Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - NBA Mock Draft Picks 1-6: Dallas Mavericks land Cooper Flagg, Spurs select Dylan Harper

Episode Date: June 16, 2025

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Welcome to the Locked-on NBA mock draft special. We're diving deep into every first round pick with local experts from across the network. Insider analysis, bold trades, and surprise selections you won't see coming. Let's hit the clock. The draft starts now. Welcome to the Lockdown Podcast Network, 2025 NBA mock draft, the most comprehensive first-round mock draft anywhere. Over this six-episode series, you will get analysis from every level, college, international, NBA,

team and league coverage, everything. We have it for you. You can find it all six episodes in this series on Lockdown NBA and the Lockdown NBA Big Board channel on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast. Here at Lockdown, we have a show that covers every single team in the NBA. And our host will act as GMs making picks and trades for their team. Joining me at the desk, host of Lockdown Big Board, Raphael Barlow, host of NBA Game Night and Lockdown Heat, the second best hair on the network, West Goldberg.

And I'm Nick Engshead, host of Lockdown NBA Game Night and Lockdown Mavericks. Speaking of the Dallas Mavericks, the, whether it's rigged or not, the Dallas Mavericks got the number one pick. And that's what it is. That's what it stands as. And so we'll put the Dallas Mavericks on the clock. With the first pick in the 2025 Locked on NBA mock draft, the Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flag. I'm Isaac Harris with the Lockdown Mavericks podcast. And thank you, MBA for this good fortune. However you feel about how the MAVs got this pick, getting Cooper Flag, it literally, I mean, it changes everything. He's a generational star. It accomplishes both things for the Mavericks.

He is the cornerstone piece to build around for the future, hopefully forever. And he is so good now that he's going to help this core of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, compete for a championship next season. Anytime you have a chance to get a prospect with the names like Kevin Durant, Kauai Leonard, Jason Tatum being thrown around as comps, you don't think twice. We didn't think twice about making this pick for Lockdown Mavs. it's Cooper flag. You don't entertain any other trades or prospects be done with it.

And hopefully the Mavs do the same. Shocking result for the number one pick. But it's interesting that Mavs didn't even think about it twice. Raphael, should they think twice about making this pick? Or is Cooper flagged just the guy, no matter what? No, as soon as it was announced that they won the lottery, they should have just sent a realtor to Cooper's family and started picking out homes and uptown or wherever he wants to live.

So it was a no-brainer. really easy pick. I live in Dallas, and it's just, it's thrilling just to see that the fan base have something positive to cheer about because it's been a rough few months, as you know. Yeah, look, I mean, this is a home run. It wasn't the NBA draft lottery. It was the Cooper Flag Lottery and the Dallas Mavericks won it. So congrats to them, 100% was it rigged. We'll never know. Maybe one day we will. Either way, yeah, the Mavericks fans deserve it for what they've been through. That said, the Mavericks front office certainly does not deserve it after what they have done. Yet, I still think there's, it's no question that Cooper Flag is the number one pick. No

question that they should take them. I think there are questions about what this means for what the front office envisioned when they traded Luca Donchich and wanted to be the team that they are. On one hand, yes, you've got Nico Harrison saying that they want to be a defensive first team, a defensive-minded team. Cooper Flag obviously fits that profile. But I think there's fair questions to wonder, okay, is he going to start the three? Is he going to play the four alongside Anthony Davis? What are they going to do with their center rotation? How much is it going to be asked to create while Kyrie Irving is out?

It's a good team that Cooper Flag is walking into. I think it's also a situation where he could be stretched a bit at the start of his career. Rafael, what does Cooper Flag do that will help the Mavericks from day one? Because they do want to be this win-in-out team. They've got Anthony Davis. Kyrie will come back at some point. They expect him to resign and do all that. And obviously, Nico Harrison wants to win right now because he went all in on win now.

Yeah, I mean, one, he gives them, like West said, he gives them defensive versatility, the ability to switch out, guard multiple positions. I went to the majority of Mavs games. And once Kyrie went out and after the Luca trade, they were just low on playmakers, guys that could create offense for other players. And so that's one of the things that Cooper does well. He's a very, very good connective pastor. but he can make plays out of ball screens.

He gives them a boost in athleticism. I mean, he helps out in a variety of ways. That's the thing I've heard about him the most is just the variety of so many different ways that he impacts the game, that there's not like one elite skill that he's coming in having, but it's just all the different things that he adds. And then his winning mentality, too, is the thing I keep hearing about the most that I've read from your NBA Big Board site about in all kinds of different places about how he just wants to win.

