Cooper Flagg is headed to the Dallas Mavericks, who may have found their next franchise superstar less than five months after trading one away. The Mavericks took the Duke forward with the No. 1 pick in the draft Wednesday night, selecting the 18-year-old who was the college player of the year in his lone season. Mavericks fans were furious when Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 1, some immediately threatening to end their support of the team. But the ones who stuck around may quickly love Flagg, who averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while leading Duke to the Final Four. Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper was taken by San Antonio with the No. 2 pick.
The players selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft. Duke freshman Cooper Flagg went first overall to the Dallas Mavericks. Flagg became the fourth freshman named Associated Press men's national player of the year. San Antonio took Rutgers freshman point guard Dylan Harper at No. 2. Philadelphia grabbed Baylor freshman guard VJ Edgecombe at No. 3. Duke had three top-10 picks with Kon Knueppel going fourth and Khaman Maluach going 10th. Rutgers had a second pick with Ace Bailey at No. 5. Illnois also had a pair of teammates in Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley.
It was mothers’ day at the NBA draft Wednesday night. The moms of the NBA draftees took centerstage, receiving hugs and wiping away tears from their sons. Kelly Flagg, whose son Cooper went first to the Dallas Mavericks, was a strong player in her own right. She starred for the University of Maine in the late 1990s. The 1998-99 team she was on made school history when they won the programs’ first-ever NCAA Tournament game, upsetting Stanford,
The Phoenix Suns have acquired center Mark Williams in a trade that sends two first-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade hasn’t officially been announced. Williams was one of two 7-footers the Suns added during the first round of the NBA draft. The Suns are also expected to add Duke center Khaman Maluach, who was selected by the Rockets with the No. 10 overall pick but is part of a trade that will send 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to Houston. The Hornets received this year’s No. 29 pick and a 2029 first-round selection.
When Jayson Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the Celtics’ conference semifinals loss the the New York Knicks, everything about Boston’s immediate future changed. But what won’t change is the Celtics’ front office’s prudence in making sure he has the space and time to make a full recovery. Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum’s return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star’s rehabilitation.
2025 NBA DRAFT TRACKER: FULL LIST OF FIRST-ROUND PICKS
1. Dallas Mavericks — Cooper Flagg, forward, 6-8, 221, Duke
Scouting report: Only the fourth freshman named Associated Press men’s national player of the year. Led Final Four team in scoring (19.2), rebounding (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.4). Shot 38.5% on 3-pointers and 84% on free throws. Ranked in 85th percentile or better in converting as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls, post-ups and transition, according to Synergy’s analytics rankings. Set Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record with 42 points against Notre Dame. Turns 19 in December.
2. San Antonio Spurs — Dylan Harper, guard, 6-5, 213, Rutgers
Scouting report: Freshman lefty who thrived as scorer (19.4) and lead ballhandler with two-way potential. Notably scored 36 points against Notre Dame, then 37 a day later against then-No. 9 Alabama in November. Averaged 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals. Son of former NBA guard Ron Harper. Couldn’t lift Rutgers to a winning record despite playing with fellow top prospect Ace Bailey. Turned 19 in March.
3. Philadelphia 76ers — VJ Edgecombe EH-j-k-oh-m, guard, 6-4, 193, Baylor
Scouting report: Explosive athleticism stands out at both ends. Above-the-rim finisher who creates highlight-reel moments. Freshman ranked among combine leaders in max vertical leap (38.5). Must improve outside shooting consistency (34%), but had seven games with at least three made 3s. Had 11 games with three-plus steals.
4. Charlotte Hornets — Kon Knueppel, forward, 6-7, 217, Duke
Scouting report: Efficient wing scorer. Made 40.6% on 3-pointers. Ranked in Synergy’s 98th percentile on spot-up shooting (52.9%). Ranked sixth nationally at the foul line (91.4%). Had 10 games with at least four assists, indicating potential as secondary playmaker. ACC Tournament MVP. Lacks elite athleticism.
5. Utah Jazz — Ace Bailey, forward, 6-8, 203, Rutgers
Scouting report: Versatile, athletic shotmaker with midrange and stepback skills. Streaky shooter had five January games with at least four 3s for defense-stretching potential, yet also notable skids at the foul line and behind the arc. Last season’s second-ranked recruit couldn’t lift Rutgers to a winning record despite playing with fellow top prospect Dylan Harper. Turns 19 in August.
