Mock Drafts are cute until you realize that there will probably be a dozen first round picks moved around on Thursday night at Barclays Center. Bet you all know that Zion is going to New Orleans so if you came here to find out if David Griffin trades the fourth pick and Brandon Ingram for Bradley Beal you might be disappointed. You will have to tune in to the actual draft to find out about that. What you will find here is my guesstimate of the selection for each team at their current draft slot based on my very basic intel, my slightly less basic big board, and my extremely nuanced interpretation of team fit. In other words I have no freaking clue just like everyone else, but it’s fun to try and see what sticks! Each pick will have the player’s corresponding ranking from my Big Board in column ‘BB’.
Round 1
Pick | BB | Team | Player | Comments |
1 | 1 | Pelicans | Zion Williamson | The undisputed CBSR King will be served only the best beignets. |
2 | 2 | Grizzlies | Ja Morant | Fits as playmaker in two-man game with JJJ, who will help space the court offensively and protect Ja defensively. |
3 | 3 | Knicks | R.J. Barrett | Will MSG like Barrett as much as Barrett likes MSG? |
4 | 5 | Pelicans | Jarrett Culver | Culver is the choice if they keep the pick. |
5 | 8 | Cavaliers | Darius Garland | Garland is a better fit with Sexton than White. |
6 | 11 | Suns | Coby White | White and Booker would be a fun backcourt duo. |
7 | 9 | Bulls | Cam Reddish | Reddish drops to the patiently rebuilding Bulls. |
8 | 12 | Hawks | De’Andre Hunter | Seems like Hunter has been promised to not fall past this pick. |
9 | 7 | Wizards | Sekou Doumbouya | Wizard go for high upside mystery box in rebuild. |
10 | 6 | Hawks | Goga Bitadze | Bitadze is a nice complement to Collins. |
11 | 10 | Timberwolves | Brandon Clarke | Clarke and Covington make dynamic defensive duo. |
12 | 13 | Hornets | Jaxson Hayes | Hope is patience with Hayes pays off. |
13 | 15 | Heat | P.J. Washington | Washington could start for Heat as a rookie. |
14 | 20 | Celtics | Tyler Herro | Herro will be an interesting scoring option. |
15 | 24 | Pistons | Nassir Little | Pistons take risk on Little finding his mojo. |
16 | 14 | Magic | Romeo Langford | A potential Fultz-Langford backcourt worth it. |
17 | 17 | Hawks | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | SGA’s cousin, NAW will hope to earn immediate playing time. |
18 | 25 | Pacers | Rui Hachimura | Rui is a nice addition to Pacers squad looking for scoring. |
19 | 4 | Spurs | Bol Bol | Can’t see Bol dropping past this pick. |
20 | 19 | Celtics | Keldon Johnson | Confident kid who can contribute immediately. |
21 | 22 | Thunder | Cameron Johnson | Thunder get the most proven shooter in the draft. |
22 | 21 | Celtics | Kevin Porter Jr. | With so many picks, Celtics go for potential here. |
23 | 23 | Grizzlies | Luka Samanic | Samanic a nice fit with JJJ in Grizzlies rebuild. |
24 | 18 | 76ers | Matisse Thybulle | 76ers get their Covington replacement. |
25 | 16 | Blazers | Grant Williams | Grant could contribute to a playoff team as a rookie. |
26 | 28 | Cavaliers | Mfiondu Kabengele | A nice fit with Love. |
27 | 18 | Nets | Bruno Fernando | A potential lottery pick earlier this year. |
28 | 33 | Warriors | Nicolas Claxton | GSW get the versatile two-way C they crave. |
29 | 34 | Spurs | KZ Okpala | KZ is the kind of ball of clay that Spurs can mold. |
30 | 30 | Pistons | Ty Jerome | National champ can make an immediate impact. |
Round 2
Pick | BB | Team | Player | Comments |
31 | 36 | Nets | Darius Bazley | The right spot and right team to develop Bazley. |
32 | 35 | Suns | Luguentz Dort | Brings toughness to team lacking physical defenders. |
33 | 37 | 76ers | Carsen Edwards | Immediate contributor and replacement for TJ. |
34 | 29 | 76ers | Dylan Windler | Another player than can help the Sixers ‘win now’ |
35 | 32 | Hawks | Talen Horton-Tucker | A nice replacement for the departed Taurean Prince. |
36 | 42 | Hornets | Eric Paschall | Undersized 4/5 that can bring some needed offense. |
37 | 26 | Mavericks | Chuma Okeke | Mavs can use Okeke’s interior defense. |
38 | 43 | Bulls | Isaiah Roby | Roby has nice feel for the game and fits with Carter. |
39 | 27 | Pelicans | Jontay Porter | Serious injury concerns with lottery potential. |
40 | 39 | Kings | Daniel Gafford | Poor motor and fundamentals mitigate the explosiveness. |
41 | 38 | Warriors | Admiral Schofield | Really competitive kid shows consistent skill development. |
42 | 31 | 76ers | Shamorie Ponds | Well rounded offensive skill set comes in diminutive package. |
43 | 40 | Timberwolves | Louis King | Nice 3pt shooter with playmaking question marks. |
44 | 46 | Heat | Deividas Sirvydis | Impressive production for 18 year-old in Europe. |
45 | 49 | Pistons | Jalen Lecque | Great athlete that will need to play under control. |
46 | 62 | Magic | Jalen McDaniels | Defender and playmaker that lacked consistency. |
47 | 55 | Kings | Zach Norvell | Inconsistent overall, needs to be a great shot-maker. |
48 | 66 | Clippers | Charles Matthews | Tough defender that will need to recover from ACL tear. |
49 | 53 | Spurs | Joshua Obiesie | Great size and creativity for a lead guard with shooting mechanics issues. |
50 | 41 | Pacers | Terence Davis | Finding scorers will be a theme for Pacers. |
51 | 44 | Celtics | Tremont Waters | Scoring off the dribble could make him a late steal. |
52 | 50 | Hornets | Jordan Poole | Creative flashy scorer that can score off the Hornets bench. |
53 | 47 | Jazz | DaQuan Jeffries | Tough athlete that needs to improve decision-making. |
54 | 48 | 76ers | Iggy Brazdeikis | Scoring instincts and grit for a team lacking bench depth. |
55 | 58 | Knicks | Jordan Bone | Knicks fans will be enamored with Bone’s athleticism. |
56 | 64 | Clippers | Miye Oni | Ivy League star will need to prove himself against stiffer competition. |
57 | 52 | Pelicans | Yovel Zoosman | Successful winner at junior FIBA competitions. |
58 | 51 | Warriors | Alen Smailagic | G-League sensation goes to the parent club. |
59 | 69 | Raptors | Cody Martin | Tough defender that needs to improve shooting. |
60 | 59 | Kings | Sagaba Konate | Undersized energetic rim protector. |
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