2025 NBA Draft Recap and Analysis
Breaking Down and Grading Every First-Round Selection from 2025
I’ve had two full days to sit with my thoughts on the 2025 NBA Draft, and I’ll start with the first round. I’m writing this article from a train in the middle of France, headed to Lausanne, Switzerland to scout the FIBA U19 World Cup. It’s been quite the journey over the past few days—traveling from New York to Brussels to Lyon, and now onto Switzerland. Along the way, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on what went down in the first round of this year’s draft.
The first round had no shortage of surprises. Hansen Yang going No. 16 was easily the biggest shocker of the night. Then there was all the drama surrounding Ace Bailey, and the Brooklyn Nets making headlines by keeping all five of their picks. Despite some debate about their selections, I actually think Brooklyn came away with a strong draft class.
Overall, the 2025 first round was exciting, filled with unexpected picks and multiple trades. Here are my thoughts and grades for every first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.