It was now simply over six months in the past that the 2025 NBA Draft passed off. We knew it was an enormous evening even again then, headlined by a marquee participant. Since then, although, this rookie class has exceeded expectations throughout the board by almost one half of an NBA common season, proving the depth and budding star energy alike within the draft class of 2025.

How would the lottery have gone if we knew then what we all know now? Effectively, we will discover that query from just a few completely different views. The primary is with a standard redraft, analyzing how the lottery would play out at present. The second is by assessing who every staff ought to have taken, on reflection, given who was on the board on draft evening.

Let’s get to it.

• Authentic choose: Flagg
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Flagg

Flagg could have gotten off to a sluggish begin, however quite a lot of that was contextual — taking part in him as a full-time level guard as a part of a flawed roster building — and in addition an preliminary studying curve that wasn’t so completely different from what we noticed in his freshman season at Duke. Extra just lately although, we have seen what we anticipated on draft evening. Whereas he is presently within the midst of a three-game capturing hunch, he averaged 23.5 factors, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists within the month of December whereas capturing 52% from the ground and 81% from the free-throw line. Whereas the shot-making nonetheless hasn’t clicked, and the protection is not fairly but as exemplary as marketed, we’re speaking about somebody who simply celebrated his nineteenth birthday. In different phrases, there is a legit dialog available about who the Rookie of the Yr needs to be, however there’s nonetheless just one proper reply about who ought to have been the No. 1 choose.

• Authentic choose: Dylan Harper
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Knueppel

The ironic half is that there was some speak going into Draft Evening about how Knueppel can be the higher match, with some individuals even questioning aloud if the Spurs would entertain buying and selling down a choose or two and grabbing him. Harper was the consensus No. 2 participant in June although, and he is executed nothing since to decrease his worth — it is simply that Knueppel has been so good. He is posted 19.4 factors, 5.1 rebounds, and three.5 assists per sport on blistering 48/43/89 capturing splits. Whereas the shot-making is actually elite, there’s been playmaking to match and the protection we noticed at Duke has translated pretty nicely. His maturity and professionalism have additionally been excellent for Charlotte, establishing him as a long-term piece at simply 20 years outdated.

• Authentic choose: Edgecombe
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Knueppel

Edgecombe was one of many league’s greatest rookies early on, and whereas he struggled to maintain that very same degree, his greatest basketball but has are available the previous couple of weeks. He is scored 22 or extra factors in seven of his final 10 video games. His capturing is forward of schedule whereas his explosiveness and competitiveness are each bit nearly as good as marketed. He even leads the Sixers in level differential. So whereas Knueppel is perhaps the choose in a do-over, the Sixers ought to really feel nice about Edgecombe. He is been higher than anticipated, impacted successful, and actually benefitted from the quantity of house that comes from taking part in alongside Tyrese Maxey in Nick Nurse’s system. Now, he and Maxey would be the duo that the Sixers are constructed round transferring ahead.

• Authentic choose: Knueppel
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Knueppel

Draft Evening was clearly a home-run for Charlotte. If Knueppel have been off the board, and Philadelphia stayed with Edgecombe, then Harper would have made sense right here. If and after they transfer off LaMelo Ball, they’d have one other doubtlessly dynamic lead guard to construct round, and till then the 2 may have co-existed simply positive. Harper’s playmaking has been each bit nearly as good as anticipated in San Antonio. His mixture of dimension, size, power, tempo, and really feel has allowed him to constantly get to the paint, and that is in a scenario the place he does not get as a lot quantity as different notable rookies. His protection has been manner higher than anticipated, however the two issues coming into the draft — his capturing and sturdiness — have confirmed legit issues as far as he is 27% from 3 and already missed 10 video games.  

• Authentic choose: Bailey
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Bailey

That is the place the redraft actually begins and there are a selection of viable candidates together with Queen, Coward, and Fears, all of whom have been extra productive than Bailey thus far. Bailey acquired off to a comparatively sluggish begin, however has since performed his manner into the beginning lineup and made actual two-way progress. The fact in Utah is that they knew Bailey was a longer-term inventory, however have been prepared to be affected person as a result of they noticed the upside, and there is been clear two-way progress up to now. One of the notable, and inspiring areas, has been the effectivity of his time with the ball. At Rutgers, and significantly earlier than that, he was a participant who the ball would keep on with. Below Will Hardy, he is already discovered to make fast selections with the ball and nonetheless has a lot extra runway to maintain enhancing. 

• Authentic choose: Tre Johnson
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Queen

I advocated for Washington to ponder a Sarr/Queen paring heading into draft evening and on reflection it appears there would have been validity there. They’d nonetheless have inquiries to reply within the backcourt, however the collective frontcourt passing, with budding wings like Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George, may have been intriguing. Whereas Queen hasn’t been fairly as productive within the final two weeks, previous to that he was thriving, typically as New Orlean’s major playmaker. He leads all rookies in assists on the season and was averaging 17 factors and eight rebounds on 58% capturing from the ground within the month of December previous to the final two video games.

