2023 Mock Draft 2.0: Spurs roll the dice, Hornets win Wembanyama sweepstakes

Don't look now, but the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery is only days away, and anticipation is quickly growing to see which team will walk away as the winners of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The San Antonio Spurs, being one of the bottom-three teams in the league, have the highest chances of landing Wembanyama along with the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons.

It's been about a month since we released our first mock draft of the season, which served more as an introduction to the class' top prospects than a prediction of the actual outcome of the draft. But with the lottery approaching, we decided to take a slightly different approach for our second mock draft. While the draft order in our first version was based on league standings rather than a lottery simulation, we ran a Tankathon simulation to get our draft order this time around.

While we took a player-first approach to our first mock draft, aiming to primarily introduce people to players and their skill sets, this time around, we're bringing team context into the fold when we give our reasoning for each pick. Although we talk more about team context this time, our approach to each selection remains the same: pick the best available players first and figure out team fit later, unless a team's past drafts suggest they'll take a different approach, which we'll specify when appropriate.

With all that in mind, let's get the Air Alamo NBA Mock Draft 2.0 started.

We’ll be talking more about Victor Wembanyama in the coming days before the NBA Draft Lottery, but if there’s anything about him that makes him a truly one-of-one player in his draft class, let alone many drafts before him, it’s that he defies the concept of both team fit and context. Will some NBA teams have lingering longevity/injury concerns? Sure, but unless damning information is revealed during the draft process regarding his health, there will not be an NBA front office that will pass up on him at #1 overall. 

Wembanyama has the chance to be a generational rim-protecting prospect that has an unprecedented amount of isolation moves in his bag as a 7’5” center. When I say that he’s a prospect nobody has seen before, that is not hyperbole. He’ll need to turn his playmaking flashes into a consistent tool in his bag, and ideally, he’ll improve his efficiency as a shooter from three. But his ceiling is so astronomically high that any team, regardless of their core’s timeline, ambiguity about team fit, concerns over Wembanyama’s health, etc., will not pass on him. In this case, though, he’ll slot in perfectly in Charlotte’s lineup.

The Portland Trail Blazers hold the #2 overall pick in this mock draft, and this is where things could begin to get interesting. The organization is notably in a precarious position with Damian Lillard as it appears he’s growing tired and frustrated with the organization’s inability to create a viable championship-caliber team around him. And this #2 overall pick will likely be viewed in two ways with Damian Lillard in mind: the team either selects who is perhaps the most NBA-ready wing in the draft class that would slot in perfectly next to Lillard, or they select the point guard that will act as Lillard’s successor, who also happens to have superstar upside of his own.

If you’re asking me, this is a non-decision. The Trail Blazers, even outside of Lillard, have several marketable players that will fetch them draft compensation in trades were they to take the plunge into a full rebuild. And considering how impressive Shaedon Sharpe’s flashes of brilliance were this past season, the Trail Blazers would have the chance to form one of the youngest, most dynamic, and most athletic backcourts in the entire league. It’ll be understandable if big fans of Lillard advocate for Brandon Miller with this pick, but Scoot Henderson is the no-brainer selection for me here.

Many view this draft as having a consensus top three at this moment, with the second and third-best players being Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller, so I won’t be surprised at all if Spurs fans believe this pick would be a no-brainer just as it was for Portland. But to be fully transparent, I do not share that belief, and I think the 3rd overall selection could be the most difficult pick to predict for the San Antonio Spurs were they to land at #3 overall in the lottery.

In this mock draft, I have the Spurs throwing fans, and perhaps even other front offices, a massive curveball and selecting Ausar Thompson. This selection is based on four principles that I think may hold true for the Spurs in this scenario: (1) the team believes they’ll be in a position for another top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, (2) the team’s number-one priority with this selection is positional versatility, (3) the team views Ausar Thompson as having the best balance of risk versus reward at #3 overall, and (4) the team has a strong desire to continue building defensive infrastructure.

Could the Spurs go the more obvious route and select Miller in this scenario? Absolutely, but if Miller is then expected to develop into the Spurs’ primary offensive option, that would mean the team fully buys into Miller’s ability to develop as an athlete and ball-handler. And even then, I doubt Miller would ever have the defensive upside that both Thompson twins possess. In this way, I would see the Spurs selecting Miller as more of a floor-raiser for the team rather than a ceiling-raiser.