And that's the bottom line for him. And coming in, that's what you want to hear from your number one pick. You don't want to hear any like complacency. You don't want to hear any. I deserve this, that kind of thing. It doesn't seem like there's any of that from Cooper Flag. And so to have that as the number one pick, it changes the Mabbs fortune, obviously insanely well, like West said, front office doesn't really deserve this because they traded away their

future for a better present, at least that's what they pitched to the fans and to everybody. And then the fans responded accordingly to that statement. But now you reset the timeline for the Mavericks that after this run of Anthony Davis and Kyrie will probably have like a three year window with those with those guys. Then you have another run after that with which is going to be Cooper flags like you know entering his prime years right and as we've seen the two timeline approach always works 100% of the time and so there are light years ahead has anybody used that phrase before. So Dallas does kind of have their cake and eat it to after they kind of

took the first cake and threw it out the window. We traded it for a different cake. They traded it for like a cookie cake. It's like yeah, a cookie cake that crumbles, right? It's just all the time. We're just like, oh, this seems really good. Oh, it broke again. But my question, Raphael, is you've seen Cooper Flagg prior to Dallas winning the lottery projected as mostly a four. And I just, can he play the three?

And can he play the three specifically in this context where, yeah, the Mavericks are going to start games really big. But I do think will teams respect Cooper Flags outside? shot from the jump and then if he's playing alongside Daniel Gafford or Derek Lively plus Anthony Davis, it just doesn't feel like there's a lot of spacing on the floor. Maybe that doesn't even matter. Well, he shot 38% from three. And coming into his freshman year,

I saw him more as a four. And actually going back before that, I thought his NBA role was going to be as a play finisher, but he's continued to just add to his game, whether it's as a three-point shooter, whether it's as a ball handler, whether it's as a playmaker out of ball screens. And so I think that he can play the three,

especially if the shooting numbers are real. Again, I don't think anybody, even the most optimistic Cooper Flagg fans, did not see him shooting 38.5% from three. So if those numbers are real, you'll take that. You'll take that as a way, as a guy that can not only space the floor, but attack close outs,

draw two defenders, and find the open man. So if the shooting is real, then I don't think there's any problems with him playing the three. The easiest one, Cooper flagged, the number one pick to the Dallas Mavericks. It's still an incredible thing to say. Cooper Flag is the best player in this NBA draft, period. I'm JJ Jackson of Lockdown Blue Devils here to tell you why the hype is justified for the soon-to-be number one pick in the draft.

Cooper Flagg, great size, 6 foot 9 over 200 pounds. Flag can hold up physically down low while maintaining his perimeter fluidity. His jump shot is pure, especially from the mid-range and his ability to both catch and shoot and isolate, make him adaptable in all situations. His experience with Team USA last summer prior to the Parrots Olympics before he ever even played college basketball was invaluable and had NBA personnel already salivating over what the pride of Maine was going to be. Flag's motor is high and the defensive chops of a winner he's got averaging a block and a half and a steel and a half per game while playing at Duke and leading them in every offensive category.

Cooper Flag is one of the rare prospects with automatic Hall of Fame potential. The only question is who's going to be lucky enough to draft him first overall. Cooper Flag is the real deal. He is the main event. For more Duke basketball news and notes, make sure you check out Locked-on Blue Devils. First pick was obviously easy. The second pick, a lot of people think, is a layup as well. And everybody knows what it's going to be.

But let's hear from the Spurs. They're on the clock for pick number two. The second pick in the 2025 Locked on NBA mock drafting, San Antonio Spurs select Dylan Harper out of Rutgers. I am Jeff Garcia with Lockdown Spurs podcast. Yes, I'm going to add another guard to the Spurs already solid guards of Castle and Dierrin Fogg. You got with Harper another shot creator, another guy that can just score off the drill,

facilitating pick-a-roll situations with Wimbayama. Adding another big guard to the lineup, 6'4 and a half, 610 wingspan. He's able to be a crafty scorer. It allows them to both play on and off the ball, fitting San Antonio's unselfish style, and it furthers the commitment that the spurs are doing to positionless basketball. Harper's style pretty much fits in with the spurs driving kick,

