Spoiler My annual live-running mock draft is here. From this point forward, any update to my 2021 NBA Mock Draft will be contained in this space based on the most up-to-the-second information that I am hearing. Latest update, Thursday morning, Draft Day: It’s draft day! And after a busy start to the week on Monday with a deal that saw the Pelicans and Grizzlies move around the draft board, after that it’s been… crickets. Sources around the league do expect activity to pick up, but there seems to be a bit of a logjam league-wide right now as we head into draft day. There is a sense that, as teams with stars that could come available this summer try to come to a decision on their future, the potential acquiring teams (who have a lot of assets to spend) are patiently in a holding pattern while waiting for more information. At some point, sources around the league expect there will be a shift in some regard as the pressure of time becomes a factor. But then again, while those sources are adamant that this draft week seems more active in regard to trade chatter than past years, years of inaction in this arena do provide reason for skepticism on whether or not anything actually gets done. At the end of the day, there is never a day on the NBA calendar where more, pardon me, bullshit information is pushed around league circles than the day before the NBA Draft. As referenced in last week’s mock, which should be considered something of a precursor to this one, this is considered a strong draft at the top and one with a whole lot of questions throughout the middle of the first round. There are some real wild-card players here who could go all over the board, making the mock draft a very challenging exercise this season. On top of that, we’ve now hit the point where the uncertainty includes trades. A number of picks are available for the right price in the middle of the lottery right now. We saw the first of those deals on Monday this week, as New Orleans moved the No. 10 pick to Memphis in a multi-player deal that I give some analysis on below. I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more picks on the move in the coming days. So here we go. The final mock draft run of the draft cycle. As always, remember: I’ve talked to quite literally dozens of sources around the NBA to compile this thing (from scouts and executives to the agency side to coaches on both NBA and college staffs), and over the course of the last four years, I have a fairly good track record of success, comparatively. I’d expect some real movement throughout the next couple of days, though Tuesday was largely quiet, with sources noting throughout the day that it felt like teams were spending the day getting organized before the madness of the draft and free agency. 1. Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham | 6-foot-8, lead ballhandler | 19 years old, freshman | Oklahoma State No changes here at No. 1 from the mock last week. Regardless of what happens in the next 72 hours, Cunningham is, by far, the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 in the 2021 NBA Draft. Sources across the NBA feel, by far, the most likely outcome is that the Pistons select and keep Cunningham. Now, as I’ve reported basically since lottery night, the Pistons are undertaking the full process in regard to their impending decision. They have apparently accepted calls — even if they haven’t made those calls themselves — regarding potential deals for the No. 1 overall pick. It would be foolish to just automatically shut down anything that comes in. At the end of the day, I think it would take a team blowing away Detroit with an offer to move up to No. 1. Still, even if Detroit does end up getting blown away by an offer of some sort, I’d expect it’s still Cunningham who goes No. 1. If Detroit did come to the conclusion that it was comfortable with Jalen Green or Evan Mobley — or even if the Pistons had those guys marginally higher on their board than Cunningham — the most sensible deal remains a slide down to No. 2, where they could pick up a couple of first-round picks and still get the gamechanger they need. It would be pretty stunning to see them choose to slide out of the top group of prospects in this class. It’s not a done deal, but Detroit taking Cunningham remains the best bet. Range: No. 1. 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 3. Cleveland Cavaliers Evan Mobley | 7-0 center | 20 years old, freshman | USC No changes here, either. Mobley remains the name I’ve gotten most for Cleveland. I don’t think the Cavs are likely to move out of No. 3. And it remains exceedingly unlikely Mobley gets beyond pick No. 3. The Cavs really need defensive ability, and Mobley has a higher defensive upside than anybody in this class. I’m pretty skeptical of the Cavaliers plunking down real cap assets by taking Mobley and then handing fellow center Jarrett Allen a big contract, but I don’t think the Mobley side of the equation is the one that you should stop yourself from doing if you’re Cleveland in this case. He makes perfect sense for them at No. 3 given their needs. Range: No. 2-3 4. Toronto Raptors Jalen Suggs | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, freshman | Gonzaga OK, this is where the fun starts. Suggs remains the likely choice here, but I don’t think this is done by any stretch. As I wrote last week, the Raptors have really looked into other players here, including Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Kuminga. Sources around the league have also noted the Raptors have been willing participants in trade discussions. There is a thought that the Raptors really like Mobley. But they would have to move up to get him — where they’d likely have to pay a significant asking price from Houston or Cleveland. Call me skeptical they’re willing to meet that asking price. So yeah, I’ve got Suggs here. I think it’s still the most likely outcome. But this is the spot I’m looking at right now as to where the draft surprises could start. He would be a perfect fit with this roster, the kind of high-upside potential star the team needs to build around moving forward. It’s hard to imagine a better fit in the backcourt with Fred VanVleet than him due to his athleticism and defensive prowess. With Suggs, the Raptors would be a center away from building one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, plus one that has legitimate on-ball creation. But I also understand that I’m generally higher on Suggs than the industry at large, having him at No. 2 on my personal board. Range: Nos. 4-5 5. Orlando Magic Scottie Barnes | 6-9 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Florida State No changes here for the Magic. I noted in the previous mock that Barnes is seen by the NBA as much more likely to be the selection here at No. 5 than Kuminga. Sources also believe that if the Raptors go off the board and select Barnes, then Suggs would be the likely pick at No. 5. Having said that, for some teams, it wouldn’t really be off the board. Multiple teams I’ve spoken with actually have Barnes as a top-four prospect in this class, ahead of Suggs or Green. He fits everything this Orlando front office looks for, as they love players who have elite positional size and length in addition to high character. I’d anticipate Barnes being off the board somewhere between picks No. 4 and 5, with an outside shot of No. 6. Range: Nos. 4-6 6. Oklahoma City Thunder James Bouknight | 6-5 wing | 20 years old, sophomore | Connecticut As I wrote last week, Bouknight has been seen as the most likely player to crash into the top six. At that time, I felt like it was basically a toss-up on Kuminga versus Bouknight based on the intel, as sources indicated the Thunder have been high on Bouknight throughout the pre-draft process. At this point, it feels much more likely to be Bouknight over Kuminga given the opinion of sources around the league. Having said that, the Thunder are a notoriously secretive front office, so it’s possible there could be some smokescreening in regard to preferences. There will also be trade discussions here, as the Thunder are seen league-wide as a team that wants to move up in the draft order. But Bouknight has increased his standing league-wide with a terrific pre-draft process where he’s convinced teams about his shooting acumen despite substandard numbers in college due to contextual situations. I would anticipate Bouknight hears his name called either at No. 6 or at No. 7, with an outside shot of reaching No. 8. I’d be stunned if he got beyond there. Range: Nos. 6-8
Spoiler 7. Golden State Warriors (via MIN) Jonathan Kuminga | 6-7 wing/forward | 18 years old | G League Ignite This is another inflection point of the draft, along with No. 4. League sources are still a bit unclear as to how the Warriors feel about Kuminga in comparison to some of the other players purported to be high on their board, including Bouknight, Moses Moody and Josh Giddey. Bouknight is seen as the favorite at this point to go No. 7 if he were to get to this spot. If he’s gone, this gets a bit more complicated. I’ve gone with Kuminga here, but this is a bit more speculative than the first few picks in this class. Kuminga would absolutely be the highest-upside asset if the Warriors are looking to try to go star-hunting. He’s a legitimate shot creator. But his downside is much greater than that of Bouknight or Moody, as he’s not a particularly good shooter or defender right now despite athleticism that would make you think he should be. If Kuminga isn’t picked here, he has a chance to fall to No. 10 or 11, even. The range is a bit wider than you’d think. Range: Nos. 6-11 8. Orlando Magic (via CHI) Moses Moody | 6-6 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Arkansas Moody has been a top-11 guy within my mock drafts since March, and that doesn’t change. Simply put, the feedback on Moody from teams has been very strong throughout the year, and it remains strong. Teams see his 3-and-D potential as being extremely safe. Additionally, there are some teams that believe he has some real shot-creation upside given that he’s only 19 years old and extremely skilled. He fits Orlando perfectly. He fits the Magic’s preferences of a player that has great positional size and length and fills a real need as a shooter. I’d be pretty blown away if he got outside of the lottery, given that the Warriors like him and have No. 14. But I’d consider his mostly range somewhere between No. 7 and 11. The other names I’ve heard here for Orlando include Franz Wagner and Alperen Sengun. Another name I’ve heard pop up over the last 48 or so hours as a potential surprise pick is Ziaire Williams, with two league sources believing the Magic have the Stanford wing very high on their