2025 NBA Draft: Tre Johnson rises, Ace Bailey plummets in final CBS Sports mock draft

The San Antonio Spurs have seemingly had a choice to make with the second overall pick. They could either trade it or use it. Now, just ahead of the NBA Draft, it appears they’ll be using it. That leaves Dylan Harper as the seemingly obvious pick here.

The Spurs were, in many ways, a big winner of the lottery to be picking here. It allows them to add another young star around Victor Wembanyama. If the choice does end up being Harper, the hope is that he can hit the ground running and get San Antonio competitive again in the West.

3. Philadelphia 76ers – Tre Johnson, SG, Texas

The third pick is where this year’s NBA Draft is going to get really interesting. After a massively disappointing season, the 76ers are picking high enough to hit the reset button. To do that, CBS Sports has Philadelphia selecting Tre Johnson.

Johnson has been rapidly moving up NBA Draft boards. A great shooter, there is hope that Johnson can make the transition to the NBA relatively easily. Add plenty of potential, and there’s a lot for teams to like about Johnson.

4. Charlotte Hornets – VJ Edgecombe, SG, Baylor

The Charlotte Hornets don’t entirely control their own fate at fourth overall. However, as CBS Sports explained, if the board falls this way that won’t be a problem. The Hornet would love to add VJ Edgecombe this year.

A phenomenal athlete, there’s a good chance he’s off the board by fourth overall. With plenty of defensive upside and an ability to play downhill, it’s easy to see the vision for him. He’s also shown growth as a shooter, so it stands to reason he can continue to get better in that aspect of his game too.

5. Utah Jazz – Kon Knueppel, SF, Duke

Coming in at fifth overall is the Utah Jazz. At one point, this seemed like a good spot for Ace Bailey. However, as his stock has slipped, it has seemed like Danny Ainge and the Jazz have likely moved off of him as well. So, instead, they’ll turn their attention to Kon Knueppel.

A high-floor player, Knueppel was a little overshadowed by Cooper Flagg at Duke. Still, he offers an incredible floor. That’s something most players in this NBA Draft can’t match. After producing consistently from the wing, the hope is he’ll have a relatively easy transition to the NBA.

6. Washington Wizards – Ace Bailey, SF, Rutgers

After a bit of a slide given his talent, Ace Bailey is projected to be taken sixth overall in the NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards. That’s a win for the Wizards, who seemingly lost the draft lottery. Now, they’ll have access to a high-upside but polarizing draft prospect.

If players were selected on talent alone, CBS Sports says that he’d be a top-three caliber player. The problem is that he’s seemingly handled the pre-draft process poorly. That, along with production that didn’t match his talent at Rutgers, has seen him fall to this point.

7. New Orleans Pelicans – Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma

Late ahead of the NBA Draft, another rapid riser in the lottery appears to be Jeremiah Fears. Considered a high-risk, high-reward kind of prospect, Fears is the kind of player who could be a boom at this point for the Pelicans. The hope in making that pick is that he’ll improve as a shooter and become a threat offensively from multiple points on the floor.

The Pelicans would have liked to be picking higher in the draft. So, there is still some thought that they could end up trading up. However, they’re running out of time to make that move. If they do, though, they’ll be looking for someone who CBS Sports already had been selected by this point.

8. Brooklyn Nets – Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

The third Duke player that CBS Sports has coming off the board is Khaman Maluach. A big man, he’d be the first of four current first round draft picks for the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have plenty of needs, and this would be a good place to fill that need at center.

Maluach has incredible length that is impossible to teach. At the same time, he balances that by being an incredibly athletic player. Capable of protecting the rim, it’s easy to see how he could become a prototype NBA center in the near future.

9. Toronto Raptors – Kasparas Jakucionis, PG, Illinois

CBS Sports has been predicting that Khaman Maluach goes to Toronto to reset their center position. However, in this mock draft, he’s already off the board and they’ll have to pivot. So, instead, they’ll go with a guard in Kasparas Jakucionis.

The number one thing that Jakucionis is going to offer is versatility. Whether it’s ball handling, shooting, defense, or passing, he’s capable of doing them all. There’s room for improvement, certainly, and cutting down on turnovers is going to matter. However, the upside is there.

10. Phoenix Suns – Collin Murray-Boyles, PF, South Carolina

The Phoenix Suns now have the 10th overall pick in the NBA Draft. It was a piece of the return in the Kevin Durant trade, and it immediately becomes vital as the Suns look to build their new core for the future. So, CBS Sports thinks they’ll be using the pick on Collin Murray-Boyles.

A good rebounder who is versatile defensively, the hope is that Murray-Boyles is going to be able to make a fairly smooth transition to the NBA. There’s room for improvement on offense, especially as a shooter. However, given Phoenix’s needs, it makes sense he’d go here.

2025 NBA Draft picks 10-30

11. Portland Trail Blazers – Carter Bryant, SF, Arizona
12. Chicago Bulls – Noa Essengue, PF, France
13. Atlanta Hawks – Joan Beringer, C, France
14. San Antonio Spurs – Cedric Coward, SG, Washington State
15. Oklahoma City Thunder – Derik Queen, C, Maryland
16. Memphis Grizzlies – Liam McNeeley, SF, UConn
17. Minnesota Timberwolves – Egor Demin, PG, BYU
18. Washington Wizards – Asa Newell, PF, Georgia
19. Brooklyn Nets – Nolan Traore, PG, France 
20. Miami Heat – Walter Clayton, PG, Florida
21. Utah Jazz – Nique Clifford, SF, Colorado State
22. Atlanta Hawks – Will Riley, SF, Illinois
23. New Orleans Pelicans – Danny Wolf, PF, Michigan
24. Oklahoma City Thunder – Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
25. Orlando Magic – Jase Richardson, SG, Michigan State
26. Brooklyn Nets – Noah Penda, SF, France
27. Brooklyn Nets – Maxime Raynaud, C, Stanford
28. Boston Celtics – Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton 
29. Phoenix Suns – Drake Powell, SF, North Carolina 
30. Los Angeles Clippers – Hugo Gonzalez, SF, Spain