This is one is by The Athletic beat writers. 2021 NBA Mock Draft: Warriors add Jonathan Kuminga, Davion Mitchell as reporters make all 30 first-round picks With the 2021 NBA Draft just hours away, intrigue is at an all-time high. Will Cade Cunningham be the No. 1 pick by Detroit or will the Pistons make a late change? Does Houston have enough assets to move from No. 2 to the top selection? Could a star veteran like Bradley Beal, Ben Simmons or Damian Lillard be on the trade block ahead of their team’s pick? Who else will be making deals? The Athletic is here to answer that and more ahead of one of the most talent-rich drafts in recent memory. Here’s a look at how our reporters see Thursday night turning out. 1. Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham | 6-foot-8, lead ballhandler | 19 years old, freshman | Oklahoma State Cunningham has been the consensus No. 1 pick for quite some time, and I don’t think Detroit does anything to steer away from that reality. The 19-year-old is a do-it-all wing with the potential to be one of the league’s top players if all breaks right. He can be the lead ballhandler. His shooting allows him to play alongside other guards. He can be the Pistons’ go-to scorer in crunch time, as he was in college for the Cowboys. Cunningham can potentially be a multi-positional defender. Outside of his athleticism, there just aren’t flaws in his game. Cunningham immediately speeds up Detroit’s rebuild. At the bare minimum, if all goes wrong, it still feels like he’ll be an good NBA player because of his size and natural skills. – James Edwards III 2. Houston Rockets Jalen Green | 6-6 guard | 19 years old | G League Ignite At 6-foot-6, Green already possesses the athleticism and explosiveness to excel at the next level. Many have lauded his ability to score from all three levels in the half court but it’s his unselfishness, work ethic and will to improve that will see him mesh well with Kevin Porter Jr. for years to come. The presence of John Wall will serve as an impactful mentor and teacher, while head coach Stephen Silas places him in the best opportunities to succeed, improving his playmaking and defense. On the court, Green will give Silas options. He has the size to play in a three-guard lineup alongside Wall and Porter Jr., allowing Houston to have multiple capable ballhandlers and different points of attack. Because of his scoring savvy, Silas can stagger lineups with him and other offensive options like Christian Wood and Eric Gordon, assuming the latter is on the opening night roster. Defensively, he’ll need to learn the ins and outs of a switching scheme but his time spent under G League Ignite coach Brian Shaw prepared him for the pros. The coming year should be an exciting one in Houston. – Kelly Iko 3. Cleveland Cavaliers Evan Mobley | 7-0 center | 20 years old, freshman | USC The Cavaliers need to find a talent to help push their rebuild forward, and Evan Mobley could be that person. He would bring something different to the Cavs roster with his defensive ability. Jalen Suggs is still someone to consider here, though. Mobley can block shots, protect the rim and really use the length of his 7-foot-4 wingspan. He can be a switch defender out onto the perimeter. Mobley’s shown how he can space the floor and use his agility to get around other bigs. Offensively, he passes the ball well, can create his own shots and can handle the ball comfortably. I talked with USC head coach Andy Enfield recently about Mobley and the type of player he was at USC. He said a few areas of emphasis when Mobley started his freshman year were working on his defensive presence, decision-making, and shooting, areas that Enfield said he saw major improvements in over the course of the season. For Mobley to come into the league with a solid foundation as a passer and decision-maker, along with his defensive skill set, is big. Sure, this pick does raise questions about Jarrett Allen and contract negotiations that still lie ahead. And those are fair questions. But if they do work out a contract with Allen, there can be a way to use the two together on the floor. Pairing a 7-footer in Mobley next to 6-foot-11 Allen brings needed height to the Cavs. Mobley has the ability to play either at the four or the five, which would help with rotations being able to play him in either position alongside Allen or Larry Nance Jr. A pairing of Mobley and Nance could add to a defensive mindset and unselfish style on the floor. It increases the potential of their frontcourt. – Kelsey Russo 4. Toronto Raptors Jalen Suggs | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, freshman | Gonzaga Our commissioner would not let me engage in trades to move up or back here. Instead of selecting Scottie Barnes again for illustrative purposes, let me just say this: We cannot assume the Raptors will be beholden to the same consensus top four as everyone else, and if they like someone