On the other hand, the Spurs could also be swayed by the tremendous upside of Ausar’s brother Amen at 3rd overall, but Amen’s success at the next level will likely be predicated on him having the ball in his hands very often. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing if the Spurs are hyper-confident in Amen’s upside as a number-one option, I’m not quite sure the Spurs will be willing to gamble on him for reasons I’ll get into a bit later, particularly if his development means taking the ball out of other Spurs players’ hands and having to make tough roster decisions sooner rather than later.

If the Spurs believed at one point that Josh Primo could have developed into a primary ball-handler and are also comfortable enough in the present day to give Jeremy Sochan occasional minutes as the team’s primary ball-handler, you best believe that they’ll allow Ausar Thompson to experiment early in his career. But at the same time, we’ve seen during his time at Overtime Elite that he’s capable of playing away from the ball on offense and remaining effective, meaning that his development won’t necessarily hinge on him having the ball in his hands at all times. 

While Ausar may not quite have the upside his brother does, he has underrated upside of his own when considering his combination of athleticism, ball-handling ability, playmaking, on- and off-ball defensive versatility, and even shooting potential. This pick would undeniably shock many onlookers, including seasoned analysts, but when considering the Spurs’ trust in their own development system and their confidence to go against the grain in the draft, this wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

If I’m the Detroit Pistons brass and Brandon Miller is still available at #4 overall, I’m making sure to sprint to the podium to take the Alabama freshman off the board. Unlike the Spurs, who are still very early in their rebuild, the Pistons have their primary option in Cade Cunningham along with a couple of high-upside building blocks (Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren) to complement him, both of whom have looked the part of outstanding supporting pieces at the very least. Plainly, this pick wouldn’t have to get too philosophical. 

As outstanding of a scorer as Miller is, I don’t think he has the superstar upside that Wembanyama and Henderson both have, and I think even the Thompson twins could become better players if their development goes particularly well. But size, shooting, and fluidity tend to stick on some level in the NBA pretty reliably, which is why I consider Miller to be one of the safer picks toward the top of the draft board. 

Were Miller to be selected by Detroit, he wouldn’t have to worry about developing into a reliable advantage creator early in his career. Rather, he would be able to maximize his offensive strengths playing off of the Pistons’ dynamic Cunningham-Ivey backcourt, operating mostly as a spot-up and movement shooter while only occasionally taking defenders off the dribble. Considering that Miller is already comfortable with putting the ball on the floor, pulling up in the midrange, and making plays for teammates when he can’t score on his own, Miller would round out the Pistons’ offense quite well while still being able to hold his own on defense.

Amen Thompson is very frequently selected as high as 3rd overall in most mock drafts you’ll see circulating online, and he certainly has the upside to warrant such a high selection. Amen will likely be a top-five athlete immediately upon entry into the NBA with his blitzing first step being his most impressive and identifiable athletic trait. He, more than anyone else in his draft class, makes blowing by a defender look nearly effortless.

Being that Amen is also likely the most talented playmaker in his class, his upside as a primary advantage creator is undeniably high. Theoretically, when he’s unable to finish at the rim or pull up from the midrange, opposing defenses will have already collapsed on him to the point that Amen should be able to make a play for a wide-open teammate. As I alluded to earlier, though, it isn’t some foregone conclusion that this is what will play out for Amen in reality, particularly if he struggles to score early in his career.

Because of his freakish athleticism, Amen is frequently compared to Ja Morant. While Morant uses that athleticism to get to the rim, however, it’s his otherworldly touch (with both hands) that allows him to finish “through the trees,” so to speak, and find success as a scorer despite average to below-average distance shooting. While I wouldn’t necessarily assert that Amen has bad touch, or even less-than-good touch, it was evident that he struggled to finish around the rim more than he probably should have given his size—particularly in the half-court. Considering these struggles also came against highly questionable (and younger) competition, this leaves me skeptical of Amen’s touch at best and full-on concerned at worst.

With that in mind, roster fit is going to be very important for Amen early in his career. More specifically, a roster where he’s surrounded by high-level shooters and shot-creators will give Amen more space to operate in the paint and develop better touch around the rim. The Houston Rockets’ roster, featuring the likes of Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., strikes me as one of the teams best suited to add a primary creator like Amen Thompson.

The Orlando Magic are up next at #6 overall, and with their first of two 1st round picks, they select Villanova freshman Cam Whitmore. After adding now-Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero to their roster this past offseason, the Magic have quite obviously found their #1 option on offense and will now be tasked with adding more complementary pieces around him.

I noted last draft that the Magic would have quite a bit of pressure to get the pick “right,” being that it was the #1 overall selection in a class that didn’t have a clear #1 prospect. And while they won’t have as much pressure to make the “right” pick this year, being that they already accomplished the difficult task of finding their primary option, I think it’s unlikely we see the Magic with this high of a pick for a while. And being that the team has two lottery picks in this mock draft, I think they can afford to take a bit of a swing with this first one.