ball movement, heavy offense, which maximizes Wemby's ability to pull up from deep or dominate inside. That's how Harper is going to fit in. This is a good problem for the spurs to have, another scoring combo guard you have. It's going to create a lot of problems for the spurs, opponents. Harper just makes all the sense. Since the situation we have to pick the best available player regardless of position, that's where Harper fits in. He's going to do well in San Antonio

movie forward and it might help him get out of their rebuild even faster. This is Chuck Garcia with Lockdown Spurs. Subscribe to Lockdown Spurs. Where are we your favorite podcast? Dylan Harper going to the Spurs. Rafael, is this the right pick? It's the right pick. I don't know if it's the right fit. I like Harper. To me, he's the second best player in this draft. But But with the spurs bringing in Deeran Fox at the deadline, which he only played a few games. So it's easy to forget that he is a San Antonio Spur. And then Stefan Castle made a big jump once Fox went down.

Those are two guys that aren't really great shooters, but are best with the ball in their hands. And I don't know if it's the best ideal fit for Dylan Harper. Ideally, if you're a point guard and you're going as the number two picking the draft, you want to go to a situation where you have the keys early. And in this situation, in San Antonio, that will not be the case. I don't know if the Spurs are going to keep the pick or not, but if you're the Spurs, you're glad to have Dylan Harper.

But if you're Dylan Harper, you've got to be a little bit concerned about the fit. I like that our Locked on Spurs host did not overthink this. Harper is the best player left on the board. Just take him. He's definitely an on-ball guy, though, to Raphael's point. And he could play a little bit off the ball, so can Dier and Fox. But obviously, these guys need the ball in their hands. they're going to have to figure that part out.

I do think this is great for Stefan Castle, who could be more of a complimentary player on offense and do all the things on the perimeter that he does defensively. But you do wonder what this means for San Antonio, right? If they do indeed take Dylan Harper, they just traded for Deere and Fox in part because Fox wanted to be in San Antonio, but now you have all these two on-ball guys.

We saw what Sacramento did when they had two on-ball guys. They eventually traded one of them. How'd that work? Oh, the Kings, it was a win-win-jury. trade, didn't you hear? It was a win-win. That's what I kept hearing over and over again. I'm not sure if the NBA finals. Let's go Locked on Kings, Matt George, for more.

But they, I just expect him to appear out of nowhere. You always do. You always keep on. But yeah, you wonder now, if San Antonio knew they were going to get the number two pick and that they would have been able to take Dylan Harper, would they have traded for Deanne Fox before the trade deadline?

My guess is probably not. Maybe because they again, they didn't give up that much for Deer and Fox all things considered, but it is a little bit of a clunky thing and it could force them to make a decision down the road. But at the same time, look, this team's really young, best player on the board. You take them, you figure it out later. It's the right pick. They are kind of doing that two timelines thing too. But I mean, how far is Dylan Harper away from being a real impact player in the NBA? I think he can be.

He just needs to be given the best opportunity to succeed. And I just don't know if that's the case in San Antonio. But if I'm the Milwaukee Bucks, I'm telling San Antonio, hey, take Dylan and let's figure things out later on. Because that's an ideal fit for Dylan Harper if there's a chance that there's a trade for Janus and he goes to a rebuilding team. That's not the ideal fit. We don't need that. We don't need all the teams in the West to have all the best players. Talking to a draft perspective.

Some of them can stay in the east. It was okay when Dallas got Cooper flag. but now we have to draw the line. That's right. That's right. That's exactly right. Exactly why it's here. Oh, man. Dylan Harper, the obvious pick at number two. And that's where everybody has all their mock drafts.

That's where it goes here. Dylan Harper going to the Spurs. Dylan Harper would be considered a lock to go number one in almost any other NBA draft. He has that kind of upside. I'm Andy Patton, co-host of the Lockdown College basketball podcast. Harper is a six-foot-six guard with elite scoring instincts, averaging nearly 20 points per game in the talent-rich Big Ten conference. Yes, Rutgers was not very good last year, but do not let that fool you.

Harper has future NBA All-Star written all over him. Harper can get to his spots with ease. His athleticism absolutely plays up at the next level. He is also a gifted passer and a strong defensive player. And while the outside shot could use some fine-tuning, most believe he will find his way into becoming an above-average three-point shooter as well. Harper is not just a consolation prize for missing out on Cooper Flag. He is an elite prospect in his own right who should be a fixture in the NBA for years to come.

