On Wednesday, June 25th and 26th, the 2025 NBA Draft will commence from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Dallas Mavericks are on the clock with the number one overall pick, but there’s no question as to who that will be. Following the Mavericks are the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and Utah Jazz. There are some players with high upside in this year’s draft, as we saw this past college basketball season, both in the regular season and in March Madness. After Dallas picks Cooper Flagg number one overall, it’s going to be interesting how the 2025 NBA Draft will shake out.
High Upside Players in the 2025 NBA Draft
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Cooper Flagg (Forward, Duke)
There’s no question here that Flagg has the highest upside of anyone in the NBA Draft. He’s going first overall for a reason. Flagg can do it all on both ends of the court. He’s a great passer, using his high IQ to set up teammates all over the court. What might be even more impressive is his ball-handling skills and shotmaking ability. His athleticism is also off the charts. Flagg also has a high motor that not only helps him on offense but also makes him very active on defense as well. The former Duke star is one of one, and his upside is through the roof in this league.
Dylan Harper (Guard, Rutgers)
There are rumors that the Spurs are looking at Dylan Harper at number two in the NBA Draft, and why wouldn’t they? He might be in the next tier down from Flagg by himself; that’s how good Harper can be. His instincts as a playmaker are why he’s valued so high. Harper can run the offense if he needs to because of his ability to drive to the hoop and finish, along with his shotmaking capabilities in any scenario. Combine that all with his 6″6 frame and you have a legit All-Star that can take over.
V.J. Edgecombe (Guard/Forward, Baylor)
V.J. Edgecombe has elite athleticism that allows him to be a menace on both offense and defense. He flies up and down the court, creating posters with vicious dunks, and also has a nice shooting stroke with a spot-up jumper. With that quickness, he can chase down blocks on defense. Whoever picks Edgecombe will walk away feeling pretty excited with his ceiling as a player.
Ace Bailey (Forward, Rutgers)
Another star from Rutgers has huge upside as Ace Bailey aims to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. There’s plenty to like about Bailey, most notably his pure jump-shot from inside the arc. He’s not afraid to shoot contested jumpers from anywhere on the court and make them. His size and fast release play a pivotal part in his shot.
Bailey can be a great scorer at the next level, he just needs to clean up some areas in his game, like decision making on the offensive end with both his passing and shot selection. Cutting down on turnovers will also be key to whether he succeeds at a high level or not. Despite some of those inefficiencies, he has all the talent in the world to become a go-to option.
Jeremiah Fears (Guard, Oklahoma)
Jeremiah Fears is an interesting prospect heading into the NBA Draft. He has his clear strengths, and then he has his clear concerns, but his potential to turn into a really good player is what could land him near the top of the draft. Creativity is one of Fear’s strong suits, having nice playmaking skills to go along with his shot creation and handles that make him dangerous. He can also put pressure on defensively.
A concern teams have with him is his decision-making as both a shooter and a passer, which also leads to turnovers. Fears also needs to add some muscle with the way he plays. Landing in the right spot will do him wonders, and if he can fine-tune his game and improve, which can take some time, he will be a very valuable player for whatever team he’s on.
Main Image: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