else better than Suggs here, there should be ample opportunity to trade down. It’s the single biggest leverage point in the draft and multiple teams have either a pair of firsts or a first and a high second. Would 5, 33 and a future second be worth sliding a spot? Not if the Raptors love Suggs, but if they’ve become enamoured with another name, absolutely. Anyway, we take Suggs here as The Coward’s Ideal. The fourth pick in a four-star draft means you get a top-tier player without having to go through the pain of choosing which one. Mobley sliding would have been the best-case scenario, but there’s plenty of room to be excited about Suggs, too. He’s extremely Raptors-y from a personality and toughness standpoint and checks a lot of the intangible boxes the team looks for. More tangibly, Suggs can help an offence in a number of different ways, something the existing Raptors core really needs help with. The shot versatility here, even if they tend to be difficult, is very welcome, and Suggs has enough playmaking to fit nicely in a system that will balance lead responsibilities across a couple of starters. If the shot comes along at all, Suggs’ off-ball value in Toronto’s read-and-react system skyrockets, as he’s already a very smart cutter and playmaker against scrambled opponents. He’s also a good, effortful defender, though reasonable minds can disagree on whether he’ll be good or great at the next level. – Blake Murphy 5. Orlando Magic Scottie Barnes | 6-9 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Florida State Barnes fits the mold of players the Magic typically select. He has great positional size, with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. He has the physical traits to become an elite defender. He also is said to bring superb intangibles as a team-first guy. What also separates him is his vision on the offensive end and his ability to handle the ball. For years, Magic fans have clamored for the team to address its shooting woes, and that’s the primary issue with Barnes after he made only 27.5 percent of his 3-point tries this past season. Even more disconcerting: his accuracy at the free-throw line, where he made only 62.1 percent of his attempts. Whether he improves as a shooter will determine whether he was overdrafted. If he can make significant improvements, look out. – Josh Robbins 6. Oklahoma City Thunder Moses Moody | 6-6 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Arkansas The Thunder are looking for building blocks to put around Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, and honestly, the Thunder need everything. Moody is sold as a 3-and-D wing, and can be an instant role player on whichever team selects him. With those skills and some tangible upside, I think he fits the direction OKC is going. Moody has good size at 6-foot-6, and with a 7-foot wingspan he will be able to guard bigger players and affect shots as a defender. His wingspan also gives him an advantage on the boards, as he averaged 5.8 per game at Arkansas. The offensive upside lies in his midrange game. He has the ability to pump fake, take two dribbles in and hit a jumper with ease. He also flashed a turnaround jumper from the block. Moody isn’t an explosive athlete and he needs to improve his passing, but he does project as a modern wing with upside. Adding a shooter and scorer would be a nice addition to OKC’s young core. – Andrew Schlecht 7. Golden State Warriors Jonathan Kuminga | 6-7 wing/forward | 18 years old | G League Ignite I was chatting with someone within the Warriors way back in the early days of the G League bubble. Kuminga’s debut was impressive. Their intel and prior scouting, at that moment in time, had Kuminga right up there with Cade Cunningham as arguably the best prospect in the draft. Situations change. Kuminga’s stock has dipped. There are reasons to be more dubious now than front offices were then. But the draft is about value. There won’t be a better value pick available to the Warriors than Kuminga, if he falls, at No. 7, even if his timeline, like James Wiseman’s, doesn’t match up with Steph Curry’s. This also opens the door even wider for a trade, and the phone lines are certainly open. If the Warriors can suddenly offer up Kuminga (and all that upside), maybe a rival team will be more inclined to pull the trigger and hand over some significant win-now help, either on draft night or at the next deadline, if Kuminga has flash moments as a rookie. – Anthony Slater
