2025 NBA Draft Winners and Losers: Spurs Stocks, Jazz Risk With Ace Bailei

Melissa Rohl

Fox Sports NBA Vriter

In the vortex for a few days, the NBA crossed from the crown Oklahoma City Thunder As champions to welcome their next group of young people in the league from the NBA draft.

The results of the draft will not be known for years coming. The upper elections can also be flames and late protrudes can be seen as astonishing theft. (Read: Triple MVP Nikola Jokic If he had chosen Denver as 41. Celini entrance in Draft 2014. year during the Taco bell.)

However, it is fun to take up an educated assumption of who the biggest winners and losers of this year’s class.

Winner: Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks went to be marked as the dumbest trade in NBA history (Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis) To get incredibly won the number 1 into a draft lottery despite having only 1.8 percent chance of it.

They, of course, chose Cooper Flagg, who was the best consensus player on basketball in college. Flagg is a two-way star that could handle the current impact on the Mavericks team who justified the trade Doncija, saying they wanted to be a defensive ball club.

Flagg is a type of player who could help wear dew at both ends of the court, something Mavericks needed with stars injuries Anthony Davis and Kirie Irving. Mavericks went to reach the NBA finals in 2024. To fully miss playoffs in 2025. years to suffer tears of seasonal ACL in March and Davis, which suits the left promotion during her debutor who found him six weeks.

Flagg completely changes Mavericks trajectory for next season and future. If it can quickly fill out its potential – or transition, Makeyards could be candidates with a young star and a list that includes Davis, Dereck Liveli II, Daniel GaffordPJ Washington, Klai Thompson – And Irving, whenever he returns.

Loser: Ace Bailey

Was Ace Bailey the right choice for jazz? (Photo by Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

Bailey apparently tried to skyrocket the unwritten rules of the draft and his future, allegedly fails not working on teams that choose in the first five, including meeting the meeting with Filadelphia 76ers.

That immediately asked questions about his maturity. And she obviously fueled it because Bailey landed in Tim Utah who picked up the draft. Danny Einge made a vision invisible despite the preferred destinations of Bailey, as reported, as reported, and New Orleans or Brooklyn.

Bailey admitted to the draft that he “had no idea” Utah was interested.

Although it was not Beilei’s plan, it could be a blessing in covering both sides. Bailey will get a desire to be a player of high use of his Rookie Season. And the Jazzwho missed the playoffs of three straight years, now have a wing that has the potential to turn into a star, something that has been missing since Gordon Haiward Left in 2017 years.

Winner: San Antonio Spurs

After Maverik, the Spur were large winners of the Draft Lottery, providing a choice no. 2 while having a list that includes Victor Vembaniama and De’aaron fox. Selected San Antonio Dylan HarperTalented guardian who is known to be a powerful defender and a great protector of the spiel.

The spurs were tied incredibly happiness with the draft, and in three ravnais elapses in three directions. They chose Vembaniams with 1 Pick in 2023 years and Stephon Castle With choosing 4 years last year. (The castle won Rookie award this season in the year.)

Spurs made clear that their strategy – at least so far – is to strengthen their list by adding talented youth instead of taking big swings. Allegedly did not make a phoenix received enough offer with Kevin Durant Sveepsvakes despite the Durant that states Spurs as one of his best destinations.

As for Harper, he could have an immediate impact on Spurs, who missed postsesons in the last six years after manual occasion 22. Reference to playoff. Harper is a high-character guy with a huge amount upside down that could develop into a franchise player.

Loser: New Orleans Pelicans

Pelikans are traded in the lottery to choose the Kraljica Derik. (Photo by Sarah Stier / Getty Images)

For that PelicansWell, let’s hope they see something we miss.

Safe, Derick Queen It can be a talented default center, but is it worth a pelicane that trade their 4 dials and unprotected 2026. The first round to Atlanta to choose Queen with Choosing 13 Pick?

It’s a big gambler. In the end, who knows, the pelican could draw the draft lottery on the draft draft next year.

It is a great risk for a guy who can achieve goal around the rim and has amazing hands, but also is an obligation in the defensive end and it is necessary to develop its shooting.

Winner: Hansen Yang

One of the biggest surprises in the draft chose yang Portland Trail Blazers With choosing no. 16. Yang was designed to be within the middle to late second round, but 10-20 seats were selected higher than predicted.

We have grown that we have witnessed a deep disappointment of players sliding lower in the draft than expected.

It was fun to watch the opposite.

Yang, who didn’t even invite himself to the green room and sat at the stalls, joins a team with slate centers, including DEANDRE AITON, Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III.

7-foot-2 yang, which is 20, the first player who was born in Chinese, which has been made in the first round of the time II Jianlian 2007. years.

Loser: Brooklyn Networks

The networks had five types of first circle – and shocking them all retained.

Most people assume that they will trade or drive and give some of them to provide current or future assets. They chose instead Egor Demin (No. 8), Nolan Traore (No. 19), Drake Powell (No. 22), And SAF (No. 26) and Danny Wolf (No. 27).

Networks are obviously banking on the fact that it will hit the goal of at least a few of these guys.

It is a different strategy than a franchise took a few years ago when everything in the supertoam went to superintenders with Kevin Durant, Kirie Irving and James Harden. This team was designed that the Priority Convention was, but never passed the second rounding circle before they were dismantled.

Now, the networks take the opposite approach, putting all their chips on the table for young talents that can be developed.

Maybe he could be endangered?

Melissa Rohlin is a writer of NBA for Fox Sports. She has previously covered the league for illustrated sports, The Los Angeles Times, news about the flow in the Gulf San Antonio Express-West. Follow it on Twitter @Melissarohl.