- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
2025 NBA Draft Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addict4sneakers,
- Start date
- Nov 15, 2007
- 7,910
- 2,189
Are people still pretending KPJ is good cause he’s a fav of “Bag Twitter”?
- May 30, 2006
- 25,309
- 13,361
I think he's fine a stop gap but making any sort of long-term plans around him is probably fruitless.
I still think Ivey would make a ton of sense for Houston - not because I don't like Paolo but because I like Sengun a lot, too, and you probably can't build a contender around those two guys together in the middle.
- Apr 5, 2017
- 22,188
- 63,106
Why is an Ivey/Green pairing any less potentially disastrous than Paolo/Sengun? On both sides of the ball too.
HOU$TON
formerly convertibleburt
- Apr 14, 2016
- 13,514
- 26,390
I think eventually KPJ will settle into being a star 6th man ie Lou will. I don’t know what a rockets big board looks like but if Ivey is BPA to them then KPJ shouldn’t be a factor at all.
The dream would be having Sengun operate as a hub so a traditional PG wouldn’t be needed. There’s a lot of Jokic in Sengun but I wouldn’t compare the 2 seeing that Jokic is a generational talent but one can hope.
- May 30, 2006
- 25,309
- 13,361
I don't know that it isn't... But I think you have an easier time building around two guards with some holes in their games than you do two non-elite defensive bigs who don't rim protect at a high level.
The answer may ultimately be you can't build a contender around Sengun at center for that exact reason so maybe it doesn't matter.
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
The Shot Takers take on the NBA Draft: Chet Holmgren first, then Jabari Smith
What happens when two college basketball writers attempt to predict the future of professional franchises, while occasionally ridiculing each other about how bad a job they’re doing?
Behold: The first-ever Shot Takers mock NBA Draft.
In all seriousness, Dana O’Neil has finished a raucous trip around the high school graduation circuit. I somehow have time in my day that is not occupied by youth sports. So we figured we’d use what we know about college hoops — which is, you know, something — and do what we do best: tell other people what they should do, while trying to again prove which one of us is smarter. Draft SZN is right in our wheelhouse, when you think about it.
We’ll run through a full first round of selections, alternating picks as we go. And Dana is on the clock.
Dana: The world needs more mock drafts, Brian. Or at least more like ours, where not only is there ridicule, but also a tacit admission that we are basing this on our own opinions, and not a whole lot more. Like no conversations with insiders or even a real look at good fits. Just picks.
So here we go.
1. Orlando Magic — Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Dana: With that in mind, Orlando, you are taking Chet Holmgren. Plenty of people want to say what Holmgren isn’t, or isn’t yet, and I get it. He is my son’s spirit animal (because my 18-year-old son is 6-3 and 155 on a good day). But I watched Holmgren play an awful lot this year, and his skill set and talent are simply too unique to bypass. Come at me, Hamilton.
2. Oklahoma City — Jabari Smith, Auburn
Brian: Orlando is a place of magic and wonder and amusement park rides featuring various mythical beasts. Chet should feel right at home. In the meantime, the Thunder take advantage of your dice roll by selecting the best pro prospect in this draft. Impeccable shooting stroke. Size and athleticism and willingness to defend multiple positions. Still only 19, which means all the wrinkles can and likely will be worked out over time. The people of OKC can celebrate my genius over a Rye’d Or D’IPA from Anthem.
3. Houston — Paolo Banchero, Duke
Dana: Listen, Smith is going to be a great pro. I can’t argue that, and certainly he’s more ready-made. But I believe your gloating will be tempered soon enough when Holmgren hushes all of you skeptics. I will stand by my bold choice. And … that said, I’m playing it safe with Banchero here. Could I argue pushing Jaden Ivey here? Sure. But Banchero is the smart and obvious pick. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s good.
4. Sacramento — Keegan Murray, Iowa
Brian: I know Ivey is everyone’s prediction here. And I think Ivey will be a heck of a pro. I also see a roster with De’Aaron Fox on it, and while I tend to think you can’t have enough big guards, I’m also leaning on my aforementioned genius to avoid redundancy and build a more complete team. The guy with size and scoring ability at all levels fits in anywhere. Plus, I bet the Kings trade this pick and all of this is meaningless.
5. Detroit — Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Dana: Many, many thanks for leaving Ivey here, Brian. Not just because his athleticism is silly ridiculous, but as a complement to Cade Cunningham? Chef’s kiss. Ivey can get to the rim, which means Cunningham doesn’t have to do everything alone, and because Cunningham is a great shot-maker already, Ivey will have time to develop his mid-range jumper. Win-win.
6. Indiana — Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky (kind of)
Brian: I was about ready to call for your theoretical firing as theoretical Pistons GM had you not gone with Ivey there. You theoretically live another theoretical day. Moving on: What was your favorite Shaedon Sharpe college basketball memory, Dana? Was it the time he was in warmups, or … the time he was in warmups? Anyhoo, it’s the NBA. The Pacers are in a position to take a why-not flier, because it’s a long road back whether they miss on Sharpe or not.
7. Portland — Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Dana: Sharpe’s college career, I mean, it does just leave a person nostalgic, doesn’t it? This is why the NBA will confound me forever. I’d love to argue with you and say, why would they take him? Based on what, exactly? But you’re 100 percent right. It’s the NBA. As for me, I was tempted to kind of go wild card here (though I won’t spill my wild card), but how can you pass up Mathurin if you’re the Trail Blazers and trying to put this thing back together? He’s athletic, a more than average shooter. Just makes sense. I think?
8. New Orleans — A.J. Griffin, Duke
Brian: First, I must note that I have now moved my draft offices to my deck, where we have new and comfy chairs. It is possible I may be a virtual GM who literally gets caught napping in this exercise. Second: You’re probably not welcome in the Big Easy anymore after that selection. Some voodoo priestess in a swamp wearing a Zion jersey is cursing you at this very moment. To offset the disappointment, we go with Griffin on the premise that he can shoot and that the Pelicans have enough, otherwise, as Griffin gradually improves everything else.
9. San Antonio — Jalen Duren, Memphis
Dana: You are an inspiration. I just looked outside at my deck and thought, “Why am I in here again?” Greetings. Anyway, you also may not be welcome in New Orleans. I can’t argue Griffin’s ability to shoot, but he’s struggled with knee injuries. And after the Zion fiasco, can NOLA fans stomach another Duke player who may miss time? As for Duren, I’m still not sure how someone that physically gifted can be only 18. A 7-5 wingspan? Like how?
10. Washington — Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
Brian: Not sure that actually explains why Duren was the pick, but I’ll assume you’re saving that material for the press conference. In our nation’s capital, meanwhile, the defense is … not good. It is bad defense, that these Wizards play. So this was an extremely tough call. Do you go with rim protection or someone who, eventually, might lock up guys at three or maybe even four spots, depending? I decided to effectively make a non-decision here and just go with an older guy with a championship pedigree who won’t need a ton of shots running with Bradley Beal and will bust his *** defensively, even if he’s not going to be elite on that end.
11. New York —Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Dana: I no longer feel the need to explain myself to you, sir. But if you insist, I went with Duren because he’s NBA ready and Jakob Poeltl is in his last year of his contract. Kind of like the Wizards, Davis cannot solve all that ails the Knicks, but he’s a terrific shooter and creator, which should help a team that ranked dead last in the put-the-ball-in-the-hoop category this season.
12. Oklahoma City — Dyson Daniels, G League Ignite
Brian: Second pick I’m making for the Thunder here, which, of course, is exactly what fans of this franchise want to see. (They may force the team to move back to Seattle by the time I’m done with them.) Our NBA Draft guru Sam Vecenie has Ousmane Dieng here in his most recent mock, and I’ll defer to Sam on evaluating international prospects every day of the week. I can’t stay awake to catch the end of 9 p.m. (CT) tipoffs, let alone Australian NBL games. But we took care of size and scoring with Jabari Smith, so let’s add another dose of high-ceiling defensive potential with Daniels.
13. Charlotte — Mark Williams, Duke
Dana: I saw Australian NBL games live and in person when I went to write about RJ Hampton. Does that count? OK, so sometimes you don’t need to be clever — especially if you peruse a few other people’s draft boards and find 100 percent consensus, as there seems to be with Williams and the Hornets. It makes sense. He’s a traditional big man, a great rim protector and the perfect match for LaMelo Ball.
14. Cleveland — Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Brian: Nope, no need to be too cute by half with that pick: Charlotte will have had eyes on Williams all year, and then those eyes probably popped out of their sockets with Williams’ official measurements. And, hey, let’s stick with a theme here. Branham shoots and scores. If geography means anything, this franchise has as good a read on Branham and why he came so far, so fast for Ohio State. And Cleveland could use a guard or two. Makes a lot of sense.
15. Charlotte — Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
Dana: Do you think Michael Jordan will hire me? I think Michael Jordan should hire me. Sochan is the player I wanted to be daring and take with the seventh pick but chickened out. I honestly think he’s going to be fantastic wherever he lands, but he also happens to suit the Hornets very well. He’s wildly versatile offensively, already terrific defensively with a ton of upside. Give me a ring, MJ. Let’s talk.
16. Atlanta — Ousmane Dieng, New Zealand Breakers
Brian: As regular readers of this here website might know: I am terrible at drafting. Any draft, of anything. So, one, I was going to pick Sochan here because we probably made a very large mistake of not picking Sochan earlier. Our oversight there won’t age well. But, naturally, you scooped him up first. And now as I peruse the Hawks’ roster, I see a glaring need for some help defensively but also not a whole lot of playing time available, because I want to give the minutes to my young core and continue growing them. So I’m thinking I grab a high-potential piece who sits on the end of the bench for a couple seasons and is then ready to contribute when Trae Young and Co. enter their prime years. Have I ever seen Ousmane Dieng play basketball for, like, a minute? I have not. In other words: This is definitely the wrong idea, because I always have the wrong idea.
17. Houston — TyTy Washington, Kentucky
Dana: Your record does, in fact, speak for itself. Not kindly, I’d add. So this could be fun. As for me and my continued brilliance, I’m going to operate under the assumption that Washington will follow in the footsteps of other Kentucky guards and be even better as a pro than a college player. I know his numbers deteriorated later in the season, but I also know he had some injuries and lots of things deteriorated late in the season for the Cats.
18. Chicago — Tari Eason, LSU
Brian: The Chicago Bulls always pick the Tari Eason of the draft. This is immutable NBA Draft law. Whatever the guy’s name is, wherever he is from, no matter who is in charge of this franchise, the Bulls will pick the Tari Eason of the draft. This year’s Tari Eason is Tari Eason. Therefore the Bulls will pick Tari Eason.
19. Minnesota — E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Dana: You sound a bit beaten down about the Bulls, Brian. Am I reading those tea leaves, correctly? So Liddell is a grown-up, which always seems like a wise choice to me. Also, he can switch defensively and protect the rim, which is a nice addition for Karl Anthony-Towns.
20. San Antonio — Blake Wesley, Notre Dame
Brian: The Bulls are gonna Bulls. Chicagoans know this. Moving along: Remember, Dana, when you said we were doing this without any insider information? Ha! You fool! Behold my insidery-ness: A person who may or may not be Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told me recently that Wesley had a very good workout for San Antonio. And, actually, Wesley does project as a very Spurs-ish guard, at least in my mind. Have I just guaranteed that Blake Wesley will not be picked by the San Antonio Spurs? Probably yes!
21. Denver — Jalen Williams, Santa Clara
Dana: We said there would be no knowledge, Brian! What are you doing, soliciting insight? Although it is Brey. Well, I’m standing by my own rules, and just doing this blind (while reading lots of other draft boards). Williams, from what I know (or have read) has created a lot of attention for himself thanks to his combo defensive skills and offensive versatility. That especially suits the very position-less Nuggets.
22. Memphis — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee
Brian: What do you get the team that has everything? Someone who doesn’t have to play a ton right away but, in an ideal world, winds up outperforming the doubts and gives you lottery-level value in the 20s. This might still be too early for Baldwin, given how off-the-rails his lone college season became. The Grizzlies have other picks, including another first-rounder, with which they can make this gamble. But there’s also not a franchise-killing downside to a move like this. And, well, I get to do what I want. So there.
23. Philadelphia — Nikola Jovic, Serbia
Dana: Is The Process still a thing? I don’t even know anymore. I long ago stopped trying to honestly understand the Sixers. Seems an easier place to operate. And operating from that point, I’m going to go with a player that makes people in Philly will go, “huh?” and might actually be a really good choice. Not that I can say I’ve seen him play, but from what I heard he suits the NBA perfectly.
24. Milwaukee — Walker Kessler, Auburn
Brian: And there are those who believe you have your fingers on the pulse of all things Philly basketball. Little do they know how little you know about The Process, with your mind clouded by Taylor ham somewhere on LBI. As for the Bucks … can I trade out of this predicament? Anyone want the 24th pick? I can throw in some New Glarus Moon Man as a sweetener, because this seems harder than it should be. The Bucks need someone to help right now. Over the long haul of the regular season, they were top five in 3-point shooting, the best defensive rebounding team in the league and more or less comfortably in the top half as a collective defensive unit. I kind of want to go with Jaylin Williams here, for glue-guy-with-size purposes. But my gut says it’s slightly too early for Wiliams and the Bucks have only one pick, so they’re maybe looking for more of a known quantity? And we know Kessler can block shots, for a team that didn’t do that in great volume last season.
25. San Antonio — Jaden Hardy, G League Ignite
Dana: No give-backs. You’re stuck with it. So I’m going with the idea of the Spurs as sound franchise, looking to develop in the long term. Hardy is just 19, and the structure of San Antonio, by all accounts, will be good for him. He’s got a decent shot and good handle but room to grow in both.
26. Dallas — Dalen Terry, Arizona
Brian: I can sort of see the logic there. Part of me thinks Wesley and Hardy as consecutive picks in the 20s would be unnecessarily redundant. But the former is definitely a willing passer, and the latter is definitely score-first, so maybe it works. I suppose I’ll allow it. As for the Fightin’ Doncics, it’s probably going to be a backcourt piece here unless they’re beyond certain Jalen Brunson will re-sign. Terry has similar length to Doncic, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. If I have two 6-7 or 6-8 guys who can run the show, I feel pretty good about matching up with anyone most nights. Also considered Kennedy Chandler here, but I’m not sure Jason Kidd will buy into a 6-foot guard surviving in this league.
27. Miami — Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee
Dana: Well, I’ll subscribe to it. Take that, Jason Kidd. And look, I don’t know what they list Kyle Lowry at these days, but I know Kyle Lowry. He’s not huge. And he’s done alright with the Heat. Frankly, the knock on Chandler — about his less than reliable jumper — is the same question that dogged Lowry coming out of Villanova. And again, he turned out just fine.
28. Golden State — Kendall Brown, Baylor
Brian: Kennedy Chandler in Miami? That I can see, for the aforementioned philosophical reasons and also because the Heat can take a chance on a guy who’s probably getting picked lower than he should, if we’re going on talent alone. Think I’m going to stick with that general approach here, for the team on the other side of the country that doesn’t have a ton of holes. I watch the Warriors, and my first instinct is to add size. Plenty of big wings to choose from, including more polished prospects. Probably too early to snag some of the true bigs left out there. I make the upside bet with value here; Brown is big and bouncy enough to do a lot of the little things early on, even if his offense doesn’t rate quite yet.
29. Memphis — Caleb Houstan, Michigan
Dana: He must have known something to decline the combine invite, right? As you mentioned before, the Grizzlies are in a position to take a gamble or two, so why not give Houstan a go? There’s a hint of something there, with the jumper, and with a chance to develop and grow, maybe this works. Or maybe it won’t. I am at the point of befuddlement.
30. Oklahoma City — Jake LaRavia, Wake Forest
You’re befuddled just now? Houstan is landing somewhere in the first round, for sure. Who knows where. But we had to get him in here because clearly he has a promise, so thanks for taking care of that. As for the final selection here, we’ve got a reported trade, with the Nuggets snagging another first-round pick in a deal with Oklahoma City. A mystery! Who does Denver covet, believing he will be there at No. 30? Or is this a play to trade both firsts to move up or acquire a veteran? Part of me wonders if this is G League prospect MarJon Beauchamp, as the starting rotation is locked in and solid when healthy. But maybe it’s someone who blew the braintrust away in workouts. Of those players, LaRavia makes sense as a plug-and-play rotation piece who can be effective on both ends, including as an asset to improve a pretty porous defense.
So that’s it, Dana. We have mocked, and now the readers can mock back in the comments. But I don’t know. I feel pretty good about our keen eye for talent. In fact, I’m not sure The Athletic should’ve let us do this, what with all the lucrative player personnel job offers that will come our way.
Dana: Yes. I figure Michael Jordan will be calling as soon as this thing is published. Heck, I may be in the draft room.
What happens when two college basketball writers attempt to predict the future of professional franchises, while occasionally ridiculing each other about how bad a job they’re doing?
Behold: The first-ever Shot Takers mock NBA Draft.
In all seriousness, Dana O’Neil has finished a raucous trip around the high school graduation circuit. I somehow have time in my day that is not occupied by youth sports. So we figured we’d use what we know about college hoops — which is, you know, something — and do what we do best: tell other people what they should do, while trying to again prove which one of us is smarter. Draft SZN is right in our wheelhouse, when you think about it.
We’ll run through a full first round of selections, alternating picks as we go. And Dana is on the clock.
Dana: The world needs more mock drafts, Brian. Or at least more like ours, where not only is there ridicule, but also a tacit admission that we are basing this on our own opinions, and not a whole lot more. Like no conversations with insiders or even a real look at good fits. Just picks.
So here we go.
1. Orlando Magic — Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Dana: With that in mind, Orlando, you are taking Chet Holmgren. Plenty of people want to say what Holmgren isn’t, or isn’t yet, and I get it. He is my son’s spirit animal (because my 18-year-old son is 6-3 and 155 on a good day). But I watched Holmgren play an awful lot this year, and his skill set and talent are simply too unique to bypass. Come at me, Hamilton.
2. Oklahoma City — Jabari Smith, Auburn
Brian: Orlando is a place of magic and wonder and amusement park rides featuring various mythical beasts. Chet should feel right at home. In the meantime, the Thunder take advantage of your dice roll by selecting the best pro prospect in this draft. Impeccable shooting stroke. Size and athleticism and willingness to defend multiple positions. Still only 19, which means all the wrinkles can and likely will be worked out over time. The people of OKC can celebrate my genius over a Rye’d Or D’IPA from Anthem.
