continue to cover ground, take away angles and battle physically, which appears to come naturally to him at this stage.
Krivas is still limited offensively, something NBA teams will want to get a handle on in the coming months. He has been an efficient scorer around the basket with both hands and is an above-average free throw shooter for his size. He’s strictly a play-finisher, with his value coming from crashing the glass, diving into space and putting away easy baskets. Lithuania didn’t optimize him as a pick-and-roll threat, an area in which he should be effective long-term.
Teams will be monitoring Krivas’ offensive growth to understand his ceiling. He’s coordinated with room to develop his post game but also has problems establishing strong positioning. He’ll probably thrive as a roller and screener, presuming Arizona puts him in those situations consistently. There’s also hope he might eventually learn to space the floor, considering his touch from the foul line, but that hasn’t manifested in games.
After playing sparingly as a freshman, Krivas will be tasked with a bigger role this season after Oumar Ballo transferred to Indiana. There’s an opportunity for him to firm up a spot in the first round, which requires more development time, but scouts will be eager to see how he handles extended college minutes for the first time. — Woo