Coming up, pick three of the locked on NBA mock draft. Do the Sixers go with consensus or do they go with a wildcard here? Who do they go with? We'll find out. Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Go check out Fan Duel. See all the great stuff that's available for the NBA draft. Right now, Cooper Flagg, minus 100,000.

to go number one overall. Seems like that that's going to happen. Dylan Harbor minus 4,000 go number two as we're recording this. Vijay Edgecombe, the favorite right now to go number three minus 125, Ace Bailey plus 230 right after him, then Trey Johnson plus 460 to go number three overall. So there's a bunch of stuff like that. There's a whole bunch of other odds that you can get on Fandual, get them all throughout the NBA finals.

If they're still going, you can go through NFL futures as well. WNBA, great stuff on there all the time. And if you're new to Fandul, it's the perfect time to sign up. that's right now head to fandual.com place your first five dollar bet if that one wins you get $200 in bonus bet so put that down on something you think is absolutely going to hit no matter what because you win whatever you get from the $5 then you also get $200 to use on basically anything else make every moment more with Fandual official sports betting partner of the NBA please gamble responsibly the number three pick went to the Philadelphia 76ers who were little shocked there

got a little bit of a reward after a crazy season from hell let's see Who the Sixers pick with the third pick here? With the third pick in the 2025 locked on NBA mock draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Ace Bailey, Rutgers University. Hey, Mark Farsetti here from Lockedon 76ers. And Ace Bailey is that perfect combination of best player available, most likely at number three and best possible fit for now

and down the line with the Sixers. You talk about someone goes six nine, six, ten. You talk about shot making ability from the outside, the ability to crash the rim as well and drive the lane hard, the ability to create his own shot. That's what he brings to the table. Then you're also talking about a guy that can help you now with Joelle and Beat and Paul George if they're able to get to anything close to an All-Star level of play again

and be healthy by the time the playoffs roll around. But then you also talk about potentially building this team down the line around Tyrese Max. Then you're going to want somebody of Ace Bailey's size and abilities to complement the game of Tyrese Max. Ace Bailey to the Philadelphia 76ers, Raphael Barlow. People are comparing him to Tracy McGrady. Is that who the Sixers are getting with this third pick? They hope so. I mean, they hope so.

I don't see the T-MAC comparisons, but Ace is enticing, really gifted athlete. Wasn't as tall as he was listed as. They had him listed at 6'10, but I've talked to different scouts, and they said anybody who watched him in person, you knew that he wasn't 610, but one of the more talented shot makers in this class,

I don't know if I would have made this pick at Philly. I think Tray Johnson would have probably been a better option since he's the more efficient shooter. But you can't go wrong with Ace Bailey. And I think for him, it's a good situation where he can learn from Paul George. But Philly is just in a tricky situation. I mean, are they looking for someone that can come in

and help them win now? Because you talk about unique time. lines. You have Embedd, who's on borrowed time. We have Paul George, who's on the wrong side of 35. Those are your two highest paid players. So there has to be some sense of urgency. And one of the consistent things you consistently heard about ACE is upside, upside, upside, how ready is he to contribute right away? I don't know. I think this is a fascinating pick for Philly, uh, because all the things that Raphael just laid out. This is a team that's on two timelines, but if we're being honest, they're kind of on one timeline, and it's the future timeline,

unless you just think that the miracle is going to happen and be some miracle in beat season where he's back and Paul George has this huge bounce back year. And look, there's definitely talent there. You still have Tyrese Maxie, Jerry McCain look great before his injury during his rookie season. But really you're playing for the future. And this allows them to do that, right? If you're projecting forward in Philadelphia, it's a team that is centered around Tyrese, Jared McCain, and now Ace Bailey.

So you've got your two guards, you've got a wing with some size there, and then you figure out the rest. But it's a fascinating thing. And I don't know that if your Philadelphia, the best case scenario for next season involves a rookie contributing in a major way anyway. So the fact that Ace Bailey doesn't have to, can't contribute or won't contribute right away, might not matter ultimately for a team who, if we're being honest, their best prospects are probably looking long term anyway. Is there, are they really playing for the future just last summer? I mean, they paid Paul George, what, $200 million. They sign and be to a big extension. To me, that is all in on trying to win a title now,

especially with the parody in the NBA, where Boston going to be down, with Tatum out. I think they have to go all in on a championship right now. And yes, you may have to sacrifice the future a little bit, but if I'm Philly and I see the pastures in the finals, I'm going all in on a championship. Unless they're like getting Dr. House or unless they're bringing in like Ray or Grogu

that can do the force healing thing in the new generation of Star Wars? Like I don't know that you can go all in right now. Like they tried last year. And the reason why it didn't work is that it failed because of those guys are hurt all the time. And I just, man, I think I'm with West. They have to just look at the future.

