FanSided NBA Mock Draft: Spurs snag franchise player, Wemby lands in East

The Playoffs are full steam ahead, and while the Spurs missed out on the postseason festivities again, hope for a better tomorrow is on the horizon in the form of the 2023 NBA Draft. Rather than wait for events to play out, we gathered site experts across the FanSided network for a Lottery Mock Draft to get a possible peek into the future.

To kick things off, we visited Tankathon for a whirl of their handy lottery simulator to determine the draft order. After that, each site expert had a couple of hours to make a pick for their corresponding NBA organization. For the sake of simplicity, trades were not allowed. With all that squared away, the Detroit Pistons were on the clock with the first overall pick.

The Pistons happily select Victor Wembanyama with the first pick of the 2023 NBA Draft and the entire city of Detroit breaks into synchronized dance. Wembanyama is a video game, a 7-foot-4 player with guard skills who looks like something created in a basketball laboratory.

He's the perfect fit at the four with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic and Jalen Duren and would immediately make the Pistons must-see TV as well as a contender for the play-in in the Eastern Conference. A total no-brainer. — Aaron Kellerstrass, Piston Powered

There's a chance Blazers GM Joe Cronin deals this selection - even one this high - for an established star to put next to Damian Lillard to help Portland make a title run right now. If he keeps it, it could mean Lillard is gone and this is the first pick in the start of a long-term rebuild.

Miller would slot in perfectly as a 6-9 wing alongside Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, creating a core three that would mesh together well to help Portland move into the future. Miller is already a good shooter from deep, having shot a high percentage on a high volume at Alabama, and shows the potential to become a scorer from all three levels.

He's also an underrated passer who would be an excellent secondary playmaker next to Simons and Sharpe, who both prefer to create their own shots, and his length and defensive upside would fill a need for Portland moving forward. — Andrew Hanlon, Rip City Project

The Spurs and their fans would be delighted to see Scoot Henderson fall into their laps with the third overall pick if this is how the 2023 NBA Draft plays out in a little over a month. Most scouts have hailed the 19-year-old point guard as the second-best prospect in this stacked class, and he fits what San Antonio is looking for as the next face of their franchise.

This roster lacked self-creators who scored off the dribble and generated advantages for their teammates, leaving them dependent on every player executing their duties to perfection to produce decent shots. But Scoot is the definition of a game-breaking athlete, and his superb playmaking and effortless ability to get buckets would open a world of possibilities. — Noah Magaro-George, Air Alamo

The Rockets are surely praying this scenario doesn't happen, as they'd not only miss out on Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, but also Brandon Miller. Houston is in need of a point guard, after realizing that Kevin Porter Jr. is better suited on the wing, and Amen Thompson flashed with electrifying passes. And it doesn't stop there.

Thompson is a maestro in the pick-and-roll, which should make the Rockets salivate, as that's an important ingredient in the modern NBA. And at 6-foot-7, he's naturally going to be bigger than practically any other point guard in the league. Thompson is also a freakish athlete who can get to the cup at will, which helps collapse the defense and creates opportunities to kick out to open shooters.

Thompson is not a flawless prospect, as his three-point percentage leaves alot to be desired (23% from three), but what prospect doesn't come with areas of improvement? With a statline of 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, the Rockets could do much worse than Amen Thompson. Which is why they should make him their pick at number four. — Anthony Duckett, Space City Scoop

The 6’8 205-pound wing player from Kansas was impressive at his lone year with the Jayhawks. He shot 40% from deep including a 6-of-12 display in a game against NC State on the way to his season-high 25 points. He moves well without the ball and is a slick passer with a nose for the ball, averaging over five rebounds per game.

He isn’t someone that will break down the defense, but with Rozier and Ball almost assuredly on the court with the rookie, ball-handling past his couple of dribbles to set up his shot won’t be necessary. He’ll be instant offense for a team that was dead last in offensive efficiency this past season. — W.B. Whitted, Swarm and Sting

The Orlando Magic are in an interesting spot as a young team that still has needs to fill and areas it can improve, but postseason ambitions (open postseason ambitions) heading into the 2024 season. They have to foster and develop a young team while continuing to add to its collection of young talent.

Going with either of the Thompson twins is a bit of a home run swing. But when you are drafting this high in the draft, you cannot pass on talent for the supposedly sure thing or limited skill.

