ESPN reviews the first round draft pick: Suns and Heat become the biggest winner, Yang Hansen & Bailey tied for the biggest surprise

On Thursday, the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft kicked off. As the first of three selected Duke players, Cooper Flag was selected by the Mavericks as the No. 1 pick. As the Clippers selected center Yanick Needhausen with the 30th pick, the first round draft also ended.

There are many winners and surprises, such as the Jazz selected Rutgers defender Es Bailey with the 5th pick, and the Suns won Duke's number one center Carman Maluach with the 10th pick.

Which teams' fan groups should be satisfied with their home team's first day's operations, such as the Heat's got a potential core point guard in the team building? Should Pelicans fans be puzzled by the team's trade to trade upwards and pick Derek Quinn?

It's time to analyze what happened Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. ESPN reporters Jonathan Givony, Jeremy Wu and Kevin Pelton shared their eyes as winners, surprises and biggest questions after the dust of 30 draft picks settled in the first round.

Givoney: Biggest Winner in the first round

Suns selected player: Kaman Maluac (10th pick)

After Maluac fell to the 10th pick, the Suns made a deal to get Kevin Durant looked even more meaningful, which helped the Suns strengthen the key center position and also introduced the most talented potential rookie in this draft.

Malouacchi will bring high levels of intensity, basket protection timing, rebounding ability and defense switching - all qualities the team lacked last season - and injected much-needed youthful energy into a squad with too many backcourt staff.

Most importantly, he is one of the youngest rookies in this draft, with huge room for growth in both physical and technical aspects. He is highly regarded by coaches and teammates for his off-field intangible assets, and with his alley finishing ability, he should be a great pick-and-roll partner for Devin Booker.

Heats

Picked Player: Casparas Yakujonis (20th pick)

It was surprising to see Yakujonis - the 11th player in our top 100 rookies - slipping all the way to the 20th pick.

Any temporary disappointment arising from losing money due to a drop in the ranking may have been replaced by an environment that perhaps all rookie guards this year have longed for - a team that is extremely eager to create and organize offenses with the ball. And from the perspective of team culture and resilience, he will also be perfectly integrated into it.

Yakujonis' ability to compete in any position in the backcourt allows his partner to bring significant lineup flexibility to the team.

It wouldn't be surprising to see him eventually grow into the team's future starting point guard, thanks to the ball quotient he showed while executing the pick-and-roll and his extraordinary game feel.

Givoney: The biggest surprise in the first round

Trail Blazers

Selected player: Yang Hansen, center (16th pick)

Yang Hansen, ranked 35th in the ESPN Top 100 Rookies List, completed the biggest jump in the first round when he was selected by the Trail Blazers at the 16th pick.

Since inspecting Yang Hansen, who represented the Chinese national team in Hungary in 2023, the Trail Blazers have developed a strong interest in him and later went to China to watch his game. He also paid attention to him as a member of the Chinese adult national team in the training match in Las Vegas last summer, and has conducted a personal trial in Portland in the past month.

Despite picking another 7-foot (about 2.13 meters) long man Donovan Klingen last year, the Trail Blazers still look at the draft from the perspective of "choose the best player of the moment", and they said they were very excited about Yang Hansen's skill level and off-field intangible assets. They plan to bring him to the NBA for training immediately.

Jazz

Player selected: Es Bailey (5th pick)

When the Jazz selected Bailey at the 5th pick, he looked surprised, and it was obvious that he had managed to drop his pick to a position that could be selected by the Wizards or the Nets. After the draft, Bailey told Andscape reporter Mark Spears that he "had no idea" that the Jazz were interested in him.

Before the draft, Bailey refused invitations to go to Utah for personal trials and meetings, and also rejected the 3rd overall 76ers and the 4th overall Hornets, but the Jazz felt that they had enough knowledge of Bailey's game and personal situation to choose him with confidence.

