# | Team | Player | Pos | |||
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1 | Victor Wembanyama | C | ||||
I'm setting the over/under on time spent on the clock for the Spurs here at 1.6 seconds, and I am hammering the under. Wembanyama has long been the favorite to go No. 1, and the Spurs will do what everyone expects and make him the first pick on Thursday night. |
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2 | Scoot Henderson | PG | ||||
The betting markets now have Scoot Henderson as a heavy favorite to go No. 2 just hours after Brandon Miller was found as heavy as a -900 favorite at Caesars to be selected here. Henderson is the higher-ranked prospect on the CBS Sports Big Board and has the electricity and athleticism to be a nice fit next to LaMelo Ball to ease some of his playmaking burdens. |
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3 | Brandon Miller | SF | ||||
I'm not totally convinced Miller isn't still in play for the Hornets at No. 2, but if Henderson goes to Charlotte, Miller's fall won't be a long one. This is a draft seen by evaluators as having three clear top talents before a tier drop. Miller shot 38.4% from 3 as a freshman at Alabama and led the SEC in scoring, box plus/minus and win shares. |
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4 | Amen Thompson | SF | ||||
Realistically there are several names involved here at No. 4 and the Rockets' potential interest in James Harden this offseason could tilt their preference. But Thompson presents the most long-term upside here as a home-run swing. He has superstar athleticism and a silky smooth game with passing and playmaking that makes him appealing, though his shot remains a work in progress. |
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5 | Jarace Walker | PF | ||||
The long-held belief here is that Detroit might look to add at the wing position to fill out its lineup around Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham, but Walker on the board presents real value. Ausar Thompson should be in play at No. 5 as well, but the size, skill and inside-out ability of Walker is a nice fit for the Pistons. |
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6 | Anthony Black | PG | ||||
When you think of Black the word immediately connected with him is "connector." He'd be a huge addition for the Magic who are now building around Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, giving them someone who can play selflessly on offense and embrace his role on defense. |
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7 | Ausar Thompson | SF | ||||
Adding scoring punch next to Tyrese Haliburton should be a priority for the Pacers, and in Ausar Thompson they get it at No. 7. Thompson is a natural scorer who can play both on and off the ball and has a well-rounded game and frame that could make him a starter long-term on the wing in Indy. |
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8 | Cam Whitmore | SF | ||||
Whitmore's draft range is a bit wider than maybe initially expected, but it's hard to see him slipping too far down the lottery. He's not an adept passer but he's a jaw-dropping athlete who can shoot the 3-pointer and space the floor. |
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9 | Taylor Hendricks | PF | ||||
Hendricks is a fast-rising prospect who presents immense upside in this range with a 6-9 plus-wingspan. He brings amazing defensive versatility and shooting and has the movement ability to develop into a foundational piece as Utah retools its roster. |
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10 | Cason Wallace | PG | ||||
Dallas could -- and I think, should -- be thinking of ways to best maximize its pieces around Luka Doncic, and for my money Wallace is the best bet here. He's a great defensive playmaker who can play on or off the ball and brings playmaking to the game as a potential secondary creator. |
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11 | Gradey Dick | SF | ||||
After adding a playmaker who struggles to shoot consistently (Anthony Black) earlier in this mock, here I have Orlando coming back to grab Dick at No. 11 -- giving them the best and most versatile shooter in this year's class. |
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12 | Bilal Coulibaly | SF | ||||
Coulibaly helped himself in a big way the last month in helping lead Mets 92 to the Pro A Finals. He's played his way into a potential lottery selection and would make sense for OKC, which historically tends to value long wings with major potential. |
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13 | Kobe Bufkin | SG | ||||
The belief for Toronto is that they may look to add to their weapons in the backcourt to potentially protect themselves from Fred VanVleet's potential departure. Bufkin is a combo guard who had a breakout second half of the season for Michigan and has the scoring ability to fill it up at every area of the court to go with sound defense. |
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14 | Jalen Hood-Schifino | PG | ||||
NBA teams are always on the hunt for combo guard/creators like Hood-Schifino, and he flashed enough on both ends at Indiana to push for a potential lottery spot in this year's draft. Great frame, really good defensively, and knows how to attack and make plays off the bounce. His shot needs to become more developmentally consistent but the tools here are undeniable. |
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15 | Jett Howard | SG | ||||
Knock-down shooters aren't easy to come by, and Howard is an exciting one at 6-8. He's a quick decision-maker who can spot up in transition or hit 3-pointers off the dribble, and has also flashed some playmaking ability off of closeouts. |
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16 | Keyonte George | SG | ||||