I have been favoring Ausar Thompson over his brother Amen for this reason. A team like the Magic gets the best of both worlds. Thompson has star potential as a creator and driver. His skills – especially his shooting – are a bit more developed than his brother. If the Magic feel they can foster this shooting skill, they can certainly grow Thompson into a potential starter or major contributor to their young core. — Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily

The Pacers have long lacked a modern forward to pair next to Myles Turner. Hence, drafting Jarace Walker naturally makes sense, as the Houston standout boasts a high motor and an NBA-ready physique. He’s pretty disruptive on D, which can help elevate the ceiling of the team’s putrid team defense. His three-point shot needs work, but his face-up game should pair well next to a stretch big like Turner and a pick-and-roll maestro in Tyrese Haliburton. — Nicolas Kyle Pring, 8 Points, 9 Seconds

In terms of fit with the current roster of the Washington Wizards, there likely isn’t a single player in the world better to fill the point guard position than Anthony Black. His elite size, defense, and playmaking abilities all perfectly compliment Bradley Beal in the back court and should even elevate Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis as well.

The 6-foot-7 point guard out of Arkansas has been elite all season despite his iffy shooting ability. He was a major reason why the Razorbacks were great this season despite their injuries. Passing on him would be a huge mistake for the Washington Wizards. — Gibson Lowenberg, Wiz of Awes

With the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz select Taylor Hendricks, University of Central Florida. The freshman has quickly risen on draft boards in recent months, and understandably so. The 19-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, shooting 47.8 percent from the floor and 39.4 percent from three across 34 games with the Knights.

Considering his traits to turn into a versatile scorer and playmaker in the pros, the 6-foot-9 talent could be a scary duo with a young Jazz squad. With Danny Ainge's track record of betting on versatile forwards with elite upside (Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum), it would be hard to see Utah passing up on talent like Hendricks if he fell to them at nine. — John Canady, The J-Notes

The Dallas Mavericks desperately need to keep this pick in the lottery. It is owed to the Knicks with a top-ten protection, and the Mavs finished with the tenth-worst record. If they land tenth after the lottery, expect Dallas to shop this selection in looking for win-now upgrades to put around Luka Doncic.

The Mavericks must address their defense, and Cam Whitmore is 6-foot-7 with a reported seven-foot wingspan. He may not be a lockdown option early on, but Dallas will be excited about his potential as a 3-and-D wing for Doncic. His size and athletic ability make him the standout choice. — Tyler Watts, The Smoking Cuban

My top priority for the Orlando Magic in this year’s draft is to come away with a shooter. Whether that comes from a trade or by making a pick, the Magic need to find shooting to add to their team and support the young players they are growing in the roster.

There are quite a few interesting shooters. Having taken a high-upside swing with the first pick in this mock draft, I go with someone who feels like a sure thing.

That is why I turn toward an upperclassmen like Jordan Hawkins. He shows he can shoot on the move and hit from deep. UConn runs a very NBA-style offense. And he slots in as someone who is going to contribute in a bench role immediately. — Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily

The Oklahoma City Thunder take Rayan Rupert with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Rupert fits the mold that Sam Presti has typically looked for in the draft. The NBL star is a raw two-way player with huge upside as a defender.

Standing 6-foot-6 with a seven-three wingspan, he has shutdown ability on the defensive end of the floor and promising ball handling for his size. His biggest flaw is his shooting ability. At just 31% from beyond the arc, Rupert will need to get a lot of work in with legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland to reach his full potential. — Rylan Stiles, Thunderous Intentions

The Raptors need a backup point guard that can defend on the perimeter and shoot well from three-point range, and Wallace appears to be the most seamless fit among the top guard prospects in this draft class. Keyonte George and Nick Smith Jr. also make sense here, but Wallace comes with better efficiency and a more pro-ready offensive game. — Mike Luciano, Raptors Rapture

To stick in the NBA, you either need to be in the 90th or so percentile in one specific area or be well-rounded. Despite this, it seems that every year, an incredibly versatile player slides a bit lower than they should. Two years ago, it was Franz Wagner. Last year, it was Jalen Williams. I'm willing to beat this year it's going to be Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin.

Many people in the doldrums of the draft space are high on him because his game has no real weaknesses. Plus, his shooting indicators (84.9% free throw shooter this season) suggest that he could address one of the New Orleans Pelicans' biggest concerns when Zion Williamson is healthy (the other being rim protection). — Mat Issa, Pelican Debrief