board — again, something that wouldn’t be all that surprising given the team’s emphasis on positional size, length and character. Range: Nos. 7 to 14 9. Sacramento Kings Franz Wagner | 6-9 forward | 19 years old, sophomore | Michigan This doesn’t change from the most recent mock. I wouldn’t say this pick is a done deal necessarily, as the Kings are thought to be somewhat active in trade discussions. But Wagner is a terrific defender who would go to a team that desperately needs more defensive play. Three things have consistently come up when discussing what the Kings are thinking with sources around the league. First, that they would love to take a bigger wing/forward. Second, that defense is important to them in this pick. And third, that analytics will play a bigger role here than in other situations league-wide, given Monte McNair’s background and ownership’s emphasis on being data-driven. Wagner is the guy that ticks all the boxes there as a 6-foot-9 player with real defensive acumen who is actually younger than quite a few of the one-and-dones in this class. He’s seen as likely at this point to hear his name called somewhere between No. 8 and 10, given the three teams making picks here. The other name that has come up most often here as being a possible selection is Sengun. Range: Nos. 8-13 10. Memphis Grizzlies (via NOP) Josh Giddey | 6-8 wing | 18 years old | Adelaide A trade! Memphis acquired this pick Monday in a trade with the Pelicans that sent Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, No. 10, No. 40 and a top 10-protected 2022 first-round pick from the Lakers for Jonas Valanciunas and Nos. 17 and 51 in this draft. The Pelicans and Grizzlies have been seen as natural trade partners for a little while now, as the Grizzlies have wanted to move up in the draft and the Pelicans have wanted to carve out cap space. From the Grizzlies’ perspective, I’m a bit surprised they decided to move on Valanciunas, who I felt was their most consistent player a season ago and a genuine top-10 center in the league. However, given that he only has one year left on his contract before what is assuredly an expensive contract in the summer of 2022, maybe the Grizzlies felt this was the best time to cash in on his value to accomplish their goal of moving up the board as well as acquiring an additional first-round pick. It’s a reasonable calculation, in my view, especially given that they acquired a ready-made replacement in Adams. Sources across the league have felt like the Grizzlies have been fans of Giddey throughout the entire process, which is why he slots in as the pick here. The other two names I got when specifically asking whom it could be that they’re moving up for if it’s not Giddey were Wagner and Moody, who came off the board ahead of this spot. It’s exceedingly likely that one of these players is on the board when the Grizzlies pick. I see Giddey’s range as anywhere from No. 7 to No. 13, and don’t be surprised to see another team try to move up into the couple of picks above Memphis to attempt to beat the Grizzlies to the Giddey punch. It’s seen as unlikely he’d get past San Antonio. Range: Nos. 7-12 11. Charlotte Hornets Corey Kispert | 6-7 wing | 22 years old, senior | Gonzaga Texas big man Kai Jones has been connected often with this pick in league circles, but I just can’t get past the idea that it would be a complete zag from everything the Hornets’ front office has done in the past. Look back through their draft history in the Michael Jordan era. Frank Kaminsky, Miles Bridges, Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Cody Zeller, Devonte’ Graham, Cody Martin, Malik Monk, Vernon Carey, PJ Washington. All of them were elite collegiate producers who were either All-American or borderline All-American choices. The only one that doesn’t line up is Noah Vonleh. Kispert was an All-American this past season at Gonzaga, and his shooting would be an enormous help for LaMelo Ball in terms of creating space. Range: Nos. 10-17 12. San Antonio Spurs Alperen Sengun | 6-10 big | 19 years old, international | Besiktas Sengun pops off the board here to the Spurs. San Antonio could certainly use more offensive firepower from its frontcourt, and Sengun has the kind of terrific feel for the game as a scorer that would mesh well with the young guards that San Antonio is building around in the frontcourt. The Spurs are thought to be fans also of Kispert and Giddey, but both of them are off the board here. As referenced above, it’s possible Sengun is off the board by this point, as both Sacramento and Orlando are noted to be big fans. He’s likely to be selected in the lottery. Range: Nos. 8-16. 13. Indiana Pacers Davion Mitchell | 6-3 guard | 22 years old, junior | Baylor This pick doesn’t really change from the previous mock, although it’s worth noting the Pacers are seen as something of a wild card. It’s difficult to get a read on them, much in the same way that it was difficult to get a read on New Orleans at No. 10 prior to them moving the pick in the aforementioned trade. A few sources have noted that they believe the Pacers are somewhat active in trade discussions and could look to move this pick for more veteran help. If they end up keeping it, Mitchell makes a ton of sense. T.J. McConnell hits free agency this summer after keying the team’s point of attack defense this past season. Mitchell would be a hell of a replacement, coming off a Defensive Player of the Year season at Baylor. He’s also considered a bit more pro-ready than some of the other players in this range. I see Mitchell as likely to come off the board somewhere between No. 11 and No. 14 at this stage, as the Warriors are thought to have some interest with their second lottery pick even if they aren’t quite as interested at No. 7. Range: Nos. 11-14 14. Golden State Warriors Chris Duarte | 6-6 guard | 24 years old, senior | Oregon This pick doesn’t change from the previous mock. With Mitchell off the board, Duarte fills the hope the Warriors have to come away from this draft with someone who could potentially slot into their rotation off the bench early in their career. His ability to shoot and defend would be different from anything else the team currently has in the backcourt off the bench. This is certainly on the higher end for Duarte, but the Warriors would likely need to pick him here if they want to end draft night with him because the Wizards are also thought to be big fans. Range: Nos. 14-17
Spoiler 15. Washington Wizards Trey Murphy | 6-9 wing | 21 years old, junior | Virginia The names most associated with the Wizards in the last few days have been Murphy, Duarte and Kispert — the three shooters for a team that needs shooting more desperately than any other skill set on the roster. Murphy is 6-foot-9 and hit 43 percent from 3 and 95 percent from the foul line this year at Virginia. He really moved up the board for teams a lot in the pre-draft process, going from a player seen as a late first-round pick to someone unlikely to get to pick No. 20. Range: Nos. 13-19 16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via BOS) Kai Jones | 6-11 big | 20 years old, sophomore | Texas OK, this is another inflection point of the draft. All of the top-15 names above, I think, are extremely likely to hear their names called in the top 20. This next group though? They’re seen as real wild cards entering the event. Jones has an extremely wide range of possibilities entering the evening, as he’s thought to be in the mix all the way up at No. 11 with the Hornets. However, precious few teams in this range are looking for big men. And on top of that, Jones is a really polarizing prospect. His upside is real; he’s one of the best athletes in the class. However, some teams have real worries about whether he’ll ever play with the feel for the game necessary for a true big, given his late start to basketball. He could pretty easily fall into the mid-20s. Range: Nos. 11-24 17. New Orleans Pelicans (via MEM) Jared Butler | 6-3 guard | 20 years old, junior | Baylor The Pelicans acquired this pick in the aforementioned deal. I’m a little bit more skeptical on this deal for the Pelicans unless they think two things. First, they have to go get a really good point guard in free agency using this cap space. Second, they have to strongly believe that Valanciunas can be a long-term answer for the team at center next to Zion Williamson. I think that’s a distinct possibility in terms of fit on the court if the team runs a large portion of its half-court offense through Zion. Valanciunas is one of the best screen-and-roll/dribble-hand-off bigs in the NBA because his feel for where to sink and when to roll toward the rim is elite. He can also pick-and-pop a bit. But to make this work, the team would need to find a real answer at point guard. Honestly, whether this trade makes sense for the Pelicans, in my view, is almost wholly dependent on if they can get Kyle Lowry (or someone like him). If they get Lowry, I think they have a chance to be this year’s version of the Phoenix Suns, skying up the Western Conference hierarchy. If they end up with someone lesser than Lowry to run the point, I think there are some real diminishing returns on the deal, especially given that Valanciunas can be a free agent after the year. Before really evaluating this choice, let’s see what the Pelicans can do in free agency now that they have up to $36 million in space (and yes, I would anticipate Lowry taking up around $30 million of that space if he was to sign there given how many teams with space need point guards). If they don’t end up getting the great guard, I do wonder if the team would have been simply better off just stretching Bledsoe to create some cap space, keeping Adams and keeping the draft capital they moved in this trade for future maneuvering. In terms of this pick, sources around the league immediately mentioned the older shooters as guys the Pelicans would like to end up with: Kispert, Murphy and Duarte. If none of those guys are available, the pick gets a bit interesting, in my view. I’m not totally sure they’d stay at this pick. If they do, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them take a backcourt flier like Butler or Jaden Springer. Butler is another player whose range is all over the board in the first round due to his having to get clearance from the fitness to play panel for a medical condition. This would be near the top end of it. But his shooting and scoring would really be a strong fit here. Range: No. 15 to early second round. 18. