After Tuesday’s draft lottery results, the complete order of the NBA draft is finally set and stone. Likewise, the question of where French center Victor Wembanyam will go is finally answered.
#1 San Antonio Spurs- C Victor Wembanyama | Metropolitans 92
Wembanyama has been the first overall prospect in this draft since mock drafts started.
The Spurs will add a generational prospect to their team for the third time in team history. In 1987, the Spurs selected David Robinson first overall, and in 1997, the Spurs selected Tim Duncan first overall.
For Wembanyama, the draft lottery was essentially the NBA draft for him. Take a look at Wembanyama and Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt’s reaction to obtaining the first overall pick.
#2 Charlotte Hornets- G Scoot Henderson | G-Leauge Ignite
While many mock drafts have Brandon Miller slated as the Hornet’s pick here. The critical thing to remember regarding the Hornets is they are rebuilding. Besides guard Lamelo Ball and center Mark Williams, the Hornets have little young talent on their team.
With that in mind, drafting for skill over fit makes more sense here. Additionally, Ball has missed a significant amount of time on the court with injuries the past season, only playing 36 total games. In the event Ball misses even more time with injury next season, Henderson will provide an insurance policy no other teams can match.
#3 Portland Trail Blazers- F Brandon Miller | Alabama
Not even 24 hours following the Trail Blazer’s lottery luck moving up to third overall, it was reported the team was shopping the pick to bring in a veteran to pair with Damian Lillard.
With how the NBA market stands right now, the Blazers will unlikely find a suitable trade to bring in a star. Most teams are looking to add to their rosters instead of cutting back and entering a rebuild.
That’s what leads to the selection of Brandon Miller. With how the team’s roster looks currently, he’s the best fit for the Blazers and the best available prospect at this position.
#4 Houston Rockets- G/F Amen Thompson | Overtime Elite
Houston is one of two teams that fell during the draft lottery. As a result, they miss out on one of the top three prospects. However, Amen Thompson is a great consolation prize.
Thompson has enough versatility to play point guard, shooting guard and small forward. Under new head coach Ime Udoka, he’ll likely start at small forward or boot point guard Kevin Porter Jr. out of the starting lineup.
Despite Porter Jr.’s contract extension during the season, Thompson is a can’t-miss prospect. As a result, Porter Jr. might inevitably be traded following this selection.
#5 Detroit Pistons- F Cam Whitmore | Villanova
This is the worst-case scenario for the Detroit Pistons. After heading into the lottery with the best odds to land the first overall pick, they plummeted to fifth overall.
Regardless, Whitmore is a player that matches Piston’s General Manager Troy Weaver’s love for athletic forwards. Whitmore’s style of play would also complement Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey more so than any prospect at this position.
Furthermore, Whitmore will fill a hole in the Piston’s roster they created at the trade deadline this past season when the team traded forward Saddiq Bey for center James Wiseman.
#6 Orlando Magic- G/F Ausar Thompson | Overtime Elite
Similar to his brother Amen, Ausar Thompson has the versatility to play point guard, shooting guard and small forward. Thompson is the sure-fire selection here because of how top-heavy the Magic’s roster is.
Additionally, Thompson will add a defensive presence to the team only a few of his teammates can provide. If the Magic select Thompson with their sixth overall pick, expect him to take over the starting role at the shooting guard position or backup forward Franz Wagner.
#7 Indiana Pacers- F Jarace Walker | Houston
Indiana has to feel super comfortable picking at seventh overall. Despite not moving up in the draft, they sit in a position where a great prospect will fall to them regardless of who’s name is called ahead of their pick.
Power forward remains a position the team desperately needs, and Jarace Walker will provide that need for the Pacers. Walker is known for his versatility on both sides of the court, as he had great offensive and defensive moments for Houston.
Considering how the Pacers roster is also shaping out, Walker’s NBA-ready build will benefit the team heading into the season.
