2025 NBA Draft Grades: Full Team-by-Team Breakdown

By Owen Pannell | KZA Sports

The 2025 NBA Draft has officially wrapped, and now it’s time to evaluate each team’s performance. From lowkey trades to major reaches, here’s how every franchise graded out.

Atlanta Hawks – A+

The Hawks traded down and got an extremely valuable 2026 first, and brought in a great prospect. Elite draft for the Hawks.

• Pick 23. Asa Newell – A+ I had Asa as a top-10 player. Getting him at this pick while also trading down is an ELITE selection.

Boston Celtics – C+

After essentially resetting, the C’s needed to nail these picks, and they didn’t.

• Pick 28. Hugo González – B There are multiple players I would’ve picked over González, and he would have been better as a draft-and-stash. It’s not an awful pick, but it could have been better.

• Pick 46. Amari Williams – C Not a great pick here. Traded back to this pick from #32, which was used to select Noah Penda. Amari Williams is a good athlete and rebounder, but not good at much else. Better players were available.

• Pick 57. Max Shulga – B A good shooter and playmaker, but poor defender and athlete. He has potential to be a solid role player in the NBA.

Brooklyn Nets – B+

The Nets picked the most first-rounders in a single draft in history. They all have high ceilings with low floors. A couple of them have to be great, right?

• Pick 8. Egor Demin – A This is a good pick for Brooklyn. They need a franchise PG and Demin definitely has the potential to be that, and there was not an obvious player I would have taken over him.

• Pick 19. Nolan Traore – C+ This was a confusing pick. Traore has potential to be great, but he is extremely raw and they had just picked another raw PG in Demin. There were also multiple others who would have been great picks here, so not a great selection.

• Pick 22. Drake Powell – A Getting an essentially free first here, the Nets capitalized and got one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft. Great pick.

• Pick 26. Ben Saraf – C- This is not about the player they took—Saraf is a good prospect. But why on earth do they need three PGs who are all extremely hit or miss? They are just going to make it less likely that one of them hits, and there would have been multiple other good picks here.

• Pick 27. Danny Wolf – A Danny Wolf has potential to be elite, and getting him at pick 27 is a great pick. Like all of the prospects they selected though, he has a low floor.

Charlotte Hornets – B

The Hornets brought in a lot of solid role players, which is a great strategy. But they didn’t maximize the value they could have gotten, and they did not get any outstanding talents.

• Pick 4. Kon Knueppel – B- I am a lot lower on Knueppel than most. I would have taken multiple other prospects here. He will be a good role player for years to come, but likely never an All-Star.

• Pick 29. Liam McNeeley – B+ Similar to Knueppel, McNeeley will probably not be an All-Star, but he will be a good role player for a while. They got him with good value, but they just picked a very similar player, which is why this isn’t an A.

• Pick 33. Sion James – B- James is a great team player, willing to do the dirty work, and he will be able to help the team win. However, this may be a bit of a reach.

• Pick 34. Ryan Kalkbrenner – A I would have rather had Maxime Raynaud, but this is still an outstanding pick by Charlotte to fill a hole.

  
  

Chicago Bulls – B+

Chicago made good picks for players that can blossom into championship-level players. Successful draft.

• Pick 12. Noa Essengue – B A solid pick. Essengue has a ton of potential, but he could have character issues and there were better prospects available in my opinion.

• Pick 55. Lachlan Olbrich – A- Olbrich is a relatively unknown prospect. He has the potential to be a good starting center in this league.

Cleveland Cavaliers – B

No firsts, but the Cavs made solid picks and did the best they could with what they had.

• Pick 49. Tyrese Proctor – A-Replacing Ty Jerome with Tyrese Proctor isn’t a bad idea. Proctor can be a good backup PG one day, and he can contribute now.

• Pick 58. Saliou Niang – B-A draft-and-stash pick here because Cleveland had no roster spots left. Niang can develop into a good defensive player, but he is very poor on offense.

Dallas Mavericks – B

You might be confused why the Mavs only got a B grade—well, it’s because picking Cooper Flagg #1 was the most obvious thing to do, and the whole reason they got that #1 pick was getting extremely lucky after one of the worst trades in sports history.

• Pick 1. Cooper Flagg – A+ The obvious pick. Getting an ELITE player that can contribute right away and has potential to be an all-time defender is a no-brainer.

Denver Nuggets – N/A

The Nuggets had no draft picks.

Detroit Pistons – C+

With only one pick, Detroit had a quiet draft. It wasn’t a good pick, but not terrible.

• Pick 37. Chaz Lanier – C+ This is not a great pick in my opinion. Chaz can contribute right now, but is likely near the best he will ever be. He brings shooting to this team, but shooting guard is not the Pistons’ biggest need.

Golden State Warriors – B

Could've done better, but could've done worse. Both picks are solid and could provide some extra depth.

• Pick 52. Alex Toohey – A Toohey can definitely be an impactful player one day. He is a smart player and good defender. If he can develop his jumper, he will be nice.

• Pick 56. Will Richard – B- Richard is a good 3&D player, but the problem is there were other 3&D players available who are better.

