The 2025 Draft appeared to be loaded with talent heading into the draft, and nine months later it has not disappointed. From a tight Rookie of the Year race to numerous contributors on playoff teams, this group looks special.
What if we were to turn back the clock and do it all over again? Knowing what we do now, who would go first, second third - and who would be the risers and fallers?
2025 NBA Re-Draft: Future Stars are Swapping Spots
We re-drafted the first 14 picks of the 2025 NBA Draft, taking into account our pre-draft evaluation combined with how these players have performed through their rookie seasons. We are keeping the final draft order intact - that means trades are kept in place even though the players have changed.
We begin in Dallas, where the Mavericks landed the No. 1 overall pick at the perfect time to console a grieving fan abse that had just lost Luka Doncic.
No. 1: Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
The Rookie of the Year race is hotly contested as each of the first four picks is putting together fantastic rookie seasons. That doesn't mean the No. 1 pick in our redraft is contested at all. For as good as Kon Knueppel and Dylan Harper have been, Cooper Flagg is the obvious pick to go No. 1 again.
He was essentially the youngest player in the league this year and performed at an All-Star level, and he looks like an on-ball star who does all of the little things that propel winning as well. He played point guard and power forward and everything in between on a directionless Dallas team this year, and he should be a perennial All-NBA player before too long.
Original Pick: Cooper Flagg
No. 2: San Antonio Spurs select Kon Knueppel, G, Duke
Now we come to the most difficult decision of our re-draft: on-ball wizard Dylan Harper, or knockdown shooter Kon Knueppel? Far from a knock on Harper, whose defense and rim pressure are critical elements on a 60-win team as a rookie, we go with Knueppel here. He is having the greatest shooting season since Stephen Curry and would be an incredible fit on the Spurs' roster.
Original Pick: Dylan Harper
No. 3: Philadelphia 76ers select Dylan Harper, PG, Rutgers
With Harper still on the board, the 76ers pass on Edgecombe -- who has been all they could have hoped for -- to take the higher upside of Harper. There is a very real possibility he is a 10-time All-NBA point guard putting up 20 - 10 - 7 and bringing the two-way dominance you so rarely see from the point. Tyrese Maxey could slide to his more natural shooting guard position with Harper's size on the court defensively.
Original Pick: VJ Edgecombe
No. 4: Charlotte Hornets select VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
The Hornets may lose out on Knueppel, who in real life has transformed their trajectory as a franchise, but their consolation prize is fantastic as well. Edgecombe plays hard on both ends of the court, is a dynamo in transition, and has been a better shooter than expected coming out of Baylor. He would bring an edge to a Hornets team and his brand of chaos would be a great counterpoint to LaMelo Ball's brand of chaos.
Original Pick: Kon Knueppel
No. 5: Utah Jazz select Cedric Coward, F, Washington State
It would be defensible for the Jazz to draft Ace Bailey once again, as his size and skill offer hints of a future star. On the other hand, his production has not been there for most of the year, while Cedric Coward has put up that production already. Bailey's ceiling is higher, but Coward is already a good two-way forward with plenty of upside himself. He would pair with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler to give the Jazz a fantastic defensive core.
Original Pick: Ace Bailey
No. 6: Washington Wizards select Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
The Wizards bent over backwards trying to draft Ace Bailey on draft night, and they land him here in our 2025 re-draft. The 6'9" forward is a smooth scorer and is comfortable shooting even if his accuracy is still developing. He needs to grow in creating separation to truly be an on-ball star, but his upside remains that of a top-two scoring option on a good team. The Wizards bet on his upside here.
Original Pick: Tre Johnson
No. 7: New Orleans Pelicans select Collin Murray-Boyles, F/C, South Carolina
The New Orleans Pelicans are a team with plenty of talented players and no cohesive plan. They likely go after the same players in our re-draft as they did originally with Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, both of whom would be justifiable choices here.
Ultimately, however, the defensive upside of Murray-Boyles raises him above the other options.
No. 8: Brooklyn Nets select Tre Johnson, G, Texas
When a cornerstone player is no longer available in a draft -- and despite flashes from names like Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, that does indeed seem to be the case -- you want to bank on NBA skills. Tre Johnson has that skill.
A movement shooter with incredible feel and touch, Johnson has been in the worst possible environment to maximize his impact as a shooter. And indeed, his accuracy has gone down as the season has gone on. But with great length his defensive floor isn't rock-bottom, and his shooting should excel in the right environment.
Original Pick: Egor Demin
No. 9: Toronto Raptors select Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
The Raptors love their big athletes, and with Collin Murray-Boyles off the board they take Carter Bryant here. He is a massive human being and an immediate defensive difference-maker, and paired with his upside to grow as a shooter he could be a special 3-and-D forward.
Original Pick: Collin Murray-Boyles
No. 10: Phoenix Suns select Derik Queen, C, Maryland
The Suns have their pick of the centers at this point, and Khaman Maluach's slow progression this year was not a surprise and could result in a long-term starter for Phoenix in the middle. He would be a reasonable pick here. But the offensive flashes that Queen has sown this year give him an upside that the Suns cannot pass up.
Original Pick: Khaman Maluach
No. 11: Memphis Grizzlies select Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma
Memphis looks brilliant for identifying Cedric Coward in the draft, but with the two-way forward off the board they go in a different direction entirely. The Grizzlies fasttrack their Ja Morant replacement plan in our re-draft and take a player with the speed and handle to develop into a capabe floor general who can bring some of the razzle dazzle that Morant once did - and hopefully fewer of the off-court issues.
Original Pick: Cedric Coward
No. 12: Chicago Bulls select Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
The Chicago Bulls lost their original pick, Noa Essengue, to season-ending injury. They don't know how good he will be. In Khaman Maluach they at leat see a player with massive tools growing into his role, first in the G League and now in the NBA down the stretch. He could be a double-double machine for the Bulls for the next decade.
Original Pick: Noa Essengue
No. 13: New Orleans Pelicans select Egor Demin, G, BYU
Egor Demin remains one of the more puzzling prospects from this draft class, a huge point guard who avoids the paint and jacks 3-pointers. His passing vision is spectacular, and the Pelicans could take a shot that he develops into the huge playmaker archetype that is valued around the league right now.
Original Pick: Derik Queen
No. 14: San Antonio Spurs select Will Richard, G/F, Florida
The Spurs could go in all manner of directions here, from a long-term play like Essengue to a defensive specialist like Hugo Gonzalez to a backup center like Joan Beringer.
They use the 14th pick here on Will Richard, who went late in the second round to the Golden State Warriors. Richard can do a little of everything as an off-ball wing who can shoot, attack closeouts, pass and defend. He could slot in as an inexpensive rotation wing for a team that needs options between the guards and Wembanyama.
Original Pick: Carter Bryant
Honorable Mentions: Joan Beringer, Maxime Reynaud, Hugo Gonzalez, Ryan Kalkbrenner