3. Houston — Paolo Banchero, Duke
Dana: Listen, Smith is going to be a great pro. I can’t argue that, and certainly he’s more ready-made. But I believe your gloating will be tempered soon enough when Holmgren hushes all of you skeptics. I will stand by my bold choice. And … that said, I’m playing it safe with Banchero here. Could I argue pushing Jaden Ivey here? Sure. But Banchero is the smart and obvious pick. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s good.
4. Sacramento — Keegan Murray, Iowa
Brian: I know Ivey is everyone’s prediction here. And I think Ivey will be a heck of a pro. I also see a roster with De’Aaron Fox on it, and while I tend to think you can’t have enough big guards, I’m also leaning on my aforementioned genius to avoid redundancy and build a more complete team. The guy with size and scoring ability at all levels fits in anywhere. Plus, I bet the Kings trade this pick and all of this is meaningless.
5. Detroit — Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Dana: Many, many thanks for leaving Ivey here, Brian. Not just because his athleticism is silly ridiculous, but as a complement to Cade Cunningham? Chef’s kiss. Ivey can get to the rim, which means Cunningham doesn’t have to do everything alone, and because Cunningham is a great shot-maker already, Ivey will have time to develop his mid-range jumper. Win-win.
6. Indiana — Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky (kind of)
Brian: I was about ready to call for your theoretical firing as theoretical Pistons GM had you not gone with Ivey there. You theoretically live another theoretical day. Moving on: What was your favorite Shaedon Sharpe college basketball memory, Dana? Was it the time he was in warmups, or … the time he was in warmups? Anyhoo, it’s the NBA. The Pacers are in a position to take a why-not flier, because it’s a long road back whether they miss on Sharpe or not.
7. Portland — Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
Dana: Sharpe’s college career, I mean, it does just leave a person nostalgic, doesn’t it? This is why the NBA will confound me forever. I’d love to argue with you and say, why would they take him? Based on what, exactly? But you’re 100 percent right. It’s the NBA. As for me, I was tempted to kind of go wild card here (though I won’t spill my wild card), but how can you pass up Mathurin if you’re the Trail Blazers and trying to put this thing back together? He’s athletic, a more than average shooter. Just makes sense. I think?
8. New Orleans — A.J. Griffin, Duke
Brian: First, I must note that I have now moved my draft offices to my deck, where we have new and comfy chairs. It is possible I may be a virtual GM who literally gets caught napping in this exercise. Second: You’re probably not welcome in the Big Easy anymore after that selection. Some voodoo priestess in a swamp wearing a Zion jersey is cursing you at this very moment. To offset the disappointment, we go with Griffin on the premise that he can shoot and that the Pelicans have enough, otherwise, as Griffin gradually improves everything else.
9. San Antonio — Jalen Duren, Memphis
Dana: You are an inspiration. I just looked outside at my deck and thought, “Why am I in here again?” Greetings. Anyway, you also may not be welcome in New Orleans. I can’t argue Griffin’s ability to shoot, but he’s struggled with knee injuries. And after the Zion fiasco, can NOLA fans stomach another Duke player who may miss time? As for Duren, I’m still not sure how someone that physically gifted can be only 18. A 7-5 wingspan? Like how?
10. Washington — Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
Brian: Not sure that actually explains why Duren was the pick, but I’ll assume you’re saving that material for the press conference. In our nation’s capital, meanwhile, the defense is … not good. It is bad defense, that these Wizards play. So this was an extremely tough call. Do you go with rim protection or someone who, eventually, might lock up guys at three or maybe even four spots, depending? I decided to effectively make a non-decision here and just go with an older guy with a championship pedigree who won’t need a ton of shots running with Bradley Beal and will bust his *** defensively, even if he’s not going to be elite on that end.
11. New York —Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Dana: I no longer feel the need to explain myself to you, sir. But if you insist, I went with Duren because he’s NBA ready and Jakob Poeltl is in his last year of his contract. Kind of like the Wizards, Davis cannot solve all that ails the Knicks, but he’s a terrific shooter and creator, which should help a team that ranked dead last in the put-the-ball-in-the-hoop category this season.
12. Oklahoma City — Dyson Daniels, G League Ignite
Brian: Second pick I’m making for the Thunder here, which, of course, is exactly what fans of this franchise want to see. (They may force the team to move back to Seattle by the time I’m done with them.) Our NBA Draft guru Sam Vecenie has Ousmane Dieng here in his most recent mock, and I’ll defer to Sam on evaluating international prospects every day of the week. I can’t stay awake to catch the end of 9 p.m. (CT) tipoffs, let alone Australian NBL games. But we took care of size and scoring with Jabari Smith, so let’s add another dose of high-ceiling defensive potential with Daniels.
13. Charlotte — Mark Williams, Duke
Dana: I saw Australian NBL games live and in person when I went to write about RJ Hampton. Does that count? OK, so sometimes you don’t need to be clever — especially if you peruse a few other people’s draft boards and find 100 percent consensus, as there seems to be with Williams and the Hornets. It makes sense. He’s a traditional big man, a great rim protector and the perfect match for LaMelo Ball.
14. Cleveland — Malaki Branham, Ohio State
Brian: Nope, no need to be too cute by half with that pick: Charlotte will have had eyes on Williams all year, and then those eyes probably popped out of their sockets with Williams’ official measurements. And, hey, let’s stick with a theme here. Branham shoots and scores. If geography means anything, this franchise has as good a read on Branham and why he came so far, so fast for Ohio State. And Cleveland could use a guard or two. Makes a lot of sense.
15. Charlotte — Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
Dana: Do you think Michael Jordan will hire me? I think Michael Jordan should hire me. Sochan is the player I wanted to be daring and take with the seventh pick but chickened out. I honestly think he’s going to be fantastic wherever he lands, but he also happens to suit the Hornets very well. He’s wildly versatile offensively, already terrific defensively with a ton of upside. Give me a ring, MJ. Let’s talk.
16. Atlanta — Ousmane Dieng, New Zealand Breakers
Brian: As regular readers of this here website might know: I am terrible at drafting. Any draft, of anything. So, one, I was going to pick Sochan here because we probably made a very large mistake of not picking Sochan earlier. Our oversight there won’t age well. But, naturally, you scooped him up first. And now as I peruse the Hawks’ roster, I see a glaring need for some help defensively but also not a whole lot of playing time available, because I want to give the minutes to my young core and continue growing them. So I’m thinking I grab a high-potential piece who sits on the end of the bench for a couple seasons and is then ready to contribute when Trae Young and Co. enter their prime years. Have I ever seen Ousmane Dieng play basketball for, like, a minute? I have not. In other words: This is definitely the wrong idea, because I always have the wrong idea.
17. Houston — TyTy Washington, Kentucky
Dana: Your record does, in fact, speak for itself. Not kindly, I’d add. So this could be fun. As for me and my continued brilliance, I’m going to operate under the assumption that Washington will follow in the footsteps of other Kentucky guards and be even better as a pro than a college player. I know his numbers deteriorated later in the season, but I also know he had some injuries and lots of things deteriorated late in the season for the Cats.
18. Chicago — Tari Eason, LSU
Brian: The Chicago Bulls always pick the Tari Eason of the draft. This is immutable NBA Draft law. Whatever the guy’s name is, wherever he is from, no matter who is in charge of this franchise, the Bulls will pick the Tari Eason of the draft. This year’s Tari Eason is Tari Eason. Therefore the Bulls will pick Tari Eason.
19. Minnesota — E.J. Liddell, Ohio State
Dana: You sound a bit beaten down about the Bulls, Brian. Am I reading those tea leaves, correctly? So Liddell is a grown-up, which always seems like a wise choice to me. Also, he can switch defensively and protect the rim, which is a nice addition for Karl Anthony-Towns.
20. San Antonio — Blake Wesley, Notre Dame
Brian: The Bulls are gonna Bulls. Chicagoans know this. Moving along: Remember, Dana, when you said we were doing this without any insider information? Ha! You fool! Behold my insidery-ness: A person who may or may not be Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told me recently that Wesley had a very good workout for San Antonio. And, actually, Wesley does project as a very Spurs-ish guard, at least in my mind. Have I just guaranteed that Blake Wesley will not be picked by the San Antonio Spurs? Probably yes!
21. Denver — Jalen Williams, Santa Clara
Dana: We said there would be no knowledge, Brian! What are you doing, soliciting insight? Although it is Brey. Well, I’m standing by my own rules, and just doing this blind (while reading lots of other draft boards). Williams, from what I know (or have read) has created a lot of attention for himself thanks to his combo defensive skills and offensive versatility. That especially suits the very position-less Nuggets.
22. Memphis — Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee
Brian: What do you get the team that has everything? Someone who doesn’t have to play a ton right away but, in an ideal world, winds up outperforming the doubts and gives you lottery-level value in the 20s. This might still be too early for Baldwin, given how off-the-rails his lone college season became. The Grizzlies have other picks, including another first-rounder, with which they can make this gamble. But there’s also not a franchise-killing downside to a move like this. And, well, I get to do what I want. So there.
23. Philadelphia — Nikola Jovic, Serbia
Dana: Is The Process still a thing? I don’t even know anymore. I long ago stopped trying to honestly understand the Sixers. Seems an easier place to operate. And operating from that point, I’m going to go with a player that makes people in Philly will go, “huh?” and might actually be a really good choice. Not that I can say I’ve seen him play, but from what I heard he suits the NBA perfectly.
24. Milwaukee — Walker Kessler, Auburn
Brian: And there are those who believe you have your fingers on the pulse of all things Philly basketball. Little do they know how little you know about The Process, with your mind clouded by Taylor ham somewhere on LBI. As for the Bucks … can I trade out of this predicament? Anyone want the 24th pick? I can throw in some New Glarus Moon Man as a sweetener, because this seems harder than it should be. The Bucks need someone to help right now. Over the long haul of the regular season, they were top five in 3-point shooting, the best defensive rebounding team in the league and more or less comfortably in the top half as a collective defensive unit. I kind of want to go with Jaylin Williams here, for glue-guy-with-size purposes. But my gut says it’s slightly too early for Wiliams and the Bucks have only one pick, so they’re maybe looking for more of a known quantity? And we know Kessler can block shots, for a team that didn’t do that in great volume last season.
25. San Antonio — Jaden Hardy, G League Ignite
Dana: No give-backs. You’re stuck with it. So I’m going with the idea of the Spurs as sound franchise, looking to develop in the long term. Hardy is just 19, and the structure of San Antonio, by all accounts, will be good for him. He’s got a decent shot and good handle but room to grow in both.
26. Dallas — Dalen Terry, Arizona
Brian: I can sort of see the logic there. Part of me thinks Wesley and Hardy as consecutive picks in the 20s would be unnecessarily redundant. But the former is definitely a willing passer, and the latter is definitely score-first, so maybe it works. I suppose I’ll allow it. As for the Fightin’ Doncics, it’s probably going to be a backcourt piece here unless they’re beyond certain Jalen Brunson will re-sign. Terry has similar length to Doncic, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. If I have two 6-7 or 6-8 guys who can run the show, I feel pretty good about matching up with anyone most nights. Also considered Kennedy Chandler here, but I’m not sure Jason Kidd will buy into a 6-foot guard surviving in this league.
27. Miami — Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee
Dana: Well, I’ll subscribe to it. Take that, Jason Kidd. And look, I don’t know what they list Kyle Lowry at these days, but I know Kyle Lowry. He’s not huge. And he’s done alright with the Heat. Frankly, the knock on Chandler — about his less than reliable jumper — is the same question that dogged Lowry coming out of Villanova. And again, he turned out just fine.
28. Golden State — Kendall Brown, Baylor
Brian: Kennedy Chandler in Miami? That I can see, for the aforementioned philosophical reasons and also because the Heat can take a chance on a guy who’s probably getting picked lower than he should, if we’re going on talent alone. Think I’m going to stick with that general approach here, for the team on the other side of the country that doesn’t have a ton of holes. I watch the Warriors, and my first instinct is to add size. Plenty of big wings to choose from, including more polished prospects. Probably too early to snag some of the true bigs left out there. I make the upside bet with value here; Brown is big and bouncy enough to do a lot of the little things early on, even if his offense doesn’t rate quite yet.
29. Memphis — Caleb Houstan, Michigan
Dana: He must have known something to decline the combine invite, right? As you mentioned before, the Grizzlies are in a position to take a gamble or two, so why not give Houstan a go? There’s a hint of something there, with the jumper, and with a chance to develop and grow, maybe this works. Or maybe it won’t. I am at the point of befuddlement.
30. Oklahoma City — Jake LaRavia, Wake Forest
You’re befuddled just now? Houstan is landing somewhere in the first round, for sure. Who knows where. But we had to get him in here because clearly he has a promise, so thanks for taking care of that. As for the final selection here, we’ve got a reported trade, with the Nuggets snagging another first-round pick in a deal with Oklahoma City. A mystery! Who does Denver covet, believing he will be there at No. 30? Or is this a play to trade both firsts to move up or acquire a veteran? Part of me wonders if this is G League prospect MarJon Beauchamp, as the starting rotation is locked in and solid when healthy. But maybe it’s someone who blew the braintrust away in workouts. Of those players, LaRavia makes sense as a plug-and-play rotation piece who can be effective on both ends, including as an asset to improve a pretty porous defense.
So that’s it, Dana. We have mocked, and now the readers can mock back in the comments. But I don’t know. I feel pretty good about our keen eye for talent. In fact, I’m not sure The Athletic should’ve let us do this, what with all the lucrative player personnel job offers that will come our way.
Dana: Yes. I figure Michael Jordan will be calling as soon as this thing is published. Heck, I may be in the draft room.
- Jul 8, 2013
- 12,022
- 13,540
KPJ went from awful to just below average as the season went on. Hope Houston starts loooking at the end of this year at the latest for a pg
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
- Apr 5, 2017
- 22,188
- 63,106
I need the Nuggets to draft Nikola Jovic for comedic purposes
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
Tim Connelly will draft him in Minnesota and hope he develops into a MVP.
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
NBA Draft Confidential: Coaches, execs discuss Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, other top forwards
As ever, the word “wings” does a lot of work when describing this year’s top NBA draft prospects at the formerly known as small forward and power forward positions.
Yes, the more common image/word bubble when thinking about the modern-day position is a long, lanky, switchable player on defense that uses his length to contest shots. But it’s also a player who also can bury shots from deep, while being able to handle the ball well enough to get to the front of the rim through contact. Think of the patron saint of the position: Kevin Durant. Jayson Tatum also comes to mind. So do Jaylen Brown and Brandon Ingram; Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges; Pascal Siakam and John Collins.
More traditional, taller fours like Evan Mobley are certainly still in high demand. But players who had formerly been dismissed as “tweeners” back in the day have found their calling in today’s league: think Grant Williams, Julius Randle, Lugentz Dort, Terance Mann and others.
The league has adapted, suddenly and completely. And so have the needed skill sets to play in the frontcourt. So, this year’s group of prospects runs the gamut, and will be populated throughout the first round of the June 23 draft.
What this compilation is not, though, is a mock draft. It is my annual cross-section of opinions from people who I’ve come to trust over the decades — people who tell the truth. Sometimes, a harsh truth. But they give that in exchange for obviously desired relative anonymity. It’s been a fair exchange over the years: unvarnished opinions of strengths and weaknesses, comps, how college teams tried to defend them, how they project at the next level – and, when it can be fairly determined, the makeup of a young man. Are they coachable? Do they blend in with their teams, whether they were the obvious, lone star, or part of a collective of future first-rounders on a Power 6 team?
We started with the guards last week; we’ll finish with the bigs next week, just before draft night.
Paolo and Jabari
Picking between Jabari Smith Jr., the 6-10, smooth shooting (42 percent on 3s) 19-year-old forward from Auburn, and Paolo Banchero, Duke’s do-everything freshman who lived up to his substantial hype coming to Durham, obviously is a matter of both preference and existing team roster construction. The two freshmen phenoms are their own two-man tier, at the top of the draft. Either, along with Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren, could go first. Neither Smith nor Banchero will be there after three, when Houston picks, following Orlando at one and Oklahoma City at two. Each is a foundational player, though both have vastly different skill sets. But they’re elite, the kind of players around which franchises can soar.
Smith
USA Basketball Member: Jabari came out of nowhere. He literally showed up to camp when we picked the team. He had never been invited to the three previous minicamps. That was his first USA experience, the camp in Florida when we were picking the team. That never goes well. Everyone’s first experience, it’s always the ball’s different, the rules are different, the other guys have been here before, so I’ve got to kind of find my way. He didn’t have that. He’s one of the few guys in that setting I didn’t see struggle the first time through. He dominated the first time. That camp was the first time NBA scouts were allowed to come to our training camps for the younger teams. So this is 16 and under, in 2019. Just so happens, Jabari Smith is there, and he killed it. Any scout who watched us for the two days had Jabari in the top two or three guys there. They started their file on him in May of 2019, and three years later, he’s done what he’s needed to do.
He wasn’t like this physically dominant dude. But he made shots. He could handle the ball. He could pass the ball. You could see the other parts that he didn’t have because he wasn’t strong enough, but you could see it was there. His body had to get there. He could move his feet, so you knew he’d be able to switch stuff. He was really good. And you could see how good he was going to be. This long, lanky kid that came in. He could shoot the ball, he could create for himself. It’s just going to be, is he strong enough? It’s going to be physical. But he’s so good. His length allows him to shoot over people.
It looks like, watching Auburn, he’s gotten a lot stronger. His body is starting to fill out. He’s still not where he’s going to be. If I’m playing the Celtics, you’re either going to put Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum on him. He’s got to be able to take the physicality that comes along with that. And now, you’re not always going to be able to use your length to shoot over people; you’ve got to create some space to shoot over people. He’s got the skill set to do it. It’s just, is he going to have the strength to do it? Eventually, he will.
Eastern Conference executive 1: If you asked me that question early in the year, when (Duke) played at the Garden, I would have said Banchero. Now, what you see from Banchero now, he’s about 85 percent of the player he’s going to be. Fine-tune some things, improve the jump shot. But the other kid (Smith) has all of the upside. He reminds me of, in how he plays, and his makeup, Rashard Lewis. Rashard may have had a nasty streak, but he didn’t always play with it. What’s missing with Smith when I went to see him, you’d like to see a guy with an attitude, who’s that skilled, of I’m going to get it. He deferred fairly quickly, when he didn’t have to.
Western Conference executive 1: Arguably probably as good, if not the best, long-range, 3-point shooting prospects with size to come along in a while. Off the top of my head, I’m hard-pressed to come up with someone better. Really can stretch the floor and could be quite a weapon on the right team. He’s not a self-creator. Not a guy you give the ball, and the clock runs down, can get his own. Maybe that comes in time, maybe it doesn’t. But he’s still going to be a big-time player even without that.