8. Orlando Magic James Bouknight | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Connecticut The Magic have sorely lacked someone on the wings who can create his own shot without the aid of a pick-and-roll, and Bouknight might be the person who can fill that role. He can produce off the dribble and then finish at the rim through contact. He also has good positional size for a shooting guard, and he has the potential to become a plus defender. The concerning part of his game is his long-range shooting, where he made just 29.3 percent of his 3s as a sophomore. If he is Orlando’s pick, the team will make the effort to ramp up his shooting. The Magic would be ecstatic if Bouknight is still on the board at No. 8. – Josh Robbins 9. Sacramento Kings Alperen Sengun | 6-10 big | 19 years old, international | Besiktas Predicting which way the Kings might go is more than the normal guessing game, because the team would rather have immediate help and try to make the playoffs next season. That would probably require trading this pick, but that would also require a team viewing the ninth pick worthy of parting with the kind of player that would help in 2021-22. But the team does have a potential void with its bigs, and Sengun might help with that beyond next season. Marvin Bagley III is entering his fourth season and there’s no guarantee the Kings will keep him beyond next season. Starting center Richaun Holmes is an unrestricted free agent, too. Depth at the five is short, and Sengun has the kind of offensive floor game that would fit with the Kings and give them some mismatches on offense in certain situations. He might not be the defender the Kings need, but at this point, if Sengun were a reliable big off the bench as a rookie and provide some offense, he’d be a plus for the rotation. – Jason Jones 10. Memphis Grizzlies Josh Giddey | 6-8 wing | 18 years old | Adelaide With Memphis trading up to the 10th spot, Josh Giddey makes a ton of sense. The Grizzlies have been big on having multiple playmakers on the floor, most revolving around Ja Morant and Kyle Anderson. By adding Giddey to the mix, there’s another guy who can make plays for others, has good size at his position and sports a high basketball IQ. Taylor Jenkins and company would love him to have a jumper but that’s what player development is for here. I don’t know if Giddey is the best pick here. There are safer guys with high upside, however Giddey has possibly the most upside of anybody left. We’ve seen the league be transformed by big playmakers in different eras. Giddey likely doesn’t become that but having size and creation for everybody on the floor is huge. That’s why when it came to trading up for the Aussie, Memphis was ready to… (in my worst Larry The Cable Guy impression)… GIDDEY DONE. – Zach Harper 11. Charlotte Hornets Jalen Johnson | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Duke Big wings who can play multiple positions and have a good skill set. That’s what the Hornets have been putting together in Charlotte, and with targets like James Bouknight off the board, Jalen Johnson fits the mold. Some were soured by his decision to leave Duke early last season, but it really shouldn’t have much impact on his NBA career. Not going through the motions of playing the NCAA’s game should actually be a sign of maturity and knowing you’re meant for bigger and better things. The shooting needs to come around, but he’s a fantastic playmaker for his size. Having him and LaMelo Ball on the floor together makes a ton of sense. It allows Terry Rozier to play off-ball. It makes Miles Bridges even more of a threat as someone who can sneak into the open pockets on the floor. – Zach Harper 12. San Antonio Spurs Trey Murphy | 6-9 wing | 21 years old, junior | Virginia The Spurs probably need a big man, but Trey Murphy’s stock appears to be rising and locking in a lottery spot. San Antonio grabbed Devin Vassell last year, and Murphy is another one of those 3-and-D prospects executives drool over. He can really shoot the ball. He’s a good defender both on and off the ball. Maybe his only big issue right away is strength, because he’s slight of build. In true Spurs fashion, the ball never sticks with him. If he doesn’t have room to get the shot off, he’ll move it and relocate. He fits what Gregg Popovich and company want to do on both ends of the floor. I love the fit here. – Zach Harper 13. Indiana Pacers Corey Kispert | 6-7 wing | 22 years old, senior | Gonzaga The Pacers need a floor-stretching shooter, and the Gonzaga marksman fits the bill. That will be especially true if Indiana is unable to retain free agent Doug McDermott, who is coming off his best NBA season. Kispert made 44 percent of his 3-point attempts last season for the Zags and was a 41 percent 3-point shooter through his four years in school. He is more, though, than a simple spot-up shooter. He is a fluid athlete who has enough size and bulk to play both forward positions. Mostly, though, he can shoot it — man, he can shoot it — and will help open up the floor in today’s space-and-pace game. – Bob Kravitz14. Golden State Warriors Davion Mitchell | 6-3 guard | 22 years old, junior | Baylor This is a pretty tasty turn of events for the Warriors. They had a high-upside wing talent, Kuminga, fall to them at No. 7 and now one of the players they believe is most capable of stepping in and helping immediately, Mitchell — who is in the mix at the seventh pick — falls to them at No. 14. That’s quite a draft night. Mitchell arrives with question marks. Despite shooting 45 percent from 3 last season, some are skeptical of his shot, believing it was an outlier result and his questionable free throw accuracy (between 62 and 67 percent) is a concerning indicator. He’s also 6-foot-3 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan and will turn 23 before next season. That doesn’t scream lottery pick. But turn on the tape. Watch him defend scorers of every size. Watch him blaze past defenders. Watch him finish at the rim with craft. Then gather intel on what kind of worker he is and the personality he brings to a locker room. Mitchell at No. 7 feels like a reach. Mitchell at No. 14 feels like a steal. – Anthony Slater 15. Washington Wizards Franz Wagner | 6-9 forward | 19 years old, sophomore | Michigan This pick feels simply too Wizards-like to ignore. Washington already employed one of the Wagner brothers. Why not two? And more importantly, this team consistently overflows with foreign players. General manager Tommy Sheppard loves to find talent overseas. The German Wagner can defend, something the Wizards need. His jumper isn’t all the way there, but scouts believe he can improve it, and might be able to playmake enough in the meantime to compensate. Does that sound Wizards-like enough for you? The group’s last two first-round picks, Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija, came in with similar reputations. Wagner plays a position that conflicts with Avdija, Hachimura and even Davis Bertans, but the Wizards also need the best available talent, and in this case — on top of all the other reasons he makes sense — that’s Wagner. – Fred Katz 16. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Boston) Usman Garuba | 6-8 big | 19 years old | Real Madrid Garuba has a chance to be one of the most impactful defenders at the NBA level. He can switch, drop, and has a knack for weak-side blocks. The Thunder aren’t necessarily looking for fit right now, but they don’t have any bigs under contract aside from Isaiah Roby. Garuba will be able to play right away and has shown that ability playing for Real Madrid. The offensive side of the ball is a work in progress. In one of his final Euroleague games, he showcased what optimists think about him by exploding for 24 points and 12 boards, but that was easily his most productive game. More often than not this past season, he was in single digits in scoring and was counted on for his defense. Garuba is a modern defender from the four and five spots and can be a great tandem with Lu Dort. The Thunder need a big for their future, and Garuba can help fill that spot. – Andrew Schlecht
17. New Orleans Pelicans (from Memphis) Chris Duarte | 6-6 guard | 24 years old, senior | Oregon At this point in the draft, I would probably say grabbing the best shooter on the board would be the wise move for New Orleans. The Pelicans were bottom-five in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage last season despite having the most dominant paint scorer in the game. Duarte brings high-level shooting with some maturity and defensive upside that could turn him into a starter at some point down the line. His age (24 years old) will scare some teams off, but the Pelicans are looking for players who can contribute immediately and Duarte fits the bill. – Will Guillory 18. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami via the LA Clippers, Philadelphia, and Phoenix) Jared Butler | 6-3 guard | 20 years old, junior | Baylor Butler is the most well-rounded scoring guard left on the board. He can shoot off the bounce and off the catch, he’s a great passer out of the pick-and-roll and is a smart and strong defender. The Thunder lack a real scoring threat from the guard position outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Butler has already shown he can be a great complementary piece from the guard position. One of the main issues is size. Butler is only 6-foot-3 and projects as more of a combo guard. He will struggle to defend bigger wings and more powerful guards in the NBA. Butler was recently cleared by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel after being red-flagged for a heart issue. Even though he was cleared, it does appear that there is at least some medical risk in drafting Butler. The Thunder rarely draft juniors out of college, but Butler is still only 20 years old. His team-oriented play, attitude, and age all fit the OKC rebuild very well. – Andrew Schlecht 19. New York Knicks Kai Jones | 6-11 big | 20 years old, sophomore | Texas This was an unexpected turn and the Knicks don’t necessarily need to spend a first-round pick on a big man — it is their position of least need. But Jones is too good to pass up here. At 6-foot-11, he’s a smooth-shooting, athletic big who can stretch the floor and add a lively