They'll try and they'll have like a top three player in the NBA when he's healthy, but we just always will ever say when he's healthy. And he's not going back to next anymore. So, yeah. You just got a trail water. I just want to tell you. And the good thing about kind of doing it this way is that all these guys are on rookie scale contract. They're really cheap now while all your old injury prone guys are really expensive.

You might get to a point in three years now where things start to overlap, but hopefully by then you can make some moves. And I don't know, maybe by then you do get your lightning in the bottle year between now and then and it all works out for you. Like it always does for Dallas. Either way, Ace Bailey, the third pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. Ace Bailey is a phenomenal talent, but due to some parts of his game that need refinement, is it worth spending a top five pick on a player who's not ready to be a bona fide star from day one? That's the question that teams picking two through five in the draft after Cooper flag goes number one are going to have to answer. There's also the why wasn't Rutgers better with two top five

draft picks question. Now as for Ace Bailey, he can pull up from anywhere and hit anything. His talent as a shotmaker is one of the best coming out of the college. ranks that I've seen in a long time. His size and length and athleticism scream prototypical NBA wing, but Bailey has a lot of growth when it comes to decision-making and handling the basketball. To balance his offensive giftedness, I was impressed by the strides and desire Bailey took defensively in his lone year at Rutgers. Those physical, God-given attribute should translate to great success defensively if he continues

to apply himself. There's also the potential for playing multiple positions in this positionless age, which is great, that person is 610 to 10. If Bailey can become a more consistent shooter, make better decisions grow in his handle and keep making strides defensively. The sky's the limit. The fourth pick, the Charlotte Hornets,

were frustrated that they fell all the way to four. The luck doesn't seem to ever go their way in a lot of different instances. But fourth pick, Charlotte Hornets, let's see where they go with this pick. With the fourth pick in the locked on NBA mock draft, the Lockdown Hornets podcast, selects VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor.

Now, we did make some calls, to Locked-on Spurs to try to move up to number two and select Dylan Harper, but those calls were not returned, and that could reflect what happens to President of Basketball Operations, Jeff Peterson, in the real world. So instead, we play it safe. We take Edgecombe. The Hornets need a lot of things. They need defense. They need athleticism, particularly on the wing. They need somebody that can get downhill. And there are a lot of good wing prospects around this portion of the draft, but I think VJ Edgecombe, we think Vijay Edgecombe checks the most boxes. And so, We'll play it safe.

We'll take Edgecombe. We'll improve the wing defense and then try to address some of the other woes, including shooting and some big help later on in the draft. VJ. Edgecom going to the Charlotte Hornets, Raphael. What are the Hornets getting in Edgecom to add to the core, I guess, of Brandon Miller, LaMello Ball, question mark, and whatever else they still have going on there?

If you're Charlotte, hopefully you're getting the Vijay Edgecom from last. summer who played for the Bahamas national team at the Olympic qualifiers. He was phenomenal. There were times where he looked like the best player on the Bahamas team, which is a team that featured Buddy Hild, Eric Gordon, and DeAndre Aiton. And so if he's that player, then it's a win. Baylor was a little bit up and down. He wasn't an efficient finisher at the rim despite being arguably the most athletic player in college basketball, at least in the draft. The shooting is okay but you have to hope like Baylor was kind of holding him back that he wasn't

planned to his full potential at Baylor especially early in the year where they kind of had him plan out of position but I think for Vijay this is a really good fit for him simply because I don't think he's that franchise guy I don't think he's the guy that you give the keys to to your franchise and expect him to carry you to the playoffs early in your career in Charlotte he could be their third best guy or their fourth best guy depending on where you see Miles Bridges and I think that allows him to fit in, play off the ball, and make an impact. But it doesn't matter what happens.