Got better on the boards, though I wouldn’t consider him a rebounding machine. He’s growing into his body. It’s sort of a lean and supple one, that’s going to put a lot of weight and strength on. You can see that coming. Good with mobility. Not a big-time shot blocker, but he does move his feet well. Has the potential to be OK guarding out on the floor once he learns the nuances of pick-and-roll, which is a big part of the evaluation of big men these days. And that’s why so many of them fall short. I think he’ll be a harder big man than most to play off the floor during the playoffs. I look for him to be a hell of an outside shooter in the league. Can run the floor on the break. You get it to him; he can dunk in traffic. He can drive a closeout straight line; he’s just not a guy with a whole bunch of wiggle, doing a lot of creating and making a play there. He deserves serious consideration for the first-overall pick.
Going into his senior year of high school, he was a top-10 pick. They knew that. But I don’t think everybody had him where he is today. I (initially compared him with) LaMarcus Aldridge as far as a big guy who’s a jump shooter first, but Rashard (Lewis) is what I really had. But this guy, when he’s on, man, midrange, he doesn’t create his shots, but he gets off the dribble in a real fancy package. He can get, in various ways, where he needs to be with the shot. His size and length is so big, he’s almost always shooting over the top, very clear shooting vision. He’s very hard to alter that shot. He was kind of a non-rebounder at the start of the year, and he got better.
Banchero
College Assistant Coach 1 (his team played Duke): He was my favorite player in high school. I thought it was a joke he had to go to college. He does everything. Sometimes he settles too much on shooting the jumper, but he’s capable of putting it on the floor, shooting it. He’ll post you. I was in love with him when he was a sophomore at NBA camp. And now he’s all of 6-10 now. I think he’s a stud. He’ll be a longtime pro. He should have gone right out of high school. And he’s young. He’s a physical presence. And I used to get mad watching him on film, and I’m glad he didn’t take advantage of us when we played him. He can impose his size. He is not a small kid. He should dominate — all right, I’m going to the cup. And at times, I think he doesn’t realize how imposing he is. … he’s 6-10, 235, whatever he weighs. He’s solid. I thought he settled at times. I thought that was a little more of the maturation.
He has to figure out, I’ve got the body, I can get where I want to go. He’s not overly shifty with the bounce, but he’s got enough ball skill that if he can get you on his hip or shoulder to get by you, you’re dead. You’re in jail. I think that will get better. I think people are going to be surprised at his ball skills. The game’s positionless, but he’s probably more four/three. He’ll shoot at that level, he’ll shoot more catch-and-shoot, open shots. There are different types of 3s he’ll have to take and make. He’s shooting stepback (in college), they were just different. They weren’t always just the catch-and-shoot variety. He tried (defensively). And I think he can be better at that. I don’t think he was a zero defensively. Where he can make his money at the next level is rebounding and pushing, where he can start the break, he can get it off the defensive glass and go. He’ll be really good at that. He’s good, man. I know at Duke they had to get other guys on the floor and keep everybody happy. But he absolutely could have played more on the perimeter. He don’t mind being a five sometimes. I just loved his whole demeanor — just put me out there. I’m going to play.
Western Conference executive 1: He has a deeper offensive tool kit (than the other top prospects) in that he’s not a great shooter, but he can make shots. He’s a better playmaker than the other two, for others. In the half court, he’s more of a self-creator, setting up the jumper, and particularly the drive, drive and dish. Has really great passing instincts, throws some very impressive passes. And the thing that makes it unique is, I have no idea whether he’s 6-9 or 6-10, he’s what, in the 250 range? He packs a wallop with the body. He doesn’t have to come into the NBA and build a body, just tone it up some. He’s going to come in and be able to, with strength and width, to get some things done off the move and off the dribble. In the lane, he can finish through contact, play on the break, just has a very advanced feel for the game at, what, 6-10, 250? That’s pretty good.
I thought he handled what his role was at Duke well, which was to be the top guy. Look at the success of the team. Very young team, got to the Final Four, had to play with a lot of pressure down the stretch, with the whole Mike Krzyzewski Victory Tour, farewell tour, and handled it with no hiccups. … He has enough passing talent that, if he was a smaller player, without that body, he would still have very good passing (skills). He’ll rebound his position. It’s going to be defense — not so much from a physical standpoint, but just chasing guys his size out on the perimeter, being locked in off the ball. And how good a 3-point shooter is he going to become? If he gets up to the league average, he doesn’t have to become Steph Curry. He just gets up to the league average, with his body and ability to handle and pass off the move, and finish in traffic, it opens an awful lot up.
Nestled just behind Smith and Banchero, and likely to go anywhere between No. 4 and No. 8, is Iowa’s Keegan Murray, the consensus first-team All-America selection who led the Big Ten in scoring (23.5 per game) and was third in rebounds (8.7), while leading the nation in PER (37.
last season. There may not be a better plug-and-play guy in the top half of the draft than the 21-year-old sophomore.
Murray
College head coach (his team played Iowa): Oh my gosh, he was incredible. Watching games all year, my favorite guy was (Purdue guard Jalen) Ivey. I loved him. But I was really impressed with Murray. He sprinted the court. He had an amazing motor. And he’s way bigger than you’d suspect. He’s one of those guys that you just know is an NBA player, the way he moves. Obviously, he shoots the ball really well. The biggest thing I loved about him is some of those guys that glide around the way he does aren’t very physical. It’s more about the skills than it is the physicality. And he sprinted down the court, getting position really quickly. And you have to be willing to use your body to do that. And I thought he was excellent at it. And obviously, he’s got the skill to go along with that. … there’s an upside there. To improve as drastically as he did over the course of three years from high school is pretty incredible.
College assistant coach 2 (his team played Iowa this season): Murray’s elite. He didn’t play well in the NCAA Tournament. He played tired, a little bit soft, was always short on his shots. But he was so, so good the second half of the season and during the Big Ten Tournament. He can make 3s. He’s got great length. Golden State was at every Big Ten Tournament game — (general manager) Bob Myers, (assistant general managers) Larry Harris and Mike Dunleavy. I think they were salivating over him. He obviously won’t be there when they pick. He’s a four man that can put it on the floor, I think guard his position, very good on the boards. His shooting touch is very, very good. Great arc on his shot. The improvement he showed from his freshman year to his sophomore was one of the best in a long, long time — him and (Wisconsin guard) Johnny Davis. Neither one started. They averaged about six points a game. They were over 20 (this year).
College assistant coach 3 (his team also played Iowa): Offensively, he’s like what Shane Battier was probably coming out of college. And I say that from the standpoint that his motor runs high, he’s always moving, and I think he has the ability to score without doing a lot. Somebody passes him the ball, I’m open, I shoot it. You pass it, I shot fake, one dribble, and get to the rim. His efficiency, he would be great with, like, Golden State, because Iowa plays like that — that motion, that movement. They didn’t run a lot of plays. A lot of his stuff was read and react, and he did a tremendous job of doing that.
That superstar’s ability to take it to the next level? I don’t know if he has that yet. He don’t put it down like that. I would liken him to, where he would start, if he could ever develop some of the ballhandling and the movement that (Khris) Middleton has, I think that’s the best he would be. Because he’s efficient … he rim runs, he posts up. … my man isn’t really going to be changing direction and all that — I’m going straight line, I might spin one time. And the other thing I think he does better than like a Harrison Barnes is, he rebounds it. He’ll go rebound on a consistent basis. Not going to get you 12 one night and like six the next; he’s going to get like eight, nine, seven, in that range. That’s where I’m going to be.
Eastern Conference executive 1: Top five based on his ability to score, very efficient. I think he probably is the guy, we met with him in Chicago, and I’m sure as he goes around and works out and in interviews, people will see that he’s a good fit.
The next tier has two college freshmen: Duke’s AJ Griffin and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan, both likely gone by the end of the lottery. (Point of professional privilege: Sochan may be my favorite guy in the draft — not just player, but guy. You do root for certain guys.) Griffin’s father, Adrian Griffin, was a longtime wing who’s become one of the NBA’s top assistant coaches and potential head coaches in the next few years. Sochan’s a self-described “man of the world” who was born in Oklahoma, where his parents played for the men’s and women’s team at Division II Panhandle State. But he grew up in England and played for his mother’s native Polish national team before emigrating to the States, where he played in high school and at Baylor.
Griffin
College Assistant Coach 4 (his team played Duke): I had the Duke scout. The first time we played Duke, AJ had not played a lot. Unless you know who he is, he’s barely on the scouting report. And I told them, ‘I’m telling you he’s played well. We have to be ready to guard him. He’s an X-factor. If he gets it going, we don’t have a shot.’ People were likely, really? And he played great against us in the first game, and everybody was like ‘yo, you were right.’
USA Basketball member: He’s quiet. He’s to himself. He enjoys being around his teammates when he is, but he’s not that partier. In Brazil, he was really quiet and to himself. And he actually got us going. We were, this was the very first year, we were following behind Coach (Don) Showalter. Coach Showalter had coached 10 years, won 10 gold medals, never lost a game. I remember the pressure that came with that. In our very first game, we are getting crushed. It’s an exhibition game. We’re literally losing like 22-5. We’re getting blown out.
Aj gets the ball off the rim and drives coast to coast and dunks on three players. It changed everything for us. We’re USA; that’s what we’re supposed to do; that’s how we’re supposed to play. And we wound up winning by 20. That play changed everything for us in terms of our mentality. I don’t know if he ever really got credit for that. In the gold medal game against Canada, we’re playing against Caleb Houstan, Shaedon Sharpe, Zeb Jackson. They had some dudes. AJ goes in the game and guards Caleb Houstan, and Caleb Houstan can’t score. AJ just says he’s not scoring. He’s blocking, he’s cutting him off trying to drive, he blocks his shot. He literally sucked all the confidence out of Caleb Houstan. And at that point, Caleb Houstan was the leading scorer in FIBA, was probably going to be MVP whether they won or not. AJ just shut that all the way down. I think he has that ability too. His level of play will meet whatever level he’s playing (against). At Duke, he raised his level to that level. In the NBA, he’ll raise his level. If he becomes a rotation guy, he’ll raise his game to that level. If he becomes a starter, he’ll raise his game to that level.
Eastern Conference executive 1: I think he can shoot the ball a little bit. I worry about his body, personally. I’ve watched him move. I look at his, his heavily wrapped up knees and all that. He doesn’t move like a quick-twitch guy. He’s got a nice body; he’s got length. The two times I saw him live this year, he never played well in the games I was at. I saw him on television, and he had a good string of games. I’m personally not ready to say he’s this can’t miss guy. Are you banking on he’s Adrian’s son, and Adrian’s pumped some good knowledge into him? And being around a good program, that can be helpful. I think it’s about fit with him. If you can get him around some other good players and athletes where he can make shots and become a defender — I don’t want to just call him 3-and-D, per se — but can he become that? I guess I could see a role in that. But personally, I don’t see a dynamic player.
Sochan
College Head Coach 1 (his team played Baylor): Played under the radar. Really, really high skill level. Can shoot and has great size for his position. Can defend multiple spots on the floor. Really understands how to cut. Rebounds it well. Not an iso-featured guy in the league, but certainly a guy you can plug and play immediately and feel like it’s going to take three or four years for this guy to develop. He’s going to help a team now. He certainly wasn’t afraid to take open 3s. But he didn’t settle for a ton of 3s. because he knew he was certainly capable of getting to the basket, and at this level, finishing against some of the size or lack thereof in the college game — not going up against real rim protectors like Clint Capela or guys that are more difficult. I think he can get there. It depends on how hard he works and how much he invests in his own game the next six months or so. He’s got some toughness. There are some outliers like Joel Embiid, but no one can guard him, right? But most of the fives in the league are perimeter guys. I think he’ll be fine against most of the more skilled perimeter fives. And he’ll get stronger. He’s a young kid. He’s got a lot of room to grow from a maturity and probably a physical standpoint. … He was a pleasure after games, very respectful. He plays hard, competes hard, wants to win.
College Assistant Coach 5 (his team also played Baylor): Sochan’s probably going to be better two years from now. So will (fellow Baylor forward Kendall) Brown. They’re very similar. Sochan’s a better jump shooter, probably a better offensive player. They’re both athletic. Brown might be more athletic. Obviously in the NBA, they go on potential, and I think both of them, two, three years down the road are going to be better players than they are now. I think both of them would be better with another year of college, because they’d both get reps. But they’re both pros. They both are good. I don’t know if they’re good enough to step up and play consistent minutes in the league now at the three spot.
Western Conference Executive 1: Tremendous defensive versatility. You can make a case for him guarding all three frontcourt positions. Switchability should be there, which is a key factor with the big guys today. To me, (he’s) more of a defense/athlete/energy/versatility guy first, more than offense right now. But the offense can come. It’ll be very 3-point shooting dependent. I don’t see him being a great self-creator, a go-to scorer at any time. But he can be a secondary scorer who’s a primary defender, with size and mobility. He’s coming from an international background. I think he’s going to end up being a lottery pick. He’s a modern player in that sense, except for the shooting versatility and size, what you’re looking for.
First-round grades … but when and where?
The next tier of wings includes LSU sophomore Tari Eason; 19-year-old Ousmane Dieng, who played for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s National Basketball League this past season; Santa Clara junior Jalen Williams; 19-year-old Serbian Nikola Jović, who played for KK Mega Basket in the Adriatic League, one of the best pro leagues in the world, and who was voted the ABA’s Top Prospect this past season; Ohio State junior EJ Liddell; and 6-6 swingman MarJon Beauchamp, who was mentored early in his career by longtime NBA star guard Jamal Crawford before playing this past season for G League Ignite.
Eason
College Assistant Coach 6 (his team played LSU): High ceiling. Shooting can get better. Can score around the basket. Can make plays. Really long too. They did a lot of switching defensively, so I don’t know how well he defends. But I think he has a chance to be a good defender as well. With them, it was hard to tell, because they played like a lazy, switching defense. We just switch and try to keep you in front. It was hard to get a read on who could play defense for them and who couldn’t. He scores around that basket well. He can palm the ball and move it around. He’s got a nice midrange shot. He’s going to improve his 3. Just concentrate on his game. Handles are coming along.
College Assistant Coach 7: He picks up the ball up off the ground like it was a tennis ball. That’s what helps his finish so well out there; he’s got those huge hands. That reminds me of Kawhi Leonard a little bit, with that frame. A little taller, but that same frame, can handle the ball.
Eastern Conference Executive 2: Eason is going to be a defensive specialist early on. … Shot isn’t great, but that can be fixed in time.
Dieng
Western Conference Executive 1: Dieng did not play well early in the year. That’s probably an understatement. So you can look at him as half full or half empty. He was coming from lower-level France to the Australian League … It’s a man’s league. The team that won it this year, Sydney, R.C. Buford’s son (Chase) coached. The roster is littered with guys who’ve had NBA associations, American players that are three, four years out of college. So he’s adjusting to living real far away from home, New Zealand, and a huge jump in class. And his team wasn’t very good. So all that’s going on. His overall numbers are not impressive, but if you look at the last 10 games or so, 11 games in snippets, he did some real good things. He’s big. He’s got a good feel for the game. He’s got mobility. He can handle the ball. The shooting numbers aren’t all that impressive, but he’ll go on some tears in games. He’s all finesse right now, lacks physicality. He’s going to have to transform his body. But for a big guy, there’s a handle, a feel, and when you see him at his best, can score.
Williams
College Head Coach 2 (his team played Santa Clara): Really good at the pick-and-roll. Able to work the lead lob play if you step up on him. If you go under, he can step up and make the shot. We had to change the way we played screen/roll two or three times in the game, he was so effective at it. High basketball IQ. When he came in as a freshman, he would always guard the other team’s best perimeter player. And that really impressed me.
Jović
Western Conference Executive 2: He’s OK. In most drafts, he’s a late first. Maybe he sneaks into the late first, but this year’s class lacks high-end talent to begin with.
Eastern Conference Executive 2: Jović could evolve only (into) a nice role player.
Western Conference Executive 1: Young kids from the Balkans, they get in that Adriatic League, they get a lot of playing time. As you would expect for a European big man, he’s skilled. Not a great shooter now, but he’s good, and he’ll get better. He’s got passing skill. He’s got good feet and overall mobility. Another guy (where) strength and the defensive end will be a challenge early on. But you’ve got size, feel and someone who should end up being a pretty good shooter. So I think that takes him — this is a broad range — he goes in the first 20 picks somewhere. I’d be surprised to see him get to the second round.
Liddell
College Assistant Coach 3 (his team played Ohio State): EJ’s a dog. He can be like the P.J. Tucker, that Draymond Green type. He’s only 6-5, 6-6. He’s built like a tank, like a linebacker. Those calves and legs are like tree trunks. He’s a man. And every year, I can say he’s gotten better. He’s added something to his game every single year, even now to the point where he can defend on the perimeter. He’s an interior guy, a five man. In a perfect world, people don’t realize that Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler were five men in college. If you can make spot-up 3s and just go and rebound and be nasty guarding people, that’s how he’s got to try and make it and stick long term. If you want to be a superstar in a role, when I compare him to those guys, that’s like the superstar role for them, if they can fill it.
Beauchamp
Western Conference Executive 3: Straight wing. We have him in the early 20s, with the Kendall Browns, Peyton Watsons.
G League Coach (his team played Ignite): Early in the year, he was the guy that their staff was highest about. Great work ethic. Probably the best athlete (on the team) Certainly has the length and the dimensions to be a really good defender. As the year went on … you started to see a little, the word ‘quit’ might be hard, but in horse racing terms, he spit the bit a little bit. He didn’t want to compete. Which surprised me. In talking to (the Ignite staff) earlier, they were like, this guy’s got the goods. He’s athletic, has the length, gets in the gym earlier than everybody else, works his butt off. But at the end of the year, he pulled up a little bit. He didn’t show the toughness and the grit that they saw (earlier). … I lean toward the idea that, physically, he just got worn out. Because it’s a long year for these guys, coming from high school into a professional setting. Even though they play somewhat of an abbreviated schedule, it’s still a grind. You’re playing against men for the first time in your life.
He bounced around from Yakima, junior college, bounced around a little in high school. I think someone will take a chance on him in the 20s. The fact that he’s so raw, people will look at him say ‘let’s take a chance on him.’ Because you get to that point in the draft, and there’s nobody that’s an immediate plug and play guy, you may go ‘hey, let’s take this kid, he’s got potential.’ And a nice kid by all reports. (The rebounds) show me there’s a level of toughness there.