dynamic to the Knicks offense once he develops. The Knicks need pop and Jones offers the most upside of the players available. There’s no reason to draft for need, so they take the best talent. If Jones hits, the Knicks could have a floor-spacing center who makes life so much easier for Julius Randle and RJ Barrett. It would add a different dimension to the roster and make a strong tandem with Mitchell Robinson, affording Tom Thibodeau the ability to play several styles there. A lineup with Randle, Jones, and Immanuel Quickley would not only be incredibly fun but also force the defense into tough decisions. – Mike Vorkunov 20. Atlanta Hawks Keon Johnson | 6-5 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Tennessee There were a few candidates I considered for this pick: Johnson, Cam Thomas, Tre Mann, Chris Duarte and Jaden Springer. Those names seem to be the most realistic candidates if the Hawks stay at No. 20. Johnson is more of a defensive prospect right now rather than a scorer, which is fine. The Hawks have many scorers on the wing right now and could use more defensive talent, which is the kind of prospect Johnson is. He’s one of the best athletes in the draft, with a lot of untapped potential. If the Hawks want to swing for a pick with a lot of upside, it’s Johnson. If they’d rather have someone who is more polished and ready to make an immediate impact, it’s Duarte, if he’s still on the board. Watch out for Thomas here, though, if he’s still available. The Hawks love players who can shoot off the dribble and off the catch, and he’s one of the best at it in this draft. – Chris Kirschner 21. New York (from Dallas) Tre Mann | 6-4 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Florida There is one throughline for the Knicks’ first two picks, and it is shooting. Mann is among the best in the draft. He’s a marksman from deep and has a sly game inside the paint. He can pull up from deep and his quick trigger makes him a constant threat. Watch some film of him at Florida and it doesn’t take long to see how he operates. He is a little reminiscent of Quickley, and even if they can’t play together (defense might be an issue for that backcourt) Thibodeau can rotate them onto the court, always making sure there is a high-quality shooter out there. Admittedly, this pick ignores the Knicks’ desperate need for more wings, especially those who can shoot. Chris Duarte was a strong consideration here. As was Miles McBride, whose combination of feisty defense and springy offense would be a perfect fit under Thibodeau. But the Knicks keep stocking up on shooters and hope their development team can help them reach their potential. – Mike Vorkunov 22. Los Angeles Lakers Ziaire Williams | 6-9 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Stanford Williams is a steal at this point in the draft. While the Lakers have tended to draft slightly older players outside of the lottery, they’ve also taken some swings on younger prospects, like Talen Horton-Tucker, Ivica Zubac and Thomas Bryant. The Lakers don’t really have a type — and they rarely miss with their picks. The Lakers seemingly need a ready-now player, and it seems as if Williams is still a year or two away given his slight frame, lack of strength and inconsistent 3-point shooting. But his upside is too much to pass on. Physically, he has unteachable tools. Big, athletic wings who can shoot and defend are arguably the most valuable role players in the NBA currently. The Lakers need additional size, shooting and defense on the perimeter, and Williams checks those boxes. He’s also competitive and a hard worker, traits the Lakers look for. He should be able to play two through four one day. The Lakers probably go with Duarte, Butler or Mann if they’re available here. But they’re not. Williams has received lottery buzz, and the Lakers, who aim to draft the best available player, would be fortunate if he fell into their lap. – Jovan Buha 23. Houston Rockets (from Portland) Miles McBride | 6-2 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | West Virginia I’m guilty of being a bit higher on McBride than others but there’s a lot to like with this young man. Houston fell off a cliff defensively once the injuries kicked in last season and there aren’t too many more lockdown guards than McBride. He’s undersized but the length, quick-twitch skills and motor are insane. In some ways, he’ll be able to cover up for Green and Porter’s deficiencies. Think a shorter Jrue Holiday. McBride should be a solid rotational piece in Houston. – Kelly Iko 24. Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee) Ayo Dosunmu | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Illinois At pick 24, the Rockets should just be in the business of collecting talent. Dosunmu has the potential to be a versatile, small ball switchable piece, something that appeals to Silas. He had a solid combine showing and should pair nicely with other wings on the roster in Danuel House Jr., Jae’Sean Tate and K.J. Martin. Green, Dosunmu and McBride is an excellent draft night haul and should steer the Rockets forward for years to come. – Kelly Iko 25. Los Angeles Clippers Jaden Springer | 6-4 guard | 18 years old, freshman | Tennessee Quite the run of guards here! This pick might very well be for some other team, but in the event that the Clippers stay here at No. 25, they go with a young player (relatively speaking since they’re all young) who can certainly defend at a high level while the rest of his game comes together. Springer could give the Clippers some insurance in the backcourt with Reggie Jackson reaching free agency, Patrick Beverley being injury-prone, Rajon Rondo reaching the twilight of his 15-year career, Yogi Ferrell being non-guaranteed and Paul George needing to play less shooting guard due to Kawhi Leonard’s injury/free agency. The worst part of LA’s defense last season was their difficulty to force turnovers at a high rate; Springer has the hands and feet to make an impact on that front. Offensively, the Clippers were a bottom-five team at getting to the free throw line; Springer averaged more than five free throw attempts a game once he became a consistent starter for Tennessee at shooting guard. There’s a real chance that Springer or whoever the Clippers take won’t make an impact as a rookie. At this point in the draft, selecting the best talent available makes a lot of sense. The Clippers aren’t all that deep, despite their resourcefulness last season and in the postseason, and they could use talent at every position. Springer will have growing pains, but he could give the oldest team in the league a combo guard with real upside. – Law Murray 26. Denver Nuggets Joshua Primo | 6-6 guard | 18 years old, freshman | Alabama The Nuggets are hopeful they can reach an agreement in free agency with small forward Will Barton, who declined his $14.7 million player option for the 2021-22 season earlier this month. But even if Barton does return to Denver on a new deal, the Nuggets are in need of future depth on the perimeter. In order to acquire Aaron Gordon at the trade deadline last season, they parted with rookie guard R.J. Hampton and veteran Gary Harris. The Nuggets simply need to restock their backcourt pipeline. Primo may not help the Nuggets right away, but his 56.5 true shooting percentage during his freshman season on a strong Alabama team provided a glimpse of the kind of offensive talent that could develop quickly within a Denver organization known for turning late-first and second-round prospects into contributors. – Nick Kosmider
27. Brooklyn Nets Day’Ron Sharpe | 6-11 Center | 19 years old, freshman | North Carolina The Nets have some long-term uncertainty at center beyond this coming season. Nic Claxton is in the final year of his contract and DeAndre Jordan is on a $10 million salary despite not playing for the final two months of the season. Sharpe gives the Nets a young center known for his rebounding and passing who could help one of Brooklyn’s deficiencies. Rebounding caught up with the Nets in the postseason as Milwaukee’s surplus of offensive rebounds hurt the Nets in their Game 7 second-round loss to Milwaukee. Brooklyn ranked among one of the league’s best defensive rebounding teams in the regular season, but towards the bottom in offensive rebounds. Sharpe is a young, raw prospect who can develop over time, but aid the Nets on the boards and serve as insurance in case Claxton doesn’t sign an extension and goes into free agency next summer. Sharpe was considered North Carolina’s best passer last season and his ability to pass out of the post and find teammates around the paint would be a terrific fit in a historically good Brooklyn offense that was at its best when the Nets were moving the ball. – Alex Schiffer 28. Philadelphia 76ers Cam Thomas | 6-5 Guard | 19 years old, freshman | LSU If this were a top-20 pick, I’d be a little bit more focused on Thomas’ lack of passing instincts and inattentiveness on defense. But Thomas has a clearly identifiable NBA skill in his ability to create scoring for himself. He has deep NBA range, can shoot off the catch, is comfortable running off of screens and hand-offs and can get to his spots off the dribble and pull up from anywhere, all skills the Sixers desperately lack, and need to play off of Joel Embiid. He’s not perfect, of course. Far from it. Outside of putting the ball in the basket, the rest of his game is frustratingly under-developed. He’s more than a bit of a black hole on offense, and misses simple reads, which is disappointing considering the amount of attention he receives coming off of a screen. His off-ball defense is atrocious, he seems to lose focus a lot on that end, and he doesn’t have great defensive tools to begin with. Still, it’s relatively easy to project him developing into a microwave scorer off the bench, which