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA) Ziaire Williams | 6-9 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Stanford Williams is a tricky guy to try to slot in. He had a tough year at Stanford, as the team lived out of hotels for the first six weeks of the season, then he left the team in the middle of the season due to a death in the family before returning for the final few games. He averaged 13 points, six rebounds and three assists prior to his month-long departure. Still, his inefficiency left a bad lasting impression in most evaluators’ eyes, and he struggled to deal with the physicality of the game at what looked to be about 175 pounds. Still, he’s a really high-upside pick for a team in Oklahoma City that can afford to take high-upside swings like him. Again though, because of the weird season, he’s all over the board for different NBA teams. Range: Nos. 8-27 19. New York Knicks Usman Garuba | 6-8 big | 19 years old | Real Madrid This is a pick that doesn’t change from the previous mock. Tom Thibodeau’s favorite player is Taj Gibson. There are a lot of similarities between Garuba and Gibson, as both are elite defenders positionally. The difference is that Garuba has a bit more athleticism and pop than Gibson ever did and thus has a real chance to be the kind of impact defender it’s worth consistently keeping on the court. Also, the Knicks will be very familiar with Garuba, as he’s repped by CAA. While I do think that connection to the current front office has been slightly overblown, I also believe it’ll help in regard to familiarity with a player they might not have gotten a chance to see overseas this year. He’d also be a good complement to Mitchell Robinson in the frontcourt defensively because they bring different skill sets to the table. Range: Nos. 12-21 20. Atlanta Hawks Keon Johnson | 6-5 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Tennessee Another pick that doesn’t change. Johnson’s range is seen as very wide on draft night. He’ll be in the mix starting in the late lottery on down toward the mid-20s. It’s easy to see why he’s a polarizing prospect for teams. Some love his athletic upside and see him as a real potential offensive playmaker. Others just strongly believe that he’s not going to shoot it, and that he’s a bit too loose with the ball. I’ve heard anywhere from top 10 to mid-20s for Johnson from teams. But unfortunately, someone just kind of has to fall on draft night. In this iteration of the mock, Johnson is one of those fallers. The Hawks can afford to take a flier on a guy here given their depth across all positions of the court. Range: Nos. 11-24 21. New York Knicks (via DAL) Jaden Springer | 6-4 guard | 18 years old, freshman | Tennessee A third straight pick that doesn’t change. I’ve heard two consistent things with the Knicks over the last week. First, they see shot creation as a genuine need, and they’ll look to address it. Second, don’t be surprised if they end up not picking at 19 and 21. I do believe there is some genuine interest there in moving up if they can find the right prospect who falls. Still, Springer would fill that shot-creation ability, and it’s easy to see how Thibodeau would be an enormous fan of the Tennessee product due to his defensive intensity. However, he’s a pretty polarizing prospect, again, due to a very strange season at Tennessee. His range is pretty wide on draft night. Range: No. 15-29 22. Los Angeles Lakers Tre Mann | 6-4 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Florida Duarte is thought to be the guy the Lakers want to fall. I’ve heard some sources discuss that they’ve looked into moving up the board. But it might be tough to do that given their current asset cache. I referenced in the last mock draft that Mann is a player the Lakers are thought to be high on, and it’s easy to see why. They need some shot creation and pull-up shooting ability next to guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They could especially use it off the bench. Mann makes sense as a strong candidate to fill that need, as he’s the best pull-up shooter in the class and has terrific change of pace and direction handle. He needs to really improve on defense, and he could stand to improve as a passer. But if he’s here, the Lakers will give him a long look.
At first glance, this would be an amazing draft night with high upside players. Johnson could develop into a skilled versatile big with the right coaching. Seems like he could slide in the draft to the 20's due to cutting his year short and only playing 12 games so not a lot of tape on him. Not sure he falls to 23 or 24 though but Rockets have to strongly consider drafting him if he does. Trey Murphy would be my other target but I assume he will go in the top 20 at least but maybe his "age" will allow him to drop to the Rockets. I think he still has some untapped potential and his free throw % and 3 pt %'s are amazing. Below is a quote from nbadraft.net regarding that his game may be better suited for the NBA game which many scouts fail to see that some players thrive in the more open court/spacing style of the NBA vs. the bunching up zone style defensive of NCAA. There are many of these players with the usual question marks of defense, etc. but many have the length and athleticism to contribute in this league and many are at young ages. Picking the ones that will thrive more in an NBA style of game vs. NCAA will be the ones to be steals of the draft and I predict that there will be at least 4-5 in the late first round and even 2nd round that will surprise everyone's expectations. Let's hope the Rockets somehow pick 1 or even 2 of those 4-5 steals in this draft. Most drafts have a ton of combo guards in the late first/early 2nd but this draft seems to have a good variety of prospects with better measurables than usual. ideally, Rockets need height/length, versatility (2-way player) and shooting. Typically hard to find in the 20's so moving up is also an option if they are sure they can get all of this in one prospect in the teen range of the draft. "He should benefit from the more open offensive systems at the NBA level and feel emboldened to take more shots early in the shot clock … However, he will need to develop more aspects of his game in order to make the transition."
Spoiler 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 25. LA Clippers Rokas Jokubaitis | 6-4 lead guard | 20 years old | Zalgiris A similar pick from the last mock. It’s hard to find genuine early contributors later in the draft, and one avenue open to them given their current contract situation could be to stash a player. Jokubaitis is seen as a strong, creative pick-and-roll guard. He makes live-dribble passes and also has a nice little three-level scoring game off his pull-up repertoire that will translate to playing both on and off the ball. The key for him will be athletic translation and consistently gaining separation, but he plays such an unhurried style of basketball with poise that I think he’ll probably be good on that front to at least carve out a solid bench role in the NBA. Another avenue that I think makes sense for the Clippers is to trade back into the second round and pick up a couple of picks. Range: No. 25 to mid-second round 26. Denver Nuggets Joshua Primo | 6-6 guard | 18 years old, freshman | Alabama Another pick that remains from last week’s mock. One thing the Nuggets are known for is pre-drafting players they think might be a year away from going much higher in the draft the next season. Primo is a prime pre-draft candidate, and there is even a thought that he could be off the board a bit earlier than this. Still, Denver would be a really strong fit for Primo given how great the organization is developmentally, and given that it has time to spend on him with how deep the Nuggets’ guard rotation is in front of him once his fellow Torontonian Jamal Murray gets healthy. Range: Nos. 18-30 27. Brooklyn Nets Cam Thomas | 6-3 guard | 19 years old, freshman | LSU Thomas is one of the best scorers in this class, but I just can’t quite get a read on what’s going on with him pre-draft. Few teenagers have the kind of scoring instincts Thomas does. He has this innate sense for how to get defenders off balance and has a ridiculous pull-up game that allows him to be constantly on balance himself. He was the fourth-leading scorer in college basketball as a teenager. But his defense is atrocious, and he doesn’t pass. Teams seem a bit apprehensive about him at this point. Even me being a little bit lower on him in general, I think this is probably at the low end of his range, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear his name called in the teens. Range: Nos. 17-30 28. Philadelphia 76ers Miles McBride | 6-2 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | West Virginia McBride is one of my favorites in this class. He’s lightning-quick laterally and is elite at the point of attack defensively. His game is all about pressure. He attacks the opposing ballhandler, then attacks when he has the ball on offense. When West Virginia switched to more of a four-out offense in the second half of the year, McBride thrived and looked like a potential high-level backup. He could become a starter if his jumper off the bounce continues to come along. This would be an absolutely tremendous pick for the 76ers. McBride is seen as likely to hear his name called in the last third of the first round and could go a bit higher than this in the 20s. For their part, the 76ers are still seen as a potential threat to trade this pick given that president of basketball ops Daryl Morey has traditionally not always gotten involved in the draft. Range: Nos. 19-35 29. Phoenix Suns Sharife Cooper | 6-1 guard | 20 years old, freshman | Auburn The last similar pick from the mock last week. The good news for the Suns is that they have very few real needs. Backup center is definitely one, but that is easily filled in free agency by myriad options. Backup point guard (and a legitimate option as a long-term point guard of the future for after the Chris Paul era ends) also is a real need given that Cam Payne has made himself quite a bit of money this season with his standout performances. Cooper would be a killer fit here in that regard. He could end up going about 10 spots higher than this on draft night as well. He has a very wide range, and it’s a bit telling that he has not been invited to the NBA Draft Green Room yet. In regard to Cooper, I believe he’s likely to hear his name somewhere in the back half of the first round. This is on the lower end of his range. He could end up going higher than this, it’s just hard to find the landing spot. Range: Nos. 19-29 30. Utah Jazz Ayo Dosunmu | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Illinois The Jazz need more perimeter defenders and athleticism on the wing. They could also use someone who has a chance to be a helpful player next year. Dosunmu was a first-team All-American, a terrific combo guard for Illinois who also possesses strong leadership qualities and a high character. I’d be surprised to see him get beyond this range. Range: Nos. 20- 35