Late first, early second? Depends
It only takes one team to love you, and the next tier of wing prospects will need one to be chosen late first round. Most could go early in the second round too. They include Baylor’s freshman Kendall Brown, who’s raw but has significant upside; Kansas junior Christian Braun; Michigan’s Caleb Houstan, a five-star recruit from Canada entering the draft after one season in Ann Arbor; Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr.; Wake Forest junior Jake LaRavia; and UCLA freshman Peyton Watson.
Brown
College Head Coach 1 (his team played Baylor): Not as skilled (as Sochan), but he’s like a much better athlete. He’s like a freak. I would imagine his testing numbers are in the higher end of all the picks that are available. Doesn’t have a defined skill. He’s a good kid. He was in the USA trials last summer as well with Jabari (Smith). Thought he has a chance immediately to impact a game defensively. He can switch, he’s strong. But offensively, I wonder where he fits right now. He gives me a feel of like a Zhaire Smith. Picked high (16th in 201. He does some stuff. Can jump and touch damn near the top of the square. But how does it translate into an actual game, offensively? You know who was like him coming out of college? Zach LaVine. I don’t know if he’s that, but he’s not far away athletically. Zach’s learned how to play, and that’s the reason it’s worked out a little better in Chicago. But (Brown’s) athleticism jumps off the page.
Houstan
Western Conference Executive 3: His size, his offensive skill set and his ability to shoot, even though he didn’t shoot it great at Michigan this year, he has in the past at many other events. So, he has that to hang his hat on. … I saw Caleb at USAB events. There’s no reason why he could not (shoot better on 3s in the NBA). He has size, and he knows how to play. I don’t think he’s going to get worse, because he’s going to be playing with and around better players to get him even better shots.
Braun
College Head Coach 1 (his team played Kansas): The thing about him you appreciate is that every year he’s gotten incrementally better, made significant progress in his game. And he’s really, really competitive. More athletic than people probably give him credit for. We always worried about him just as much as Ochai (Agbaji, Kansas’ star guard), because we knew our guys would be locked on trying to stop Ochai, but maybe not as in tune to Christian. And he was more than capable. He can shoot it. Really good size for his position. He’s smart. He understands how to accept a role on a team. I think he’s going to have a chance to have a good career here, because he’s got some of those intangible things that really translate.
They play a lot of DHO (dribble handoff) offense in general, and he was a big, big part of it, more so than in his first two years, because so much attention was given to Ochai. Credit to Ochai. He embraced that, allowing his good friend and teammate to shine. A lot of DHOs, they played in transition incredibly well. That’s probably the best thing they did. They played with pace offensively, which gave them an opportunity to have some easier looks before the defense got set. He’s not an isolation player at all, but he’s a guy that can come off of screens, make good reads. He’s got a pretty good feel of when to get off of it and space the floor. He wasn’t a guy who we said ‘man, you’ve got to be careful when he’s guarding you.’ But, he certainly was capable (defensively), and that’s where his competitiveness kicked in. He understood his limitations, and he played within those. He didn’t gamble a lot. He wasn’t a guy who was trying to pressure guys all over the floor. He played good, positional defense. He’s a capable defender because he’s got good athleticism. He’s an intelligent kid who really understands who he is and plays to his strengths.
Baldwin Jr.
College Assistant Coach 8 (his team played Wisconsin-Milwaukee): He’s a capable shooter, but his feet have to be set. Coming off a ball screen, as far as offensively, he is active without the ball. He’s a smart player. You can tell he’s a coach’s kid. He knows when to cut and not to cut. You turn your head, he’ll go backdoor. He doesn’t get to the rim going left at all; he’s pulling up if he’s going left. If he’s going right, he can get to the rim. If he goes left, he’s trying to get to a one-dribble pullup. He’s 6-9, so he can shoot over the top of guys that are guarding him. He’s like a get-to-his-spot type of guy. Off ball screens, he’s not bad. He’ll come off of ball screens and turn them into post-ups. Coming off, he’ll get a switch and just turn his back and post up. He’s actually pretty good at that, which I think translates to the next level. … He doesn’t shoot it well, which I think is really, really going to hurt him. He’s going to have to become a more consistent, just spot-up shooter in general. I don’t think he’s a 3-and-D at all. Those guys are valuable, and I think that’s probably what he’s going to have to be at some point, and I don’t think he is yet. He has to get bigger and stronger, but he is young. They have him listed at 220; there’s no way. I think he’s probably closer to 205, 210, unless he’s put weight on since the season. He’s not thin, but he doesn’t resemble those NBA guys. His biggest thing is he’s a smart player.
Defensively, we were going to attack him. We didn’t think he was great laterally. They played some zone, played some man, they did some different things. And part of it was, I think, he wasn’t interested in being there that much. They weren’t very good. He was playing for his dad. He was susceptible to quicker guys, so we were going to put him in some pick-and-roll situations. He will rebound. He’s a capable and willing rebounder. I think it’s because he’s trying to rebound and push the ball up the floor. He’s one of those guys where it’s like, if I can get the ball off a rebound, I can go. He’s not a shot blocker. I do think he has the ability to guard guys that are bigger than him, because he’s strong and he’s wiry. My worry about him at the next level would be guarding pick and rolls. If he switches onto wings, I don’t think he can do it. … He’s not like a tremendous lateral athlete to me. … he’s going to have to prove he can guard.
LaRavia
College Assistant Coach 1 (his team played Wake Forest): Some people like him more than me. I like him. I’m not in love with him. But he’s a confident, hard-playing, can shoot the ball wing. … He’s got some stuff to him. He’s got a little **** to him. He’s confident in who he is. We tried to get him out of Indiana State, and he kind of big-timed us, was like, no, I’m gonna go somewhere where I can get off. But he’s good. I don’t see him as a first-round guy. He’s confident without the cockiness, if that makes sense, which I think you have to be to make it to that level. And you’ve got to have damn near a little bit arrogance. You’ve got to be borderline, people can’t stand you.
Watson
Western Conference Executive 3: Long as the day, and athletic as heck. He looks the part and then some. … When Peyton had the opportunity to play, he had those ‘aha!’ moments. And you’re like, you see that in an NBA game. … his ability to play four positions, his ability to defend four positions. He looks like a gazelle when he runs the floor, and when he finishes, his armpit is above the rim. And he’s 19 years old. And there were moments, and they weren’t all the time, when he made a move or shot a 3 or made a move and pulled up or he got all the way to the rim, and his waist was at everybody’s head. And you’re like, what will this kid look like after he puts on 15 to 20 pounds of muscle? His athleticism isn’t going to get any worse. That’s an NBA wing. And in some cases, if those guys really take off, they’re starters.
Longtime NBA Executive: Watson has the potential to develop into a solid player. Framework and physical gifts are there along with talent level. The long-term upside is there but his actual game impacts were limited.
Best of the Rest
One-liners (or more) on several second-round possibilities, including NC State’s Dereon Seabron; Colorado State’s David Roddy; Ignite’s Michael Foster; Marquette’s Justin Lewis; Memphis’ Josh Minott and Connecticut’s Tyrese Martin.
Seabron
College Assistant Coach 1 (his team played NC State): He can’t shoot. He cannot shoot a gun. But I love him. He can get downhill, I’m talking open floor, transition. I think he’s really good pushing the pace, getting downhill, attacking the rim, can finish either hand. He just can’t shoot. I don’t think the jumper’s broken. But he doesn’t take many and he’s not confident in it. Part of that is he can get wherever he wants to on the floor, and he doesn’t have to settle for the jumper. But at the next level, he’ll have to take and make some open ones. But he’s really good with the ball in his hands. … He’s probably more point guard at that size, ’cause he’s good in pick-and-rolls. He’s not a shooting guard, ’cause he just doesn’t shoot it. I think he’s more, surprisingly, like a big point guard.
Roddy
College Head Coach 3 (his team played Colorado State): I actually love him. I didn’t love playing against him. … I just thought he had a good way about him. He’s got a tremendous body, first off. He’s got really good size, he’s got really good strength, he’s got really good feet. His feet are excellent. He can shoot the ball. He’s a confident shooter. He can demand a double, and at our level, on the block — if you wait until the block (to body him), it’s too late. He’s going to overpower you and score. You get outside that area, and he can make skilled plays to get shots off.
He was big in important moments throughout the season. When they needed a basket or need someone to make a really big play, he was right there and not afraid to do it. And defensively, sometimes these kind of guys, they don’t do it at the other end. I felt like he was committed on the defensive end to really try to guard and impact the game at that end as well. I feel like he’ll get drafted. You never know who else is out there. … A Grant Williams-type player. A similar kind of player. Has a big body but is more bouncy than you would expect. Can shoot it. And Grant had to work his way into that. Roddy seems to have a pretty natural J. I certainly think he can play at that level. Will he be a star? I don’t know about that.
They would screen him to his spot to get a catch. They run good offense — you know, five out type of offense. Pick-and-pops, he’s good at. It wasn’t like they just force-fed him. They had other players; they were a pretty well-balanced team. So the other guys made him better too. They would screen to get him the ball at certain spots, whether it’s that middle of the court, the elbows, or whether it’s the mid-post area. We did not want him shooting 3s. That was one of our things. You’re going to have to dribble to shoot. We started switching, which was pretty effective. … To me, he’s going to be P.J. Tucker, Grant Williams, he’s got to be that kind of guy — they’re going to space the court, but they can also put it down a little bit. But they’re not going to be the main guy doing that. Which I think will be good for him. I think he’ll fit that well.
Foster
Eastern Conference Executive 3: He rebounds, and he plays hard. He probably shot it a little too much last year, but he was trying to show people that he could shoot.
G League Coach (his team played Ignite): Undersized five. I wasn’t sure if he was good enough, the way the game is now. He’s going to have to become a better facilitator. What he did best in our game won’t translate as much in the NBA game. He wasn’t afraid. But he doesn’t shoot the ball well from 3, and he’s just an old-school five. The best thing he’s got going for him is he’s tough as hell. He’s not going to back down from physical confrontation. And he’s young.
Lewis
College Assistant Coach 9 (his team played Marquette): Absolute nightmare for us. … He was a nightmare. He was. He kicked our *** every time we played him. He’s tough, he’s 6-7. And this year, he improved his perimeter game. His freshman year he was mostly playing inside. Then he expanded his game, he started making 3s, he can go off the bounce, he’s explosive. He’s got long arms. I don’t know anything about his DNA, work ethic, what kind of kid is he? I don’t know any of that. But as a player, he’s a pretty talented kid. In today’s game, watching the NBA, yeah, he’s pretty good. Like him a lot. He was physical (defensively), he moved his feet. They played him at the four, so it’s not like he was guarding athletic wing guys or anything like that. But he tried. He competes.
Minott
College Head Coach 4 (his team played Memphis): Unique. Unique. Was a baby. … This kid was really active. For me, he didn’t really pass the eye in terms of high energy and motor, but he got stuff done. He was just long, he was athletic. He was relentless getting to the glass. He’s a good player. If he stayed in college another year, really hit the weights, really lock in on getting better. He’s a clear top-10 pick (in 2023). He passed the look of a prototypical NBA player now — everybody’s just long. I thought their most talented guys didn’t touch the ball enough, him being one. He didn’t start because they had older guys. … I can’t say he did one particular thing well. I can’t say he shot it well. I can’t say he was a force, being able to go get his shot. But he did it for them when they needed it. He got a key rebound. He got a key shot. He got a key block. He’s going to have to identify what his role is if he plans on being in the NBA for a long time. … for me, right now, I think he’s more of an energy guy, more of a defensive presence, like a (Mikal) Bridges. He doesn’t shoot it as well, but they’re comfortable with putting him on the top offensive players, with his length. I think if (Minott) can carve out a role like that, his offense will catch up with him later on.
Martin
College Assistant Coach 9 (his team played UConn): Legitimate wing player. Strong. Doesn’t shoot it great from 3. He’ll make a couple — enough to keep you occupied. But he’s strong, though, he’s explosive. Reminds me a little bit of like Josh Hart. But I think he rebounds really good for his position. Not overly skilled with the ball; more of a straight-line guy. We played off of him a little bit, arm’s length, because he’s going to bring it to you. But he’s really physical, really finishes around the rim. But I didn’t think he had the perimeter skills to be a no-brainer at the next level. But he’s tough. He can defend. He’s a really good college player.
As ever, the word “wings” does a lot of work when describing this year’s top NBA draft prospects at the formerly known as small forward and power forward positions.
Yes, the more common image/word bubble when thinking about the modern-day position is a long, lanky, switchable player on defense that uses his length to contest shots. But it’s also a player who also can bury shots from deep, while being able to handle the ball well enough to get to the front of the rim through contact. Think of the patron saint of the position: Kevin Durant. Jayson Tatum also comes to mind. So do Jaylen Brown and Brandon Ingram; Mikal Bridges and Miles Bridges; Pascal Siakam and John Collins.
More traditional, taller fours like Evan Mobley are certainly still in high demand. But players who had formerly been dismissed as “tweeners” back in the day have found their calling in today’s league: think Grant Williams, Julius Randle, Lugentz Dort, Terance Mann and others.
The league has adapted, suddenly and completely. And so have the needed skill sets to play in the frontcourt. So, this year’s group of prospects runs the gamut, and will be populated throughout the first round of the June 23 draft.
What this compilation is not, though, is a mock draft. It is my annual cross-section of opinions from people who I’ve come to trust over the decades — people who tell the truth. Sometimes, a harsh truth. But they give that in exchange for obviously desired relative anonymity. It’s been a fair exchange over the years: unvarnished opinions of strengths and weaknesses, comps, how college teams tried to defend them, how they project at the next level – and, when it can be fairly determined, the makeup of a young man. Are they coachable? Do they blend in with their teams, whether they were the obvious, lone star, or part of a collective of future first-rounders on a Power 6 team?
We started with the guards last week; we’ll finish with the bigs next week, just before draft night.
Paolo and Jabari
Picking between Jabari Smith Jr., the 6-10, smooth shooting (42 percent on 3s) 19-year-old forward from Auburn, and Paolo Banchero, Duke’s do-everything freshman who lived up to his substantial hype coming to Durham, obviously is a matter of both preference and existing team roster construction. The two freshmen phenoms are their own two-man tier, at the top of the draft. Either, along with Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren, could go first. Neither Smith nor Banchero will be there after three, when Houston picks, following Orlando at one and Oklahoma City at two. Each is a foundational player, though both have vastly different skill sets. But they’re elite, the kind of players around which franchises can soar.
Smith
USA Basketball Member: Jabari came out of nowhere. He literally showed up to camp when we picked the team. He had never been invited to the three previous minicamps. That was his first USA experience, the camp in Florida when we were picking the team. That never goes well. Everyone’s first experience, it’s always the ball’s different, the rules are different, the other guys have been here before, so I’ve got to kind of find my way. He didn’t have that. He’s one of the few guys in that setting I didn’t see struggle the first time through. He dominated the first time. That camp was the first time NBA scouts were allowed to come to our training camps for the younger teams. So this is 16 and under, in 2019. Just so happens, Jabari Smith is there, and he killed it. Any scout who watched us for the two days had Jabari in the top two or three guys there. They started their file on him in May of 2019, and three years later, he’s done what he’s needed to do.
He wasn’t like this physically dominant dude. But he made shots. He could handle the ball. He could pass the ball. You could see the other parts that he didn’t have because he wasn’t strong enough, but you could see it was there. His body had to get there. He could move his feet, so you knew he’d be able to switch stuff. He was really good. And you could see how good he was going to be. This long, lanky kid that came in. He could shoot the ball, he could create for himself. It’s just going to be, is he strong enough? It’s going to be physical. But he’s so good. His length allows him to shoot over people.
It looks like, watching Auburn, he’s gotten a lot stronger. His body is starting to fill out. He’s still not where he’s going to be. If I’m playing the Celtics, you’re either going to put Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum on him. He’s got to be able to take the physicality that comes along with that. And now, you’re not always going to be able to use your length to shoot over people; you’ve got to create some space to shoot over people. He’s got the skill set to do it. It’s just, is he going to have the strength to do it? Eventually, he will.
Eastern Conference executive 1: If you asked me that question early in the year, when (Duke) played at the Garden, I would have said Banchero. Now, what you see from Banchero now, he’s about 85 percent of the player he’s going to be. Fine-tune some things, improve the jump shot. But the other kid (Smith) has all of the upside. He reminds me of, in how he plays, and his makeup, Rashard Lewis. Rashard may have had a nasty streak, but he didn’t always play with it. What’s missing with Smith when I went to see him, you’d like to see a guy with an attitude, who’s that skilled, of I’m going to get it. He deferred fairly quickly, when he didn’t have to.
Western Conference executive 1: Arguably probably as good, if not the best, long-range, 3-point shooting prospects with size to come along in a while. Off the top of my head, I’m hard-pressed to come up with someone better. Really can stretch the floor and could be quite a weapon on the right team. He’s not a self-creator. Not a guy you give the ball, and the clock runs down, can get his own. Maybe that comes in time, maybe it doesn’t. But he’s still going to be a big-time player even without that.
Got better on the boards, though I wouldn’t consider him a rebounding machine. He’s growing into his body. It’s sort of a lean and supple one, that’s going to put a lot of weight and strength on. You can see that coming. Good with mobility. Not a big-time shot blocker, but he does move his feet well. Has the potential to be OK guarding out on the floor once he learns the nuances of pick-and-roll, which is a big part of the evaluation of big men these days. And that’s why so many of them fall short. I think he’ll be a harder big man than most to play off the floor during the playoffs. I look for him to be a hell of an outside shooter in the league. Can run the floor on the break. You get it to him; he can dunk in traffic. He can drive a closeout straight line; he’s just not a guy with a whole bunch of wiggle, doing a lot of creating and making a play there. He deserves serious consideration for the first-overall pick.
Going into his senior year of high school, he was a top-10 pick. They knew that. But I don’t think everybody had him where he is today. I (initially compared him with) LaMarcus Aldridge as far as a big guy who’s a jump shooter first, but Rashard (Lewis) is what I really had. But this guy, when he’s on, man, midrange, he doesn’t create his shots, but he gets off the dribble in a real fancy package. He can get, in various ways, where he needs to be with the shot. His size and length is so big, he’s almost always shooting over the top, very clear shooting vision. He’s very hard to alter that shot. He was kind of a non-rebounder at the start of the year, and he got better.