The new president of basketball operations Austin Angie, as a member of the Celtics management, interviewed Bailey in the NBA draft joint trial, and other senior Jazz executives also interviewed him separately. Angie also visited Rutgers University many times throughout the season.

After making the choice, Anji immediately said in an interview with ESPN: "We like this player very much, and he is also very suitable for our system." Which is the best choice for the first round?

Pelton: The Spurs selected Carter Bryant with the 14th pick. He was on the bench most of his only season at Arizona, so he probably won't help the Spurs right away. But in the long run, Bryant has the skill set of 3D players, and ideally he should be able to fit perfectly with the Spurs' core roster - Victor Vinbanyama, De Aaron Fox, Rookie of the Year Stephen Castle and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper -.

Wu: Assuming that the Mavericks selected Cooper Flag in the first pick and were not eligible for this honor, then I would choose the Suns to select Kaman Maluach in the 10th pick and were explained by Givoni. It's an excellent result for the Suns, and he may be the kind of player they need, and he can play a role in the future no matter what the team will move forward in.

In order to highlight the difference, I will choose Thomas Sauber to be selected by the Thunder at the 15th pick, which is very reasonable for the Thunder. I thought they might trade upwards, but they just waited for him to fall to that pick. The Thunder made this choice with a long-term view, considering that retaining starting center Isaiah Haltenstein could be tricky when Jaylen Williams and Chet Holmgren's second contract will begin next year. The Thunder have got a rookie who can help similarly and they can be patient with him for the next season or two. This choice was unsurprisingly reflecting the long-term vision that the Thunder has always maintained in the draft.

Which one of your favorite transactions in the first round?

Pelton: The Hawks only had 10 picks (from 13th to 23rd) to get the one with the Bucks and Pelicans who had a higher pick in the first round of 2026. This trade may have a huge impact in a year. In the highly competitive Western Conference, the Pelicans will have a hard time entering the playoffs, and the Bucks will also face the risk of a decline due to Damian Lillard's tear in the Achilles tendon. The Hawks will eventually get a draft pick next year that may be better than they give up this year. Just getting a draft pick with a score of more than ten will be a huge victory from a value perspective.

Wu: As Pelton explained, the Hawks' deal with the Pelicans might be the most significant of the draft day in terms of value, but it's not my favorite, especially from the Pelicans' perspective.

We knew at the time that the Pelicans were likely chasing Derek Quinn - and it was speculated that the Hawks were the same, and they probably took advantage of that, so they squeezed huge value from the Pelicans and obtained a 2026 first-round pick that was not only unprotected, but also a more advanced pick in the two different teams.

It is hard to see that the Pelicans can make it smoothly to the playoffs with their existing roster, which will be even more so if they plan to have Jeremiah Fells and Quinn play important roles, both of whom need a lot of playing time to maximize their potential. The Pelicans are puzzling to take, and if the Hawks get a high pick next year, it will be tingling no matter how good Quinn is to adapt to the NBA.

Which championship team has gained the most?

Pelton: Can I count the Mavericks? It should be clear that no player selected in the first round is likely to play a major role in the final two rounds of next season's playoffs. I think the players selected in the second round have a greater chance of doing this.

Based on this, the operation that has the most long-term impact on the 2026 championship contenders may be the Thunder postponed the 24th pick by getting a 2026 first-round pick from the Kings.

Wu: Let me make a point first, not all clear championship teams have played the draft - but I do like the Magic's operations in this draft, including their active and prudent trade to get Desmond Bain (sending the 16th pick to the Grizzlies as part of the deal), and taking Jace Richardson with the 25th pick.

Richardson may be able to play for the Magic early in his career and in the window when the team is committed to competing at the highest level with Paul Benkairo and Franz Wagner, he can provide the team with a potential (and cheap) roster depth. Have the Magic become a real championship team? With the eastern pattern open like never before, they certainly hope to be one of them. They have really done a great job in the offseason so far. Outside the

, which "rookie + team" combination do you like the most?

