2025 NBA Draft Hidden Gems: Underrated Picks and Unexpected Breakouts to Watch
June 2025 saw 30 NBA teams descend on Brooklyn, New York, to reshape their franchises and set themselves on a trajectory for glory. As per usual, there were plenty of chalky selections early, but plenty of intriguing trades and surprise names that have got the debates raging. Cooper Flagg was a name nobody was surprised to hear go first, but what does his arrival mean for the future of the Dallas Mavericks organization, and what about the other teams in the top 5? W
ith the draft sparking excitement for the upcoming NBA season, fans can catch every moment of Flagg and other top picks in action by checking out the NBA TV and streaming schedules for pre-season and regular season games here at Livesportsontv.com. Read on for a 2025 NBA draft recap, before taking a look at some of the other most intriguing storylines and what they mean for the future of the NBA.
Top Picks and Standout Selections From The 2025 NBA Draft
1. Cooper Flagg - No.1 Dallas Mavericks
The conspiracy theorists were out in full force when the Dallas Mavericks somehow nabbed the top pick in the NBA lottery, and Nico Harrison was thanking his lucky stars. After all, what better distraction could you ask for for one of the least popular trades in NBA history (Luka Doncic) than the generational prospect that is Cooper Flagg? This guy really seems to have it all. A 6-foot-8 frame that is dripping with all-around skill and versatility, making him a dangerous shooter, passer, dribbler, and rebounder on day one of his NBA career. Cooper Flagg has all the makings of an NBA star, and his Dallas Mavericks are counting their lucky stars that they somehow got him after a horrendous year for the fanbase.
2. Dylan Harper - No.2 San Antonio Spurs
Rutgers guard Dylan Harper was the next player off the board, heading to the San Antonio Spurs. As the son of a five-time NBA champion, Ron Harper, Dylan has basketball greatness in his blood, and now he has the draft pedigree to match. He is a crafty playmaker who looks set to combine with the elite defensive abilities of another young superstar, Victor Wembanyama, to form a formidable and youthful duo to build around. It’s been a tough run of seasons for San Antonio, but it looks like the future is bright with Harper and Wembanyama ready to let loose.
3. V.J. Edgecombe - No.3 Philadelphia 76ers
Through three selections, it was all chalk, with V.J. Edgecombe going to the Philadelphia 76ers, as many expected. The former Baylor Bear has already gained good experience playing for the men’s Bahamian national team. He is one of the most explosive players in the entire draft, easily creating space for himself and being more than willing to handle contact. The 76ers are in a weird place right now, what with Joel Embiid’s consistent injuries, but Edgecombe is a quality asset to move forward with.
4. Kon Kneuppel - No.4 Charlotte Hornets
Kon Kneuppel, Cooper Flagg’s Duke Blue Devils teammate, was taken fourth overall by the Charlotte Hornets. This is another superb all-around player who can score for fun, shooting 41% from three-point range as a freshman, whilst also being a great contributor in the pick-and-roll game and as a passer. Add in his relentless work ethic on both ends of the court, and you get a mighty fine fourth overall pick. This one again wasn’t much of a surprise to see, making it a relatively unsurprising top four.
5. Ace Bailey - No.5 Utah Jazz
Our first surprise did arrive with the fifth overall pick, when the Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey, a polarizing player who has immense upside, but made headlines by not working out for anybody and then threatening the Hornets and Jazz, via his agent, that he would not report for them if they selected him. It is for that reason, that people were surprised to see the Jazz take the risk and make him their selection fifth overall. By all accounts, Bailey will now attend Jazz activities, and start trying to come good on his exciting potential. He is 6-foot-7, moves very well, and is a versatile shooter, and, as an 18-year-old, has plenty of time to mature and develop.
Standout selection outside of the top 5
The most intriguing selection not made in the top 5 picks has to be that of Khaman Maluach, another Duke Blue Devils player. This 7-foot-1 center, originally picked by Houston before being traded to Phoenix, becomes the highest drafted NBA Academy alumnus ever. He joined the NBA Academy at the age of 14, where he has offered a rare combination of size and athleticism ever since. He is very raw, but if he can be coached up properly, he has all the potential to turn into an incredibly valuable NBA asset moving forward.
Biggest Storylines From The 2025 NBA Draft
One of the biggest storylines of the 2025 NBA draft was the New Orleans Pelicans' trade up to snag the 13th overall pick, which they used on Maryland forward Derik Queen. Queen has a lot of speed for a 6-foot-10, well-built athlete, which means he should be able to hold his own early for the Pelicans. He averaged 16.5 points and 9 rebounds per game in his one season at Maryland, and showed off his clutch genes when firing in a game-winning 2-point buzzer-beater against Colorado State in the second round of March Madness. His physicality and movement skills were on full display in that crucial play, giving Pelican fans a taste of what is to come.
However, the key narratives to leave the draft are not how good Queen will be for the Pelicans. It's questioning how much they gave up to trade for him. To move up from pick 23 to 13, the Pelicans gave the Hawks an unprotected 2026 first-round pick. The catch here, though, is that the unprotected 2026 first-rounder will either be from the Pelicans, who finished 21-61 last year, or the Milwaukee Bucks, who could very well be moving on from superstar Giannis
Antetokounmpo. There is a very real chance it is a top 5 pick, or even the first overall pick, which has made this one of the most controversial moves of the entire draft. It’s clear that the Pelicans believe they are on the path to relevancy, as they also nabbed Jeremiah Fears seventh overall, but we all know that nothing is guaranteed. It could be a nervy season for Pelicans fans, and a fun one to watch for the Hawks.
The Brooklyn Nets also took an interesting approach in the draft, honing in on a youth-focused approach to roster construction. They entered the 2025 draft with five first-round selections and used all of them, selecting Egor Demin 8th overall, before bringing in more rookies at picks 19, 22, 26, and 27. It will be fascinating to see how this mix of young talent, which certainly all needs plenty of development, will set this team up for success… or failure.
Implications for the 2025/26 NBA Season
At the top of the list of NBA rookies 2025 who will make an immediate impact, we, of course, have Cooper Flagg, who should see plenty of minutes for the Dallas Mavericks as a pro-ready superstar. The rest of the top four should also have big roles early and often, with Ace Bailey standing out as the one top 5 player who may require a bit more development before entering the fray.
It is the Charlotte Hornets that stand out as a team who have progressed themselves significantly via the draft. Kon Knueppel is a very exciting talent who should contribute immediately, and in Liam McNeeley, Sion James, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, who were all selected inside the top 35 picks, they have got four very exciting young talents who can work with LaMelo Ball to get this team back to winning ways. Knueppel and Kalkbrenner both project to be instant starters.
Another impact player inside the top 10 is Collin Murray-Boyles, who went ninth overall to the Toronto Raptors. This is one of the best defensive talents in the draft. Yes, he does need to improve his shooting, but the Raptors certainly shored up their defense by bringing him on board.
What’s Next on the NBA Calendar?
With the NBA draft winners and losers now confirmed, we can turn our attention to the NBA offseason outlook. All the league’s newest talents will show off their skills in the NBA Summer League, which kicks off with mini-tournaments in Sacramento and Salt Lake City on July 5th. We then get the eagerly anticipated NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas between July 10th and 20th.
While all this is going on, teams can continue reshaping their rosters in free agency, which began on June 30th, before training camps begin in late September. Preseason games, including series in Abu Dhabi, Melbourne, and China, begin in October—find pre-season NBA broadcast details to catch every matchup—before we get the regular season opener on October 21st. It will all come around very fast!
Written by: Venuse, Inc. (Sports Content Creator)
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