With that in mind, being that the team is in need of the most help on the wing—particularly at the small forward position—swinging on a high-upside power-wing like Cam Whitmore makes quite a bit of sense here. The Magic can initially task Whitmore with using his strong frame to play hard-nosed defense and grab rebounds, hit the occasional spot-up three-pointer, and maximize his cutting ability among several talented playmakers. Simultaneously, though, the Magic can remain patient with his development and potentially turn him into something much greater than a complementary role player. 

The Indiana Pacers should have a pretty simple approach at this point in the draft: pick the best player available that will complement Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin, and to a lesser extent, Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard as well. But just as importantly, the Pacers are sorely in need of defensive upside as this is something that their core is generally lacking as a unit, perhaps outside of Chris Duarte.

Thankfully for the Pacers, two names that are still available immediately stick out in a big way: Houston’s Jarace Walker and UCF’s Taylor Hendricks. Both players are big, switchable defenders that are solid athletes and possess some shooting upside—all things I would be ecstatic to find in a draft pick at 7th overall. Frankly, this could be a bit of a toss-up, but in this case, I have the Pacers selecting who I think would be the better match for a team with Rick Carlisle at the helm in Walker.

Determining which player has the higher ceiling is a bit difficult in this instance—Hendricks is the more fluid athlete and is the more polished shot-blocker and three-point shooter, and despite still being quite raw, has shown a few interesting flashes of self-creation on offense. But Walker is the more polished two-way player at this point with more developed ancillary skills; namely his ball-handling ability and playmaking. If I were forced to guess, I’d say that Indiana will value the connective tissue that Walker can provide on both ends of the floor ever so slightly more than Hendricks’ safer shooting projection.

For those of you thinking that the Spurs may be the biggest wild card in this mock draft, I think that award would actually go to the Washington Wizards. The team’s drafting strategy has already felt relatively directionless to begin with over the past few seasons, but when also considering the team still also lacks a general manager, that takes an already-unpredictable team and makes them a total enigma.

The team certainly has an interesting core, composed of Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, and recent draftees Corey Kispert and Johnny Davis, but there’s no telling whether or not that core is a viable championship-contending roster even with the perfect player to bring the whole group together. For the purpose of this mock draft, though, we’re going to assume that the Wizards keep the gang all together, for better or for worse, because that sounds like the more Wizards thing to do.

This organization has greatly struggled to develop their draft picks in a meaningful way over the past several years, so if they are going to keep their current group together, assuming this pick isn’t shopped in a trade, they’d need to go with a player that fits well in the team’s rotations and can contribute immediately. Cason Wallace strikes me as the player that comes the closest to fitting that description, but if the Wizards were to throw a real curveball, I think Kobe Bufkin could be in play here as well.

When it comes to the Utah Jazz, a squad that was largely believed to end up being one of the worst teams in the league after trading their two cornerstone players, Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, many don’t seem to know what to think. Walker Kessler, who seemingly fell into the team’s lap as an insignificant piece of the Rudy Gobert trade, is now all of a sudden a member of the All-Rookie 1st Team. Meanwhile, Lauri Markkanen won this season’s Most Improved Player award, Ochai Agbaji has shown some promising flashes, and Collin Sexton is there too. 

These things are all very positive developments no doubt, and I expect to see at least a couple of those players in Jazz uniforms for years to come, but I’m not concerned about roster fit right now if I’m a decision-maker in Utah’s front office. The Jazz are approaching Oklahoma City levels of draft compensation from trades with more picks possibly on the way in the next few years, so I’m going upside hunting. 

Taylor Hendricks, GG Jackson, Anthony Black, Keyonte George, Kobe Bufkin, Brice Sensabaugh, and others are all reasonable options at 9th overall, but in this case, Hendricks is likely the safest player of the bunch without compromising on upside. Like with Brandon Miller, NBA teams can’t really go wrong with size and shooting, particularly at this point in the draft.

I view the Dallas Mavericks similarly to how I viewed the Orlando Magic in last year’s draft in that they’re going to be under immense pressure to get the pick right. With that in mind, though, I think it would really sting for the organization to see Cason Wallace and Taylor Hendricks get selected in consecutive picks right before their chance to walk up to the podium. Defense and off-ball offensive upside should be the team’s top priorities in the draft, but with how things have played out thus far, they’d likely need to pick between one or the other.