Spoiler Round 2 31. Milwaukee (via HOU): Day’Ron Sharpe | 6-11 center | 19 years old, freshman | North Carolina 32. New York (via DET): Quentin Grimes | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Houston 33. Orlando: Bones Hyland | 6-3 guard | 20 years old | VCU 34. Oklahoma City: Herbert Jones | 6-7 wing |22 years old, senior | Alabama 35. New Orleans (via CLE): Joe Wieskamp | 6-7 wing | 21 years old, junior | Iowa 36. Oklahoma City (via MIN): JT Thor | 6-10 forward | 19 years old | Auburn 37. Detroit (via TOR): Brandon Boston Jr. | 6-7 wing | 19 years old, freshman | Kentucky 38. Chicago (via NO): Austin Reaves | 6-5 guard | 23 years old, senior | Oklahoma 39. Sacramento: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | 6-10 forward | 20 years old, sophomore | Villanova 40. Memphis (via NOP): Santi Aldama | 6-11 big | 20 years old, sophomore | Loyola (MD) 41. San Antonio: Isaiah Todd | 6-10 big | 19 years old | G League Ignite 42. Detroit (via CHA): Josh Christopher | 6-4 guard | 19 years old, freshman | Arizona State 43. New Orleans (via WAS): Filip Petrusev | 7-0 center | 21 years old | Mega 44. Brooklyn (via IND): Joel Ayayi | 6-5 guard | 21 years old, junior | Gonzaga 45. Boston: Jason Preston | 6-4 guard | 22 years old, junior | Ohio 46. Toronto (via MEM): Juhann Begarin | 6-6 wing | 18 years old | Paris 47. Toronto (via GSW): Isaiah Livers | 6-7 wing | 22 years old, senior | Michigan 48. Atlanta (via MIA): Greg Brown | 6-8 forward | 19 years old, freshman | Texas 49. Brooklyn (via ATL): Sandro Mamukelashvili | 6-11 big | 22 years old, senior | Seton Hall 50. Philadelphia (via NYK): David Johnson | 6-5 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Louisville 51. New Orleans (via MEM): Kessler Edwards | 6-8 wing | 20 years old, junior | Pepperdine 52. Detroit (via LAL): Vrenz Bleijenbergh | 6-10 wing | 20 years old | Antwerp 53. New Orleans (via DAL): Aaron Henry | 6-5 wing | 21 years old, junior | Michigan State 54. Indiana (via MIL): Charles Bassey | 6-10 center | 20 years old, junior | Western Kentucky 55. Oklahoma City (via DEN): Neemias Queta | 7-0 center | 21 years old, junior | Utah State 56. Charlotte (via LAC): Justin Champagnie | 6-7 forward | 20 years old | Pittsburgh 57. Charlotte (via BKN): Jericho Sims | 6-10 big | 22 years old, senior | Texas 58. New York (via PHI): Luka Garza | 6-11 center | 22 years old, senior | Iowa 59. Brooklyn (via PHX): Moses Wright | 6-9 big | 22 years old, senior | Georgia Tech 60. Indiana (via UTA): Matthew Hurt | 6-9 guard | 20 years old, sophomore | Duke
Spoiler We made it to draft day! The 2021 NBA Draft begins Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET, and there will be absolute chaos with rumors and lies leading up to the night. Dreams will come true. Landscapes will be altered. And the NBA will have a whole lot of optimism injected into nearly every franchise around the league. The Athletic has given you plenty of resources for this draft night. Sam Vecenie’s draft guide is an absolute must. Read about each pick your team makes, pass the knowledge onto your friends, and pretend it was all stuff you’ve known for a while. His live-updating mock draft is up to date, as well. You also can’t forget the stellar work of John Hollinger with his top 70 players and, of course, the mock draft he put together, as well. Over the past month, I’ve offered up my own mock draft with some guesswork, some reporting, and a whole lot of fun in between. This is the last version of my mock draft heading into tonight’s festivities. 60 picks. Alternative options. And selections I’m sure nobody will argue against in the comments. Thanks for consuming the draft coverage and enjoy tonight. 1. Detroit Pistons – Cade Cunningham, G/F, Oklahoma State, 19 years old Troy Weaver has gone to the John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan school of not publicly committing or commenting on the pick you’re going to make. The Detroit Pistons have been pretty much locked into Cade Cunningham this entire time since winning the draft lottery. Intelligently, they’re doing their due diligence in the process and at some point maybe they’re looking for a godfather offer from OKC, Houston or someone else. Still going to guess Cunningham is a Piston and he’s a Piston for a very long time. Cunningham has the total package when it comes to what you want from a No. 1 overall prospect. Maybe he doesn’t scream superstar to everybody observing, but he’s a gifted scorer, a good playmaker, and someone who stands 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan. Cunningham is less of a question than what else Weaver can eventually put around him on a court. That will be the next challenge. Is there an alternative pick? There really isn’t. We can still hold out like a 0.5 percent chance that Troy Weaver trades the pick for a bounty, but Cunningham is a lock with the key slightly turning. 2. Houston Rockets – Jalen Green, G, G League, 19 years old Some people believe Jalen Green is the absolute best prospect available after Cunningham, and that’s why the Houston Rockets are selecting him. Some people believe Green is the easiest prospect to market, and the Rockets are getting him to help with team interest instead of saddling Evan Mobley with that ticket-selling aspect of things. Regardless of the motivations of the Rockets selecting Green at 2, the result should be tremendous for the rebuilding prospects of this Houston franchise. Green is going to come out of the gates with a star quality and an incendiary ability to score the basketball. There are plenty of things to iron out with his game. There will be plenty of bruises he has to endure along the way. But at some point, the Rockets will have one of the best scorers in the NBA as the foundation of their franchise. Green’s ability to explode to a spot on the floor and then lift off for the jumper or the propulsion toward the rim is otherworldly. He’ll need to figure out how to keep the ball and offense moving, but Green is a star in the making. Is there an alternative pick? I’m still holding out hope there has been some crazy smokescreen to have the Rockets end up with Evan Mobley. That’s not a knock on Jalen Green. I just think Mobely would be a fascinating pick for the Rockets, but Green feels like the lock here. 3. Cleveland Cavaliers – Evan Mobley, C, USC, 20 years old Evan Mobley at 3, if he’s still there, is a no-brainer. He has the potential to be a threat all over the floor, in many different modes of attack. Defensively, he could end up being one of those special, versatile guys who detonate opposing attacks. But there hasn’t been any true confirmation the Cavs will be selecting in this spot. I would bet money they select at 3, but there are teams looking to move up and the Cavs would be foolish not to listen to those possibly desperate pleas. One question outside of a likely Mobley pick is what else they might have in store for themselves. Rumors of Collin Sexton trades are swirling. Exploring better-balanced books in the future is happening. And even kicking around a potential Ben Simmons trade for Cleveland has been discussed, as it has with many teams. League sources said brief conversations between Cleveland and Philadelphia were explored, but an asking price of every young player the Cavs value plus multiple first-round picks in the future wasn’t something they’d consider. For now, roll with Mobley and see where else value may exist. Is there an alternative pick? Not if Mobley is here. If by some chance he goes second to the Rockets, then you have to go with Green at 3 to Cleveland. It actually helps them move on from Collin Sexton in a trade if that happens, and then roll forward with Green, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen. Not a bad core to employ. 4. Toronto Raptors – Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga, 20 years old It feels like Jalen Suggs has been overlooked as a top prospect because of the shadows cast by Cunningham, Green, and Mobley above him. Suggs is a big lead guard with an incredible feel for the game. He has a fearless nature about him, knows so many angles to attack with the dribble or his passing, and there isn’t too much to project with him that isn’t enticing. Having him as a core piece of the future in Toronto doesn’t mean they have to tear down and do a full rebuild. He can step in right away and play alongside a retooled core that is looking to win now. Not everybody can seamlessly do that in this draft. Toronto is another team that may just decide to spice things up and allow someone to pull off a massive trade to get into the top four. They might even try to add another pick in the top 10 with an asset they already have, but there’s so much cloudiness around what teams believe they’ll do. Some think Masai Ujiri and company will try to tear it down a bit. Maybe that means a deal with Golden State or another team with multiple picks? Or maybe that means just flat-out moving down from the fourth selection and seeing how aggressively teams want to get to move up. Either way, Suggs should be in their plans for a very long time. Is there an alternative pick? No. Suggs has to be the guy here with Cunningham, Green, and Mobley off the board. Even if a team trades up. Would that be to grab Jonathan Kuminga or Scottie Barnes over Suggs? I just don’t see that happening. 5. Orlando Magic – Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State, 19 years old Scottie Barnes is definitely the type of guy Orlando has often drafted in the past. The Magic have tried to find freak athletes with big frames, and hope the skills catch up to the athleticism at some point. That’s been a rough development job, but it also doesn’t mean that Barnes is doomed, by any means. While I think Jonathan Kuminga has a much higher ceiling, I think it’s safe to feel Barnes has a higher floor. And sometimes the risk assessment in picking between two guys like this ends up trusting the higher floor. Barnes also isn’t devoid of basketball skill. He doesn’t rely on ridiculous athleticism, although he’s a good athlete. He’s a smart player with good instincts, so it isn’t just “be explosive and make up for mistakes with that.” He’s going to be a playmaker at the NBA level, which is important for a forward who can’t really shoot (hopefully yet). Is there an alternative pick? The alternative is Jonathan Kuminga because the upside is just so high with him. It’s funny to think he was such a highly projected pick at the start of the G-League bubble and now he can’t even go top-five in almost every projection.