Charlotte just needs to be healthy. I like this fit for Charlotte. I like the fit for Edgecombe, too, to Raphael's point. He's not really your number, he's not a number one. He's not your lead ball handler. He's not a point guard. He doesn't have to be because he's playing with Lamello, who obviously is that too. And I love this for the Hornets because you're getting this top-notch physical athlete

to go with some of their more skill-based players like Lamello and Brennan Miller, right? I think Charlotte would be fair to characterize them as a finesse team. Edgecombe can defend, he can hit your open threes, but he's some muscle and he's some athleticism that I think that this team really needs, especially if they want to kind of get up and down more like Charles Lee wants to play. He's going to have to make threes at the NBA level for it to work. But I like him as a fit in between Lamello and Brandon Miller, both positionally and trait and skills-wise. I just, every time you said that they're a finesse team and they need more muscle. I just imagine Grant Williams.

He's like, I'm here. What are you talking about? Guys, I'm here. Yeah, Edgecombe here is fascinating. I'm just curious to see what the Hornets are going to do this summer. Is it they keep everybody. Then these weird rumors about Lamello and if he's still going to be there because if he's not,

then all of a sudden, it changes that whole scenario, changes this whole team. But a Lamello, an edgecom, a Brandon Miller, a Miles bridges, a Mark Williams, who trade got rescinded. There's a lot of just weird pieces there. But that, that, That five is not bad.

Yeah, they just have to stay healthy. And that's, that's been the issue. Brandon Miller missed some time last year. La Mello just seems to just continue to have ankle injuries. Mark Williams, just no way you bring him back. Like there's no way you can bring him back after trading him. And then all the stuff that has happened there. If I'm sure, I think I would actually have considered or taking a long,

hard look at common Mali Wouch. He's cheaper. He's younger. And if he does the same things, that Mark Williams does, you don't have to sign him. Like Mark Williams is coming up on a contract. So that would have been something I would have considered. But I think the VJ pick is good for both parties.

VJ. Edgecombe, the pick to the Hornets at four. VJ. Edgecombe is the most highlight, real ready prospect in the 2025 NBA draft. I'm Kim Stewart of Locked on Baylor. And trust me, VJ is going to be worth your ticket price. Just him alone. And over 15 points a game, six rebounds and three assists in the toughest. College Basketball Conference in America as a true freshman. The guy's motor and athleticism are through the roof,

really only equaled by Cooper Flag in this NBA draft class. He has got length, a long wingspan for a guard, which gives him the potential to be a great perimeter defender in the NBA. His shooting got better as the season went on. And he is explosive at getting to the basket, the blocks, the putbacks, the allie-ups, the dunks. He was a mainstay on sports centers top 10, and he will be lighting it up and rocking the rims in the NBA in 2025.

Coming up on the lockdown NBA mock draft, pick five, the Utah Jazz. Who do they go with here? A guard, a wing. We got some great names on the board still. Find out who the jazz pick at five coming up. Today's episode is brought to you by Monarch Money. I enjoy Monarch Money. I use it all the time because you have so many different kinds of financial things now.

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That's monarchmoney.com. That code is locked on NBA. You get half off your first year, 50% off the entire first year with Monarch Money at Monarchmoney.com. Code Locked on NBA. With the fifth pick, the Utah Jazz, who had the best odds to get the number one pick fall all the way down. I can still see David Locke's sullen.

sad face during our live stream when we went to the lottery. I think that was the most angry he's ever been at me and it wasn't for something that I did. But the Jazz have the number five pick and where do they go with this? With the fifth pick of the 2025 Locked-on NBA mock draft, the Utah

Jazz select Tray Johnson out of Texas. I'm David Locke of Locked-on Jazz and the draft board has fallen really exactly how the Jazz would want. Obviously we're interested in Ace Bailey or interested in VJ Edgecom, but

Trey Johnson will score 20 points a game in the NBA. Raphael Barlow unlocked on NBA. Big Board actually said he thought he'd score 25 a game. This is a bona fide shooter, nearly 40% in college. A great free throw shooter. Played point guard in high school will be the

lead guard of the Utah Jazz moving forward. It is a major piece in this rebuild. We had a tumultuous week. We talked about a Zion Williamson deal. We've got deep into conversations with Orlando, but the board has fallen probably as the Jazz would like they were inching Ace Bailey or Vijay Edgecom, but Tray Johnson is the pick and the front office is ecstatic for the first time since the lottery.