There’s one player left on the board that could fulfill both needs, but many will see this as a reach. I am not one of those people, though, so here I have the Mavericks taking Duke big man Dereck Lively at 10th overall. Lively’s shooting is almost entirely theoretical on a functional level, as he was barely able to show any of it during his freshman season at Duke, but it’s Lively’s elite rim protection and rim finishing that would convince Dallas to pull the trigger on him earlier than the consensus suggests.

Perimeter defense and shooting are just as attainable and debatably a bit more reliable when they’re found in the free-agent market as opposed to the draft, particularly when you’re picking toward the back end of the lottery. While guys like Gradey Dick and Jordan Hawkins would certainly add a dose of off-ball shooting to the mix, both have defensive question marks. And while Anthony Black and Kobe Bufkin could each add a good dose of perimeter defense, their fit on offense next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is questionable at best. 

Dereck Lively is quite mobile and even a bit switchable for a big man prospect, which should allow the Mavericks some scheme versatility on that end of the floor depending on who else they acquire in the free-agent market. And while his shooting is unproven, his efficiency around the rim makes up for that lack of shooting and then some. Considering Lively will also be upgrading from Tyrese Proctor and Jeremy Roach to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as his pick-and-roll partners, he could look like a completely different player on offense next season as a part of this roster.

The Orlando Magic are back at the podium for their second lottery pick after selecting Cam Whitmore 6th overall, and now that they’ve taken one last swing, I think they’ll opt to go a more predictable route to round out their roster. At 11th overall, that more predictable route comes via Kansas’ Gradey Dick, who many view as one of, if not the best movement shooter in his class. 

Adding Dick to the roster will allow the Magic to explore the trade market for Gary Harris, who is quite easily the team’s best three-point shooter at this stage and will be on an expiring contract this coming season. Trading Harris and replacing him with Dick in rotations, in turn, should give the Magic more freedom to roll Jalen Suggs out in a variety of lineups without having to worry about floor spacing.

Dick has some interesting upside of his own despite not being a top-tier athlete, as his feel for the game as a connective playmaker and nose for rebounding often go a bit overlooked. Developing Dick’s defense will be a point of emphasis early in his career, but going to a team where he’s surrounded by good positional size and some defensive upside to spare—particularly after just selecting Cam Whitmore—should afford him more time to develop on that end of the floor.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are also in need of more three-point shooting away from the ball, so seeing Gradey Dick get taken off the board immediately before their selection may sting a bit. But just as importantly, the Thunder need to get bigger while also ensuring they find a player that can play next to Chet Holmgren in lineups. A physical 4-man that can take on physically bigger defensive matchups, grab rebounds, and finish plays at and around the rim would be perfect for the team, and that’s exactly who they get in Leonard Miller.

Miller likely won’t contribute any time soon as a spot-up shooting threat, but I think he checks too many other boxes for the Thunder to pass on at this point in the draft, and considering how many other picks they’ll have in the coming years, the Thunder can afford to take a home run swing or two more than just about any other team. This is what I would consider a smart swing, though, as Miller has already been extraordinarily productive in his lone season with the G-League Ignite.

At worst, Miller can be a play finisher that is active on the boards for rebounds and takes on tough defensive assignments on the other end of the floor. At best, particularly if Chip Engelland can work his magic, Miller could be the Thunder’s beacon of two-way versatility as a multi-positional defender that can put the ball on the floor and use his size to punish teams around the bucket, make plays for others when he can’t score on his own, and maybe even hit a three every now and then. Miller’s upside is tremendous if all goes his way, and OKC will likely recognize that.

It feels as if the Toronto Raptors are at a crossroads with their roster, particularly after Nick Nurse’s dismissal, so this is yet another team that could be wildly unpredictable on draft night and beyond. I think the team’s only truly safe player is former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes as the team has made it pretty clear that he’s untouchable in trade talks. So, while I don’t necessarily think the Raptors are eager to part ways with Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby, finding a player that makes sense next to Barnes is at the forefront of my mind here.

Anthony Black is likely the best player available at this point in the draft, but Kobe Bufkin strikes me as a player that teams can’t really go wrong with, and considering where the Raptors are in their team-building process at the moment, I think the slightly safer and more versatile option makes a bit more sense here. Bufkin is capable of running the offense as a primary ball-handler when the rock isn’t in Barnes’ hands, but he can also play off of Barnes as an efficient scorer when Barnes takes on lead guard duties. 