Banchero
College Assistant Coach 1 (his team played Duke): He was my favorite player in high school. I thought it was a joke he had to go to college. He does everything. Sometimes he settles too much on shooting the jumper, but he’s capable of putting it on the floor, shooting it. He’ll post you. I was in love with him when he was a sophomore at NBA camp. And now he’s all of 6-10 now. I think he’s a stud. He’ll be a longtime pro. He should have gone right out of high school. And he’s young. He’s a physical presence. And I used to get mad watching him on film, and I’m glad he didn’t take advantage of us when we played him. He can impose his size. He is not a small kid. He should dominate — all right, I’m going to the cup. And at times, I think he doesn’t realize how imposing he is. … he’s 6-10, 235, whatever he weighs. He’s solid. I thought he settled at times. I thought that was a little more of the maturation.
He has to figure out, I’ve got the body, I can get where I want to go. He’s not overly shifty with the bounce, but he’s got enough ball skill that if he can get you on his hip or shoulder to get by you, you’re dead. You’re in jail. I think that will get better. I think people are going to be surprised at his ball skills. The game’s positionless, but he’s probably more four/three. He’ll shoot at that level, he’ll shoot more catch-and-shoot, open shots. There are different types of 3s he’ll have to take and make. He’s shooting stepback (in college), they were just different. They weren’t always just the catch-and-shoot variety. He tried (defensively). And I think he can be better at that. I don’t think he was a zero defensively. Where he can make his money at the next level is rebounding and pushing, where he can start the break, he can get it off the defensive glass and go. He’ll be really good at that. He’s good, man. I know at Duke they had to get other guys on the floor and keep everybody happy. But he absolutely could have played more on the perimeter. He don’t mind being a five sometimes. I just loved his whole demeanor — just put me out there. I’m going to play.
Western Conference executive 1: He has a deeper offensive tool kit (than the other top prospects) in that he’s not a great shooter, but he can make shots. He’s a better playmaker than the other two, for others. In the half court, he’s more of a self-creator, setting up the jumper, and particularly the drive, drive and dish. Has really great passing instincts, throws some very impressive passes. And the thing that makes it unique is, I have no idea whether he’s 6-9 or 6-10, he’s what, in the 250 range? He packs a wallop with the body. He doesn’t have to come into the NBA and build a body, just tone it up some. He’s going to come in and be able to, with strength and width, to get some things done off the move and off the dribble. In the lane, he can finish through contact, play on the break, just has a very advanced feel for the game at, what, 6-10, 250? That’s pretty good.
I thought he handled what his role was at Duke well, which was to be the top guy. Look at the success of the team. Very young team, got to the Final Four, had to play with a lot of pressure down the stretch, with the whole Mike Krzyzewski Victory Tour, farewell tour, and handled it with no hiccups. … He has enough passing talent that, if he was a smaller player, without that body, he would still have very good passing (skills). He’ll rebound his position. It’s going to be defense — not so much from a physical standpoint, but just chasing guys his size out on the perimeter, being locked in off the ball. And how good a 3-point shooter is he going to become? If he gets up to the league average, he doesn’t have to become Steph Curry. He just gets up to the league average, with his body and ability to handle and pass off the move, and finish in traffic, it opens an awful lot up.
Nestled just behind Smith and Banchero, and likely to go anywhere between No. 4 and No. 8, is Iowa’s Keegan Murray, the consensus first-team All-America selection who led the Big Ten in scoring (23.5 per game) and was third in rebounds (8.7), while leading the nation in PER (37.
last season. There may not be a better plug-and-play guy in the top half of the draft than the 21-year-old sophomore.Murray
College head coach (his team played Iowa): Oh my gosh, he was incredible. Watching games all year, my favorite guy was (Purdue guard Jalen) Ivey. I loved him. But I was really impressed with Murray. He sprinted the court. He had an amazing motor. And he’s way bigger than you’d suspect. He’s one of those guys that you just know is an NBA player, the way he moves. Obviously, he shoots the ball really well. The biggest thing I loved about him is some of those guys that glide around the way he does aren’t very physical. It’s more about the skills than it is the physicality. And he sprinted down the court, getting position really quickly. And you have to be willing to use your body to do that. And I thought he was excellent at it. And obviously, he’s got the skill to go along with that. … there’s an upside there. To improve as drastically as he did over the course of three years from high school is pretty incredible.
College assistant coach 2 (his team played Iowa this season): Murray’s elite. He didn’t play well in the NCAA Tournament. He played tired, a little bit soft, was always short on his shots. But he was so, so good the second half of the season and during the Big Ten Tournament. He can make 3s. He’s got great length. Golden State was at every Big Ten Tournament game — (general manager) Bob Myers, (assistant general managers) Larry Harris and Mike Dunleavy. I think they were salivating over him. He obviously won’t be there when they pick. He’s a four man that can put it on the floor, I think guard his position, very good on the boards. His shooting touch is very, very good. Great arc on his shot. The improvement he showed from his freshman year to his sophomore was one of the best in a long, long time — him and (Wisconsin guard) Johnny Davis. Neither one started. They averaged about six points a game. They were over 20 (this year).
College assistant coach 3 (his team also played Iowa): Offensively, he’s like what Shane Battier was probably coming out of college. And I say that from the standpoint that his motor runs high, he’s always moving, and I think he has the ability to score without doing a lot. Somebody passes him the ball, I’m open, I shoot it. You pass it, I shot fake, one dribble, and get to the rim. His efficiency, he would be great with, like, Golden State, because Iowa plays like that — that motion, that movement. They didn’t run a lot of plays. A lot of his stuff was read and react, and he did a tremendous job of doing that.
That superstar’s ability to take it to the next level? I don’t know if he has that yet. He don’t put it down like that. I would liken him to, where he would start, if he could ever develop some of the ballhandling and the movement that (Khris) Middleton has, I think that’s the best he would be. Because he’s efficient … he rim runs, he posts up. … my man isn’t really going to be changing direction and all that — I’m going straight line, I might spin one time. And the other thing I think he does better than like a Harrison Barnes is, he rebounds it. He’ll go rebound on a consistent basis. Not going to get you 12 one night and like six the next; he’s going to get like eight, nine, seven, in that range. That’s where I’m going to be.
Eastern Conference executive 1: Top five based on his ability to score, very efficient. I think he probably is the guy, we met with him in Chicago, and I’m sure as he goes around and works out and in interviews, people will see that he’s a good fit.
The next tier has two college freshmen: Duke’s AJ Griffin and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan, both likely gone by the end of the lottery. (Point of professional privilege: Sochan may be my favorite guy in the draft — not just player, but guy. You do root for certain guys.) Griffin’s father, Adrian Griffin, was a longtime wing who’s become one of the NBA’s top assistant coaches and potential head coaches in the next few years. Sochan’s a self-described “man of the world” who was born in Oklahoma, where his parents played for the men’s and women’s team at Division II Panhandle State. But he grew up in England and played for his mother’s native Polish national team before emigrating to the States, where he played in high school and at Baylor.
Griffin
College Assistant Coach 4 (his team played Duke): I had the Duke scout. The first time we played Duke, AJ had not played a lot. Unless you know who he is, he’s barely on the scouting report. And I told them, ‘I’m telling you he’s played well. We have to be ready to guard him. He’s an X-factor. If he gets it going, we don’t have a shot.’ People were likely, really? And he played great against us in the first game, and everybody was like ‘yo, you were right.’
USA Basketball member: He’s quiet. He’s to himself. He enjoys being around his teammates when he is, but he’s not that partier. In Brazil, he was really quiet and to himself. And he actually got us going. We were, this was the very first year, we were following behind Coach (Don) Showalter. Coach Showalter had coached 10 years, won 10 gold medals, never lost a game. I remember the pressure that came with that. In our very first game, we are getting crushed. It’s an exhibition game. We’re literally losing like 22-5. We’re getting blown out.
Aj gets the ball off the rim and drives coast to coast and dunks on three players. It changed everything for us. We’re USA; that’s what we’re supposed to do; that’s how we’re supposed to play. And we wound up winning by 20. That play changed everything for us in terms of our mentality. I don’t know if he ever really got credit for that. In the gold medal game against Canada, we’re playing against Caleb Houstan, Shaedon Sharpe, Zeb Jackson. They had some dudes. AJ goes in the game and guards Caleb Houstan, and Caleb Houstan can’t score. AJ just says he’s not scoring. He’s blocking, he’s cutting him off trying to drive, he blocks his shot. He literally sucked all the confidence out of Caleb Houstan. And at that point, Caleb Houstan was the leading scorer in FIBA, was probably going to be MVP whether they won or not. AJ just shut that all the way down. I think he has that ability too. His level of play will meet whatever level he’s playing (against). At Duke, he raised his level to that level. In the NBA, he’ll raise his level. If he becomes a rotation guy, he’ll raise his game to that level. If he becomes a starter, he’ll raise his game to that level.
Eastern Conference executive 1: I think he can shoot the ball a little bit. I worry about his body, personally. I’ve watched him move. I look at his, his heavily wrapped up knees and all that. He doesn’t move like a quick-twitch guy. He’s got a nice body; he’s got length. The two times I saw him live this year, he never played well in the games I was at. I saw him on television, and he had a good string of games. I’m personally not ready to say he’s this can’t miss guy. Are you banking on he’s Adrian’s son, and Adrian’s pumped some good knowledge into him? And being around a good program, that can be helpful. I think it’s about fit with him. If you can get him around some other good players and athletes where he can make shots and become a defender — I don’t want to just call him 3-and-D, per se — but can he become that? I guess I could see a role in that. But personally, I don’t see a dynamic player.
Sochan
College Head Coach 1 (his team played Baylor): Played under the radar. Really, really high skill level. Can shoot and has great size for his position. Can defend multiple spots on the floor. Really understands how to cut. Rebounds it well. Not an iso-featured guy in the league, but certainly a guy you can plug and play immediately and feel like it’s going to take three or four years for this guy to develop. He’s going to help a team now. He certainly wasn’t afraid to take open 3s. But he didn’t settle for a ton of 3s. because he knew he was certainly capable of getting to the basket, and at this level, finishing against some of the size or lack thereof in the college game — not going up against real rim protectors like Clint Capela or guys that are more difficult. I think he can get there. It depends on how hard he works and how much he invests in his own game the next six months or so. He’s got some toughness. There are some outliers like Joel Embiid, but no one can guard him, right? But most of the fives in the league are perimeter guys. I think he’ll be fine against most of the more skilled perimeter fives. And he’ll get stronger. He’s a young kid. He’s got a lot of room to grow from a maturity and probably a physical standpoint. … He was a pleasure after games, very respectful. He plays hard, competes hard, wants to win.
College Assistant Coach 5 (his team also played Baylor): Sochan’s probably going to be better two years from now. So will (fellow Baylor forward Kendall) Brown. They’re very similar. Sochan’s a better jump shooter, probably a better offensive player. They’re both athletic. Brown might be more athletic. Obviously in the NBA, they go on potential, and I think both of them, two, three years down the road are going to be better players than they are now. I think both of them would be better with another year of college, because they’d both get reps. But they’re both pros. They both are good. I don’t know if they’re good enough to step up and play consistent minutes in the league now at the three spot.
Western Conference Executive 1: Tremendous defensive versatility. You can make a case for him guarding all three frontcourt positions. Switchability should be there, which is a key factor with the big guys today. To me, (he’s) more of a defense/athlete/energy/versatility guy first, more than offense right now. But the offense can come. It’ll be very 3-point shooting dependent. I don’t see him being a great self-creator, a go-to scorer at any time. But he can be a secondary scorer who’s a primary defender, with size and mobility. He’s coming from an international background. I think he’s going to end up being a lottery pick. He’s a modern player in that sense, except for the shooting versatility and size, what you’re looking for.
First-round grades … but when and where?
The next tier of wings includes LSU sophomore Tari Eason; 19-year-old Ousmane Dieng, who played for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s National Basketball League this past season; Santa Clara junior Jalen Williams; 19-year-old Serbian Nikola Jović, who played for KK Mega Basket in the Adriatic League, one of the best pro leagues in the world, and who was voted the ABA’s Top Prospect this past season; Ohio State junior EJ Liddell; and 6-6 swingman MarJon Beauchamp, who was mentored early in his career by longtime NBA star guard Jamal Crawford before playing this past season for G League Ignite.
Eason
College Assistant Coach 6 (his team played LSU): High ceiling. Shooting can get better. Can score around the basket. Can make plays. Really long too. They did a lot of switching defensively, so I don’t know how well he defends. But I think he has a chance to be a good defender as well. With them, it was hard to tell, because they played like a lazy, switching defense. We just switch and try to keep you in front. It was hard to get a read on who could play defense for them and who couldn’t. He scores around that basket well. He can palm the ball and move it around. He’s got a nice midrange shot. He’s going to improve his 3. Just concentrate on his game. Handles are coming along.
College Assistant Coach 7: He picks up the ball up off the ground like it was a tennis ball. That’s what helps his finish so well out there; he’s got those huge hands. That reminds me of Kawhi Leonard a little bit, with that frame. A little taller, but that same frame, can handle the ball.
Eastern Conference Executive 2: Eason is going to be a defensive specialist early on. … Shot isn’t great, but that can be fixed in time.
Dieng
Western Conference Executive 1: Dieng did not play well early in the year. That’s probably an understatement. So you can look at him as half full or half empty. He was coming from lower-level France to the Australian League … It’s a man’s league. The team that won it this year, Sydney, R.C. Buford’s son (Chase) coached. The roster is littered with guys who’ve had NBA associations, American players that are three, four years out of college. So he’s adjusting to living real far away from home, New Zealand, and a huge jump in class. And his team wasn’t very good. So all that’s going on. His overall numbers are not impressive, but if you look at the last 10 games or so, 11 games in snippets, he did some real good things. He’s big. He’s got a good feel for the game. He’s got mobility. He can handle the ball. The shooting numbers aren’t all that impressive, but he’ll go on some tears in games. He’s all finesse right now, lacks physicality. He’s going to have to transform his body. But for a big guy, there’s a handle, a feel, and when you see him at his best, can score.
Williams
College Head Coach 2 (his team played Santa Clara): Really good at the pick-and-roll. Able to work the lead lob play if you step up on him. If you go under, he can step up and make the shot. We had to change the way we played screen/roll two or three times in the game, he was so effective at it. High basketball IQ. When he came in as a freshman, he would always guard the other team’s best perimeter player. And that really impressed me.
Jović
Western Conference Executive 2: He’s OK. In most drafts, he’s a late first. Maybe he sneaks into the late first, but this year’s class lacks high-end talent to begin with.
Eastern Conference Executive 2: Jović could evolve only (into) a nice role player.
Western Conference Executive 1: Young kids from the Balkans, they get in that Adriatic League, they get a lot of playing time. As you would expect for a European big man, he’s skilled. Not a great shooter now, but he’s good, and he’ll get better. He’s got passing skill. He’s got good feet and overall mobility. Another guy (where) strength and the defensive end will be a challenge early on. But you’ve got size, feel and someone who should end up being a pretty good shooter. So I think that takes him — this is a broad range — he goes in the first 20 picks somewhere. I’d be surprised to see him get to the second round.
Liddell
College Assistant Coach 3 (his team played Ohio State): EJ’s a dog. He can be like the P.J. Tucker, that Draymond Green type. He’s only 6-5, 6-6. He’s built like a tank, like a linebacker. Those calves and legs are like tree trunks. He’s a man. And every year, I can say he’s gotten better. He’s added something to his game every single year, even now to the point where he can defend on the perimeter. He’s an interior guy, a five man. In a perfect world, people don’t realize that Jae Crowder and Jimmy Butler were five men in college. If you can make spot-up 3s and just go and rebound and be nasty guarding people, that’s how he’s got to try and make it and stick long term. If you want to be a superstar in a role, when I compare him to those guys, that’s like the superstar role for them, if they can fill it.
Beauchamp
Western Conference Executive 3: Straight wing. We have him in the early 20s, with the Kendall Browns, Peyton Watsons.
G League Coach (his team played Ignite): Early in the year, he was the guy that their staff was highest about. Great work ethic. Probably the best athlete (on the team) Certainly has the length and the dimensions to be a really good defender. As the year went on … you started to see a little, the word ‘quit’ might be hard, but in horse racing terms, he spit the bit a little bit. He didn’t want to compete. Which surprised me. In talking to (the Ignite staff) earlier, they were like, this guy’s got the goods. He’s athletic, has the length, gets in the gym earlier than everybody else, works his butt off. But at the end of the year, he pulled up a little bit. He didn’t show the toughness and the grit that they saw (earlier). … I lean toward the idea that, physically, he just got worn out. Because it’s a long year for these guys, coming from high school into a professional setting. Even though they play somewhat of an abbreviated schedule, it’s still a grind. You’re playing against men for the first time in your life.
He bounced around from Yakima, junior college, bounced around a little in high school. I think someone will take a chance on him in the 20s. The fact that he’s so raw, people will look at him say ‘let’s take a chance on him.’ Because you get to that point in the draft, and there’s nobody that’s an immediate plug and play guy, you may go ‘hey, let’s take this kid, he’s got potential.’ And a nice kid by all reports. (The rebounds) show me there’s a level of toughness there.
Late first, early second? Depends
It only takes one team to love you, and the next tier of wing prospects will need one to be chosen late first round. Most could go early in the second round too. They include Baylor’s freshman Kendall Brown, who’s raw but has significant upside; Kansas junior Christian Braun; Michigan’s Caleb Houstan, a five-star recruit from Canada entering the draft after one season in Ann Arbor; Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman Patrick Baldwin Jr.; Wake Forest junior Jake LaRavia; and UCLA freshman Peyton Watson.
Brown
College Head Coach 1 (his team played Baylor): Not as skilled (as Sochan), but he’s like a much better athlete. He’s like a freak. I would imagine his testing numbers are in the higher end of all the picks that are available. Doesn’t have a defined skill. He’s a good kid. He was in the USA trials last summer as well with Jabari (Smith). Thought he has a chance immediately to impact a game defensively. He can switch, he’s strong. But offensively, I wonder where he fits right now. He gives me a feel of like a Zhaire Smith. Picked high (16th in 201
. He does some stuff. Can jump and touch damn near the top of the square. But how does it translate into an actual game, offensively? You know who was like him coming out of college? Zach LaVine. I don’t know if he’s that, but he’s not far away athletically. Zach’s learned how to play, and that’s the reason it’s worked out a little better in Chicago. But (Brown’s) athleticism jumps off the page.Houstan
Western Conference Executive 3: His size, his offensive skill set and his ability to shoot, even though he didn’t shoot it great at Michigan this year, he has in the past at many other events. So, he has that to hang his hat on. … I saw Caleb at USAB events. There’s no reason why he could not (shoot better on 3s in the NBA). He has size, and he knows how to play. I don’t think he’s going to get worse, because he’s going to be playing with and around better players to get him even better shots.