Trey Johnson, the pick to the jazz. Raphael, you thought that the Sixers should potentially grab Tray Johnson. You like him better than Ace Bailey. Hear me out here. They're both freshmen. The SEC was the toughest conference in NCAA history, just based off the number of teams that went into the NCAA tournament. Texas made it to the first four,

but Johnson led the SEC in scoring as a freshman. He shot 39% from three on six attempts per game, but it was a heavy volume of contested threes. Didn't have anyone really setting him up. His Texas team was better in the SEC, which is better than the Big Ten, and he is a gifted, gifted shotmaker, much better passer than he's given credit for.

So I think for a team like Philly or any team, at the minimum, you have a dead eye outside shooter, but you also have a guy that can create his own shot, get buckets. And if you've really watched this film, he can make all the right reads as a passer, whether it's making plays out of ball screens, hidden cutters, passing the ball ahead and transition and finding a lot of threat.

Maybe I'm a little bit biased because I've been watching him since he was in 10th grade when he scored 40 points against Casey Wallace was a pretty good defender. But for Utah to have Trey Johnson at 5 is probably the best consolation prize, in my opinion, outside of maybe Dylan Harper. Yeah, look, the Jazz, to Nick's point, they wanted a number one pick. They wanted one of these top picks. They didn't get it.

So you need a star. This is the guy with the most star potential left on the board. You take them and you take a swing here. To Raphael's point, there is some playmaking stuff. But again, to Raphael's point, you really have to watch the film to see some of the playmaking stuff sometimes because you just, it wasn't necessarily his role of Texas. There wasn't a lot of stuff on film there. But I'm with him.

I think that there's flashes. I think it's there. I think he's got size. He's got athleticism. He could shoot the ball. My only concern with Utah is you've already got Keante, George, there. You just took Collier there last year. It doesn't mean that you can't take Trey Johnson,

but for the jazz, they've, and by the way, Trey Johnson projects much higher than George or Collier did when they were coming out. But at the same time, they haven't had the best luck bringing in these young, these rookie, guards and then developing these rookie guards.

You'd hope that they at least handle the trade Johnson thing a little bit better. It's just in a unique situation. They've had, what, four first round picks since trading Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Taylor Hendricks had an injury. Keonté was what, the 16th pick, Bryce. Yeah, none of them this high. Yeah, none of them. Cody Williams, right?

Cody Williams, he really struggled last year. He was like the 10th pick, right? So this is the highest one they've had. But I think you have to go with someone that is the opposite of Cody Williams. Cody Williams was not aggressive last year. He was not assertive. He was, I mean, just floating around. So I think if you draft a guy like that the year prior, you have to go in the opposite direction.

You have to go with someone that is aggressive. And one thing about Trey Johnson is there's not going to be minutes where you don't notice him on the floor. He's going to make something happen. West said that Trey has the highest upside, his potential, star left on the board. Do you think that's true? Yeah, I think it's true. I mean, if he's Devin Booker or Tyler Hero, that's a win. I mean, if you look at their scouting reports coming into the NBA, a little bit similar to Trey Johnson's questions about their passing, questions about their athleticism, and people said they could score. So I think there

could be some similarities there. I remember when Tyler Hero was untouchable on a Damian Lulner, Trey. I mean, Miami won that one. And ended up. They did. Thank you. See more podcasts with me and Raphael. I like this. The number five pick, Trey Johnson to the jazz.

Ray Johnson is a walking bucket. What's up guys and gals, BK with Locked on Longhorns here telling you about maybe the best scorer in this year's draft. Trey Johnson as a true freshman led the SEC in scoring a season to go, averaging close to 20 points per game. Remember the SEC, the best conference in college basketball history this past year.

Trey Johnson stood alone atop the league. He is a true three level score. He can hit threes. He can make from the mid-range. He can slash and finish at the 10 as well. He's also a great free-throw shooter to boot. This game has always been about getting buckets. And Trey Johnson can get you some buckets.

He's an emotional player. He wears his heart on his sleeve. But man, when he gets hot, he is tough to stop. And he is going to make one fan base very, very happy at the next level. For more on the Texas Longhorns, subscribe to Lockhorn's on YouTube or wherever. you get your podcast. With a six pick, the Washington Wizards.