6. Washington Wizards — Tre Johnson, guard, 6-5, 190, Texas
Scouting report: Southeastern Conference’s scoring leader (19.9) who also led all Division I freshmen. Broke Kevin Durant’s freshman Longhorns record with 39 points against Arkansas. Shot 39.7% on 3-pointers with 12 games of at least four 3s. Shot 87.1% on free throws. Needs strength on slender frame. Turned 19 in March.
7. New Orleans Pelicans — Jeremiah Fears, guard, 6-3, 180, Oklahoma
Scouting report: Freshman combo guard adept at creating space. Averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Attempted 6.3 free throws per game. Had a four-point play to beat then-No. 24 Michigan. Shot 28.4% on 3s and averaged 3.4 turnovers. Must add strength. Turns 19 in October.
8. Brooklyn Nets — Egor Demin Yeg-or Deh-meen, guard/forward, 6-8, 199, BYU
Scouting report: Russian playmaker with size. Averaged 5.5 assists, second among Division I freshmen. Had 15 assists against two turnovers in 54 minutes in the last two games for a Sweet 16 team. Must improve shooting (27.3% on 3s, 69.5% on free throws).
9. Toronto Raptors — Collin Murray-Boyles, forward, 6-7, 240, South Carolina
Scouting report: Sophomore with 7-1 wingspan and two-way potential. Averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. Thrived in halfcourt by shooting 57.9% to rank in Synergy’s 88th percentile. Shooting is a concern after hitting 23.1% (9 of 39) of 3-pointers and 69.5% of free throws in two seasons.
10. Houston Rockets (traded to Phoenix Suns) — Khaman Maluach, center, 7-1, 253, Duke
Scouting report: Has length and size of elite rim protector and lob threat. Runs floor well and thrived in pick-and-roll chances, ranking in Synergy’s 99th percentile. Still-developing offensive skillset with 71.2% shooting largely coming on dunks and putbacks. Had combine’s biggest wingspan at 7-6 3/4. From South Sudan. Turns 19 in September.
11. Portland Trail Blazers (traded to Memphis Grizzlies) — Cedric Coward, guard, 6-5, 213, Washington State
Scouting report: Has journeyed through Division III Willamette, Eastern Washington, an injury-shortened year at Washington State and planned transfer to Duke. Stayed in draft after testing well at the combine. Projects as “3-and-D” wing with 38.5-inch max vertical leap and 7-2 wingspan.
12. Chicago Bulls — Noa Essengue, forward, 6-9, 194, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Scouting report: Versatile Frenchman with floor-running athleticism. Thrived in transition, ranking in Synergy’s 91st percentile in those scenarios. Performed well in combine agility testing. Shooting range is still a question. Turns 19 in December.
13. Atlanta Hawks (Traded to New Orleans Pelicans) — Derik Queen, forward/center, 6-9, 248, Maryland
Scouting report: Skilled freshman who averaged 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. Shot 76.6% on free throws and attempted 6.1 per game. Hit buzzer-beater to reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Made 7 of 35 3s (20%). Had combine’s worst standing vertical leap (23.5 inches) and tied for second-worst in max vertical (28.0).
14. San Antonio Spurs — Carter Bryant, forward, 6-7, 215, Arizona
Scouting report: Potential as floor-stretcher and defender. Shot 37.1% on 3-pointers. Averaged a block in 19 minutes as a freshman reserve. Tied for combine’s fourth-best max vertical leap (39.5 inches).
15. Oklahoma City Thunder — Thomas Sorber, forward/center, 6-9, 263, Georgetown
Scouting report: Big-bodied freshman able to handle bumps in the post. Averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Converted 57.1% of his post-up chances, according to Synergy. Has a 7-6 wingspan, tied for second-best at the combine. Averaged 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals. Made just 6 of 37 3-pointers (16.2%).
16. Memphis Grizzlies (traded to Portland Trail Blazers) — Hansen Yang, center, 7-1, 249, Qingdao (China)
Scouting report: Has shooting and passing touch with a 9-3 standing reach and nearly 7-3 wingspan. Was combine’s only player to rank in the top three of both hand length and width. Turns 20 on Thursday.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves — Joan Beringer, center, 6-11, 230, Cedevita Olimpija (Slovenia)
Scouting report: French rim-runner with defensive potential. Projects well for pick-and-roll, transition and lob situations. Had one of the combine’s biggest wingspans at better than 7-4. Turns 19 in November.