• Authentic choose: Fears
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Queen

Fears was a polarizing prospect coming into the draft and nonetheless stays so. There was a stretch from late November by mid-December the place he actually appeared to be hitting his stride. Then there was an eight-game stretch when he actually struggled to finish the month. Most just lately, he is had consecutive good video games, albeit in lopsided losses. The underside line is that it’s extremely up and down. When he is good, he is dynamic attacking the rim and taking part in with excessive tempo. However he will also be very streaky along with his capturing, decision-making and a defensive legal responsibility. Briefly, this stays an enormous swing, but it surely seems like an more and more justifiable one at this level within the draft.  

• Authentic choose: Egor Dëmin
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Queen

Johnson acquired off to a slower begin than anticipated in Washington after which missed three weeks with harm. Since returning although, he is step by step been working his manner into a greater rhythm. Nonetheless although, it’s kind of shocking to see him not get extra utilization at occasions, on a Wizards staff that is not taking part in for something aside from to develop their younger belongings and subsequent 12 months’s draft place. As for Brooklyn, their precise choose of Dëmin has exceeded expectations just lately, however has been utilized principally as a shooter. That is a distinct segment Johnson is best fitted to and with each Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas possible renting, and never shopping for in Brooklyn, Johnson’s shot-making can be much more valued long-term. Moreover, in the event that they actually coveted Dëmin, they’d the belongings to maneuver up and take each.

The Raptors are flush with wings — Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter — however Coward is the most effective participant on the board primarily based on what we now know. Coward has began over half his video games for the Grizzlies and been extremely regular along with his two-way productiveness, whilst he is skilled inconsistencies along with his 3-point capturing. If the capturing pans out, he suits a coveted 3-and-D wing archetype, with excessive size. Whereas he could also be 22 years outdated, he is actually simply getting his first style of high quality competitors, so his general development ought to proceed.

• Authentic choose: Khaman Maluach
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Queen

The Suns acquired this choose within the Kevin Durant commerce and addressed a transparent positional want at middle. Maluach, although, hasn’t been able to contribute and is as a substitute creating his nonetheless clear long-term potential within the G League. As for Dëmin, he is rewarded Brooklyn’s religion in him and justified his lottery choice. His overlap of perimeter dimension and passing was his calling card coming into the draft, however the progress of his capturing has exceeded all expectations. Popping out of Christmas, he was even the one rookie to common at the least 19 factors, 7 threes, and 4 made 3s per 100 possessions. Defensively, there should be questions, however he is strong sufficient to contribute to a Nets protection that was second within the league within the month of December.

11. Memphis Grizzlies: Collin Murray-Boyles

• Authentic choose: Cedric Coward
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Coward

Memphis traded up from 16 to get Coward. To this point, it seems like a top quality funding, and positively a terrific eval. If Coward have been off the board, and that wasn’t a chance, CMB would have supplied a right away return, both for them or the Blazers (who initially owned the choose). He has supplied regular rotation minutes for a Toronto staff that has made important strides within the japanese convention. He is been environment friendly and lively, actually impacting the sport as an offensive rebounder and defender who can get deflections.

• Authentic choose: Noa Essengue
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Queen

The final time Essenque acquired on the ground for the Bulls was Nov. 24, and he regarded nearly unplayable. The Frenchman simply turned 19 years outdated three weeks in the past although, so Chicago knew this was a long-term concept, however not taking Queen (who performs the identical place) seems indefensible on reflection. There are extra instant affect choices on the board, but when they need to use a lottery choose on a high-upside long-term prospect (which was presumably the methodology with Essengue), then Maluach is smart. He hasn’t been prepared for actual rotation minutes within the NBA, however there’s nonetheless optimism about what he can grow to be along with his large dimension, size, and the mobility to match.

• Authentic choose: Derik Queen
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Queen

Essentially the most analyzed deal on draft evening noticed the Pelicans commerce up with the Hawks, giving them the twenty third choose and a future unprotected choose in 2026. Whereas the logic of not together with any choose protections is suspect to say the least, their analysis of Queen has been on the cash. He is not on the board in a redraft, however Kalkbrenner has been the Day 1 beginning middle in Charlotte. He does not present frontcourt playmaking, however he is a rim protector, vastly environment friendly finisher, good offensive rebounder, and drop protection monster who can play instant minutes. 

• Authentic choose: Bryant
• Choose they need to’ve made on Draft Evening: Kalkbrenner

The excellent news is the Spurs appear to be they’re forward of schedule and could also be contenders proper now. The unhealthy information is that does not result in a lot time for 20-year-old developmental wings like Bryant. He is getting solely spot minutes that scale back to subsequent to nothing in shut video games, and the capturing hasn’t translated as hoped in these very restricted alternatives simply but. Lengthy-term, it is nonetheless manner too early to surrender on an athletic 3-and-D wing with high quality dimension, however Kalkbrenner may have supplied somebody who can affect successful proper now, given them one other Wemby insurance coverage coverage, and optionality for jumbo lineups.