NBA Draft picks leaked? Fans ready for big Cooper Flagg-Mavericks shocker; Ace Bailey gets promotion

Hours before the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday, social media users claimed that picks were leaked and fans braced for a massive Cooper Flagg shocker

Updated on: Jun 26, 2025, 03:44:37 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Hours before the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday, social media users claimed that picks were leaked and fans braced for a massive Cooper Flagg shocker. The Duke star, expected to go No 1 to the Dallas Mavericks, is, according to the leak, not at pole position anymore. Posting a screenshot of the alleged leak, X handle @NBACentel noted that Rutgers' Ace Bailey will be picked by Dallas instead.

Cooper Flagg is expected to go No 1 at the 2025 NBA Draft (Getty Images via AFP)

As per the screenshot, Flagg will be picked by the San Antonio Spurs at No 2.

There is no concrete evidence to back the leak claims. Reacting to the post, one person tweeted: “lmaoo cooper flagg is not going top 3 nice one centel.”

“Cooper Flagg is a spur,” another one added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

The post further shows that Dylan Harper will be picked at No 3.

This comes as the Mavericks are expected to take Flagg with the No 1 pick in the draft on Wednesday night. Flagg averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds and led Duke to the Final Four. The 6-foot-8 forward topped the Blue Devils in all five major statistical categories. He is a catch.

The Spurs have the No 2 pick this year. Then it's Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah.

Other players to watch out at the NBA Draft

Dylan Harper

Son of former NBA guard Ron Harper, Harper offers size at the point (6-5, 213 pounds) and averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds ,and 4.0 assists as a freshman. He could join NBA rookie of the year Stephon Castle in the backcourt for star Victor Wembanyama.

Ace Bailey

The 6-8 forward is a versatile athlete capable of stretching defenses (five January games with at least four made 3s) and tools to develop defensively. He averaged 17.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, though for a losing team despite featuring Bailey and Harper as the NBA-bound headliners.

(With inputs from the Associated Press)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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