Talk about good things not happening to a franchise. They fall all the way to six. And here's where the Wizards decided to go with their pick at six. With the six pick and the 2025 locked on NBA mock draft, the Washington Wizards select

Jeremiah Fears Guard, Oklahoma. I'm Abdullah U.B. with the Lockdown Wizards podcast. And a big reason while we're going with my boy, Jeremiah, is the playmaking ability. This man is a very high-tempo guard. and we pair him up with a guy in Bub Carrington that I'm really high on,

so you have a potential dynamic back cord that can definitely change the trajectory here in Washington, and a guy like Fears who can definitely be the reason why you're a high, fast-paced offense. And a lot of people are concerned about a shooting ability, but I think he can definitely work on it and get better at it. I think you can question his size, but can you question how explosive he is? Not at all. And people worry about defense, but the Wizards already have a lot of good defenders in Belaw, Kulibali, Kishon George, Alexar.

Versatility, man. That's the name of the game. That's the theme here in Washington. And I'm going with Jeremiah Fiers at Oklahoma, man. It's high boom and high bust, but I love the pick at six. And who knows? I feel like the Wizards definitely have picked 18, could trade up. Maybe draft a big man and queen or Mollawatch if they're still there,

a pair that pick up with Jordan Poole. You bring in a guy in Jeremiah Fier, so maybe you trade JP 13 because its values at all time high. We'll see, man. We'll see. But signing out. Head to the Wizards. I feel they already have Bub Carrington is is Jeremiah Fears a good fit there or should they

are they just taking best player available? Yeah, I think Jeremiah Fears is a good fit. A little bit different than Carrington. Carrington doesn't put a lot of pressure on the rim and that's what Fears does. There was a game I watched him get two feet in the paint like seven or eight possessions in a row. And he's, I don't know if he's the youngest.

If he's not the youngest, he's probably like one of the two or three youngest players in this draft. We're talking about a guy that reclassified up. He should just be finishing his senior year of high school, but instead he's preparing for the NBA draft, 17 points per game, 4.1 rebounds, 4 assists per game in the SEC. He carried this team to the NCAA tournament.

And one of the things I look for in players, when I'm just thinking about star potential was, how much respect does he have from his teammates? And there were times late in the season when Oklahoma needed a win to get to the NCAA tournament and their seniors, their veterans, gave him the ball and got out the way. And so I like those intangibles, especially from a kid that was supposed to be in high school. So I think he has real star potential.

One of the things I look for in terms of star potential, too, is how cool of a name do you have? And does it sound like a star name? And Jeremiah Fears definitely has a star name. Look, the Jazz took the guy with the most star potential left on the board when they took Trey Johnson. He's off the board. The Wizards now take the guy with the most star potential left on the board with Jeremiah Efears. Are we going to do this the whole time? Is the next, the next pick?

This will be my analysis for every pick. And with the 30th pick, the clippers, take the guy who the most star potentials. With the first 29 guys off the board. No, I think this makes a lot of sense. The Wizards obviously wanted to be up higher in this draft. They're not. They also have a bunch of guys who you like, but nobody who projects is a number one. Even like if things work out, nobody that really is number one guy on the ball,

making plays for the rest of his offense, to Raphael's point, the guy that you're looking at in terms of clutch time, need a bucket, go to this guy. So I like the swing here. I also like that they can ease him in with Jordan Poole there, who had a sneaky, pretty good season for Washington last year. It was a little bit more responsible with the basketball than he was his first year in Washington. So you got pool there. It means that you're not asking everything of Jeremiah Fears right away. He can walk in, ease his way in, and then eventually be handed the reins there. And I like that along with some of these longer wings that they've drafted over these last couple of years, whether it's Sarr at the center spot, Cantay George,

Bob Carrington, some of these other guys. I'm not, not Cantate George, sorry, Bob Carrington. They've got some other names there. Kishan, George. Kishan, George, thank you. And it was close. Jeremiah fears makes sense with that mix. They have hit on like a bunch of draft picks recently.

It feels like they hit on. A lot of Kola Bali. Yeah. They just feels like they're a star player to build around a way, but they've already built. Like, it's like they've already built. If you build it, they will come. Like eventually that star will get there in some way. Maybe it's in the draft next year.

But an interesting pick for the for the wizards and we'll see what happens with them going forward. That wraps up episode one of the locked on 2025 NBA mock draft. We still have some good players on the board. Concanipal on the board. Common Malawatch, you mentioned Raphael earlier. Still on the board. A couple of good guys on the board. Star potential.

Where will they go? Star potential at every pick. Find every episode of Lockedon 2025 NBA mock draft on Lockdown NBA's channel and Lockdown MBA Big Board on YouTube wherever you get your podcast.