BROOKLYN, NY – The 2025 NBA Draft kicked off on Wednesday night at the Barclays Center, the home of the Brooklyn Nets, and the green room was filled with one of the most highly anticipated draft classes in recent memory. To no one’s surprise, Cooper Flagg was the first player to walk across the stage and shake NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand, followed immediately by Dylan Harper to the Spurs. San Antonio’s backcourt might be a little crowded next season, but that’s a good problem to have given that Harper is a potential mix of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cade Cunningham.
From the players’ fashion to the parade of picks to the usual draft night trades, there was a lot to see and hear at Barclays on Wednesday night. Round two takes place there tonight. Here were the highlights from a jam-packed night inside the arena:
Cooper Flagg, the Man of the Hour
Flagg sat at the head of his table surrounded by his family, agent and Duke head coach John Scheyer and took a few deep breaths and dropped his head while taking in the moment as the commissioner took the stage. His mom, Kelly, received the first hug with tears in her eyes and beaming with pride. Flagg being selected first was no surprise, and he is the first player out of the state of Maine to be selected No. 1 overall. “People say that nobody comes from Maine, like you can’t make it as a basketball player and things like that,” Flagg told Hoops HQ on Tuesday. “I think it’s a huge thing for me to be able to show kids that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can make it.”
Ace Bailey to the…Utah Jazz!
Bailey was very relaxed at the start of the draft and even picked up the golden basketball that was placed on each table in the green room and was spinning it on his finger and passing it between his hands. He dapped up his Rutgers teammate Dylan Harper when he was selected with the No. 2 pick to the Spurs and waved to the Rutgers fans that made the trip to see him get drafted. There was plenty of drama surrounding Bailey and his pre-draft process. He cancelled his workout with the 76ers and refused to workout for the Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets and multiple sources told Hoops HQ that he had a secret workout with the Washington Wizards (at pick No. 6), his preferred destination. The Jazz had other plans, though, and surprised everyone taking Bailey with the 5th overall pick. The mood at Bailey’s table was filled with a little bit of shock and confusion. His family looked far from thrilled as Bailey made his way to the stage. Bailey’s camp worked hard to control the entire draft process and manipulate where he would land. Danny Ainge, President of Basketball Operations, and the rest of the front office staff decided to draft Bailey regardless, and they are landing a top 3 talent who averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during his one year at Rutgers.
Yang Hansen, the Surprise Pick of the First Round!
The cameras had to go into the stands for the first time when the Grizzlies selected Hansen with the 16th pick. The 7-foot-2 center was not a green room invitee but made the trip from China for his big moment. Hansen has been a projected second round pick all season long and showed off his rim protection during scrimmage play at the NBA Draft Combine. He’s still a little bit of a raw prospect but has huge upside potential with his incredible footwork and nice hands when catching passes through traffic.
Egor Demin Jumps Inside the Top 10
The Brooklyn Nets entered the draft with five first-round picks. There were rumblings that they would make a move and trade up to either four or five to get Bailey, but they stayed at No. 8 and selected the BYU guard with mixed reactions from the Nets fans in the building. Demin, the 6-foot-9 lead guard, is one of the best passers and facilitators in the draft class, and the combination of his court vision and IQ, should help his game translates well to the NBA. BYU head coach Kevin Young gave Demin a long hug and said to him, “this is the beginning! I’m proud of you.” Demin averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 assists at BYU, and even though he struggled from 3-point range, his shot looked great during his pro day. “My 3-point jumper is something I’ve really been focused on and it’s starting to fall,” Demin said. “I’m getting much more confident and I’m ready to show more of a three-level threat.”
Cedric Coward: Road from DIII to Lottery Pick
Coward is proof that there is more than one way to the NBA outside of being a five-star, one-and-done. He started his college career at Williamette (Division III) before transferring to Eastern Washington where he played two years before making the jump to Washington State. He only played six games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. He was devastated with the turn of events but worked hard to get back to in-game shape and was one of the top transfers in the portal before committing to Duke (while electing to continue to test the NBA waters). Coward was the breakout star at the NBA Draft Combine. After teams saw him shoot consistently and how well he did in the agility testing, there was chatter of him shooting up draft boards. His dreams became a reality when the Trail Blazers drafted him with the No. 11 pick (later traded to the Grizzlies). In a wild coincidence, Coward’s college teammate Jaylen Wells (who was drafted to the Grizzlies last year) was in the building to support Coward and he had no idea they would be teammates again by the end of the night. “My GM texted me to let me know,” Wells told Hoops HQ with a huge smile. “I’m so happy for him, and I can’t wait to play with him again. What a night.”
Tears of Joy from VJ Edgecombe, Khaman Maluach and Thomas Sorber
The emotions were overwhelming for a few players when they heard their name called. Edgecombe could barely get through his first interview after being drafted saying, “This is truly a dream come true, man. I went through a lot of years living with a generator and there were some really long nights…this means everything to me.”
Maluach sank into his chair and couldn’t contain his emotions when the former Duke center heard his name with the 10th overall pick. He kept wiping his eyes with his jacket after long hugs with his mom and sister. Maluach is from South Sudan and didn’t own a pair of basketball shoes or work out in an indoor basketball court until he was 15 years old. He first started his career playing for the NBA Academy Africa before committing to Duke. The 7-foot-2 center averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during his freshman year before being drafted to the Phoenix Suns. “I’m just so proud to represent my country and all of Africa in the NBA,” Maluach said. “This is a dream come true.”
Sorber took the longest to get to the stage after he was selected by Oklahoma City Thunder with the 15th pick. He took his time with long hugs and tears from his family, agent and former high school coaches. His mom held up a Liberia flag and was jumping up and down. Sorber was still wiping his eyes as he walked across the stage to shake Silver’s hand, with Silver saying to him, “take it all in. This is your moment.” Sorber, a 6-foot-10 center out of Georgetown, was one of the best rim protectors in the Big East and will end up being a real lob threat in the NBA.
Liam McNeeley, the Last Player Drafted From the Green Room
Almost every year, there’s always a player left sitting in the green room, and they slip to the second round. Thankfully, that did not happen this year. Danny Wolf went No. 27 to the Brooklyn Nets, and Liam McNeeley was the 29th pick to the Phoenix Suns. The look of relief on his face when he saw the network cameras circling was felt throughout the entire arena. He credits his mom, Ashley, and grandfather, Chuck, for his development and both were at his table for support.
