Best picks, surprising moves and top trades from the NBA draft: Making sense of Round 1

Round 1 of the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday began with Cooper Flagg, the first of three Duke players selected, being drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 pick. And it ended with the LA Clippers drafting center Yanic Konan Niederhauser with pick No. 30.

There were winners and surprises, such as the Utah Jazz selecting Rutgers guard Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick and the Phoenix Suns landing the top-ranked center in Duke's Khaman Maluach at No. 10.

Which fan bases should be happy with what their favorite team did on Day 1, such as the Miami Heat landing a potential franchise point guard? Should Pelicans fans be wondering about the trade New Orleans made to move up and draft Derik Queen?

It's time to break down what happened Wednesday night in New York's Barclays Center. ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Jeremy Woo and Kevin Pelton share their winners, surprises and biggest questions after 30 picks went off the board in Round 1.

Round 2 begins Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

More NBA draft coverage: Mavs draft Flagg | Bailey's surprise by Utah Which trade earns an A? | Trade tracker Top 100 rankings | More draft

The pick: Khaman Maluach (No. 10)

The Suns' trade for Kevin Durant looks much different after the fall of Maluach to No. 10, which helps Phoenix strengthen a crucial position at center while also adding one of the most talented long-term prospects in the draft.

Maluach will bring high-level intensity, rim-protection timing, rebounding ability and switchable defense -- qualities the team lacked last season -- injecting much-needed youth and energy into a roster overloaded in the backcourt.

Most importantly, he is one of this draft's youngest prospects, with significant potential for growth both physically and skill-wise. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates for his off-court intangibles and should be an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker, thanks to his lob-catching ability.

The pick: Kasparas Jakucionis (No. 20)

It was surprising to see Jakucionis -- the No. 11-ranked player on our top 100 big board -- fall all the way to No. 20.

Any temporary disappointment over the money he lost was probably replaced by the realization he landed in arguably the most desirable situation of any guard prospect in this draft -- a team desperate for shot creation and playmaking. He'll also fit in perfectly from a culture and toughness perspective.

Jakucionis' ability to play any of the backcourt positions gives the Heat significant lineup flexibility when operating alongside Tyler Herro in the backcourt.

It wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually emerge as the franchise's future point guard, thanks to the savvy he displays running pick-and-roll and his exceptional feel for the game.

The pick: Yang Hansen, center (No. 16)

Hansen, the No. 35 player on the ESPN big board, made the biggest leap in the first round when Portland selected him at No. 16.

The Trail Blazers have been intrigued with Yang since scouting him with the Chinese national team at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary in 2023, later traveling to watch him play in China, following him in scrimmages in Las Vegas last summer as a member of the Chinese senior national team and working him out privately this past month in Portland.

Despite selecting another 7-footer in Donovan Clingan last year, the Trail Blazers view the draft through a best-player-available lens and say they are very excited about Yang's skill level and off-court intangibles. They plan to bring him to the NBA immediately to develop him.

The pick: Ace Bailey (No. 5)

Bailey looked surprised when the Utah Jazz selected him at No. 5, after clearly trying to maneuver his way down the board to other destinations in Washington or Brooklyn. Bailey told Andscape's Marc Spears after the draft he had "no idea" the Jazz were interested in him.

Bailey declined multiple invite requests to visit and workout privately with Utah throughout the predraft process, as well as the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3 and the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4, but the Jazz felt they knew enough about his game and profile to feel comfortable drafting him regardless.

New president of basketball operations Austin Ainge interviewed Bailey at the NBA draft combine as a member of the Boston Celtics' front office, and the rest of the Jazz brass also interviewed him separately. Ainge scouted him multiple times throughout the season at Rutgers.

Immediately after making the pick, Ainge told ESPN: "We really like him as a player and a fit in our program."

Pelton: Carter Bryant to the Spurs at No. 14. Having spent most of his lone season at Arizona coming off the bench, he might not help the Spurs immediately. But down the road Bryant has the kind of 3-and-D skill set that should ideally fit alongside San Antonio's core of Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper.

Woo: Assuming Cooper Flagg to the Mavericks at No. 1 is ineligible for this designation, I'll go with Khaman Maluach to the Suns at No. 10, a pick Givony explained above. It was a terrific outcome for Phoenix, and he might be the exact type of player they need to anchor whatever the team is going to look like moving forward.

To highlight a different selection, I'll go with Thomas Sorber at No. 15, a fit that makes a ton of sense for the Thunder. They were tipped as a trade-up team but were able to simply wait for him to fall to them. Oklahoma City made this selection with the long term in mind, considering starting center Isaiah Hartenstein might be tricky to retain when Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren move onto their second contracts next year.

The Thunder snagged a prospect with the skill set to provide a similar dimension and someone whom they can be patient with over the next season or two. This pick unsurprisingly spoke to the level of roster foresight with which the Thunder always approach the draft.

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Pelton: Atlanta getting the better of Milwaukee's and New Orleans' first-round picks in 2026 to move back just 10 spots from No. 13 to No. 23 is something that could loom large this time a year from now. The Pelicans are going to be hard-pressed to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, while the Bucks have downside risk with Damian Lillard sidelined by Achilles rehab.

The Hawks may end up with a better pick next year than they gave up this year. Merely getting a pick in the teens would be an enormous win value-wise.

Woo: As Kevin explained, the Atlanta-New Orleans trade was likely the most significant of the night from a value perspective, but it wouldn't be my favorite, particularly from the Pelicans' side of things.

