Washington Wizards 2025 NBA Mock Draft Roundup 1.0
Leading up to the 2025 NBA Draft, our Washington Wizards Mock Draft Roundup will highlight recent picks for the Washington Wizards from several prominent sites and draft analysts.
The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Wizards:
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
If there was any doubt about whether or not Cooper Flagg deserves the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, he silenced it. Flagg recently recorded 42 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds versus Notre Dame. He leads all Duke players in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals per game this season. Since 2009, the only freshmen with a higher box plus-minus are Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis.
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
Flagg continues to get better with each passing month for Duke and seems to have gained some separation from the field in the last few weeks because of it. Flagg's versatility and the totality of his overall impact have been off the charts, and if the shooting and self-creation keep trending in the right direction, he could end up being the runaway favorite for the No. 1 pick.
Bleacher Report — Jonathan Wasserman
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
Duke hasn't been tested lately, but this current stretch has helped Cooper Flagg further separate at No. 1 on draft boards.
His epic 42-point, seven-assist game against Notre Dame showcased the entire package of self-creation and counter offense, three-level shotmaking and intelligent passing. He shot 16-of-17 from the line as well, bringing his percentage on the season up to 80.6 percent. He's making threes (four versus Notre Dame) and delivering more flashes of one-on-one scoring and execution off the bounce.
Even without the improved shotmaking lately, he continues to impact games with his athleticism from off the ball, playmaking and defensive presence.
A down year for the ACC will limit Flagg's chances to blow scouts away against mid-quality opponents over the next two months. But he just turned 18, and at 17, he'd already gone for 26 points and 11 boards versus Kentucky; he had a 24, 7-rebound and 3-assist game in a blowout of Arizona; and he recorded 22, 11 and four assists in a big win against No. 2 Auburn.
His epic 42-point, seven-assist game against Notre Dame showcased the entire package of self-creation and counter offense, three-level shotmaking and intelligent passing. He shot 16-of-17 from the line as well, bringing his percentage on the season up to 80.6 percent. He's making threes (four versus Notre Dame) and delivering more flashes of one-on-one scoring and execution off the bounce.
Even without the improved shotmaking lately, he continues to impact games with his athleticism from off the ball, playmaking and defensive presence.
A down year for the ACC will limit Flagg's chances to blow scouts away against mid-quality opponents over the next two months. But he just turned 18, and at 17, he'd already gone for 26 points and 11 boards versus Kentucky; he had a 24, 7-rebound and 3-assist game in a blowout of Arizona; and he recorded 22, 11 and four assists in a big win against No. 2 Auburn.
2. Dylan Harper, Rutgers
Harper is in the mix for No. 1. He's been a bit better than Flagg this season, averaging 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 52.5 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from 3 and 75 percent from the line. He went scoreless in 15 minutes on Monday against Wisconsin but was dealing with the flu. He had a monster 37-point game earlier this season against Alabama, a huge 24/12/5 game against Penn State, 36 points versus Notre Dame and 24 points on 13 shots against Seton Hall. More than anything, it's the well-rounded polish of Harper's game that showcases itself every time he takes the court. He's a terrific ballhandler, great decision-maker, sharp defender and good shooter. There isn't really anything he doesn't do well at this level, and he's elite at creating shots.
What are the questions that come up most? The first one is whether Harper will be able to consistently get this degree of separation against NBA-level defenders. He's not a monster athlete, but he's unbelievable at finding little creases in the defense and has incredibly flexible hips that allow him to find his way through traffic to get to the rim. The other big question is his pull-up game, as he's made just 33 percent from 3 and 40 percent from the midrange on such shots, per Synergy. But given that he's just 19 and has been as impressive as he's been, it's hard to nitpick. To me, this is a two-person draft at the top, and Harper has pushed himself into that top tier with Flagg.
What are the questions that come up most? The first one is whether Harper will be able to consistently get this degree of separation against NBA-level defenders. He's not a monster athlete, but he's unbelievable at finding little creases in the defense and has incredibly flexible hips that allow him to find his way through traffic to get to the rim. The other big question is his pull-up game, as he's made just 33 percent from 3 and 40 percent from the midrange on such shots, per Synergy. But given that he's just 19 and has been as impressive as he's been, it's hard to nitpick. To me, this is a two-person draft at the top, and Harper has pushed himself into that top tier with Flagg.
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
The Wizards would be thrilled to add a talent such as Flagg to their young core, forming a dynamic defensive duo with Alexandre Sarr, last year's No. 2 pick. Flagg has been as good as advertised and appears to be hitting his stride. In the past month, he has been making jumpers and free throws more consistently while showing off his passing, finishing and defensive versatility with his outstanding intensity and feel for the game.
Sporting a 30-plus% usage rate, the second highest among projected first-rounders, Flagg has taken on an outsized role as a shot-creator. That has taken a toll on his efficiency (51% on 2-pointers, 31% on 3s) at times but it should be beneficial for him and Duke long term. The Blue Devils tested themselves in a major way in non-conference play and have looked well-equipped for a deep NCAA tournament run, with Flagg leading the way on both ends of the floor. -- Givony
Sporting a 30-plus% usage rate, the second highest among projected first-rounders, Flagg has taken on an outsized role as a shot-creator. That has taken a toll on his efficiency (51% on 2-pointers, 31% on 3s) at times but it should be beneficial for him and Duke long term. The Blue Devils tested themselves in a major way in non-conference play and have looked well-equipped for a deep NCAA tournament run, with Flagg leading the way on both ends of the floor. -- Givony
1. Cooper Flagg, Duke
In addition to Flagg's elite skill set, athleticism and poise, the superstar freshman just turned 18 on Dec. 21. He will be the second-youngest college player to get drafted in the history of the event, so Flagg even checks off the age box in a special way because he still has plenty of upside. He has scored 24 points in three of Duke's last five games, all of which were wins, and added 10 rebounds and five assists in Duke's 76-47 win over Pitt.