18. Washington Wizards (traded to Utah Jazz) — Walter Clayton Jr., guard, 6-2, 199, Florida
Scouting report: Senior combo guard. AP first-team All-American and Final Four’s most outstanding player in Gators’ title run. Gamer who elevated from averaging 17.2 points and 36.4% on 3-pointers in the regular season to 22.3 and 43.5% in March Madness. Began career at Iona.
19. Brooklyn Nets — Nolan Traore Trah - ohray, guard, 6-5, 175, Saint-Quentin BB (France)
Scouting report: Scoring playmaker with athleticism and speed. Drew recruiting interest from programs like Duke, Alabama and Gonzaga. Finished in the top 15 of combine’s lane agility and shuttle-run testing. Needs to improve defensively. Turned 19 last month.
20. Miami Heat — Kasparas Jakucionis, guard/forward, 6-5, 205, Illinois
Scouting report: Freshman with an all-around floor game (15 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists). Had four double-digit rebounding games and eight with seven-plus assists. Averaged 5.1 free-throw attempts per game. Shot 31.8% on 3s. Averaged 3.7 turnovers for sixth-worst in Division I, including 13 games with five-plus turnovers. Turned 19 last month.
21. Utah Jazz (traded to Washington Wizards) — Will Riley, guard/forward, 6-8, 186, Illinois
Scouting report: Freshman from Canada with potential as a playmaker, either at guard or wing forward. Selected as Big Ten sixth man of the year after averaging 12.6 points. Needs to get stronger. Turned 19 in February.
22. Atlanta Hawks (traded to Brooklyn Nets) — Drake Powell, guard/forward, 6-6, 195, North Carolina
Scouting report: Freshman wing with perimeter size, athleticism and defensive potential. Shot 37.9% on 3-pointers. Has a 7-foot wingspan and combine’s best marks for standing vertical leap (37.5 inches) and max vertical leap (43.0).
23. New Orleans Pelicans (Traded to Atlanta Hawks) — Asa Newell, forward/center, 6-9, 224, Georgia
Scouting report: Five-star freshman helped the Bulldogs get back to the NCAAs for the first time in a decade. Ranked 22nd nationally at 3.33 offensive rebounds per game. Has athleticism to finish at the rim. Offers defensive versatility but needs bulk and shooting range (29.2% on 3s).
24. Oklahoma City Thunder — Nique Clifford, guard, 6-5, 202, Colorado State
Scouting report: Versatile wing who began five-year career at Colorado. Posted career-best numbers (18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists) last year. Improved from 33.8% on 3-pointers in first three seasons to 37.7% on higher volume in last two.
25. Orlando Magic — Jase Richardson, guard, 6-1, 178, Michigan State
Scouting report: Combo guard who shot 41.2% on 3-pointers as a freshman. Had eight games with at least three made 3s. Son of former NBA guard Jason Richardson. Small frame raises questions of matching up against bigger opponents.
26. Brooklyn Nets — Ben Saraf s-uh-r-aa-f, guard, 6-6, 201, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Scouting report: A lefty from Israel known for passing, ballhandling and playmaking. Averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 assists last season while working often as the ballhandler in the pick-and-roll. Capable spot-up shooter. Turned 19 in April.
27. Brooklyn Nets — Danny Wolf, forward/center, 6-11, 252, Michigan
Scouting report: Productive post presence thrived after moving from Yale in the Ivy League. Junior averaged 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds. Made 38 3-pointers in 37 games. Lacks explosive athleticism but performed solidly in multiple combine agility tests.
28. Boston Celtics — Hugo Gonzalez, guard/forward, 6-6, 205, Real Madrid (Spain)
Scouting report: Has perimeter size and motor to attack off the dribble. Saw only spot action as a reserve last season, shooting 29% on 3-pointers (7 for 24) with more turnovers (16) than assists (10) in 30 EuroLeague games. Turned 19 in February.
29. Phoenix Suns (traded to Charlotte Hornets) — Liam McNeeley, forward, 6-7, 215, UConn
Scouting report: Joined two-time reigning national champion and became freshman starter. Floor-stretching wing shot just 31.7% on 3s, but had big games like 38 points against then-No. 24 Creighton, 26 against then-No. 8 Gonzaga and 22 in the NCAAs against eventual champ Florida.
30. Los Angeles Clippers — Yanic Konan Niederhauser, forward/center, 6-11, 243, Penn State
Scouting report: Rim-runner and shot blocker. Led combine big men with a 37-inch max vertical leap. Junior from Switzerland with 7-3 wingspan. Ranked 12th nationally by averaging 2.31 blocks.