This selection should not be considered a reach, however, as Bufkin certainly has lottery-worthy upside of his own and could be picked even earlier than this. He has good size at roughly 6’4”, plays aggressive defense—on and off the ball—despite having a tendency to gamble, and was impressively efficient around the rim and at the free-throw line, indicating that better three-point shooting is very realistic in the near future.

This selection gives the Raptors a ball-handling guard that can contribute now on both ends of the floor in a complementary role within the current roster. But if the Raptors were to take the plunge into a rebuild and begin fielding more offers for Siakam and Anunoby, Bufkin is versatile enough and has enough long-term upside to be a serious building block next to Scottie Barnes as well. 

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a strange place at the moment, with Zion Williamson having near-constant injury issues that tend to keep him sidelined for long stretches of time. This is right around the point in the draft where trades could become a bigger possibility and I wouldn’t completely rule out that possibility for the Pelicans specifically, who could afford to get another player that could help in a playoff run sooner rather than later.

If the Pelicans do keep this pick, however, I expect them to try and find a player that could be seen as an immediate roster upgrade. And as big of a Dyson Daniels fan as I am, I think Anthony Black could be a near-immediate upgrade coming off the bench and stylistically plays a very similar game to Daniels. 

While I expect a few other players to be in consideration at 14th overall—namely Bilal Coulibaly, Keyonte George, and Brice Sensabaugh—I think the Pelicans would value Black’s combination of immediate defensive upside, playmaking ability, and positional size a bit more than the other names here. I don’t particularly love any player for the Pelicans this late in the lottery, which is why I consider a trade to be a strong possibility here, but if the draft were to shake out like this, going with the best player available is likely the team’s next-best option.

The Atlanta Hawks are likely another team that will be feeling a good amount of pressure to get their pick right assuming they actually keep it, and I think there are several potential options for the team here in this scenario. The team is in desperate need of a player that can pick up tough defensive assignments on the perimeter, play off-ball on offense as a cutter and/or spot-up shooter, and perhaps even handle the ball a bit in a secondary or tertiary role.

Finding a player that fulfills all of those needs without compromising on upside is a tough ask in the middle of the 1st round, but one player still on the board sticks out as having enough upside in all three areas: Sidy Cissoko. At 6’8” and roughly 220 pounds, he has good positional size and athleticism to defend multiple positions on the perimeter, has found some success playing in an off-ball role with the G-League Ignite despite playing more of a ball-dominant role in years past, and has some upside to spare as a spot-up shooter.

This wouldn’t be a flashy pick by any means, and I would expect some fans to be underwhelmed with the team taking Cissoko over a few higher-profile names, but considering that he was productive in a professional league as one of the younger names in his draft class, I’m convinced this would be an incredibly smart pick by the Hawks.

For the record, despite many mock drafts having GG Jackson being selected as late as the 20s, I think 16th overall to the Utah Jazz is Jackson’s absolute floor and that he stands a good chance of being selected far earlier than this. And in fact, I think Jackson will be in play as early as the Jazz’s 9th overall pick, if not a spot or two earlier. Jackson’s stats and some reported questions surrounding his character will likely have many convinced that he’s too risky to be a lottery pick, but I have a hard time believing there won’t be at least one team willing to gamble on his tools.

Team and timeline fit will both be very important for Jackson’s development, which is why he falls all the way past the lottery in this mock draft. Teams like the Mavericks, Pelicans, and Hawks all strike me as teams that would be bad fits for Jackson in terms of their respective timelines, being that all of those teams are looking to compete sooner rather than later. Meanwhile, teams like the Magic and Thunder are already heavily invested in their recent picks and may not want to take on another long-term project like Jackson.

The Jazz are a team that can afford not only to take some swings but also to be patient in their players’ development. Will Hardy and company will undoubtedly help Jackson become a more disciplined and fundamentally sound defender while also allowing him meaningful playing time and offensive reps. If Jackson’s development goes according to plan, 16th overall will look far, far too low in retrospect.

Similar to Jackson, I think 17th overall to the Los Angeles Lakers will be the latest we see Baylor guard Keyonte George selected in the draft. While the Lakers have managed to turn their season around in a big way, seeing as they’re leading their playoff series 3 games to 1 against the Warriors as I type this, thinking toward the future will be just as important for the Lakers as finding someone that can contribute now.

Keyonte George will benefit in the league by not having too many offensive responsibilities early in his career. Not only would that be the case if he were to join the Lakers, but he’d also have the opportunity to study under LeBron James before taking on more offensive responsibilities in the future. And in the meantime, George can act as a spot-up threat away from the ball, fine-tune his playmaking to improve his turnover rate, and focus more on playing the hard-nosed defense that he’s fully capable of playing.