We knew entering the night there was a real chance the Pelicans were after Derik Queen -- and, presumably, the Hawks were too, something they arguably exploited by extracting serious value out of New Orleans with a 2026 first-round pick that was not only unprotected, but is the better of two different teams.

It's hard to see an easy pathway for New Orleans as constituted to enter playoff territory, even more so if the team is planning to play Jeremiah Fears and Queen major minutes, which they'll both need to maximize their development.

It was a confusing amount of risk for the Pelicans to take on, and if Atlanta lands a premium pick next year, it will sting no matter how well Queen adjusts to the NBA.

Pelton: Do I get to count the Mavericks? To be clear, it's unlikely any of the players drafted Wednesday will play an important role in the last two rounds of next season's playoffs. I'd give that a better chance of happening on Thursday.

Based on that, the move that might have the most long-term impact on a 2026 title contender might be the Thunder pushing back the No. 24 pick by getting a 2026 first-round pick from the Kings.

Woo: I'll preface this by noting that not all that many of the clear-cut contenders made draft picks -- but I did like what the Magic did in this draft, including their aggressive-yet-measured trade for Desmond Bane (sending the 16th pick as part of a package to Memphis) and allowing the board to fall to them at No. 25, nabbing Jase Richardson.

Richardson might be able to pinch-hit for the Magic off the bench early in his career, and he gives them a potentially valuable (and inexpensive) depth player during a window in which they're committed to competing at the highest level with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Am I ready to call the Magic a bonafide contender? With the East as wide open as ever, they'd certainly like to be. They've certainly played the offseason well so far.

Pelton: Kasparas Jakucionis to the Heat at No. 20. Former Miami guard Goran Dragic has been my comparison for Jakucionis if things go right. They're both physical guards with shooting ability. Dragic improved his high turnover rate that limited him as a young player, and Jakucionis will have to do the same.

Jakucionis' size at 6-foot-6 will allow him to play alongside either Tyler Herro or Davion Mitchell, presuming the Heat retain Mitchell as a restricted free agent.

Woo: Joan Beringer to the Timberwolves at No. 18. I'm high on Beringer's long-term outlook -- it's hard to find centers with his caliber of physical traits who can also run the floor and protect the rim. His age and relative inexperience leaves a ton of room for him to improve.

Getting to develop behind another Frenchman in Rudy Gobert, who could be a valuable mentor as Beringer makes a major leap to the NBA level, could be an ideal situation to help him tap into his significant ability.

This may take some time to pay off, but as Minnesota continues to try and build a winner with Anthony Edwards, landing a talent of this caliber and also addressing a long-term need could be a real coup.

Pelton: False. I don't think scoring will ever be the strength of Flagg's game. But on a contending team with Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, that might add a shot creator at point guard in Kyrie Irving's absence? I don't think that's realistic.

Woo: False, but I don't view that as a concern -- it depends more on how much usage the Mavs intend to hand him right away than anything else -- but it's the well-roundedness of Flagg's game that should shine through and make him the Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

Dallas should be enthusiastic about his outlook without giving him more than he can handle right away.

Pelton: Jumping out of the plane without a parachute. The Pelicans saw this season what can go wrong when injuries strike in the West. They entered the lottery with a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 pick. Imagine the emotions in New Orleans if the Hawks are in a position to win the lottery with their pick.

Woo: A mistimed decision. It's one thing to trade your pick a year out with a clear pathway to a playoff spot, or to add a player that can help get you there. It's another to use it to gamble on a rookie -- even one you love -- without giving yourself any sort of safety net if things break bad.

I also question the fit of Queen alongside Zion Williamson long-term, two bigs who are best on the offensive end but offer limited rim protection and no floor-spacing component. I like some of the players on the Pelicans' roster, but I've been confused with exactly what the overall plan is moving forward, and that was before they decided to take an enormous leap of faith.

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Pelton: Probably a C-plus. Brooklyn seemed to lean heavily in the project direction, taking a pair of one-and-done prospects (Egor Demin at No. 8 and Drake Powell at No. 22) in addition to two teenage international prospects (Nolan Traore at No. 19 and Ben Saraf at No. 26). Michigan center Danny Wolf, the last player taken out of the green room, was the only pick older than age 19.

I'd have preferred to see a little more proven production. Demin, who ranked eighth, was the only Nets pick to rank in the top 23 in my stats-based projections.

Woo: I'd give them a B. When you make five picks, your draft board is unlikely to ever align with consensus, but I can see the vision they seem to have for the roster and I'm fascinated by how it might work out for them.

The Nets are clearly committed to how coach Jordi Fernandez wants to play and loaded up on players with positional size and passing ability (Demin, Traore, Saraf, Wolf) and also took a flier on Powell, who was viewed as a potential lottery name entering the season and was arguably misused at North Carolina playing a lot of time at power forward.

I don't know exactly how this works out for them, but I respect the way they approached it, and they'll have plenty of time to evaluate all their guys next season and chart a course forward.

Pelton: Rasheer Fleming (Saint Joseph's). At No. 27, Fleming was the highest player in the final mock draft by Givony and Woo not to go in the first round. Fleming was even higher in my stats-based projections (18th).

It will be interesting to see whether teams spend Thursday jockeying to get into position to draft Fleming early in round 2.

Woo: Maxime Raynaud (Stanford). I thought he'd done enough to hear his name called in the 20s, but with all the big men that were ultimately selected in the first round, including Hansen Yang's surprise jump, he was one of the players who ultimately slipped. I'd guess there will be a few teams trying to find a way to get him early in the 30s.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.

Jeremy Woo is an NBA analyst specializing in prospect evaluation and the draft. He was previously a staff writer and draft insider at Sports Illustrated.