already would exceed the expected value of the 28th pick. If he can improve upon his weaknesses even a little bit, he could be a contributor in the right system, and I think the Sixers make sense, both as a team that needs his strengths and also one that can cover up his weaknesses. – Derek Bodner 29. Phoenix Suns Sharife Cooper | 6-1 guard | 20 years old, freshman | Auburn I’d be a bit concerned about Cam Payne’s free agency. He probably paid himself into a little bit bigger payday than Phoenix is comfortable with in the playoffs. Maybe not. But if he leaves, there’s a void at backup point guard and they’d need to fill it with a ready-made playmaker. Cooper is that. Even if Payne returns, the Suns could use some extra scoring punch off the bench. – Anthony Slater 30. Utah Jazz Quentin Grimes | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Houston As the postseason showed, the Utah Jazz need wing play in the worst way. They need to get bigger on the perimeter, as well as more active defensively. They need to add some versatility, and they need to do it all with a guy who shoots the ball to Quin Snyder’s standards within the motion offense. That’s hard to find at pick No. 30, but Grimes is the closest thing to filling all of those requirements. He can guard any of the three perimeter spots. He’s a 40 percent 3-point shooter at the college level — he led Houston to a Final Four this past season. He has been very good on the workout circuit and turned heads with an outstanding performance at the NBA combine. Grimes fits with the Jazz as a potential 3-and-D prospect who can play next to Donovan Mitchell. He’s a tough and resilient kid and he’s someone who has the look of being a valuable role player written all over him. – Tony Jones
Sam Venice [updated 1h ago] 2. Houston Rockets Jalen Green | 6-6 guard | 19 years old | G League Ignite No change here from last week, either. Green remains the name I’ve heard most with the Rockets. The Rockets desperately need explosive talent, regardless of how it “fits.” There is no discussion of “fit” when you don’t have the guy already on the roster. The Rockets are in desperate need of a centerpiece, and Green is about as good of a scoring prospect as I’ve scouted in the last eight years. He’ll be a 20-plus-point-per-game scorer in his career, with a real chance to be a top-five scorer in the NBA at his peak. Range: No. 2-3 23. Houston Rockets (via POR) Isaiah Jackson | 6-10 center | 19 years old, freshman | Kentucky Another relatively wide range, if only due to the fact that he’s a big. I’ve never really bought the lottery hype for Jackson, but teams do like him as an interesting long-term center option. He’s 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan and all sorts of twitchy explosiveness. He is the prototypical run-and-jump, play-finishing, shot-swatting center prospect and has the athleticism to legitimately do it. Having said that, these Rockets picks are seen throughout the industry as places for the fallers on draft night to end up — either via the Rockets selecting high-upside players to join their rebuild or via trades, as the team is thought to be active in the trade market with these selections. One thing worth noting in that respect: I wouldn’t be surprised to see this as a spot where a team tries to move up to leap a few teams within the last five picks in order to take Joshua Primo. 24. Houston Rockets (via MIL) Jalen Johnson | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Duke Speaking of fallers to land with the Rockets here, come on down, Jalen Johnson. I’ve referenced throughout the draft process that his range is extremely wide and that teams are not quite as enamored with him as the previous lottery projections would have had you believe. There has not been a point this season where I had Johnson in the lottery on my personal board. It’s possible he could end up in the latter portion of the lottery if some team like Indiana decides to take a flier, but I think I would be pretty surprised at this point. He does have real skill, and he’s worthy of a first-round pick. But even taking away some of the questions teams have about him and his departures from IMG Academy and Duke over the last couple of years, even Johnson’s game was not particularly awesome this year, given his questionable shooting and lackadaisical defensive effort at times. His range is wide on draft night. Range: Nos. 12-29