George struggled from an efficiency standpoint in his lone season at Baylor, but he’s a far better shooter than the stats likely suggest. If he can continue to improve as an athlete and playmaker, a Jamal Murray-like role could be a realistic long-term outcome for George. At 17th overall, even having the opportunity to take a chance on such a player should be seen as a big win for the Lakers.

The Miami Heat are undeniably the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the postseason, so having a pick in the late teens should feel like icing on the proverbial cake for their front office. This is yet another pick that I think could be dangled in the open market as trade bait, but the Heat’s front office won’t just give it away for nothing, especially considering who could still be left on the board at 18th overall.

A number of backup centers could be in play here, but I think the Heat will be swayed by an offensive-minded guard if one is still available, and in this case, I think that player is Ohio State freshman Brice Sensabaugh. Sensabaugh has a case to be the most polished three-level scorer in the entire draft with a deadly pull-up game that only intensifies that scoring ability. While Sensabaugh’s defense still leaves a lot to be desired, that’s why the Miami Heat are one of my favorite landing spots for him.

At 6’6” and roughly 235 pounds, Sensabaugh is a strong-bodied combo guard that has the requisite athletic tools to guard two or three positions in the NBA, but fundamentals and discipline are where he often falls short on that end of the floor. In that way, what could be better for him than going through a Jimmy Butler boot camp in Miami? 

After a few seasons of taking some big swings on high-upside prospects in the draft before returning to championship contention this past season, the Golden State Warriors have found themselves in a place where those swings haven’t really paid off in a meaningful way and their depth is suffering a bit as a result. While Steph Curry is just as capable of erupting for some legendary playoff performances as he’s ever been, there’s no telling how long the rest of the roster is going to be sticking around.

If you’re asking me, assuming the Warriors’ goal is to extend their championship window for as long as possible, they need to prioritize finding players that are willing to contribute in a complementary role but that have also proven themselves capable of succeeding in high-stakes games. UConn’s Jordan Hawkins represents that kind of a player to a T, and even if it means having to find a trade to offload some of the team’s other young role players that haven’t quite panned out, he should be the pick.

Hawkins is one of the most reliable movement shooters in the class and could tremendously benefit from studying under and playing off of Steph Curry. But at roughly 6’5”, Hawkins could conceivably also defend both guard positions on-ball and make occasional defensive plays away from the ball as well.

After selecting Amen Thompson earlier in the draft, the Houston Rockets now possess their backcourt of the future and can now focus more on building the supporting infrastructure. The Rockets’ defense was a royal mess this past season, and while adding Thompson to the roster is certainly a step in the right direction, I think the team would be wise to go one step further and add Bilal Coulibaly to the mix.

Coulibaly is far from being a finished product on offense—his ability to put the ball on the floor and create for himself is still quite limited, his shot prep and confidence in shooting spot-up threes can use some work, and his playmaking is very hit-or-miss. But the Rockets already possess a lot of offensive firepower at this point, so the team can afford to be patient with Coulibaly’s development on that end of the floor.

On the other hand, Coulibaly’s perimeter defense is what would get him drafted here, as he debatably has the highest defensive upside of anyone left on the board at 20th overall. He’s lanky enough to defend multiple positions, has good athletic tools, possesses a plus wingspan, moves his feet well, and fights through screens effectively. If he can make some tweaks to his shooting and become efficient from three, he’ll be a fantastic 3-and-D option at this point in the draft.

The Brooklyn Nets are now up at the podium for two picks in a row, and I think they’ll be approaching this draft as if they’re starting over from square one. The team still holds onto some very good young players in Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Nic Claxton, and a few others, but I think it’s more likely than not that most of them end up leaving the team within the next few seasons, if not the next few months.

With the first of their two picks, the Nets select Indiana freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino, who at this point in the draft is likely the highest-upside lead guard prospect available. Hood-Schifino has great positional size for a point guard, standing at about 6’6”, is one of the most poised pick-and-roll playmakers in his class, and has upside as a scorer on all three levels.

A lack of scoring consistency is why Hood-Schifino fell so far in this mock draft, as he only hit about 33% of his threes on the season and only shot 2.4 free throws per game. But the Nets of all teams should have plenty of time and patience to iron out his woes as a scorer, making this one of the better landing spots for Hood-Schifino long term.

With their second pick in a row, the Nets then select Duke freshman Dariq Whitehead to pair with Hood-Schifino in the backcourt. The Nets’ time and patience in their rebuild factors into this decision similar to how it did with their previous selection in that the Nets can afford to ramp Whitehead up slowly coming off yet another foot surgery. 