Spoiler 6. Oklahoma City Thunder – Jonathan Kuminga, G/F, G League Ignite, 18 years old Nobody can ever crack what the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to do. They’re the tightest organization in the league when it comes to keeping information in-house. So while James Bouknight at No. 6 seems to be all the rage amongst internet rumors, I have a hard time believing he’ll get taken before Jonathan Kuminga does. Now if the Thunder swing a big trade to move up, then I can see really anybody going here at 6. But Kuminga’s potential is so high and a team like the Thunder, who are in no rush to compete, can wait on something like that. I believe Kuminga will figure his jumper out consistently, and I believe he has the skillset to become a scorer who can get his shot anywhere on the floor. He just needs to learn which of those shots are the best ones for him to create consistently. Kuminga is so young and he’s been relying on overwhelming size and athleticism for his age group for a while. That advantage often dissipates at the NBA level, so now he just needs to learn how to think through those decisions better and quicker. Is there an alternative pick? The Bouknight momentum seems pretty real, so if Kuminga isn’t the guy, the Bouknight projection makes sense. His shooting has really impressed in workouts, and he’s a very good athlete. If you’re looking for straight scoring, Bouknight might be the safer option. 7. Golden State Warriors (via Minnesota) – James Bouknight, G, Connecticut, 20 years old James Bouknight is the hottest name right now, like Hansel in the Zoolander universe. I don’t know if that reference is meaningful anymore, but I’m guessing we have a slightly older internet consumer base here. So I’m going to ask that it’s not edited out or updated to a more modern reference. Let’s say the shooting of Bouknight in these workouts is an indicator of just how accurate he’ll be at the NBA level. It isn’t just his shooting ability that teams are fawning over. His pace of play in the way he attacks is so hard to determine. Bouknight has a lot of different ways to burn a defense. His stop-and-go nature, the way he shifts speeds, and the way he can adjust to things at the drop of a hat makes him so enticing. It won’t just be ‘look for one shot and see if it goes in.’ Bouknight will be able to alter his reactions in real time and find an even better attack for himself. Draymond Green will need to keep Bouknight focused on defense, but don’t all rookies need better focus on defense? Even the good ones? Is there an alternative pick? If Kuminga fell here, they’d go with him. Josh Giddey has drawn plenty of interest from the Warriors over the last year or so. If they decided to go with that allure, then it wouldn’t necessarily shock me. It feels like Giddey was the original focus here, but Bouknight has become too enticing. Davion Mitchell is also a name to still consider here. The interest from the Warriors on him has seemed all over the place, and they don’t need to prioritize his position. 8. Orlando Magic (via Chicago) – Moses Moody, G/F, Arkansas, 19 years old Previous pick: Keon Johnson Moses Moody’s stock has been rising, maybe even more so than what James Bouknight has seen. It’s just been a quieter rise through these draft boards and mock drafts. Moody was supposed to be somewhere in the middle of the first round as a really nice 3-and-D option. But eighth to the Orlando Magic appears to be where everybody is leaning. Moody has a lot to offer, and it’s all obvious on the surface level. He’s a very good defensive player who isn’t just that way based on athletic ability. He’s another smart defender, who thinks his way quickly through each situation. He can dictate so much. Offensively, he’s going to shoot well at the NBA level. He’s a legitimate knockdown 3-point shooter you have to hope becomes even better at some point. He can defend. He can shoot. I guess the question is just what else can he do? Maybe nothing? But he’s 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan and definite skills on both ends of the floor. Pairing him with Barnes as their two picks in the top 8 is a phenomenal start to this rebuild. Is there an alternative pick? I still love the idea of Keon Johnson here at 8 to the Magic. I know it’s another athletic wing without a definite jump shot, but I love his potential. I especially love the idea of pairing him with Barnes on the wings and then seeing whatever can come out of that lead guard triumvirate the Magic have thrown together. 9. Sacramento Kings – Alperen Sengun, C, Turkey, 19 years old Previous pick: Kai Jones The Sacramento Kings had one of the best draft picks in 2020 when Tyrese Haliburton fell to them at 12. He passed both the eye test and the analytics assessments. The Kings lucked out that so many other teams let him go. So then why Alperen Sengun for the Kings here? There are a couple of reasons I think they could go with him. First? The Kings desperately need some big man depth. Most people I’ve talked to believe the fervor to sign Richaun Holmes around the league means he’s out of Sacramento. Sengun isn’t just a big man, either. He’s pretty accomplished overseas, which isn’t a regular thing for most young international prospects. Sengun also passes the analytics assessments. As the kids on the internet say, the quants love him. His numbers are really good and really encouraging. The question is whether or not he’ll pass the eye test, as well. There’s a lot to like about the way he plays, but a team with the worst defensive rating in NBA history throwing him into their defense isn’t going to improve things. The Kings’ issues, however, are far more at the point of attack, rather than the backline of defense. If they believe he’s the best player available, he’ll also fill a need for the Kings here. Is there an alternative pick? Franz Wagner is the obvious choice. Plenty of people think the Kings will grab him here and keep building out the wing attack. Especially if they end up trading Buddy Hield for Kyle Kuzma in some sort of iteration of a trade like that. I’ve been pretty on the record that I think the big man they should draft is Kai Jones. A sleeper name I could see? Jalen Johnson out of Duke. It’s probably too high for him to go, but he’s very intriguing. 10. Memphis Grizzlies (via New Orleans) – Josh Giddey, G/F, Australia, 18 years old Previous pick: Franz Wagner Ever since the Memphis Grizzlies moved up to 10 in a trade with New Orleans earlier this week, the main consensus has been the goal is to get Josh Giddey. The Aussie is a big guard at 6-foot-8, and he uses that size advantage in a couple of ways. First and foremost, he can see over most defenders unless the opposing coach put a bigger wing on him. If you do that, he can maneuver by a lot of those wings. If you leave a guard to take away his driving space, he’s looking over the crowns of their heads to see where his playmaking is headed next. Secondly, Giddey does a good job of scoring with his size around the hoop. He’s not a non-scorer by any means. He’s just not really anything of a shooter. That outside shot is going to need a lot of work. The Grizzlies pairing him with Ja Morant fits inline with what they loved having Kyle Anderson as a part of this team too. For a while, Giddey would be a guy to develop with the second unit and keep the ball moving. Is there an alternative pick? With Moody off the board at 8, Franz Wagner would definitely be an option here as an alternative pick. If Alperen Sengun fell to 10, I think the Grizzlies would consider him. Chris Duarte has been on Memphis’ radar, and nobody really expects him to fall to 17. Maybe the trade was to ensure they get him? Giddey appears to be the safe assumption for why Memphis made the move to get to 10. 11. Charlotte Hornets – Franz Wagner, F, Michigan, 19 years old Previous pick: Moses Moody If Franz Wagner doesn’t go to Sacramento at 9 or Memphis at 10, I would not expect him to get past the Charlotte Hornets at 11. While they really need some size on this roster, a team looking to make the playoffs next year is probably focused more on bringing in veteran size, not some rookie and hoping he can play right away. There are a lot of people gushing over Wagner as an NBA prospect. He was a great defender at Michigan, and plenty of scouts and executives are adamant that will translate to the NBA level. The 3-point shooting aspect of his 3-and-D status presents more questions. Pure as a stationary shooter. Hectic in a bad way on the move. To be a shooter at the NBA level these days, you have to shoot on the move. He wasn’t very accurate in two years at Michigan, but his free throw shooting indicates we should believe the shot will come around. He would keep Charlotte’s perimeter game quite versatile on both ends of the floor, which they value. Is there an alternative pick? We could see Corey Kispert get the nod here at 11 for sure. If the Hornets really want outside shooting, Kispert is great for that. He also fits that mold of college veterans Charlotte tends to lean toward. Maybe Trey Murphy or Keon Johnson could be the wing of their desire here. Also, keep an eye on Kai Jones.