WNBA
New York 81 Golden State 78
Sabrina Ionescu converted seven free throws in the final two minutes and made a key steal, Breanna Stewart had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the New York Liberty held off the Golden State Valkyries 81-78. Stewart scored 21 of her points by halftime and Kennedy Burke added 20 points off the bench. Kate Martin finished with 21 points for the Valkyries, who had won two straight and five of six.
Las Vegas 85 Connecticut 59
A’ja Wilson scored 22 points and became the fastest player in WNBA history to 5,000 points as the Las Vegas Aces beat the Connecticut Sun 85-59. Wilson has 5,015 career points and needed just 238 games, four fewer than Breanna Stewart (242), to top 5,000. Connecticut (2-13) has lost seven in a row overall and six straight to the Aces, who beat the Sun 87-62 on May 20. Jackie Young scored 20 points for the Aces (7-7) and Chelsea Gray added 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Connecticut went 0 for 10 from the field and committed five turnovers before Lindsay Allen hit a jumper with 1:58 left in the first quarter that made it 19-2. Tina Charles led the Sun with 18 points.
MLB
N.Y. Yankees 7 Cincinnati 1
Max Fried became this season’s first 10-game winner, Jasson Domínguez and Trent Grisham had four hits apiece and the New York Yankees defeated the Cincinnati Reds 7-1 to avoid being swept in the three-game interleague series. Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered as the Yankees remain one game in front of Tampa Bay in the AL East. Elly De La Cruz had two hits for the Reds. Fried went seven innings and allowed one unearned run on four hits with seven strikeouts. The left-hander is the third Yankees pitcher since 1962 to be the first in the majors to reach double-digit victories, joining CC Sabathia in 2011 and Tommy John in 1979.
N.Y. Mets 7 Atlanta 3
Juan Soto homered twice and the New York Mets finally got some production from the bottom of the lineup, beating the Atlanta Braves 7-3 for their first victory over their NL East rivals in six meetings this season. No. 8 batter Ronny Mauricio also went deep and finished with three hits as New York won for only the second time in 12 games. Center fielder Jeff McNeil robbed Marcell Ozuna of a two-run homer in the first inning. Clay Holmes pitched around four walks in five innings after issuing a career-high six free passes during a loss at Atlanta last week. The converted reliever allowed only a solo homer by rookie Drake Baldwin in the fourth.
L.A. Angels 5 Boston 2
Yusei Kikuchi struck out a season-high 12 in seven innings, Jo Adell and Travis d’Arnaud hit solo homers and RBI singles, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 to complete a three-game sweep. Kikuchi (3-6) allowed up two hits, walked one and threw 31 pitches in a shaky first inning when the Red Sox took advantage of shortstop Scott Kingery’s fielding error and scored two unearned runs on Trevor Story’s two-out, single with the bases loaded. Adell and d’Arnaud homered off Red Sox starter Richard Fitts on consecutive pitches in the fourth. Adell’s 433-foot shot was his 17th homer of the season and 10th in June.
Houston 2 Philadelphia 0
Victor Caratini homered, Isaac Paredes drove in a run and the Houston Astros shut out the Philadelphia Phillies for a second straight game in a 2-0 victory. Jeremy Peña hit a leadoff ground-rule double and scored on a groundball single by Isaac Paredes to give Houston an early lead. Houston’s pitching staff had retired nine straight when Brandon Marsh singled to right field off Bryan King with one out in the eighth. Trea Turner’s single on a grounder to center field sent Marsh to third before Kyle Schwarber singled on an infield grounder to load the bases. But King struck out Alec Bohm before Nick Castellanos grounded out to leave Philadelphia emptyhanded.
Texas 7 Baltimore 0
Athletics 3 Detroit 0
Cleveland 5 Toronto 4
Minnesota 2 Seattle 0
Tampa Bay 3 Kansas City 0
Milwaukee 4 Pittsburgh 2
San Diego 1 Washington 0
Chicago Cubs 8 St. Louis 0
L.A. Dodgers 8 Colorado 1
Miami 8 San Francisco 5
Chicago White Sox 7 Arizona 3
When righthander Jacob deGrom is at his best, the Texas Rangers believe he’s the best pitcher on the planet. DeGrom certainly is looking like the pitcher who is a two-time Cy Young winner. He flirted with a perfect game through six innings and a no-hitter through seven Wednesday night in another dominating performance in his return from Tommy John surgery in April 2023. DeGrom threw 89 pitches before being pulled after giving up his only hit to the first batter he faced in the eighth. The Rangers finished off a 7-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles. DeGrom tied his career-best streak at 13 straight starts giving up two or fewer earned runs.