Braun
College Head Coach 1 (his team played Kansas): The thing about him you appreciate is that every year he’s gotten incrementally better, made significant progress in his game. And he’s really, really competitive. More athletic than people probably give him credit for. We always worried about him just as much as Ochai (Agbaji, Kansas’ star guard), because we knew our guys would be locked on trying to stop Ochai, but maybe not as in tune to Christian. And he was more than capable. He can shoot it. Really good size for his position. He’s smart. He understands how to accept a role on a team. I think he’s going to have a chance to have a good career here, because he’s got some of those intangible things that really translate.
They play a lot of DHO (dribble handoff) offense in general, and he was a big, big part of it, more so than in his first two years, because so much attention was given to Ochai. Credit to Ochai. He embraced that, allowing his good friend and teammate to shine. A lot of DHOs, they played in transition incredibly well. That’s probably the best thing they did. They played with pace offensively, which gave them an opportunity to have some easier looks before the defense got set. He’s not an isolation player at all, but he’s a guy that can come off of screens, make good reads. He’s got a pretty good feel of when to get off of it and space the floor. He wasn’t a guy who we said ‘man, you’ve got to be careful when he’s guarding you.’ But, he certainly was capable (defensively), and that’s where his competitiveness kicked in. He understood his limitations, and he played within those. He didn’t gamble a lot. He wasn’t a guy who was trying to pressure guys all over the floor. He played good, positional defense. He’s a capable defender because he’s got good athleticism. He’s an intelligent kid who really understands who he is and plays to his strengths.
Baldwin Jr.
College Assistant Coach 8 (his team played Wisconsin-Milwaukee): He’s a capable shooter, but his feet have to be set. Coming off a ball screen, as far as offensively, he is active without the ball. He’s a smart player. You can tell he’s a coach’s kid. He knows when to cut and not to cut. You turn your head, he’ll go backdoor. He doesn’t get to the rim going left at all; he’s pulling up if he’s going left. If he’s going right, he can get to the rim. If he goes left, he’s trying to get to a one-dribble pullup. He’s 6-9, so he can shoot over the top of guys that are guarding him. He’s like a get-to-his-spot type of guy. Off ball screens, he’s not bad. He’ll come off of ball screens and turn them into post-ups. Coming off, he’ll get a switch and just turn his back and post up. He’s actually pretty good at that, which I think translates to the next level. … He doesn’t shoot it well, which I think is really, really going to hurt him. He’s going to have to become a more consistent, just spot-up shooter in general. I don’t think he’s a 3-and-D at all. Those guys are valuable, and I think that’s probably what he’s going to have to be at some point, and I don’t think he is yet. He has to get bigger and stronger, but he is young. They have him listed at 220; there’s no way. I think he’s probably closer to 205, 210, unless he’s put weight on since the season. He’s not thin, but he doesn’t resemble those NBA guys. His biggest thing is he’s a smart player.
Defensively, we were going to attack him. We didn’t think he was great laterally. They played some zone, played some man, they did some different things. And part of it was, I think, he wasn’t interested in being there that much. They weren’t very good. He was playing for his dad. He was susceptible to quicker guys, so we were going to put him in some pick-and-roll situations. He will rebound. He’s a capable and willing rebounder. I think it’s because he’s trying to rebound and push the ball up the floor. He’s one of those guys where it’s like, if I can get the ball off a rebound, I can go. He’s not a shot blocker. I do think he has the ability to guard guys that are bigger than him, because he’s strong and he’s wiry. My worry about him at the next level would be guarding pick and rolls. If he switches onto wings, I don’t think he can do it. … He’s not like a tremendous lateral athlete to me. … he’s going to have to prove he can guard.
LaRavia
College Assistant Coach 1 (his team played Wake Forest): Some people like him more than me. I like him. I’m not in love with him. But he’s a confident, hard-playing, can shoot the ball wing. … He’s got some stuff to him. He’s got a little **** to him. He’s confident in who he is. We tried to get him out of Indiana State, and he kind of big-timed us, was like, no, I’m gonna go somewhere where I can get off. But he’s good. I don’t see him as a first-round guy. He’s confident without the cockiness, if that makes sense, which I think you have to be to make it to that level. And you’ve got to have damn near a little bit arrogance. You’ve got to be borderline, people can’t stand you.
Watson
Western Conference Executive 3: Long as the day, and athletic as heck. He looks the part and then some. … When Peyton had the opportunity to play, he had those ‘aha!’ moments. And you’re like, you see that in an NBA game. … his ability to play four positions, his ability to defend four positions. He looks like a gazelle when he runs the floor, and when he finishes, his armpit is above the rim. And he’s 19 years old. And there were moments, and they weren’t all the time, when he made a move or shot a 3 or made a move and pulled up or he got all the way to the rim, and his waist was at everybody’s head. And you’re like, what will this kid look like after he puts on 15 to 20 pounds of muscle? His athleticism isn’t going to get any worse. That’s an NBA wing. And in some cases, if those guys really take off, they’re starters.
Longtime NBA Executive: Watson has the potential to develop into a solid player. Framework and physical gifts are there along with talent level. The long-term upside is there but his actual game impacts were limited.
Best of the Rest
One-liners (or more) on several second-round possibilities, including NC State’s Dereon Seabron; Colorado State’s David Roddy; Ignite’s Michael Foster; Marquette’s Justin Lewis; Memphis’ Josh Minott and Connecticut’s Tyrese Martin.
Seabron
College Assistant Coach 1 (his team played NC State): He can’t shoot. He cannot shoot a gun. But I love him. He can get downhill, I’m talking open floor, transition. I think he’s really good pushing the pace, getting downhill, attacking the rim, can finish either hand. He just can’t shoot. I don’t think the jumper’s broken. But he doesn’t take many and he’s not confident in it. Part of that is he can get wherever he wants to on the floor, and he doesn’t have to settle for the jumper. But at the next level, he’ll have to take and make some open ones. But he’s really good with the ball in his hands. … He’s probably more point guard at that size, ’cause he’s good in pick-and-rolls. He’s not a shooting guard, ’cause he just doesn’t shoot it. I think he’s more, surprisingly, like a big point guard.
Roddy
College Head Coach 3 (his team played Colorado State): I actually love him. I didn’t love playing against him. … I just thought he had a good way about him. He’s got a tremendous body, first off. He’s got really good size, he’s got really good strength, he’s got really good feet. His feet are excellent. He can shoot the ball. He’s a confident shooter. He can demand a double, and at our level, on the block — if you wait until the block (to body him), it’s too late. He’s going to overpower you and score. You get outside that area, and he can make skilled plays to get shots off.
He was big in important moments throughout the season. When they needed a basket or need someone to make a really big play, he was right there and not afraid to do it. And defensively, sometimes these kind of guys, they don’t do it at the other end. I felt like he was committed on the defensive end to really try to guard and impact the game at that end as well. I feel like he’ll get drafted. You never know who else is out there. … A Grant Williams-type player. A similar kind of player. Has a big body but is more bouncy than you would expect. Can shoot it. And Grant had to work his way into that. Roddy seems to have a pretty natural J. I certainly think he can play at that level. Will he be a star? I don’t know about that.
They would screen him to his spot to get a catch. They run good offense — you know, five out type of offense. Pick-and-pops, he’s good at. It wasn’t like they just force-fed him. They had other players; they were a pretty well-balanced team. So the other guys made him better too. They would screen to get him the ball at certain spots, whether it’s that middle of the court, the elbows, or whether it’s the mid-post area. We did not want him shooting 3s. That was one of our things. You’re going to have to dribble to shoot. We started switching, which was pretty effective. … To me, he’s going to be P.J. Tucker, Grant Williams, he’s got to be that kind of guy — they’re going to space the court, but they can also put it down a little bit. But they’re not going to be the main guy doing that. Which I think will be good for him. I think he’ll fit that well.
Foster
Eastern Conference Executive 3: He rebounds, and he plays hard. He probably shot it a little too much last year, but he was trying to show people that he could shoot.
G League Coach (his team played Ignite): Undersized five. I wasn’t sure if he was good enough, the way the game is now. He’s going to have to become a better facilitator. What he did best in our game won’t translate as much in the NBA game. He wasn’t afraid. But he doesn’t shoot the ball well from 3, and he’s just an old-school five. The best thing he’s got going for him is he’s tough as hell. He’s not going to back down from physical confrontation. And he’s young.
Lewis
College Assistant Coach 9 (his team played Marquette): Absolute nightmare for us. … He was a nightmare. He was. He kicked our *** every time we played him. He’s tough, he’s 6-7. And this year, he improved his perimeter game. His freshman year he was mostly playing inside. Then he expanded his game, he started making 3s, he can go off the bounce, he’s explosive. He’s got long arms. I don’t know anything about his DNA, work ethic, what kind of kid is he? I don’t know any of that. But as a player, he’s a pretty talented kid. In today’s game, watching the NBA, yeah, he’s pretty good. Like him a lot. He was physical (defensively), he moved his feet. They played him at the four, so it’s not like he was guarding athletic wing guys or anything like that. But he tried. He competes.
Minott
College Head Coach 4 (his team played Memphis): Unique. Unique. Was a baby. … This kid was really active. For me, he didn’t really pass the eye in terms of high energy and motor, but he got stuff done. He was just long, he was athletic. He was relentless getting to the glass. He’s a good player. If he stayed in college another year, really hit the weights, really lock in on getting better. He’s a clear top-10 pick (in 2023). He passed the look of a prototypical NBA player now — everybody’s just long. I thought their most talented guys didn’t touch the ball enough, him being one. He didn’t start because they had older guys. … I can’t say he did one particular thing well. I can’t say he shot it well. I can’t say he was a force, being able to go get his shot. But he did it for them when they needed it. He got a key rebound. He got a key shot. He got a key block. He’s going to have to identify what his role is if he plans on being in the NBA for a long time. … for me, right now, I think he’s more of an energy guy, more of a defensive presence, like a (Mikal) Bridges. He doesn’t shoot it as well, but they’re comfortable with putting him on the top offensive players, with his length. I think if (Minott) can carve out a role like that, his offense will catch up with him later on.
Martin
College Assistant Coach 9 (his team played UConn): Legitimate wing player. Strong. Doesn’t shoot it great from 3. He’ll make a couple — enough to keep you occupied. But he’s strong, though, he’s explosive. Reminds me a little bit of like Josh Hart. But I think he rebounds really good for his position. Not overly skilled with the ball; more of a straight-line guy. We played off of him a little bit, arm’s length, because he’s going to bring it to you. But he’s really physical, really finishes around the rim. But I didn’t think he had the perimeter skills to be a no-brainer at the next level. But he’s tough. He can defend. He’s a really good college player.
- May 30, 2006
- 25,309
- 13,361
Am I wild for looking at Jake LaRavia and seeing a guy that absolutely has a productive 10+ year career?
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
Seems like he'll make a living playing off others and shooting 40% from three. He's another guy that's young for his class too (21 in NOV).
- Jul 20, 2009
- 64,968
- 196,211
- Feb 9, 2009
- 9,622
- 783
I would trade KPJ like yesterday.
- Jul 13, 2005
- 35,404
- 27,021
KPJ is a solid 6th man on a good team.
- Jul 25, 2012
- 2,903
- 2,899
KPJ is only 22. I think it would be a mistake to label him or put his ceiling as a 6th man. Rockets are in a position where they can see if Green/Porter can coexist in the same backcourt. They started to gel and build chemistry as the season went on. I think the Rockets have the easiest choice in the draft. Take whoever is leftover from Chet, Paolo, and Jabari.
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HOU$TON
formerly convertibleburt
- Apr 14, 2016
- 13,514
- 26,390
- Nov 5, 2015
- 10,611
- 9,129
- Dec 27, 2012
- 73,585
- 100,666
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
2022 NBA mock draft: First-round changes include lottery movement
The 2022 NBA draft is just over a week away, but the wheeling and dealing has already begun. The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder completed a trade on Monday that included a 2022 first-round pick headed to Denver, and trade chatter is certain to intensify throughout the rest of the league in the coming days. Multiple teams currently holding 2022 NBA lottery picks are believed to be willing to deal, and a significant group of current NBA players are also potentially on offer via draft deals.
The makeup of ESPN's latest 2022 mock draft has also gone through some significant changes. While the Big Three of Auburn's Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paolo Banchero have remained consistent, the order in which those three players are selected remains less than locked in as private workouts continue. New names have also moved up into the lottery zone in recent days, with players including Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin creeping near the top five.
How will the dominoes fall on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (8 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN App)? Here's our latest projection:
1. Orlando Magic
Jabari Smith
Auburn
SF/PF
Age: 19.0
The Magic brought Smith in for a light workout and interview this week but continue to cast a wide net, scheduling additional visits with the likes of Paolo Banchero, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe and others. NBA executives overwhelmingly expect the Magic to select Smith, but they'll perform their due diligence to ensure they make the right choice. Drafting arguably the most dynamic shooter in the class in Smith -- who made 42% of his 3-pointers and stands 6-foot-10 -- makes sense. Running off screens, pulling up in transition, making iso stepbacks and hitting impossible fadeaways out of the post ... seemingly no shot appears to be too difficult for Smith thanks to his high release point and soft touch. The intensity level and versatility Smith brings defensively will be attractive as well, along with the fact that he just turned 19 years old and checks every box the franchise looks for from a character and competitiveness standpoint.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren
Gonzaga
PF
Age: 20.1
The Thunder will conduct workouts with all of the top prospects in the class, including Smith, Holmgren, Banchero, Sharpe, Jaden Ivey and others. The franchise's rebuild is viewed with increasing favor, as a strong coaching staff, player-development infrastructure, organizational culture and trove of players assembled should allow OKC to quickly pivot toward respectability. Adding a 7-footer with a 7-6 wingspan to that core, one who projects as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the mobility, timing and competitiveness Holmgren offers, makes perfect sense. He'll give the Thunder offense, which ranked last in the NBA in 3-point percentage, much-needed spacing with his ability to shoot, push off the defensive glass, create for others and finish emphatically around the basket, and should fit in very well with their existing pieces thanks to the two-way versatility and excellent feel for the game he brings.
3. Houston Rockets
Paolo Banchero
Duke
PF/C
Age: 19.5
After watching him work out at his home base in Memphis and bringing him on an individual visit to Houston, the Rockets seem high on the talent, skill and fit of Banchero. He had an outstanding freshman season at Duke, showcasing all of his offensive versatility in a season that culminated in a Final Four run. Banchero is a 6-10, polished and aggressive scorer who can carry a significant load with his ability to handle, pass and shoot, and his ability to create off the dribble both for himself and teammates should pair well with the explosive transition scoring and shot-making prowess Jalen Green offers. Banchero should compete for Rookie of the Year honors and has considerable upside to grow into as the Rockets surround him and Green with the requisite defensive pieces and floor spacers to return to playoff contention.
4. Sacramento Kings
Jaden Ivey
Purdue
PG/SG
Age: 20.3
The Kings aren't Ivey's preferred destination but have proved willing to take players without the benefit of workouts and medical information in the past, doing so as recently as a year ago when selecting Davion Mitchell. Many around the NBA feel that this pick is available for a team looking to swap picks and move up the draft for Ivey. Detroit, Indiana and Oklahoma City are among those that could potentially exchange an asset to help the Kings' chances of contending for a playoff spot, with the likes of Jerami Grant, Myles Turner and Lu Dort a few potential options that rival teams point to. In the event that the Kings elect to hold on to this pick and prefer to avoid the drama associated with picking a player against his camp's will, the candidacy of Keegan Murray might be gaining steam with head coach-to-be Mike Brown. Owner Vivek Ranadive is also said to be a proponent of selecting him.
5. Detroit Pistons
Keegan Murray
Iowa
PF/C
Age: 21.8
While the Pistons likely will be disappointed to see Ivey off the board in this scenario, Murray's fit here looks strong, especially with the amount of trade chatter surrounding power forward Jerami Grant. The incumbent is widely expected to be on the move this summer, as he's entering the final year of his contract and doesn't look to be on the same timetable as the rest of the Pistons' roster. Murray's cerebral approach and steady demeanor should fit in well with franchise building block Cade Cunningham, with his dynamic shooting ability, how he ignites the break off the defensive glass and the versatility he brings defensively. Sharpe is also said to be a real candidate here but couldn't separate himself in a competitive 3-on-3 workout he conducted last week alongside the likes of Bennedict Mathurin, Dyson Daniels and others.
6. Indiana Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin
Arizona
SG/SF
Age: 19.9
Mathurin is drawing strong reviews on the private workout trail, excelling in competitive action, individual drills and interview sessions everywhere he's visited thus far. An All-American who excels coming off screens and operating in the open court, Mathurin can play either wing spot and has plenty of upside to grow into at just 19 years old. He would give the Pacers a strong backcourt rotation with Malcolm Brogdon, Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte. Many teams are kicking the tires on what it would take to acquire Brogdon or Myles Turner in a trade, but the asking price for both is said to be high.
7. Portland Trail Blazers
Dyson Daniels
G League Ignite
PG/SG
Age: 19.2
The Blazers are early in their rebuilding process and can afford to swing for the fences for a prospect like Daniels, who possesses significant upside but will need time to fill out his frame and become a more dynamic scorer. Daniels would be an excellent understudy for Damian Lillard while still having the length and defensive versatility to operate in the same backcourt with him and Anfernee Simons. Daniels doesn't need the ball to make his presence felt, as he's an excellent decision-maker, passer, cutter and rebounder and a rapidly improving shooter. He defends everyone from the point of attack to bigger wing-forwards and makes quite a few plays off the ball.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers)
Shaedon Sharpe
Kentucky
SG
Age: 19.0
The Pelicans have less of a major need at any particular position than other lottery teams. New Orleans has four surefire starters in the fold and a plethora of young talent at every position that gives it tremendous depth and role players to plug virtually any hole. Drafting Sharpe and allowing him to come along slowly would make plenty of sense. Sharpe possesses elite physical tools with his exceptional frame, length and explosiveness to go along with dynamic perimeter-shooting ability and the potential to reap huge dividends down the road. There was a reason Sharpe was the No. 1-ranked player in his high school class, as he has the kind of scoring instincts many teams look for in a top offensive option and plays a position where every franchise seeks talent.