Pelton: The Heat selected Yakujonis with the 20th pick. I always thought former Heat defender Golan Dragic was the ideal template for Yakujonis. They are both strong and projecting guards. Dragic improved the high turnover rate problem that restricted his development when he was young, and Yakujonis needed to do the same.

Akuchonis is 6 feet 6 inches (about 1.98 meters), which will allow him to play with Herro or David Mitchell, provided the Heat can retain restricted free agent Mitchell.

Wu: The Timberwolves selected Joao Belange in the 17th pick. I am very optimistic about the long-term development of Belange - it is difficult to find a center like him who has top physical fitness and can run and protect the basket. His age and relative lack of experience left a huge room for his progress.

Being able to grow around another Frenchman Rudy Gobert, who can be a valuable mentor when Berlange makes a major leap to the NBA level, could be an ideal environment to help him discover his huge potential.

It may take some time to see the rewards, but as the Timberwolves continue to work hard to build a winning team around Anthony Edwards, get such a talented player, and also address long-term needs, it can be a real trick.

Judge true or false: Cooper Flag can average 20 points per game in the rookie season

Pelton: Fake. I don't think scoring will be Flag's strong point in the game. And it's in a championship team with Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, and this team may also introduce a point guard to hold the ball in the absence of Kyrie Irving? I don't think this is realistic.

Wu: Fake, but I don't think this is a problem. It depends more on how much ball the Mavericks are going to give him than on other tasks – but Flag’s comprehensiveness is the trait that should shine and make him the leader of the Rookie of the Year.

The Mavericks should be passionate about his prospects, and at the same time, not putting him in pressure beyond his range.

Fill in the blanks: The Pelicans gave up their unprotected first-round draft pick in 2026 is _______

Pelton: Jump off the plane without a parachute. The Pelicans saw last season how bad things could get when they were in the West and suffered injuries. They had a 12.5% ​​chance of winning the No. 1 pick. Imagine what the Pelicans would feel if the Hawks had the chance to draw the No. 1 pick with the Pelicans draft pick.

Wu: A decision with an inappropriate timing. It's one thing to trade your draft pick a year later when there's a clear chance to get into the playoffs, or to bring in a player who can help you get into the playoffs. And using it to bet on a rookie—even a rookie you really like—and not leaving yourself any way out, that's another matter.

And I also questioned the long-term fit between Quinn and Zion Williamson, because they are both inside with excellent offense but limited basket protection and no outside projection ability. I like some of the players on the Pelicans, but I've been confused about their overall plans for the future, and that's before they make a big decision.

The Nets entered the first round with five first-round picks and eventually used up all five. How would you evaluate their move?

Pelton: Probably a C+. The Nets seem to be seriously inclined to "potential stocks", in addition to a pair of freshman rookies (Egor Jamin at the 8th and Drake Powell at the 22nd), they also selected two teenage international rookies (No. 19th and No. 1 Ben Salav at the 26th). Michigan center Daniel Wolf is the last Green House player to be selected and the only one over 19 years old.

I would have hoped to see more tested combat power. Jamin ranked 8th and is the only player of all the Nets selected to rank in the top 23 in my data-based predictions.

Wu: I will give them a B. When you make five choices, it’s unlikely that your draft list will be exactly in line with the general consensus, but I can see the vision they envision for the roster and I’m very curious about how that can help them.

It is obvious that the Nets are committed to the style of play that head coach Hally Fernandez wants and stockpiled players with both size and passing ability (Jamien, Traore, Salav, Wolf) and also gambled Powell, who was seen as a potential lottery pick at the beginning of the season but played power forward most of the time at the University of North Carolina, was arguably used in the wrong position.

I don't know how this will affect their development, but I respect the way they handle it, and they will have plenty of time next season to evaluate all the players and plan the way forward.

Author: Multiple Contributors

Translator: GWayNe