For those that are unaware or may have forgotten, Whitehead was once considered to be one of the top NBA prospects in college basketball coming into the season but struggled to find his footing as a result of his injuries. Most notably, his athleticism appeared to be pretty significantly impacted, resulting in him struggling to create separation against defenders, explode into passing lanes on defense, and finish above the rim. Foot injuries can be particularly risky and debilitating, with Spurs center Zach Collins being a prime example, and NBA teams may struggle to buy into him as a result.

With that in mind, though, Whitehead still hit nearly 43% of his threes and wasn’t exactly a negative asset on either end of the floor. Those looking at stats alone may not quite understand this selection, but if you’ve been paying attention to him since his time at Montverde, you’ll know that Whitehead falling this far in the draft could look foolish in a few years were he to return to his pre-injury form.

Portland is back at the podium after selecting Scoot Henderson at #2 overall earlier in the draft, and keeping with their theme of otherworldly athleticism, I have the Trail Blazers giving Henderson a freakishly athletic pick-and-roll partner in F.C. Barcelona’s James Nnaji. While Henderson would serve as Damian Lillard’s successor, Nnaji would serve as a replacement for the aging Jusuf Nurkic and would provide the team with a completely different dynamic in the paint.

Nnaji is the first player in this mock draft that was not featured in our first mock draft of the season, but make no mistake: Nnaji stands a good chance of being selected in the first round based on his production in a professional league that often does not leave any room in rotations for developmental minutes. In his 24 Liga ACB games that he’s played—only averaging just over 12 minutes per game—Nnaji put up 4.8 points, 3 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game. 

With Portland, Nnaji would likely serve primarily as an aggressive rebounder and play-finisher on offense, but he has very real potential to be a defensive anchor in the paint with a bit of switchability on the perimeter. He’s impressively mobile for his massive 6’10”, 225-pound frame (at only 18 years old no less), times blocks impeccably well, and has a motor that almost never stops. 

The Sacramento Kings should be incredibly proud of the run they put together this postseason, but addressing their lackluster defense needs to be priority #1 this offseason and beyond if they’re ever to become a viable championship-caliber team with their current core. If the Kings don’t mind compromising on offensive upside with the player they select here, then I think Andre Jackson Jr. or even Jordan Walsh could be in play here, but ultimately I think the team would be more optimistic with Rayan Rupert if he’s still available. 

Rupert’s defensive upside is by far his main selling point as a prospect, and it should mean something to many decision-makers around the league that he was getting meaningful minutes on a championship-contending New Zealand Breakers team as one of their best wing-stoppers. But it’s Rupert’s upside as a ball-handler, playmaker, and shooter that will likely get teams more excited about him compared to other offensively-limited wings that may be selected after him.

Rupert’s abilities to put the ball on the floor and make plays for others should make the Kings confident that he won’t be a ball-stopper on offense even if the shooting doesn’t come along. But more importantly, the team will gain a defensive playmaker that can be thrown onto opposing teams’ best players and push the pace in transition when he creates turnovers.

It’s a bit of a challenge to predict what the Memphis Grizzlies will do in the draft after an underwhelming playoff run, particularly considering that it looks like Dillon Brooks will be wearing a different jersey next season. If the Grizzlies do keep this pick, though, I expect them to prioritize two-way versatility and NBA readiness being that they’ve already taken on several developmental projects in the past few drafts.

While I could easily the Grizzlies making a very Grizzlies pick and throwing the dice on Maxwell Lewis’ upside, I think they’ll value the two-way versatility of Colby Jones a bit more even if it means compromising on offensive upside a bit. At 6’6”, Jones brings the playmaking of a lead guard, some underrated scoring chops, and fundamentally sound off-ball defense. He isn’t the most athletic player left on the board, nor does he possess the most upside on either end of the floor, but his positional ambiguity should make him playable in some capacity regardless of the moves the team makes in free agency.

A good combination of size and skill rarely goes wrong in the modern NBA, and at this point in the draft, Jones has the best blend of both and would give the Grizzlies the most roster flexibility moving forward.

After selecting Jarace Walker and securing their defensive anchor earlier in the draft, the Indiana Pacers are back at the podium and this time opt to take a swing on more offensive firepower. With the 26th overall pick, the Pacers select Pepperdine sophomore Maxwell Lewis. Lewis cooled off considerably throughout the draft cycle after at one point being considered a potential lottery pick, but the tools for long-term success are still very much there despite his inconsistencies.