Spoiler 12. San Antonio Spurs – Kai Jones, C, Texas, 20 years old Previous pick: Jalen Johnson There isn’t much big man depth for the San Antonio Spurs once you get past Jakob Poeltl. While I’ve thought wing would likely be the selection here for the Spurs this entire time, I’m now leaning toward whichever big man is available between Kai Jones and Alperen Sengun. With Sengun off the board, I’m putting Jones at 12. Spurs played so much small ball out of necessity, and consistently threw Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan to defend overmatching size. They competed and did a good job with it, but it shouldn’t hold as a strategy. He needs to learn the defensive end of the floor better. He needs to bulk up. But I believe in Jones on defense long-term. The more I watch his game, the more I think he’ll be able to shoot at the NBA level too. His success is all over the place, from knocking down shots to inexplicably missing jumpers in ways you can’t even figure out the geometry on. But he’s a good project for a team like San Antonio to invest in. Is there an alternative pick? Trey Murphy and Jalen Johnson feel like really good options here at 12, if the Spurs go with a wing. If Sengun is there still, I’d expect them to trust his long-term projection more than someone like Jones. 13. Indiana Pacers – Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor, 22 years old Davion Mitchell projects anywhere from seventh to Golden State to outside the lottery. But if the Indiana Pacers keep their first-round pick, I love the idea of adding depth to their backcourt with him. He’s a good enough scorer, and a guy who probably shoots well at the NBA level. TJ McConnell is heading to free agency, and I don’t know if the Pacers want to pony up a full mid-level exception or greater to keep him. Mitchell can also defend, and either back up Malcolm Brogdon at point guard or play alongside him. The Pacers struggled often with defense at the point of attack, so Mitchell can help a lot with that. Rick Carlisle is notoriously tough on point guards, and rookie point guards at that. But Mitchell fits the mold of the type of guy Carlisle wants to trust. I could also see the Pacers trading down out of this spot by moving down or just out of the first-round altogether. Is there an alternative pick? Corey Kispert is the type of role player who could fill in a lot of gaps for the Pacers off the bench. Doug McDermott is hitting free agency, and he’s probably earned himself a nice contract. Kispert isn’t the same as him, but he provides shooting and some decent scoring off the bench. As a college veteran, he should be able to slide in right away to contribute. 14. Golden State Warriors – Chris Duarte, G, Oregon, 24 years old Previous pick: Ziaire Williams The Golden State Warriors have been pretty hot on Chris Duarte, by all accounts. The Warriors were actually really bad offensively last season, and they mostly got by on their defensive execution. They probably want to change that offensive limitation by adding scoring and shooting. Grabbing Bouknight at 7 and Duarte at 14 in this scenario certainly covers that. I guess the knock on Duarte is that he’s already 24 years old. And that doesn’t give people the same sense of upside you love to throw around with a lottery pick. However, Duarte can play right away for this Warriors team. He’s probably even more trustworthy on Day 1 than Bouknight. He’s a good scorer. He’s a fantastic shooter. I actually think he’s a better playmaker than he was asked to be at Oregon. Dropping him into the Warriors system will bring that out of him. Is there an alternative pick? Ziaire Williams, Trey Murphy, or maybe even Keon Johnson being available here makes sense for the Warriors. If they keep this pick (or either of their picks), they’re going to want to fill out their perimeter attack. 15. Washington Wizards – Trey Murphy, G/F, Virginia, 20 years old Previous pick: Corey Kispert Trey Murphy has quickly become one of my favorite wing prospects in this draft. The biggest knock on him is he’s skinny and he doesn’t do much on offense other than shoot from deep. But he’s really good at that, and he balances out his limitations by playing very good defense on the perimeter. At the NBA level, Murphy will have to get stronger so he can be more physical against some of these strong perimeter players. But he’s fantastic on and off the ball. That’s where I think a team like the Washington Wizards can really benefit from someone like him. Murphy plays a very mature brand of basketball on both ends. He provides a safety valve for Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook to pass to. He also helps solve a lot of perimeter defensive issues they had on the wing. Just a very solid pick here. Is there an alternative pick? At this point, have to feel like Corey Kispert, Ziaire Williams, and Keon Johnson are all on the big board for the Wizards. I think there’s still a chance a big man project like Usman Garuba or Isaiah Jackson could be useful here, but the wing is where the Wizards need the most help. 16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Boston) – Corey Kispert, G, Gonzaga, 22 years old Previous pick: Josh Giddey The Oklahoma City Thunder are all about the slow play here, but that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from grabbing a four-year college player. Corey Kispert has a lot of potential, especially on the offensive end of the floor. That has him as a borderline lottery pick, and grabbing him at 16 brings great value. Maybe the goal here is to build value with him as a role player like we saw from Brooklyn and Joe Harris. And I’m not just saying that because Kispert is a white guy with a jumper and a beard. They could end up playing very similar roles for causing gravity on the perimeter. That’s why I like the pick for the Thunder. They were pathetic on offense and awful shooting the ball last season. Kispert helps out so much just in creating players opponents have to respect. And in turn, that will open up a lot for the young guys they’re developing on this roster. Is there an alternative pick? Usman Garuba, Keon Johnson, and Ziaire Williams all have to be considered here. But I think the Thunder grab some sure shooting to bring off the bench because this team is going to need to space the floor for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jonathan Kuminga. 17. New Orleans Pelicans (via Memphis) – Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee, 19 years old Previous pick: Chris Duarte At this point, Keon Johnson can’t fall anymore. He’s been projected as high as 7 or 8 to the Warriors and Magic. But all of that momentum has seemed to cool off with guys like Moses Moody, James Bouknight, and Franz Wagner all feeling like hot names on the big boards around the league. If you’re the Pelicans keeping this pick at 17, how do you pass up on the athleticism of Johnson here? His shooting doesn’t feel like a guarantee, and he’s going to be pretty raw offensively without it. Athletically, he doesn’t even make sense. He’s the craziest leaper for any of the wings by a wide margin. He’s so good defensively with that athleticism, and that should translate to the NBA level. Get him out in transition with Zion Williamson, and you may have the best show in the league. The Pelicans would just need to figure out how to make that offensive attack in the half court a lot more well-rounded. Is there an alternative pick? Cameron Thomas out of LSU could be a nice pick here. His scoring is going to be great for somebody, and the Pelicans are familiar with him. Jared Butler could also be some much-needed backcourt depth if free agency doesn’t pan out. 18. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami) – Usman Garuba, F, Spain, 19 years old I still love the idea of Usman Garuba being a defensive option for the Thunder here. With their three picks in the first round in this scenario, they would have addressed a high ceiling guy with Kuminga, a slick-shooting wing with Kispert, and a project who will, at worst, be an insanely effective defender with Garuba. I think the draw with Garuba, like some of these other defensive prospects, is he does it with force and intelligence rather than just being an overwhelming athletic freak. Garuba is as solid defensively as they come considering his age, experience, and position. He’ll maybe feature in some small-ball lineups as the main and only big, but we’re going to mostly see him be a free safety out there calling out coverages and making plays. He’s a willing jump shooter, but the defense is glad he’s willing to take them. Nobody is worried about him knocking down safety valve opportunities any time soon. Is there an alternative pick? Ziaire Williams and Jalen Johnson are probably the two biggest alternative picks here. Sam Presti still wants to fill out all those wing positions and have as much versatility as possible. I could see Isaiah Jackson as the guy, just to get a big man on the roster they can develop.