If you squint a bit at George's game you'll see some shades of Bradley Beal in terms of what he can do as a scorer and combo guard. George impressed NBA teams at his pro day in Chicago during the NBA Draft Combine and appears to be on the rise, though he is a bit of a polarizing prospect who could go in the lottery or slip into the 20s. |
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17 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | SG | ||||
Twenty-two-year-olds don't frequently climb this high in drafts much, but Jaquez could be an exception. He's a savvy, experienced guard who can be a creator and scorer and embraces his role as a defensive playmaker to boot. One of the most tough prospects in the class who battled through injuries and still produced at an All-American clip. |
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18 | Brandin Podziemski | SG | ||||
One of the big winners of the NBA Draft Combine, Podziemski, coming off a breakout season in which he won Co-WCC Player of the Year honors at Santa Clara, goes No. 18 here as a plug-and-play combo guard who can add scoring, playmaking and toughness for a title contender. |
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19 | Dereck Lively II | C | ||||
Best player available here is Lively, the one-and-done Duke big man who was among the most effective rim-protecting players in all of college hoops last season. He's still got some growing to do as an offensive weapon, but his defensive impact is a foundational piece of his game that will translate, and there is a wave of momentum at his sails during the pre-draft process that makes me think this will present real value for the Dubs. |
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20 | Nick Smith Jr. | SG | ||||
A nagging knee injury cost Smith Jr. real exposure to showcase himself on a big stage this season after carrying momentum into the season as a potential top-three pick. But the No. 1 recruit from the 2022 class, an immensely talented scorer and slasher, is still someone I think teams will be glad to bring in and develop, and in this range he'd be a no-brainer. |
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21 | Kris Murray | PF | ||||
Murray had a breakout season for Iowa averaging north of 20 points per game while showing off range as a 3-point shooter. He's a combo forward who brings versatility, polish and size. |
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22 | Leonard Miller | SF | ||||
Miller is a double-double machine who was playing like one of the best prospects for G League Ignite by the end of the season. His long-term potential as a big wing who can pass and defend presents nice value for the Nets, who have back-to-back picks here. |
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23 | Jordan Hawkins | SG | ||||
No player in this class is more skilled as a spot-up shooter than Hawkins, whose ability to be his own offensive hub because of his space-creation is underrated and under-appreciated. He profiles as a Duncan Robinson-like talent who can specialize as a floor-spacing scorer. |
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24 | Olivier-Maxence Prosper | SF | ||||
Prosper played so well on the first day of scrimmages at the combine that he pulled out of the second day, showing so much as an energetic combo forward that he likely solidified himself as a top-30 pick in this class. A really athletic, long forward who can shoot and impact winning with effort. |
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25 |
Trayce Jackson-Davis IndianaMOCK TRADE from BOS
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PF | ||||
Mock Trade from: BOS Big men who don't shoot 3-pointers don't pop off the page as definite first-rounders, and yet Jackson-Davis by most measures appears to be an anomaly. He's a dominant interior scorer and rebounder who shows great touch and makes great plays as a passer, and there is optimism in NBA circles that he will in time develop into a floor-spacer. |
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26 | Noah Clowney | PF | ||||
Clowney received a green room invite to the draft, suggesting he's likely a first-round pick. In a class thin on bigs, his value as a shot-blocking center with 3-point shooting potential could be boosted. |
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27 | Ben Sheppard | SG | ||||
Sheppard had a tremendous pre-draft process and starred at the NBA Draft Combine, showcasing his shooting ability. He plays hard on both ends and could wind up in the back end of the first round. |
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28 | Rayan Rupert | SF | ||||
A developmental wing with real skill and a defensive baseline, Rupert hails from the NBL's New Zealand Breakers as an intriguing long-term talent worth gambling on in this range. He has incredible movement skills and flashes serious upside as a creator and downhill driver. Lots of tools to like. |
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29 |
Dariq Whitehead DukeMOCK TRADE from DEN
|
SF | ||||
Mock Trade from: DEN Whitehead is one of the more intriguing prospects in the class, and another recent foot surgery only adds to the mystery. If healthy, though, he could be the steal of the draft with his size and scoring ability. The Nuggets may be hunting for a more immediate win-now piece, but they have shown a willingness to gamble on big talents like Bol Bol and Michael Porter Jr. who wound up slipping to them in recent years. |
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30 | Maxwell Lewis | SF | ||||
Lewis is a fun, intriguing prospect who has showcased basically every skill you're looking for in an NBA wing -- catch-and-shoot prowess, one-on-one scoring, finishing at the rim, defensive versatility. His 7-foot wingspan allows him to collect steals and throw down some impressive dunks in traffic. He ran into trouble at Pepperdine trying to do a little too much, so he would flourish in a simplified role with the Jazz. |