9. San Antonio Spurs
Jalen Duren
Memphis
C
Age: 18.5
Duren offers a natural succession plan for Jakob Poeltl, who is entering the final year of his contract. He's arguably the most physically gifted big man in the draft, at 6-10, 250 pounds with a 7-5 wingspan, and has a ready-made role from day one as a lob-catching shot-blocker with the huge catch radius he displays, the excellent timing he shows as a rim-protector and the way he uses verticality to his advantage. Duren also has significant room for growth in terms of skill level as the game slows down for him entering his 20s.
10. Washington Wizards
Johnny Davis
Wisconsin
PG/SG
Age: 20.2
The Wizards need to improve their backcourt after cycling through a cascade of guards this past season. An All-American last season, Davis should be able to play an immediate role with his defensive versatility, unselfishness and scoring ability, while also bringing many winning intangibles to which the Wizards will be attracted. He would fit well alongside the ball-dominant Bradley Beal and has plenty of upside to tap into as well at just 20 years old. This pick is widely assumed to be available in trade talks, in exchange for a proven backcourt player.
11. New York Knicks
AJ Griffin
Duke
SF/PF
Age: 18.7
Coming off a disappointing season, the Knicks desperately need to upgrade at point guard but lack great options there. Trading this pick for an immediate contributor could be attractive, but there aren't many great apparent options on the table at the moment. If they decide to keep the pick, drafting a player such as Griffin, who is arguably the best shooter in the class after making 45% of his 3-pointers, could make sense. His 7-foot wingspan gives him significant potential defensively, he's one of the youngest players in the draft, and he plays one of the most coveted positions in the modern NBA.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)
Ousmane Dieng
NZ Breakers
SF/PF
Age: 19.0
The Thunder are said to be aggressively pursuing trade conversations for this pick, seeking to package it with future assets or existing OKC players in order to move into the mid-lottery, with players including Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe believed to be among the potential prospects they covet. If they elect to stand pat, picking one of the draft's most talented wing forwards in Dieng could make a lot of sense, as there are minutes to be had and quite a bit of potential left to tap. A fluid wing with ample size to slide to the power forward position as his frame fills out, Dieng hit his stride as the Australian NBL season progressed, flashing impressive shot-making prowess, the ability to create for teammates out of the pick-and-roll and the length and off-ball instincts to defend multiple positions.
13. Charlotte Hornets
Jeremy Sochan
Baylor
PF
Age: 19.0
Rival teams don't expect the Hornets to hold on to both of their mid first-round picks -- adding two rookies in need of minutes and patience might not be the most attractive proposition for a team that just fired its head coach after failing to advance past the play-in game. Regardless of who is making this pick, Sochan is likely to come off the board right in this range as most teams have him graded as a late lottery-level talent, with some even having him firmly in the top 10. Sochan brings several different dimensions with his ability to defend all over the floor, pass the ball effectively and slide up or down positions depending on the matchup, while also possessing plenty of upside to grow into having just turned 19. His feel for the game, versatility and competitiveness gives him a very high floor as well.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Ochai Agbaji
Kansas
SF
Age: 22.1
The Cavs will be looking to add size and perimeter shooting on the wing this offseason, both in free agency and in the draft. Agbaji, one of the best shooters in the draft with a 6-10 wingspan and chiseled frame, projects as a plug-and-play, 3-and-D prospect who should be ready to contribute immediately after winning All-America honors and coming off a national championship in which he won the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player for Kansas. Ousmane Dieng is another prospect rival teams point to as someone the Cavs are very high on, but is already off the board in this scenario.
15. Charlotte Hornets (via Pelicans)
Mark Williams
Duke
C
Age: 20.4
The Hornets can be strategic with their two first-rounders that sandwich Cleveland's pick, knowing it is highly unlikely the Cavs will take a center with two outstanding big men already in place. The Hornets have been seeking a legitimate rim-protecting, lob-catching center to pair with LaMelo Ball from the moment they drafted him, and could very well be attracted to Williams, with whom they'll be familiar from down the road in Durham. Williams led college basketball in dunks last season, won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and made considerable progress as a sophomore. He's an absolute game-changer on both ends of the floor with his combination of size (7-1), length (7-8 wingspan) and non-stop energy, providing a steady offensive presence with his excellent hands and finishing ability and putting a lid on the rim defensively thanks to his mobility, timing and reach.
16. Atlanta Hawks
Malaki Branham
Ohio State
SG
Age: 19.0
The Hawks, perpetually one of the most active front offices in the NBA, are said to be exploring a host of options to strengthen their defense and better position themselves to make a playoff run next season. John Collins could be a catalyst for a major draft-day trade. Should the Hawks still be picking at this spot when the dust settles, a player like Branham could make a lot of sense, as he has a strong case to be considered the most talented prospect on the board. Branham's combination of size, frame, length, scoring instincts and shot-making prowess off the dribble (44% FG%) and with his feet set (43%) look seamlessly translatable to what the NBA is looking for at his position. He plays with a unique combination of aggressiveness and poise for a player who just turned 19, and the fact that he made such impressive strides as the season moved on, facilitating more for others and showing competitiveness defensively one-on-one, gives him a high ceiling as a prospect.
17. Houston Rockets
Tari Eason
LSU
PF
Age: 21.0
The Rockets are early in their rebuilding and will likely be looking to take swings on talent and upside, as they don't appear to be particularly close to contention. Eason is one of the most explosive and productive players in the draft, putting consistent pressure on opposing defenses with his quick first step, physicality and insatiable intensity, characteristics that allow him to live at the free throw line. These same traits helped make him one of the most versatile defenders in the college game, a magnet for steals, blocks and rebounds who flew all over the floor in LSU's suffocating press while rotating from guarding point guards to big men.
18. Chicago Bulls
Jalen Williams
Santa Clara
SF
Age: 21.1
Rival teams say the Bulls aren't in love with their options here, and they are open to trading the pick, potentially in a package with combo guard Coby White. If they stand pat, the versatility offered by Williams could be attractive here, as Williams has the length to defend power forwards with his 7-2 wingspan, but also possesses the court vision, playmaking and shooting to be utilized at point guard in college, which should provide him with the versatility to slide all over the floor for a team that had to plug holes last season in an injury-plagued campaign.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
Walker Kessler
Auburn
C
Age: 20.8
Twin-tower lineups are becoming more in vogue these days with the success teams like Boston and Cleveland had with bigger lineups this season. For a Minnesota team looking to take the next step defensively, drafting the NCAA's Defensive Player of the Year could make some sense, even if that means playing Kessler alongside a super-skilled 7-footer in Karl-Anthony Towns. Kessler is a force as a rim protector but also brings strong pick-and-roll finishing ability and even some potential as a perimeter shooter. Kessler is a steady offensive presence with his ability to catch difficult passes, hammer home lobs, finish with touch around the basket and make good decisions out of short rolls, which should make him a good fit in Minnesota's offense.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors)
Blake Wesley
Notre Dame
SG
Age: 19.2
With three picks in the first round, the Spurs can afford to take a swing on the player with the biggest upside possible, as adding star power to the roster is a major priority for the team. Wesley is one of the most physically gifted guards in this draft, capable of getting into the paint at will with his strong frame and explosive first step. He made strides as the season moved on both defensively and with his ability to create for teammates, and if he can continue to evolve as a shooter, he has the potential to be a real mismatch with the ball in his hands.
21. Denver Nuggets
TyTy Washington Jr.
Kentucky
PG/SG
Age: 20.5
Having drafted well, and forced to play their young players fairly extensively due to injury, the team has also developed some solid depth, giving the Nuggets good flexibility heading into the draft. Adding quality depth in the backcourt could be attractive for the Nuggets, especially a steady-handed guard like Washington who can play with or without the ball, excels in pick-and-roll and is a strong perimeter shooter. Washington has the size and length to play in many different lineup configurations for a team like Denver, giving him nice positional versatility to go along with his strong feel for the game.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (via Jazz)
Kennedy Chandler
Tennessee
PG
Age: 19.7
With the impending free agency of backup point guard Tyus Jones, who is in line for a raise after an excellent season, adding depth in the backcourt could make a lot of sense, especially with a local product like Chandler. He was one of the most talented point guards in college, blessed with incredible speed and burst, terrific ballhandling ability and creativity as a finisher and passer, and flashes of real shot-making ability. Despite being on the smaller side, Chandler's quickness, basketball instincts and length made him a significant asset defensively last season, allowing him to make a living getting in passing lanes while also being a real pest on the ball.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (Nets deferred pick to 2023)
Jaden Hardy
G League Ignite
SG
Age: 19.9
With James Harden turning 33 in August and on the downside of his career from a physical standpoint, adding more talent in the backcourt could very well be a major priority for the Sixers, if only to protect Harden's health and ensure he's at his best entering the playoffs. Hardy still has plenty of upside to tap into as a shot-making, instinctual scorer who is only 19. Adding more shooting alongside Joel Embiid should be an attractive proposition for the Sixers, and Hardy has the type of scoring talent that could allow him to anchor a bench unit down the road if he continues to progress with his frame and decision-making.
24. Milwaukee Bucks
Nikola Jovic
Mega Mozzart
SF
Age: 19.0
While the Bucks are clearly in need of a big man capable of playing starting-caliber minutes, other team needs caused a half-dozen players capable of playing center to already be selected at this point in the draft, making the next-best true big man somewhat of a reach at this pick. That said, Jovic has excellent size at 6-11, a strong feel for the game and could slide nicely between Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Possessing an interesting blend of youth, talent and confidence, Jovic is a skilled forward with the tools to fill a role a la Danilo Gallinari or Nemanja Bjelica down the line. Jake LaRavia and Andrew Nembhard are two other players who have drawn some interest at this spot.
25. San Antonio Spurs (via Celtics)
E.J. Liddell
Ohio State
PF
Age: 21.4
The Spurs could be attracted to the versatility, off-court intangibles and productivity offered by Liddell. At 6-7, Liddell is undersized for an NBA power forward, but makes up for that with a near 7-foot wingspan and chiseled 243-pound frame. He brings a strong defensive versatility with a much improved shooting stroke that made him a force from beyond the 3-point line.
26. Dallas Mavericks
MarJon Beauchamp
G League Ignite
SG/SF
Age: 21.6
With confidence brewing regarding the Mavericks' ability to retain Jalen Brunson, adding quality wing depth to surround Luka Doncic and Co. looks like a priority. Beauchamp is the type of rim-running, elite-cutting, hard-playing wing who doesn't need plays called for him and can find his own offense alongside Doncic just by virtue of his energy. Beauchamp could emerge as a starting-quality player if his jumper and ballhandling continues to improve, but his defensive versatility as a long-armed wing who can check point guards through power forwards will be useful in the meantime along with his ability to score off his hustle and instincts.
27. Miami Heat
Dalen Terry
Arizona
PG/SG
Age: 19.9
Terry has been one of the big winners of the pre-draft process, impressing teams with his character on and off the court while dropping glimpses of significant versatility and upside he can grow into at just 19. His length, unselfishness, feel for the game and ability to defend multiple positions could make him a viable NBA rotational player as his jumper continues to improve, something that would make for an interesting roll of the dice for the Heat, who boast one of the best player development infrastructures in the NBA.
28. Golden State Warriors
Jake LaRavia
Wake Forest
PF
Age: 20.6
The Warriors could be in the market for a versatile wing-forward who can play off others, make shots from the perimeter and defend multiple positions. LaRavia, who shot 38% from 3 last season and 78% at the free throw line, brings a strong feel for the game and intriguing playmaking ability defensively. The fact that he's only 20 years old gives him some additional upside he can still tap into as he continues to improve his frame, maximize his athleticism and become a more assertive perimeter shooter.
29. Memphis Grizzlies
Caleb Houstan
Michigan
SF
Age: 19.4
One of the big mysteries of the 2022 NBA draft is where Houstan, once a projected top-10 pick, ends up. Houstan declined his invite to the NBA combine, indicating there might be something to the rumors of a first-round promise, or that Houstan has a landing spot with which he's comfortable in the form of a "soft promise," which would only prevent him from working out for teams outside a certain range. Houstan's positional size, defensive awareness and perimeter shooting gives him a high floor as a prospect, despite his disappointing freshman season at Michigan.
30. Denver Nuggets
David Roddy
Colorado St
PF
Age: 21.2
The Nuggets received this pick in a trade with Oklahoma City this week that also provided them with financial flexibility this summer. Roddy, who played down the street at Colorado State, could be an attractive option. Roddy rebounded from an underwhelming showing at the NBA Combine with a slew of strong private workouts, showcasing why he was one of the most uniquely versatile players in the college game. At 6-foot-6, he sees quite a few minutes at center -- where he can thrive thanks to his 260-pound frame -- but is also a creative ballhandler and passer who converted 44% of his 3-pointers, making him a huge mismatch.
Second round
31. Pacers (via Rockets)
Andrew Nembhard | Gonzaga | PG | Age: 22.4
32. Magic
Christian Braun | Kansas | SG/SF | Age: 21.1
33. Raptors (via Pistons)
Peyton Watson | UCLA | SF/PF | Age: 19.7
34. Thunder
Jaylin Williams | Arkansas | C | Age: 19.9
35. Magic (via Pacers)
Trevor Keels | Duke | PG/SG | Age: 18.7
36. Trail Blazers
Wendell Moore Jr. | Duke | SF | Age: 20.7
37. Kings
Christian Koloko | Arizona | C | Age: 21.9
38. Spurs (via Lakers)
Khalifa Diop | Gran Canaria | C | Age: 20.4
39. Cavaliers (via Spurs)
Bryce McGowens | Nebraska | SF | Age: 19.5
40. Timberwolves (via Wizards)
Kendall Brown | Baylor | SF | Age: 19.0
41. Pelicans
Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Milwaukee | SF/PF | Age: 19.5
42. Knicks
Hugo Besson | NZ Breakers | PG/SG | Age: 21.1
43. Clippers
Ismael Kamagate | Paris | C | Age: 21.4
44. Hawks
Ryan Rollins | Toledo | SG | Age: 19.9
45. Hornets
Justin Lewis | Marquette | SF/PF | Age: 20.1
46. Pistons (via Nets)
Max Christie | Michigan State | SG | Age: 19.3
47. Grizzlies (via Cavaliers)
JD Davison | Alabama | PG | Age: 19.6
48. Timberwolves
Josh Minott | Memphis | PF | Age: 19.5
49. Kings (from Bulls)
Jean Montero | Overtime Elite | PG/SG | Age: 18.9
50. Timberwolves (from Nuggets)
Dominick Barlow | Overtime Elite | PF/C | Age: 19.0
51. Warriors
Michael Foster | G League Ignite | PF | Age: 19.4
52. Pelicans (via Jazz)
Gabriele Procida | Fortitudo Bologna | SG | Age: 20.0
53. Celtics
Dereon Seabron | NC State | SG | Age: 22.0
54. Wizards (via Mavericks)
Yannick Nzosa | Unicaja Malaga | C | Age: 18.5
55. Warriors
Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers | SF/PF | Age: 22.1
56. Cavaliers (via Heat)
Karlo Matkovic | Mega Mozzart | C | Age: 22.9
57. Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)
Matteo Spagnolo | Cremona | PG | Age: 19.4
58. Pacers (via Suns)
Ziga Samar | Fuenlabrada | PG | Age: 21.3
The 2022 NBA draft is just over a week away, but the wheeling and dealing has already begun. The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder completed a trade on Monday that included a 2022 first-round pick headed to Denver, and trade chatter is certain to intensify throughout the rest of the league in the coming days. Multiple teams currently holding 2022 NBA lottery picks are believed to be willing to deal, and a significant group of current NBA players are also potentially on offer via draft deals.
The makeup of ESPN's latest 2022 mock draft has also gone through some significant changes. While the Big Three of Auburn's Jabari Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paolo Banchero have remained consistent, the order in which those three players are selected remains less than locked in as private workouts continue. New names have also moved up into the lottery zone in recent days, with players including Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin creeping near the top five.
How will the dominoes fall on June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (8 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN App)? Here's our latest projection:
1. Orlando Magic
Jabari Smith
Auburn
SF/PF
Age: 19.0
The Magic brought Smith in for a light workout and interview this week but continue to cast a wide net, scheduling additional visits with the likes of Paolo Banchero, Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe and others. NBA executives overwhelmingly expect the Magic to select Smith, but they'll perform their due diligence to ensure they make the right choice. Drafting arguably the most dynamic shooter in the class in Smith -- who made 42% of his 3-pointers and stands 6-foot-10 -- makes sense. Running off screens, pulling up in transition, making iso stepbacks and hitting impossible fadeaways out of the post ... seemingly no shot appears to be too difficult for Smith thanks to his high release point and soft touch. The intensity level and versatility Smith brings defensively will be attractive as well, along with the fact that he just turned 19 years old and checks every box the franchise looks for from a character and competitiveness standpoint.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren
Gonzaga
PF
Age: 20.1
The Thunder will conduct workouts with all of the top prospects in the class, including Smith, Holmgren, Banchero, Sharpe, Jaden Ivey and others. The franchise's rebuild is viewed with increasing favor, as a strong coaching staff, player-development infrastructure, organizational culture and trove of players assembled should allow OKC to quickly pivot toward respectability. Adding a 7-footer with a 7-6 wingspan to that core, one who projects as a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the mobility, timing and competitiveness Holmgren offers, makes perfect sense. He'll give the Thunder offense, which ranked last in the NBA in 3-point percentage, much-needed spacing with his ability to shoot, push off the defensive glass, create for others and finish emphatically around the basket, and should fit in very well with their existing pieces thanks to the two-way versatility and excellent feel for the game he brings.
3. Houston Rockets
Paolo Banchero
Duke
PF/C
Age: 19.5
After watching him work out at his home base in Memphis and bringing him on an individual visit to Houston, the Rockets seem high on the talent, skill and fit of Banchero. He had an outstanding freshman season at Duke, showcasing all of his offensive versatility in a season that culminated in a Final Four run. Banchero is a 6-10, polished and aggressive scorer who can carry a significant load with his ability to handle, pass and shoot, and his ability to create off the dribble both for himself and teammates should pair well with the explosive transition scoring and shot-making prowess Jalen Green offers. Banchero should compete for Rookie of the Year honors and has considerable upside to grow into as the Rockets surround him and Green with the requisite defensive pieces and floor spacers to return to playoff contention.
4. Sacramento Kings
Jaden Ivey
Purdue
PG/SG
Age: 20.3
The Kings aren't Ivey's preferred destination but have proved willing to take players without the benefit of workouts and medical information in the past, doing so as recently as a year ago when selecting Davion Mitchell. Many around the NBA feel that this pick is available for a team looking to swap picks and move up the draft for Ivey. Detroit, Indiana and Oklahoma City are among those that could potentially exchange an asset to help the Kings' chances of contending for a playoff spot, with the likes of Jerami Grant, Myles Turner and Lu Dort a few potential options that rival teams point to. In the event that the Kings elect to hold on to this pick and prefer to avoid the drama associated with picking a player against his camp's will, the candidacy of Keegan Murray might be gaining steam with head coach-to-be Mike Brown. Owner Vivek Ranadive is also said to be a proponent of selecting him.