Houston Rockets – N/A

The Rockets did not have a draft pick.

Indiana Pacers – B

The Pacers improved their roster with the Kam Jones pick, but the Taelon Peter pick was questionable. Solid draft for not having a first-rounder.

• Pick 38. Kam Jones – A This is a good pick for Indy. Getting a combo guard that can contribute right away to help replace Haliburton next season is a huge W.

• Pick 54. Taelon Peter – C- While he is a solid player—very efficient and can shoot—this is a massive reach as they could have gotten him as an UDFA.

LA Clippers – C

They got a backup center, but it was not a great selection. Not a good draft for the Clippers.

• Pick 30. Yanic Konan Niederhauser – C This was a reach. As an older prospect who already took a giant leap in his skill level, he likely will not get much better than he already is. Plus, there were multiple other centers better than him still available.

LA Lakers – A

The Lakers got someone who would have been a first-rounder in most drafts in the second round, so that is a win.

• Pick 36. Adou Thiero – A This is an amazing pick for the Lakers. They barely gave up anything to move up and grab Thiero, who is an elite athlete and good scorer and defender. I can definitely see him fitting in great with Luka and the Lakers in the future.

Memphis Grizzlies – C+

They got solid players, but with a reach on one and not a good fit on another, this is a mid draft for the Grizzlies.

• Pick 11. Cedric Coward – B- Coward is a great player with a great work ethic, but this pick is overrated. He likely won’t improve that much more, and he only played six games last year. I love the fit, but this is just too high for Cedric Coward in my opinion.

• Pick 48. Javon Small – C Small is a solid player, but this is not a great fit for Memphis. He is an undersized PG who playmakes and plays defense—very similar to Scottie Pippen Jr., who they already have. There were better options on the board.

• Pick 59. Jamal Mashack – C+ It’s the last pick in the draft, and they got a great defensive player, but there were better players on the board.

Miami Heat – A+

A perfect pick with their one selection of the draft. Couldn’t have gone better for the Heat.

• Pick 20. Kasparas Jakucionis – A+ I had Jakucionis as a top-10 player, and the Heat need a point guard just like him. Getting him at 20 is an absolute home run for Miami. This might very well be the best pick in the draft.

Milwaukee Bucks – A-

Milwaukee is in a very tough position right now, and with barely any draft picks they did the best with what they had.

• Pick 47. Bogoljub Markovic – A- I love this pick for the Bucks. They need to bring in young talent to start the rebuild, and Markovic definitely has an All-Star ceiling. Yes, he probably won’t get THAT good, but taking a flyer on a young “unicorn” at this pick is a great move. He will be a draft-and-stash, so hopefully he can keep developing overseas and come to Milwaukee in a couple years and be a real good player.

Minnesota Timberwolves – D+

This was an extremely poor draft for Minnesota. Trying to win now and getting two project centers is not the right move.

• Pick 17. Joan Beringer – D+ I absolutely hate this pick. Drafting an extremely raw center who plays very similar to your current center (Rudy Gobert) does not make sense to me. He will need a couple years to develop, and the Wolves are trying to win now. I had a second-round grade on Beringer, unlike most draft analysts. Terrible pick.

• Pick 45. Rocco Zikarsky – D+ This pick is also terrible. Picking ANOTHER center that needs to develop is so weird, especially after trading down from Rasheer Flemming, who I had a top-15 grade on. He isn’t a terrible player to spend a second-round pick on—it’s just the circumstances that make this grade so low.

New Orleans Pelicans – A-

This was overall a good draft for the Pelicans. They brought in a lot of talent, which is always the goal.

• Pick 7. Jeremiah Fears – A+ Jeremiah Fears is the perfect addition for New Orleans. They need a franchise PG, and Fears is the second-best point guard in the draft. They get him at pick 7, which is a bargain, and he will be a cornerstone of their franchise for years to come.

• Pick 13. Derik Queen – B They paid a hefty price for Queen—an extremely valuable first-round pick next year—and he might not be the best fit. He is great on the offensive end, but defensively is a little lackluster. However, I do think getting him at 13 was good value, so this is a solid pick, but I would not have traded up if I was the Pels.

• Pick 40. Micah Peavy – C+ This is a mid pick. They reached on this one for an older prospect who probably won’t be great in the NBA. He isn’t a great shooter, which is what the Pelicans need.

New York Knicks – C+

They only had one second-rounder, so this was not an important draft for New York.

• Pick 51. Mohamed Diawara – C+ Diawara could have potential, but he is super raw right now. I wouldn’t have made this pick myself, but it isn’t absolutely terrible.

Oklahoma City Thunder – A-

A couple of quality picks, once again, as GM Sam Presti continues to draft people rather than simply players.

• Pick 15. Thomas Sorber – A This is another great pick by Sam Presti. Sorber will fit right into this Thunder team. He is the perfect player to take over Isaiah Hartenstein’s role when he leaves in a year or two, and he has potential to be a top-10 center in this league.

• Pick 44. Brooks Barnhizer – B Barnhizer has that DAWG mentality. He plays like Alex Caruso—good defender, elite hustler, and will do whatever it takes to win. There were other better players available, but he will be a perfect fit for this team and could develop into a solid role player.