Spoiler 19. New York Knicks – Jared Butler, G, Baylor, 20 years old Previous pick: Isaiah Jackson This still feels like a perfect marriage between what Tom Thibodeau would want to coach and what the New York Knicks need for their depth issues. The Knicks are going to have some potential depth issues in their backcourt, just because of free agency. Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Elfrid Payton, and Frank Ntilikina are all free agents. Toss Reggie Bullock in there too. They won’t bring everybody back and Immanuel Quickly can’t do it by himself yet. Butler, if he doesn’t jump up above 19, is a well-balanced guard to have in your rotation. Butler is a tenacious on-ball defender and he can shoot. That’s exactly what the Knicks want and what they need moving forward. Butler doesn’t have great size for a versatile guard, but he’s good enough defensively to compete against multiple positions. He’s so good in the pick-and-roll, and while he’s not great getting to the hoop, he’s fantastic pulling up for that jumper. Is there an alternative pick? The wing position might be more of a need for the Knicks here if they feel they can sign one of the main free agent point guards (Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Mike Conley Jr.). If that’s the case, Ziaire Williams or Jalen Johnson would be high upside wing picks. 20. Atlanta Hawks – Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois, 21 years old Previous pick: Jaden Springer There sounds like some momentum in the Atlanta Hawks trying to package Cam Reddish and this pick to move up in the draft. But with the way Reddish showed up toward the end of the playoff run, I would imagine a trade like that has to throw them into the lottery. Charlotte and Indiana would be the most likely trade partners there, but again I’m not sure how sound that trade idea is. As for Ayo Dosunmu here for the Hawks, his stock seems to have risen quite a bit as he’s made his visits and worked out. His jumper has some questions to it, but he’s got a great sense for how to attack. His size in the backcourt makes him a perfect guard to either back up Trae Young or occasionally play them alongside each other. He can score. He can move the ball. He just needs to take better care of it. Is there an alternative pick? Ziaire Williams still being on the board here makes you wonder if the Hawks would be better off going with a wing here. There are also a lot of intriguing backcourt options with Jaden Springer, Tre Mann, Cameron Thomas, and Sharife Cooper all here. Maybe even Jason Preston. But I don’t think you talk yourself into them over Dosunmu. 21. New York Knicks (via Dallas) – Isaiah Jackson, C, Kentucky, 19 years old Previous pick: Jared Butler Nerlens Noel will be highly sought after in free agency, and Mitchell Robisnon will probably need some time to come back from the fractured foot. Isaiah Jackson at 21 to the Knicks gives them some athletic depth for the future, as I’m sure he’d have to be pretty damn mature in order for Tom Thibodeau to play him right away. Thibodeau will love that Jackson is coming from a pro factory and he seems to have a variety of ways to defend. He’s not just some one-dimensional guy at the rim. But he’ll need some seasoning here. Is there an alternative pick? Ziaire Williams and Jalen Johnson, once again. Think the wing position is something the Knicks need to flesh out, especially if they’re in danger of losing Reggie Bullock at all. 22. Los Angeles Lakers – Ziaire Williams, G/F, Stanford, 19 years old Previous pick: Ayo Dosunmu At this point, 22 is probably way too late for Ziaire Williams. Feels like he’s a fringe lottery guy, but there are a bunch of fringe lotto guys in this draft. Throw him on this Los Angeles Lakers team, and he’ll get to work right away with Mike Penberthy on the jumper. He’ll smooth out any issues. Williams can pass, he can defend, and he can handle the ball pretty well. The Lakers could throw him into the Talen Horton-Tucker program of development and have a pretty good contributor within a year or two. Is there an alternative pick? Could absolutely see the Lakers going with a guard here. Sharife Cooper, Cameron Thomas, Tre Mann and Nah’Shon Hyland all make sense. Even someone like Jaden Springer could actually probably earn minutes pretty quickly with this team. 23. Houston Rockets (via Portland) – Jalen Johnson, F, Duke, 19 years old Previous pick: Alperen Sengun I’ve heard that Jalen Johnson could sneak into the top 10 in this draft, and I’ve heard he could fall to the mid-20s. The biggest concern people have for him is whether or not he’s dedicated. The talent and physical makeup are so remarkable that I think you roll the dice on him much earlier in the draft and just develop his game more. If he falls to Houston at 23, that’s a steal for a rebuilding team. They’d have him, Jalen Green, and Kevin Porter Jr. as guys they can put 2-4 on the court at any given time. Is there an alternative pick? Sharife Cooper, Miles McBride, and Nah’Shon Hyland make a ton of sense here. John Wall isn’t the point guard of the future here, so grab a guy you can develop at that position. 24. Houston Rockets (via Milwaukee) – Miles McBride, PG, West Virginia, 20 years old Previous pick: Trey Murphy I just told you John Wall isn’t the point guard of the future in Houston, so maybe grab someone who can develop into that. Miles McBride is a very intriguing point guard prospect. He’s not a great playmaker for others, but he can get the job done. I think putting him under Stephen Silas gives him the opportunity to flesh out his offensive upside. We know he can score, so how do you turn that into something that benefits everybody else on the floor? Is there an alternative pick? If you’re going point guard, Sharife Cooper. If you want the best player available, it might be Jaden Springer. If you want a fun forward project, Isaiah Todd or JT Thor would be the guy here. 25. LA Clippers – Cameron Thomas, G, LSU, 19 years old Previous pick: Isaiah Todd The Clippers going with a lead guard here would make the most sense, but I’m not sure passing up a scorer like Cameron Thomas is something they’ll do. There is so much talent shooting out of his scoring hands, and at a certain point, he could give them a lot of what they miss by trading away Lou Williams. Thomas could go as high as 17 in this draft to New Orleans. So grabbing even more firepower for that ridiculous offense last season will make their attack relentless and overwhelming. Especially with Kawhi Leonard sidelined for the foreseeable future. Is there an alternative pick? Sharife Cooper should be a real option here. Nah’Shon Hyland, as well. Any of the top lead guards left at this point have to be in the mix for the Clippers. Jason Preston could be the sleeper. 26. Denver Nuggets – Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee, 18 years old Previous pick: Tre Mann Jaden Springer makes a ton of sense. As much as Denver likely needs more a lead guard out there until Jamal Murray is back, Springer fits as the best guard available from an all-around standpoint. He can shoot the ball, and he’s going to defend. The Nuggets need defensive presences in the backcourt. He won’t be what Gary Harris Jr. was for them, but he can be close. I love the idea of him contributing right away for a good playoff team. Is there an alternative pick? Nah’Shon Hyland and Tre Mann would both fit in really well. You need guys who can handle the ball, but also play well off of Nikola Jokic. I think both of them would be ideal picks if Denver goes with more of a lead guard here.
