The Mavericks won the lottery on Monday and the right to select Duke freshman Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

If Flagg goes No. 1 and the San Antonio Spurs select Dylan Harper at No. 2 as expected, the Hornets are guaranteed to get either Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe. Charlotte will undoubtedly do its due diligence on players like Khaman Maluach, Tre Johnson, Noa Essengue, Kon Knueppel and others in its projected area as well.

We're back for another year to draw pro comparisons for ESPN's projected lottery prospects in the 2025 NBA draft, which runs from June 25-26 (8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN). It's often a useful exercise,