# | Team | Player | Pos | |||
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1 | Victor Wembanyama | C | ||||
Wembanyama has been described as the most unique, and arguably best, teenage basketball prospect the world has ever seen. If things break the right way, the French sensation could develop into the best offensive and the best defensive player in the NBA, one who eventually adds championships to San Antonio's trophy case. |
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2 | Scoot Henderson | PG | ||||
Henderson emerged as a heavy favorite in the hours leading up to the draft to be the No. 2 pick, which is a development that seems worthy of respecting in this mock. He's a super-athletic lead guard who skipped college for the G-League Ignite and was widely considered the second-best prospect in the draft (behind only Wembanyama) before Miller had an incredible freshman season at Alabama. |
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3 | Brandon Miller | SF | ||||
There's a lot of speculation that Portland will move this pick for an experienced piece who is better equipped to help Damian Lillard win now. Either way, the expectation is that Miller will likely be the third player off the board regardless of which franchise makes the pick (unless somebody moves up specifically to take a Thompson twin). |
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4 | Amen Thompson | SF | ||||
The Rockets have some interesting pieces but are still in take-the-best-prospect-available mode. In most people's eyes, at this point in the draft, that prospect is Thompson, a top-shelf athlete who can play lead guard and is maybe just a reliable jump shot away from being a star. |
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5 | Cam Whitmore | SF | ||||
Whitmore reportedly had a super-impressive pro day in California that pushed him into this range of the draft. The 6-7 wing is a great athlete with an elite body and in possession of most of the attributes that are usually necessary to star in the NBA. |
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6 | Ausar Thompson | SF | ||||
This Thompson is Amen's twin brother and a comparable talent whom some believe is actually the superior prospect. He would be a nice building block in Orlando next to frontcourt standouts Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner even if the fit isn't exactly perfect. |
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7 | Jarace Walker | PF | ||||
Walker will enter the NBA with incredible physical attributes and should be more immediately capable of making an impact defensively than offensively. In time, he'll be able to play the four and some small-ball five, and All-Star Game appearances are possible if the former Houston standout's offensive game develops as he grows older. |
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8 | Jalen Hood-Schifino | PG | ||||
Hood-Schifino is a super-talented combo guard who has a more-dependable 3-point shot than what he showed in his one season at Indiana. He could theoretically become the first important piece the Wizards add to the franchise to start a rebuild less than a week after trading Bradley Beal to the Suns. |
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9 | Taylor Hendricks | PF | ||||
Hendricks is an out-of-nowhere one-and-done prospect who is likely to go in the lottery despite being a sub-80 prospect in the Class of 2022. He's the type of tall, athletic and a proven shooter who could help progress Utah's rebuild. |
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10 | Anthony Black | PG | ||||
Black has great size for his position and the ability to make plays out of pick-and-rolls. Those attributes combined with a high basketball IQ make him a sensible option for a Dallas franchise that might need a lead guard given the uncertainty surrounding Kyrie Irving. |
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11 | Gradey Dick | SF | ||||
Dick is arguably the best shooter in this draft, one who made 40.3% of the 5.7 3-pointers he attempted per game in his one season at Kansas. The wing would be a welcomed addition to an Orlando franchise that finished 25th in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage this season. |
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12 | Bilal Coulibaly | SF | ||||
Coulibaly emerged as a legitimate first-round option during a deep playoff run alongside Wembanyama in France. He's still just 18 years old but already viewed as a wing with a 7-3 wingspan who can be a versatile defender on one end of the court and an explosive rim-attacker on the other. |
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13 | Jett Howard | SG | ||||
The Raptors ranked 28th this season in 3-point field goal percentage, which is among the reasons Howard makes sense here. He can play multiple positions, reliably make shots from the perimeter and is just, broadly speaking, a good-sized player with a well-rounded skill set, in part because he's the son of a former NBA player and high-major college coach. |
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14 | Kobe Bufkin | SG | ||||
Bufkin's pre-draft workouts have garnered rave reviews, so much so that the guard with a 6-8 wingspan is now expected to be a lottery pick. He made 35.5% of the 3.7 3-pointers he attempted per game this season and would provide backcourt depth for a New Orleans franchise capable of contending in the West if Williamson finds a way to get in shape and stay healthy, provided, of course, the former No. 1 pick isn't moved in advance of, or during, the draft. |