Spoiler 27. Brooklyn Nets – Tre Mann, G, Florida, 20 years old Previous pick: Cameron Thomas Spencer Dinwiddie might be out the door, and as fun a story as Mike James was, the Brooklyn Nets are going to need a dynamic scoring guard off the bench. Even with James Harden and Kyrie Irving on the team, you need a guard with good size to share some of that offensive load in the regular season. Tre Mann showed elite shot-making last year and huge improvements in shooting across the board. He’s perimeter-oriented but he’s too good to pass up at this point. Is there an alternative pick? I wonder if the Nets need to go for some size here. Day’Ron Sharpe is a good big available on the board, or they could go more modern with projects like JT Thor or Isaiah Todd. 28. Philadelphia 76ers – Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn, 20 years old Previous pick: Nah’Shon Hyland I could see Sharife Cooper going long before Philadelphia gets a chance to select him at 28. He’s one of the best playmakers in the draft, and he can drop a dime out of just about any situation. Whether the Sixers trade Ben Simmons or not this summer, they need more ball movement and flow. Cooper provides that with a ton of flair and he loves to score too. He just needs to work on the jumper, and get more efficient as he gets into the teeth of the defense. Is there an alternative pick? Any of the leftover guard options at this point. Nah’Shon Hyland and Jason Preston both make sense here. Also wouldn’t be shocked to see Rokas Jokubaitis as the Euro option for Daryl Morey. 29. Phoenix Suns – JT Thor, F, Auburn, 18 years old Previous pick: Joshua Primo As we saw in the NBA Finals when Dario Saric got hurt and Frank Kaminsky remained Frank Kaminsky, the Phoenix Suns could use a little size depth. JT Thor isn’t necessarily that right now, but he could be someday. He’s 6-foot-9 with a crazy wingspan. He needs to get a lot stronger, but he has good defensive instincts and he can swat some shots. But he’s a great project for this Suns squad to get their hands on. Is there an alternative pick? Lots of different ways they could go. I think Joshua Primo is a good wing option here. Day’Ron Sharpe for some actual size they can use now. Or even someone like Isaiah Todd to develop makes sense. 30. Utah Jazz – Nah’Shon Hyland, G, VCU, 20 years old Previous pick: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl What happens if Mike Conley Jr. leaves this summer in free agency? The Utah Jazz would need some more backcourt depth so they don’t run Donovan Mitchell down. Here comes Bones Hyland, a really nice guard out of VCU. He’s a great scorer and a good shooter already. Playmaking isn’t amazing, but they have other guys to shoulder that responsibility. He could go much higher here, so this is perfect value to end the first round. Is there an alternative pick? Joshua Primo, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Kessler Edwards, and Rokas Jokubaitis all fit some needs throughout this roster. Second Round 31. Milwaukee Bucks (via Houston) – Joshua Primo, G, Alabama, 18 years old With Bryn Forbes becoming a free agent, the Bucks get to add some backcourt depth with Joshua Primo becoming a new project on the wing. 32. New York Knicks (via Detroit) – Herb Jones, F, Alabama, 22 years old It took four years at Alabama for Herb Jones to look like a decent shooter. But he’s headed in the right direction. He’s a solid distributor, and he can really defend. 33. Orlando Magic – Isaiah Todd, F, G League Ignite, 19 years old Isaiah Todd would be a great investment as a second-round development project for an Orlando Magic team hoping to grab some surprise star role players. 34. Oklahoma City Thunder – Jason Preston, G, Ohio, 21 years old Jason Preston might be another one of these guards who could have been in the first round and falls to the second for the benefit of one of these teams. No-brainer for OKC here. 35. New Orleans Pelicans (via Cleveland) – Day’Ron Sharpe, C, North Carolina, 19 years old Day’Ron Sharpe probably isn’t a first-round center like some have projected him to be, but he’s a massive guy who should be a solid backup five in the NBA. 36. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Minnesota) – Rokas Jokubaitis, G, Lithuania, 20 years old Rokas Jokubaitis is a first-round talent, and grabbing him at 34 gives the Thunder another huge value pick as a future rotation guard for them. 37. Detroit Pistons (via Toronto) – Quentin Grimes, G, Houston, 21 years old Quentin Grimes is a newfound outside shooter who doesn’t pass much and doesn’t score much inside the arc, but he has good size and an evolving jumper. 38. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans) – Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky, 20 years old The Bulls could use another project big man to back up Nikola Vucevic down the road, and Charles Bassey can score inside, rebound and might have a jumper. 39. Sacramento Kings – Josh Christopher, G, Arizona State, 19 years old The jumper for Josh Christopher shouldn’t be far behind, and he’s an athletic scorer with a lot of upside here. 40. Memphis (via New Orleans) – Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, F, Villanova, 20 years old Jeremiah Robinson-Earl gives Memphis a veteran college forward who can come in right away and start contributing to the rotation. 41. San Antonio Spurs – Kessler Edwards, G/F, Pepperdine, 20 years old Kessler Edwards is a very smart wing with a lot of skills that translate to the NBA. 42. Detroit Pistons (via Charlotte) – Jericho Sims, C, Texas, 22 years old Troy Weaver grabs Cade Cunningham a pick-and-roll vertical floor-stretcher who has as much bounce as any big man we’ve seen. 43. New Orleans Pelicans (via Washington) – Brandon Boston Jr., G/F, Kentucky, 19 years old The Pelicans bring in Brandon Boston Jr. to add even more depth to their wings, and try to figure out what the clamps of John Calipari have been holding back with him. 44. Brooklyn Nets (via Indiana) – Aaron Henry, G/F, Michigan State, 21 years old Aaron Henry regressed as a shooter at Michigan State, but he improved as a playmaker, so maybe he can help fit into the second unit someday for the Nets wing rotation. 45. Boston Celtics – Daishen Nix, PG, G League Ignite, 18 years old Daishen Nix should probably be a lot higher just based on his potential, but the Celtics rolling the dice with his feel for the game is a great idea.
Spoiler 46. Toronto Raptors (via Memphis) – Juhann Begarin, G, France, 18 years old Juhann Begarin needs a lot of time overseas to get used to knowing how to run things as a playmaker, but he has nice stash potential. 47. Toronto Raptors (via Golden State) – Greg Brown, F, Texas, 19 years old Brown is a project defender for the Raptors at the four, but with him available this late in the draft, it’s smart to grab him here. 48. Atlanta Hawks (via Miami) – Joe Wieskamp, G/F, Iowa, 21 years old A wing with a lethal jumper and a long wingspan, Joe Wieskamp would add to the stable of Hawks wings they expertly stockpile. 49. Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta) – Austin Reaves, G, Oklahoma, 23 years old Good enough playmaking guard, but he’s going to have to shoot in order to make this team. 50. Philadelphia 76ers (via New York) – Filip Petrusev, F, Serbia, 21 years old Petrusev is a big man stash option for the Sixers late in the second round, and maybe he’ll head over someday. 51. New Orleans Pelicans (via Memphis) – Joel Ayayi, G, Gonzaga, 21 years old Joel Ayayi is tough to gauge here, but he’s a talented enough guard to get some interest and avoid going undrafted. 52. Detroit Pistons (Los Angeles Lakers) – Santi Aldama, F, Loyola (Md.), 20 years old Nice potential stretch-4 option for the Pisons here, and they could actually stash him overseas in his home country of Spain before bringing him over. 53. New Orleans Pelicans (via Dallas) – Sandro Mamukelashvili, F/C, Seton Hall, 22 years old Sandro Mamukelashvili could bring a lot of fun to a team’s frontcourt someday, but for now the Pelicans can just hope he develops in the G-League or finds time overseas. 54. Indiana Pacers (via Milwaukee) – Isaiah Livers, F, Michigan, 22 years old The Pacers can keep adding more forwards who knock down shots into the mix with Isaiah Livers here. 55. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver) – Aamir Simms, F, Clemson, 22 years old Aamir Simms isn’t the ridiculous athlete you’d probably want at the 4, but he can shoot, he has long arms, and he has the skill set to be a very good backup forward. 56. Charlotte Hornets (via LA Clippers) – RaiQuan Gray, F, Florida State, 22 years old RaiQuan Gray is a tank, and if the Grizzlies can develop his jumper at all, he might end up as a great small ball 5 off the bench. 57. Charlotte Hornets (via Brooklyn) – Luka Garza, C, Iowa, 22 years old Luka Garza is too good to go undrafted, so the Hornets can see if he’s capable of giving them big man depth. 58. New York Knicks (via Philadelphia) – David Johnson, G, Louisville, 20 years old Not sure if I’m buying David Johnson as a shooter at the next level, but he could do well to develop in the Knicks’ G-League program. 59. Brooklyn Nets (via Phoenix) – Vrenz Bleijenbergh, G/F, Belgium, 20 years old Stash option late in the draft for the Nets. 60. Indiana Pacers (via Utah) – Aaron Wiggins, G/F, Maryland, 22 years old Aaron Wiggins is too good to go undrafted, but he’ll probably hope he does so he can be a highly coveted undrafted free agent.
"I just told you John Wall isn’t the point guard of the future in Houston, so maybe grab someone who can develop into that. Miles McBride " So what does that make Scoot? I want 3 & D bigs please.
I’m getting cold feet on Green and am semi hopeful for a surprise pick of Mobley/Suggs, or a trade back/up Still wouldn’t really mind Green of course, I just hope we don’t **** this up
I wonder what scouts aren’t seeing in Jericho Sims. He seems like a a classic rim running, shot blocking, rebounding, vertical threat in the mold of a Clint Capella or Jarrett Allen. 6’10, 250 pounds with a 7’3 wingspan and a 44.5 inch vertical which is crazy. Could potentially be a 2nd round steal.
What's hurts Sims' stock is that he's a senior that hasn't improved his game in any aspect. He's only six months younger than Jarrett Allen so it's not like there's a bunch of growth potential. In what seems like a particularly deep draft no one wants to use a first round pick on someone who is pigeonholed into that particular role.
Makes sense. I knew he was a senior, but the age thing in comparison to Allen really puts it into perspective. That’s said, he’ll be cheap and he can give you similar things to what Allen gives you who may be about to sign a ridiculous contract soon.
I like defense too. Mobley brings that over Green. Mobley has drive in him, Green handles physical contact better. That shows a greater level of toughness in Green in my opinion.