Sports Illustrated [2h ago] Jeremy Wood 2. Rockets: Jalen Green, SG, G League Ignite Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 185 | Age: 19 | Freshman No surprise here, but league sources view Green as an essential lock to Houston at No. 2. He worked out for the Rockets this week, and a mutual comfort level appears to have formed between them. Houston explored trading the pick, but settled on Green, who was also the only projected top pick to work out for the Rockets, which expedited the matchmaking process. Another notable tidbit: sources say Green has built a friendship with Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., dating back to their time in the G League bubble, which should inspire at least some level of confidence that their similar styles of play can coexist. Green has major upside as a scorer, and has been viewed as the Rockets’ preferred choice dating back to lottery night. 23. Rockets (from Blazers): Usman Garuba, F/C, Real Madrid (Spain) Height: 6' 8" | Weight: 230 | Age: 19 It’s generally expected that the Rockets will make a move involving one or both of their selections in the 20s. Teams are all over the board on Garuba, who has one of the most intriguing defensive profiles in the draft, but is lagging behind in terms of ball skills at this point, leading to questions over what his eventual role might be on that end of the floor. Houston is no stranger to experimenting in the frontcourt, with P.J. Tucker Jae’Sean Tate having carved out careers with the Rockets as unconventional bigs. You can see Garuba eventually playing a similar role, but wielding better positional size and tools. Concerns over how far away Garuba might be on offense could see him drop into this range. 24. Rockets (from Bucks): Joshua Primo, SG, Alabama Height: 6' 5" | Weight: 190 | Age: 18 | Freshman It’s unclear whether the Rockets will actually make this pick, but making a long-term investment in a younger player does fit with their timeline. After a strong showing at the combine and impressive pre-draft process behind closed doors, Primo now looks like a lock to land somewhere in the first round, with his range beginning in the late teens and running down into the 20s. He’s demonstrated a more diverse offensive game than he showed in a spot-up role at Alabama, with combo guard skills and an impressive level of poise and focus. The fact he’s the youngest draft-eligible prospect adds a layer of appeal as a long-term project, and he’s in the mix for teams that can afford to be patient. Primo has starter-level upside in the long run.
Would love this draft for Houston. The only thing that would make me happier (aside from Mobley but that dream is dead) is picking up Thor with an early second the Rockets pick up by trading the fluff from the Roster (House/Augustin/Bradley).
Draft Kings [3h ago] Chinmay Vaidya No. 2 — Houston Rockets: Jalen Green, G, G-League The Rockets have reportedly leaned towards taking Green, the high-scoring guard from the G-League. He’s got great upside as a superstar scorer and Houston feels comfortable pairing him with John Wall in his early years. No. 23 — Houston Rockets (via POR): Alperen Sengun, C, Besiktas Sengun hasn’t really done much to hurt his stock; it’s other players who have skyrocketed up boards to push him down. The Rockets need a frontcourt prospect and Sengun fits the team’s rebuilding timeline. He might not get much playing time right away, but he could eventually develop into a star in the post. No. 24 — Houston Rockets (via MIL): Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois There’s a good chance the Rockets move this pick in an effort to shed salary, but they take Dosunmu if they keep it. The Illinois guard got knocked a little too far down in my opinion after one game against Loyola-Chicago, but was the frontrunner for National Player of the Year at one point. With Wall as a mentor, Dosunmu could thrive in Houston.
I don't see Presti passing a guy like Kuminga or Barnes at 6, they seem like the classic players/projects he loves to draft. Also it has to be sad for the Jazz to have the last pick, they would desperately need to add some talent but they played themselves out of it with a meaningless regular season just to realize it was fool's gold.
So they really have Kuminga at #7 going to the Warriors now? I remember early in the year people were like "this is a 5 player draft" and now he suddenly isn't all that anymore? He was always raw which is what people were able to see in his G-league stint. Nothing changed, he still has all the potential in the world. Please don't let the Warriors pick him......
House+Bradley (his option is very reasonable for a vet with playoff experience) to NYK for Knox and picks 32 & 58. 2 - Jalen Green 23 - Miles McBride 24 - Jalen Johnson 32 - JT Thor 58 - Jericho Sims UDFA: EJ Onu McBride, Thor, Sims and Onu would spend their season at RGV next year to be added to the Rockets 2022 draft class.
Garuba would be an awesome pickup, I would be shocked if Sengun makes it to the 20 range but hes a no brainer there as well. Other players I like are Sharpe, Butler, and of course Thor. Sharpe can add the size we need to bang with bigs and he is getting better overall especially with his shot. Butler is a solid guard on both ends and can add depth and defense. Thor reminds me of Siakam and looks like a promising 3-D in this draft. If we can get Jericho Sims as well that would satisfy Tillman.