5. Detroit Pistons
Keegan Murray
Iowa
PF/C
Age: 21.8
While the Pistons likely will be disappointed to see Ivey off the board in this scenario, Murray's fit here looks strong, especially with the amount of trade chatter surrounding power forward Jerami Grant. The incumbent is widely expected to be on the move this summer, as he's entering the final year of his contract and doesn't look to be on the same timetable as the rest of the Pistons' roster. Murray's cerebral approach and steady demeanor should fit in well with franchise building block Cade Cunningham, with his dynamic shooting ability, how he ignites the break off the defensive glass and the versatility he brings defensively. Sharpe is also said to be a real candidate here but couldn't separate himself in a competitive 3-on-3 workout he conducted last week alongside the likes of Bennedict Mathurin, Dyson Daniels and others.
6. Indiana Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin
Arizona
SG/SF
Age: 19.9
Mathurin is drawing strong reviews on the private workout trail, excelling in competitive action, individual drills and interview sessions everywhere he's visited thus far. An All-American who excels coming off screens and operating in the open court, Mathurin can play either wing spot and has plenty of upside to grow into at just 19 years old. He would give the Pacers a strong backcourt rotation with Malcolm Brogdon, Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte. Many teams are kicking the tires on what it would take to acquire Brogdon or Myles Turner in a trade, but the asking price for both is said to be high.
7. Portland Trail Blazers
Dyson Daniels
G League Ignite
PG/SG
Age: 19.2
The Blazers are early in their rebuilding process and can afford to swing for the fences for a prospect like Daniels, who possesses significant upside but will need time to fill out his frame and become a more dynamic scorer. Daniels would be an excellent understudy for Damian Lillard while still having the length and defensive versatility to operate in the same backcourt with him and Anfernee Simons. Daniels doesn't need the ball to make his presence felt, as he's an excellent decision-maker, passer, cutter and rebounder and a rapidly improving shooter. He defends everyone from the point of attack to bigger wing-forwards and makes quite a few plays off the ball.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers)
Shaedon Sharpe
Kentucky
SG
Age: 19.0
The Pelicans have less of a major need at any particular position than other lottery teams. New Orleans has four surefire starters in the fold and a plethora of young talent at every position that gives it tremendous depth and role players to plug virtually any hole. Drafting Sharpe and allowing him to come along slowly would make plenty of sense. Sharpe possesses elite physical tools with his exceptional frame, length and explosiveness to go along with dynamic perimeter-shooting ability and the potential to reap huge dividends down the road. There was a reason Sharpe was the No. 1-ranked player in his high school class, as he has the kind of scoring instincts many teams look for in a top offensive option and plays a position where every franchise seeks talent.
9. San Antonio Spurs
Jalen Duren
Memphis
C
Age: 18.5
Duren offers a natural succession plan for Jakob Poeltl, who is entering the final year of his contract. He's arguably the most physically gifted big man in the draft, at 6-10, 250 pounds with a 7-5 wingspan, and has a ready-made role from day one as a lob-catching shot-blocker with the huge catch radius he displays, the excellent timing he shows as a rim-protector and the way he uses verticality to his advantage. Duren also has significant room for growth in terms of skill level as the game slows down for him entering his 20s.
10. Washington Wizards
Johnny Davis
Wisconsin
PG/SG
Age: 20.2
The Wizards need to improve their backcourt after cycling through a cascade of guards this past season. An All-American last season, Davis should be able to play an immediate role with his defensive versatility, unselfishness and scoring ability, while also bringing many winning intangibles to which the Wizards will be attracted. He would fit well alongside the ball-dominant Bradley Beal and has plenty of upside to tap into as well at just 20 years old. This pick is widely assumed to be available in trade talks, in exchange for a proven backcourt player.
11. New York Knicks
AJ Griffin
Duke
SF/PF
Age: 18.7
Coming off a disappointing season, the Knicks desperately need to upgrade at point guard but lack great options there. Trading this pick for an immediate contributor could be attractive, but there aren't many great apparent options on the table at the moment. If they decide to keep the pick, drafting a player such as Griffin, who is arguably the best shooter in the class after making 45% of his 3-pointers, could make sense. His 7-foot wingspan gives him significant potential defensively, he's one of the youngest players in the draft, and he plays one of the most coveted positions in the modern NBA.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers)
Ousmane Dieng
NZ Breakers
SF/PF
Age: 19.0
The Thunder are said to be aggressively pursuing trade conversations for this pick, seeking to package it with future assets or existing OKC players in order to move into the mid-lottery, with players including Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe believed to be among the potential prospects they covet. If they elect to stand pat, picking one of the draft's most talented wing forwards in Dieng could make a lot of sense, as there are minutes to be had and quite a bit of potential left to tap. A fluid wing with ample size to slide to the power forward position as his frame fills out, Dieng hit his stride as the Australian NBL season progressed, flashing impressive shot-making prowess, the ability to create for teammates out of the pick-and-roll and the length and off-ball instincts to defend multiple positions.
13. Charlotte Hornets
Jeremy Sochan
Baylor
PF
Age: 19.0
Rival teams don't expect the Hornets to hold on to both of their mid first-round picks -- adding two rookies in need of minutes and patience might not be the most attractive proposition for a team that just fired its head coach after failing to advance past the play-in game. Regardless of who is making this pick, Sochan is likely to come off the board right in this range as most teams have him graded as a late lottery-level talent, with some even having him firmly in the top 10. Sochan brings several different dimensions with his ability to defend all over the floor, pass the ball effectively and slide up or down positions depending on the matchup, while also possessing plenty of upside to grow into having just turned 19. His feel for the game, versatility and competitiveness gives him a very high floor as well.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Ochai Agbaji
Kansas
SF
Age: 22.1
The Cavs will be looking to add size and perimeter shooting on the wing this offseason, both in free agency and in the draft. Agbaji, one of the best shooters in the draft with a 6-10 wingspan and chiseled frame, projects as a plug-and-play, 3-and-D prospect who should be ready to contribute immediately after winning All-America honors and coming off a national championship in which he won the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player for Kansas. Ousmane Dieng is another prospect rival teams point to as someone the Cavs are very high on, but is already off the board in this scenario.
15. Charlotte Hornets (via Pelicans)
Mark Williams
Duke
C
Age: 20.4
The Hornets can be strategic with their two first-rounders that sandwich Cleveland's pick, knowing it is highly unlikely the Cavs will take a center with two outstanding big men already in place. The Hornets have been seeking a legitimate rim-protecting, lob-catching center to pair with LaMelo Ball from the moment they drafted him, and could very well be attracted to Williams, with whom they'll be familiar from down the road in Durham. Williams led college basketball in dunks last season, won ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and made considerable progress as a sophomore. He's an absolute game-changer on both ends of the floor with his combination of size (7-1), length (7-8 wingspan) and non-stop energy, providing a steady offensive presence with his excellent hands and finishing ability and putting a lid on the rim defensively thanks to his mobility, timing and reach.
16. Atlanta Hawks
Malaki Branham
Ohio State
SG
Age: 19.0
The Hawks, perpetually one of the most active front offices in the NBA, are said to be exploring a host of options to strengthen their defense and better position themselves to make a playoff run next season. John Collins could be a catalyst for a major draft-day trade. Should the Hawks still be picking at this spot when the dust settles, a player like Branham could make a lot of sense, as he has a strong case to be considered the most talented prospect on the board. Branham's combination of size, frame, length, scoring instincts and shot-making prowess off the dribble (44% FG%) and with his feet set (43%) look seamlessly translatable to what the NBA is looking for at his position. He plays with a unique combination of aggressiveness and poise for a player who just turned 19, and the fact that he made such impressive strides as the season moved on, facilitating more for others and showing competitiveness defensively one-on-one, gives him a high ceiling as a prospect.
17. Houston Rockets
Tari Eason
LSU
PF
Age: 21.0
The Rockets are early in their rebuilding and will likely be looking to take swings on talent and upside, as they don't appear to be particularly close to contention. Eason is one of the most explosive and productive players in the draft, putting consistent pressure on opposing defenses with his quick first step, physicality and insatiable intensity, characteristics that allow him to live at the free throw line. These same traits helped make him one of the most versatile defenders in the college game, a magnet for steals, blocks and rebounds who flew all over the floor in LSU's suffocating press while rotating from guarding point guards to big men.
18. Chicago Bulls
Jalen Williams
Santa Clara
SF
Age: 21.1
Rival teams say the Bulls aren't in love with their options here, and they are open to trading the pick, potentially in a package with combo guard Coby White. If they stand pat, the versatility offered by Williams could be attractive here, as Williams has the length to defend power forwards with his 7-2 wingspan, but also possesses the court vision, playmaking and shooting to be utilized at point guard in college, which should provide him with the versatility to slide all over the floor for a team that had to plug holes last season in an injury-plagued campaign.
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
Walker Kessler
Auburn
C
Age: 20.8
Twin-tower lineups are becoming more in vogue these days with the success teams like Boston and Cleveland had with bigger lineups this season. For a Minnesota team looking to take the next step defensively, drafting the NCAA's Defensive Player of the Year could make some sense, even if that means playing Kessler alongside a super-skilled 7-footer in Karl-Anthony Towns. Kessler is a force as a rim protector but also brings strong pick-and-roll finishing ability and even some potential as a perimeter shooter. Kessler is a steady offensive presence with his ability to catch difficult passes, hammer home lobs, finish with touch around the basket and make good decisions out of short rolls, which should make him a good fit in Minnesota's offense.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors)
Blake Wesley
Notre Dame
SG
Age: 19.2
With three picks in the first round, the Spurs can afford to take a swing on the player with the biggest upside possible, as adding star power to the roster is a major priority for the team. Wesley is one of the most physically gifted guards in this draft, capable of getting into the paint at will with his strong frame and explosive first step. He made strides as the season moved on both defensively and with his ability to create for teammates, and if he can continue to evolve as a shooter, he has the potential to be a real mismatch with the ball in his hands.
21. Denver Nuggets
TyTy Washington Jr.
Kentucky
PG/SG
Age: 20.5
Having drafted well, and forced to play their young players fairly extensively due to injury, the team has also developed some solid depth, giving the Nuggets good flexibility heading into the draft. Adding quality depth in the backcourt could be attractive for the Nuggets, especially a steady-handed guard like Washington who can play with or without the ball, excels in pick-and-roll and is a strong perimeter shooter. Washington has the size and length to play in many different lineup configurations for a team like Denver, giving him nice positional versatility to go along with his strong feel for the game.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (via Jazz)
Kennedy Chandler
Tennessee
PG
Age: 19.7
With the impending free agency of backup point guard Tyus Jones, who is in line for a raise after an excellent season, adding depth in the backcourt could make a lot of sense, especially with a local product like Chandler. He was one of the most talented point guards in college, blessed with incredible speed and burst, terrific ballhandling ability and creativity as a finisher and passer, and flashes of real shot-making ability. Despite being on the smaller side, Chandler's quickness, basketball instincts and length made him a significant asset defensively last season, allowing him to make a living getting in passing lanes while also being a real pest on the ball.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (Nets deferred pick to 2023)
Jaden Hardy
G League Ignite
SG
Age: 19.9
With James Harden turning 33 in August and on the downside of his career from a physical standpoint, adding more talent in the backcourt could very well be a major priority for the Sixers, if only to protect Harden's health and ensure he's at his best entering the playoffs. Hardy still has plenty of upside to tap into as a shot-making, instinctual scorer who is only 19. Adding more shooting alongside Joel Embiid should be an attractive proposition for the Sixers, and Hardy has the type of scoring talent that could allow him to anchor a bench unit down the road if he continues to progress with his frame and decision-making.
24. Milwaukee Bucks
Nikola Jovic
Mega Mozzart
SF
Age: 19.0
While the Bucks are clearly in need of a big man capable of playing starting-caliber minutes, other team needs caused a half-dozen players capable of playing center to already be selected at this point in the draft, making the next-best true big man somewhat of a reach at this pick. That said, Jovic has excellent size at 6-11, a strong feel for the game and could slide nicely between Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Possessing an interesting blend of youth, talent and confidence, Jovic is a skilled forward with the tools to fill a role a la Danilo Gallinari or Nemanja Bjelica down the line. Jake LaRavia and Andrew Nembhard are two other players who have drawn some interest at this spot.
25. San Antonio Spurs (via Celtics)
E.J. Liddell
Ohio State
PF
Age: 21.4
The Spurs could be attracted to the versatility, off-court intangibles and productivity offered by Liddell. At 6-7, Liddell is undersized for an NBA power forward, but makes up for that with a near 7-foot wingspan and chiseled 243-pound frame. He brings a strong defensive versatility with a much improved shooting stroke that made him a force from beyond the 3-point line.
26. Dallas Mavericks
MarJon Beauchamp
G League Ignite
SG/SF
Age: 21.6
With confidence brewing regarding the Mavericks' ability to retain Jalen Brunson, adding quality wing depth to surround Luka Doncic and Co. looks like a priority. Beauchamp is the type of rim-running, elite-cutting, hard-playing wing who doesn't need plays called for him and can find his own offense alongside Doncic just by virtue of his energy. Beauchamp could emerge as a starting-quality player if his jumper and ballhandling continues to improve, but his defensive versatility as a long-armed wing who can check point guards through power forwards will be useful in the meantime along with his ability to score off his hustle and instincts.
27. Miami Heat
Dalen Terry
Arizona
PG/SG
Age: 19.9
Terry has been one of the big winners of the pre-draft process, impressing teams with his character on and off the court while dropping glimpses of significant versatility and upside he can grow into at just 19. His length, unselfishness, feel for the game and ability to defend multiple positions could make him a viable NBA rotational player as his jumper continues to improve, something that would make for an interesting roll of the dice for the Heat, who boast one of the best player development infrastructures in the NBA.
28. Golden State Warriors
Jake LaRavia
Wake Forest
PF
Age: 20.6
The Warriors could be in the market for a versatile wing-forward who can play off others, make shots from the perimeter and defend multiple positions. LaRavia, who shot 38% from 3 last season and 78% at the free throw line, brings a strong feel for the game and intriguing playmaking ability defensively. The fact that he's only 20 years old gives him some additional upside he can still tap into as he continues to improve his frame, maximize his athleticism and become a more assertive perimeter shooter.
29. Memphis Grizzlies
Caleb Houstan
Michigan
SF
Age: 19.4
One of the big mysteries of the 2022 NBA draft is where Houstan, once a projected top-10 pick, ends up. Houstan declined his invite to the NBA combine, indicating there might be something to the rumors of a first-round promise, or that Houstan has a landing spot with which he's comfortable in the form of a "soft promise," which would only prevent him from working out for teams outside a certain range. Houstan's positional size, defensive awareness and perimeter shooting gives him a high floor as a prospect, despite his disappointing freshman season at Michigan.
30. Denver Nuggets
David Roddy
Colorado St
PF
Age: 21.2
The Nuggets received this pick in a trade with Oklahoma City this week that also provided them with financial flexibility this summer. Roddy, who played down the street at Colorado State, could be an attractive option. Roddy rebounded from an underwhelming showing at the NBA Combine with a slew of strong private workouts, showcasing why he was one of the most uniquely versatile players in the college game. At 6-foot-6, he sees quite a few minutes at center -- where he can thrive thanks to his 260-pound frame -- but is also a creative ballhandler and passer who converted 44% of his 3-pointers, making him a huge mismatch.
Second round
31. Pacers (via Rockets)
Andrew Nembhard | Gonzaga | PG | Age: 22.4
32. Magic
Christian Braun | Kansas | SG/SF | Age: 21.1
33. Raptors (via Pistons)
Peyton Watson | UCLA | SF/PF | Age: 19.7
34. Thunder
Jaylin Williams | Arkansas | C | Age: 19.9
35. Magic (via Pacers)
Trevor Keels | Duke | PG/SG | Age: 18.7
36. Trail Blazers
Wendell Moore Jr. | Duke | SF | Age: 20.7
37. Kings
Christian Koloko | Arizona | C | Age: 21.9
38. Spurs (via Lakers)
Khalifa Diop | Gran Canaria | C | Age: 20.4
39. Cavaliers (via Spurs)
Bryce McGowens | Nebraska | SF | Age: 19.5
40. Timberwolves (via Wizards)
Kendall Brown | Baylor | SF | Age: 19.0
41. Pelicans
Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Milwaukee | SF/PF | Age: 19.5
42. Knicks
Hugo Besson | NZ Breakers | PG/SG | Age: 21.1
43. Clippers
Ismael Kamagate | Paris | C | Age: 21.4
44. Hawks
Ryan Rollins | Toledo | SG | Age: 19.9
45. Hornets
Justin Lewis | Marquette | SF/PF | Age: 20.1
46. Pistons (via Nets)
Max Christie | Michigan State | SG | Age: 19.3
47. Grizzlies (via Cavaliers)
JD Davison | Alabama | PG | Age: 19.6
48. Timberwolves
Josh Minott | Memphis | PF | Age: 19.5
49. Kings (from Bulls)
Jean Montero | Overtime Elite | PG/SG | Age: 18.9
50. Timberwolves (from Nuggets)
Dominick Barlow | Overtime Elite | PF/C | Age: 19.0
51. Warriors
Michael Foster | G League Ignite | PF | Age: 19.4
52. Pelicans (via Jazz)
Gabriele Procida | Fortitudo Bologna | SG | Age: 20.0
53. Celtics
Dereon Seabron | NC State | SG | Age: 22.0
54. Wizards (via Mavericks)
Yannick Nzosa | Unicaja Malaga | C | Age: 18.5
55. Warriors
Ron Harper Jr. | Rutgers | SF/PF | Age: 22.1
56. Cavaliers (via Heat)
Karlo Matkovic | Mega Mozzart | C | Age: 22.9
57. Trail Blazers (via Grizzlies)
Matteo Spagnolo | Cremona | PG | Age: 19.4
58. Pacers (via Suns)
Ziga Samar | Fuenlabrada | PG | Age: 21.3
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
Taylor King sighting.
- Sep 5, 2010
- 93,026
- 129,468
HOU$TON
formerly convertibleburt
- Apr 14, 2016
- 13,514
- 26,390
AJ griffin at 11-12 would be great value