This is a bit of an awkward place for the Pacers to be selecting, especially since they’ll be back up at the podium for a third time with the 28th overall pick, so I think both of these later picks could be dealt in a trade to move up the draft board. But if the Pacers do end up keeping both later picks, swinging for upside while they still can is probably the better route for the team while their roster is still young. 

There are still some notable high-upside players left on the board that the Pacers would be passing on by selecting Lewis here, but as far as 1st round wing prospects go, I’d say Lewis has the best odds at improving as a defender at the next level. Combine that with the fact that the Pacers’ biggest positional need after taking Walker also happens to be at the small forward spot, and this pick would make a good amount of sense here.

The Charlotte Hornets are back at the podium after making the easiest choice on the planet with Victor Wembanyama earlier in the draft, and with the 27th overall pick, they select who could make for an outstanding role player next to Wembanyama in Jett Howard.

The advantage-creating potential of a roster featuring both LaMelo Ball and Victor Wembanyama is astronomical, so the sensible thing for the team to do in that scenario would be to add more off-ball offensive threats into the mix, and that’s precisely what they would get with Howard. He’s fallen so far in this draft due to athletic and defensive concerns that cap his ceiling on that end of the floor pretty significantly, but those issues could be masked by Charlotte’s newfound defensive infrastructure in this scenario.

Howard is very safely one of the better long-distance shooters in his draft class, and having to worry about defending against that shooting in addition to Wembanyama, Ball, PJ Washington, and others should make a lot of teams very nervous. If Howard’s periodic flashes of playmaking also translate to the NBA, that will only add another concerning fold to Charlotte’s offense that other teams will have to keep in mind. In my eyes, not a lot of thought would have to go into this selection.

The Utah Jazz are back up for the 28th overall pick after selecting Taylor Hendricks and GG Jackson earlier in the 1st round, and I’m still taking the upside-swinging approach if I’m the Jazz. Thankfully, in this mock draft, the Jazz practically had Arkansas freshman Nick Smith Jr. fall right into their lap, and I think they take that opportunity to select a potential successor to Jordan Clarkson.

Like Dariq Whitehead, Nick Smith Jr. was hampered by an injury for a good portion of the college basketball season and had some struggles as a result. He left a lot to be desired as a playmaker and overall decision-maker, and while he may have a bit more defensive upside than many give him credit for, his potential is largely theoretical at this point due to his small frame and subpar decision-making. 

Similar to GG Jackson, though, the Jazz can afford to be patient with Smith’s development at the moment. If he can slowly learn to read the floor better, with or without the ball and on both ends of the floor, he’ll be well on his way to looking closer to how he did in high school. If he can do that and build on his frame, there’s a chance he can re-kindle a lot of that top-ten-level excitement he had coming into the college basketball season.

The Indiana Pacers are once again (for the final time) up at the podium in the 1st round of the draft, and with the 29th overall pick, they swing big on Alabama freshman Noah Clowney. Clowney was another name not featured in our first mock draft, primarily because he still has such a raw offensive game. But the Pacers may not have the luxury of being able to take big swings for much longer before they find themselves having to fill their roster with proven role players to complement their core.

Outside of Myles Turner, the Pacers don’t have too much length on their roster and Isaiah Jackson hasn’t made quite enough noise to sway the team away from drafting more help in the frontcourt. Clowney projects as more of a true center compared to Jackson, who’s a bit on the small side, looks to have a far more developed jump shot, and is likely the more versatile defender. 

Clowney will have to continue developing as an athlete, building some sort of in-between game, and confidently letting the ball fly from three if he’s to reach his ceiling, but if all goes well in his development, he could look like a big steal later on.

Finally, with the 30th and final pick in the 1st round of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Clippers select Iowa’s Kris Murray. The 6’8” forward, who happens to be the twin brother of Kings rookie Keegan Murray, had an impressive season as Iowa’s new #1 option after his brother’s departure.

If you’re a hopeful Clippers fan, there isn’t much you can do at this point other than hope that Kawhi Leonard can remain reasonably healthy throughout the postseason. I’m not too sure how optimistic I would be about that actually happening, but if the Clippers' front office is holding out hope, then I would expect an agreeable, low-risk pick at 30th overall. One won’t get much safer than Murray’s size, shooting, and defense at this point in the draft, so I think this would be a very easy decision if he’s still available.

With this in mind, though, and despite Kris being a bit less proficient of a shot-creator compared to his brother, there is a strong chance that Murray is taken off the board far earlier than this. If that is the case, I’ll expect the Clippers to also show interest in Julian Strawther, Jaime Jaquez, Adem Bona, and others.