Some players take unusual paths to the big leagues. And then there is the journey of Jonathan Pintaro. Undrafted from a Division II college in Georgia, he spent two seasons in the MLB Draft League for overlooked long shots. Then two years pitching for the Glacier Range Riders of the independent Pioneer League — where he compiled a 6.60 ERA. So when Pintaro walked into the New York Mets’ clubhouse Wednesday, about 2,400 miles from 2,291-seat Glacier Bank Park in Kalispell, Montana, needless to say it was an improbable arrival. Pintaro received a surprise promotion from the minors when the struggling Mets shuffled bullpen arms again before their 7-3 victory against Atlanta.
Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski made extra effort to avoid getting caught up in all the hype surrounding the rookie flamethrower’s highly anticipated matchup with Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes. Misiorowski better get accustomed to the extra attention. Misiorowski owns a 3-0 record and 1.13 earned run average after leading the Brewers to a 4-2 victory over Skenes' Pirates. Sportradar says the three hits Misiorowski has allowed thus far is the fewest by any major league pitcher through his first three career starts with a minimum of 16 innings pitched since at least 1901.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Nashville 3 New England 2
Sam Surridge scored two goals, the 26-year-old’s third multi-goal game in the last five, to help Nashville SC beat the New England Revolution 3-2 to extend their unbeaten streak to 10 games. Surridge scored in stoppage time to make it 1-1 at halftime and converted from the penalty spot to give Nashville (10-4-5) a 3-2 lead in the 58th minute. Surridge joined Hany Mukhtar (2022) as the only players in franchise history to score a goal in five consecutive games and has eight in that span. Surridge leads MLS with a career-high 14 goals this season. Tomás Chancalay’s gave the Revolution a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute and Brayan Ceballos added a goal in the 49th. Daniel Lovitz scored a goal for Nashville inthe 51st minute.
New York 1 Toronto FC 1 tie/draw
Theo Corbeanu’s second-half goal lifted Toronto into a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls. Toronto (3-10-5), which was playing for the first time since May 31, had lost four in a row at home. New York (8-7-4) is 1-6-3 on the road this season. Mohammed Sofo opened the scoring in the 20th minute with his ninth goal of the season. Lewis Morgan ran past the defense for a through ball and his breakaway shot was blocked by Sean Johnson, but Sofo was there for the easy rebound. Morgan has eight goal contributions (five goals, three assists) in eight career MLS appearances against Toronto. Corbeanu scored in the 51st — on Toronto’s first shot on target — when he headed it past goalkeeper Carlos Coronel.
Philadelphia 1 Chicago 0
Bruno Damiani converted from the penalty spot in the 10th minute and 19-year-old goalkeeper Andrew Rick had his fourth shutout of the season to help the Philadelphia Union beat the Chicago Fire 1-0. Philadelphia (12-3-4), the points leader in all of MLS with 40, is unbeaten — with eight wins — in 11 straight. Jakob Glesnes blocked a shot by Chicago’s Brian Gutiérrez in the third minute of stoppage time to preserve the Union’s win. Chicago (7-7-4) had 57% possession and outshot the Union 15-11, but the Fire managed just two shots on goals.
Cincinnati 3 CF Montréal 1
Columbus 3 Atlanta 1
San Jose 4 FC Dallas 2
Minnesota 3 Houston 1
Orlando City 4 St Louis City 2
Colorado 2 LA Galaxy 0
San Diego FC 5 Vancouver 3
Sporting Kansas City 2 Charlotte FC 1
NHL
Moving to an 84-game regular season from 82 is one of the topics that has been discussed in collective bargaining talks between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association, a person with familiar with negotiations tells The Associated Press. The potential change that could go into effect as soon as 2026-27 would reduce the preseason to four games per team. Going to 84 games could also even out scheduling with the league at 32 teams playing each division opponent four times, three against the other division in the same conference and two against those in the other conference.
GENDER IDENTITY IN SPORTS
The Trump administration says California must change its policies allowing transgender girls to compete on sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The U.S. Education Department says the policies violate a federal law banning sex discrimination in education. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon says California could lose federal funding if it does not comply. But the state says all students should have the opportunity to play. The issue garnered renewed attention in California after a trans athlete recently participated in the state high school track and field championship. The sports governing body running the meet allowed more girls to participate and medal in events in which the trans athlete was competing.
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