Orlando Magic – A

The Magic improved their team a lot this draft without having a top pick. They made a great trade to move up in the second round, and it ended up being a very successful draft for Orlando.

• Pick 25. Jase Richardson – A+ Phenomenal pick by Orlando here. Jase Richardson is the perfect player for them. He provides good offense, which is by far their biggest need. He has All-Star potential, and getting that at pick 25 is elite.

• Pick 32. Noah Penda – B+ I really like this pick. Noah Penda is one of the better international prospects in this class, and they got him in the second round. He can definitely be a triple-double threat when he develops, which is always great to have on your squad.

Philadelphia 76ers – B

The 76ers got lucky with the draft lottery. They made the obvious pick but should have explored other paths.

• Pick 3. VJ Edgecombe – A- I love the pick. The only reason it’s not an A or A+ is because it would have been smarter to trade it, in my opinion. They have one more chance to make it work with Embiid, and as much as I like Edgecombe, he won’t get them there.

• Pick 35. Johni Broome – C I do not like this pick. Broome is a poor athlete whose game will probably not translate to the NBA. This was a reach.

Phoenix Suns – A+

The Suns had one of the best drafts in the NBA. I still don’t understand why they made the Mark Williams trade, but I am not including that in this grading.

• Pick 10. Khaman Maluach – A This is a great pick. The Suns get their rebuild going by adding Maluach, who has potential to be elite in this league.

• Pick 31. Rasheer Flemming – A+ One of, if not the best, picks of the draft. I gave Rasheer a top-15 grade, and trading up to get him in the second round is an amazing move.

• Pick 41. Koby Brea – A Once again, an elite pick by the Suns. They added probably the best shooter in the draft in the second round, which is a MASSIVE success.

Portland Trail Blazers – D

The Blazers have a plethora of young talent, they randomly traded for Jrue Holiday, and they reached on Hansen Yang. This is an odd front office.

• Pick 16. Hansen Yang – D This was a very weird pick. A massive reach for a huge hit-or-miss prospect. If he hits, we could look back and say genius. However, I think it’s far more likely that it’s a miss.

Sacramento Kings – A+

Getting two underrated players late in the draft who will definitely contribute to winning games now and in the future is the goal of every franchise. They barely gave up anything for this, and it turned out perfect in my opinion.

• Pick 24. Nique Clifford – A+ The Kings traded a not very valuable future first for this pick, and Nique Clifford is an amazing player to get here. He is very similar to Josh Hart and will be very valuable to winning basketball games.

• Pick 42. Maxime Raynaud – A+ In my opinion, the biggest sleeper in the draft. I had a top-15 grade on Raynaud, and Sacramento got him at 42. Not anything else you can do to make this a perfect pick.

San Antonio Spurs – A-

A great draft for the Spurs as they continue to grow into a contender in the West.

• Pick 2. Dylan Harper – A This was the obvious and right pick. It could have been crazy to package this in a Giannis trade, but this was the right move for the Spurs. They get an elite prospect at number 2, but we knew this would happen.

• Pick 14. Carter Bryant – B+ I am less high on Bryant than most. He is just so unproven, but getting him at 14 is great value, so this is a good pick.

Toronto Raptors – B-

The Raptors made a good pick with their first-rounder, but a very poor one with their second. Decent draft overall for Toronto.

• Pick 9. Collin Murray-Boyles – A- This is a good pick. They got one of the best defenders and rebounders in the class. However, I’m not sure how well he will fit in with this Raptors roster. But they got a great player, and that’s always a win.

• Pick 39. Alijah Martin – D+ I’m not a huge fan of this pick. They reached for an undersized guard who isn’t the best at passing or ball-handling. I do not really see the appeal here.

Utah Jazz – B

Utah had an odd draft. It could end up being really good, or it could end up being really bad.

• Pick 5. Ace Bailey – A- Ace Bailey is obviously an elite prospect, so you’d think getting him at 5 would be an automatic A+. However, he definitely has some character concerns and did not want to be a Jazz, so this pick isn’t perfect.

• Pick 18. Walter Clayton Jr. – C Folks overrated Walter Clayton Jr. He could be a good sixth man one day, but he is probably near his peak and picking him at 18 while trading up is too far of a reach.

• Pick 53. John Tonje – B+ They got a great college player very late in the draft. Similar to Clayton, he is a good scorer who is a below-average defender, but is likely at or near his peak already.

Washington Wizards – A

Phenomenal draft for the Wizards. They are on pace to finish the rebuild in a couple years with all the young talent they now have on the roster.

• Pick 6. Tre Johnson – A+ Tre Johnson is a perfect pick for Washington. They needed offense, and he is arguably the best scorer in the draft. He will be a staple on this team for the future, and is an underrated candidate for Rookie of the Year.

• Pick 21. Will Riley – A- Trading down to get Will Riley was a good move. He has potential to be a Brandon Ingram-like player, which would be amazing for the Wizards.

• Pick 43. Jamir Watkins – A Watkins will be a great role player in the NBA. A great defender with a solid jumpshot. They got great value for him at 43.

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