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15 | Dereck Lively II | C | ||||
Having a real and young rim-protector to grow with Trae Young would be a move in the right direction for an Atlanta franchise that's stalled. Lively's one season at Duke got off to a rough start and was statistically unimpressive, but he showed enough down the stretch as an impactful defender to solidify himself as a top-20 pick. |
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16 | Jordan Hawkins | SG | ||||
Assuming Zion Williamson is ever healthy enough to play consistently, the Pelicans will need to surround him with shooting. Hawkins made more than 38% of the 7.6 3-pointers he attempted per game this season while helping UConn win the national championship. |
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17 | Cason Wallace | PG | ||||
The Lakers could stand to add a point guard who can be impactful on both ends of the court as a rookie. Wallace checks those boxes and should be an above-average point-of-attack defender the moment he enters the NBA after one season at Kentucky in which he finished fourth in the SEC in steals per game. |
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18 | Leonard Miller | SF | ||||
Miller had a nice season with the G-League Ignite, averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds as a 19 year-old playing against professionals. There's still a lot of development that needs to be done, but the physical tools to make it are all in place and ideal for a Miami franchise in need of the type of length Miller possesses. |
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19 | Nick Smith Jr. | SG | ||||
Smith dealt with a less-than-perfect knee all season that limited him to just 17 games, most of which he struggled in relative to the expectations that accompanied him to Arkansas. That's among the reasons he won't be selected where most projected he'd go a year ago, but the 6-4 combo guard is still super-talented and could fill a need now that Golden State has traded Jordan Poole to Washington. |
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20 | Keyonte George | SG | ||||
If the Rockets use the fourth pick on Whitmore, they could look to add a guard with this pick. George would be a reasonable option if he's available given his ability to navigate pick-and-rolls, put pressure on defenses and score in bunches. |
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21 | Jaime Jaquez Jr. | SG | ||||
Jaquez will enter the NBA at the age of 22 and would be ready to contribute in Brooklyn immediately. I've been a big believer for a while and assume he'll be, at worst, a role player who positively impacts winning in a variety of ways. |
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22 | Noah Clowney | PF | ||||
Defensive versatility is a desired skill set these days, and it also happens to be Clowney's strongest attribute. The forward has a 7-2 wingspan and the necessary enthusiasm to guard different types of players all over the court. |
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23 | Kris Murray | PF | ||||
Much like his brother who plays for the Kings, Murray projects as a combo forward who can stretch the floor on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. The Iowa alum won't be a top-five pick like his twin was last year, but he should comfortably go somewhere in the first round. |
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24 | Brice Sensabaugh | SF | ||||
Sensabaugh, like Hendricks, was a sub-80 prospect in the Class of 2022 who was surprisingly great in his one year at Ohio State. If he improves as a perimeter defender, the wing with a reliable 3-point shot could get on the floor early and help Sacramento become real contenders in the West. |
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25 |
Brandin Podziemski Santa ClaraMOCK TRADE from BOS
|
SG | ||||
Mock Trade from: BOS The Celtics are in the market for a guard after trading Marcus Smart to Memphis. Podziemski is among the best shooters in this draft and could be a nice fit after making 43.8% of the 5.8 3-pointers he attempted this season while averaging 19.9 points per game for Santa Clara. |
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26 | Rayan Rupert | SF | ||||
Rupert remains unreliable offensively and very much a project. But he's a wing with a 7-3 wingspan who has all the prerequisites to be a great perimeter defender if his shooting comes around enough to make him playable at the NBA level. |
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27 | Olivier-Maxence Prosper | SF | ||||
Prosper emerged as a real first-round option after a wonderful performance at the combine. He's a forward with a 7-1 wingspan who can be a versatile defender thanks to a motor that runs full-speed. |
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28 | Jalen Wilson | SF | ||||
Wilson is the latest Kansas alum to develop into a legitimate NBA player after spending multiple years under Bill Self. He made a huge leap from his third season to his fourth season with the Jayhawks while earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors. |
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29 | Marcus Sasser | SG | ||||
Sasser is a combo guard who played a big role in helping Houston secure a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. His ability to be a playmaker and reliably make jumpers will give him a chance to stick in the NBA even if he is a little on the small side. |
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30 | Dariq Whitehead | SF | ||||
Whitehead's one not-so-great year at Duke is the main reason he might still be available at the bottom of the first round. But a bet on him is one worth making considering he has good positional size and shot 42.4% from 3-point range this season. |