#8 Washington Wizards- G Anthony Black | Arkansas
After missing completely on their first-round pick last year in Johnny Davis, Anthony Black makes the most sense for the Wizards at this spot.
The Wizards are interested in keeping their team relatively the same heading into next season, considering Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis were not shopped around at the deadline. From a roster standpoint, there’s no one worthy of drafting here that would be a day-one starter.
That leads to the selection of Black; he’ll come off the bench for Bradley Beal and give the Wizards a solid insurance policy for the shooting guard position should an injury strike Beal during the regular season.
#9 Utah Jazz- F Taylor Hendricks | UCF
The Jazz can’t go wrong with whoever they select here, as the team has multiple holes in their lineup.
However, Hendricks is undoubtedly the best available prospect in this scenario and could give veteran big man Kelly Olynk a run for his starting position as the power forward. Notably, Hendricks has the ability to knock down three-pointers at an impressive rate, similar to Olynk.
In the event the Jazz land Hendricks, he’ll likely come off the bench to start the season. The Jazz do not have a backup power forward where the roster currently stands.
#10 Dallas Mavericks- F Gradey Dick | Gradey Dick
The Mavericks are known for running a small-ball lineup. Besides their starting center last year, Dwight Powell, standing at 6’10”, the next tallest player in the starting lineup was Luka Doncic, at 6’7”.
This is what leads to the selection of Gradey Dick. Dick would essentially be Reggie Bullock’s replacement at power forward should he leave in free agency next off-season. Both players are three-point specialists and stand at about the same height, Dick being an inch taller than Bullock.
#11 Orlando Magic- G Cason Wallace | Kentucky
This pick gives the Magic some versatility heading into the draft. While they could keep their current picks and make a selection here at 11, don’t be surprised if they leverage this pick and the sixth overall pick to move up in the draft.
Nonetheless, the Magic are likely to take the best available player in this position, which is Cason Wallace. While a center would fit the team’s needs more, there isn’t one other than Wembanyama worthy of going in the top 20 of this year’s draft.
#12 Oklahoma City Thunder- G Jordan Hawkins | UConn
After just missing the playoffs this past year, the Thunder are looking to add pieces to help them push over the hump. This is what leads to the selection of Jordan Hawkins. Compared to the previous prospects listed in this mock draft, Hawkins is the oldest at the age of 21.
After being a significant piece of the UConn team that won this year’s NCAA March Madness tournament, Hawkins will provide the Thunder with a win-now player who knows what it takes to be the best team.
#13 Toronto Raptors- G/F Jett Howard | Michigan
This past season, the Raptors were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA, only hitting 33.5% of their threes. This is a problem Jett Howard could most certainly fix for the Raptors.
Howard is one of the most unique players in this year’s draft. The Michigan wing attempted 7.3 threes a game this past season. While Howard might be a liability on defense, the Raptors are great at developing players, meaning this won’t be an issue over time.
#14 New Orleans Pelicans- G Nick Smith Jr. | Arkansas
Following their exit from the play-in tournament, the Pelicans are back in the lottery for the fifth year in a row. Considering how close they were, it would not be surprising if this pick is traded for a veteran to help them win now.
Regardless, if the Pelicans keep the pick, Nick Smith Jr. remains the best prospect available at this spot. Smith Jr. has a similar potential to the Pelican’s first-round selection last year, Dyson Daniels, on the offensive side of the court.
Other notable prospects to keep an eye on this year in the NBA Draft
C Dereck Lively II | Duke
Dereck Lively II will likely be the second center taken off the board this NBA draft. However, what makes things interesting regarding him is where he will go. After a disappointing season at Duke, Lively II’s draft stock seemed to tank more and more as the season went on.
What doesn’t strengthen Lively II’s case is the fact he models his game more after the centers of the past. Lively II only took 0.7 threes a game at Duke and had a horrid three-point percentage of 15.4%.
Considering all of these facts, it will be interesting to see where Lively II goes in this draft. The scenario of him getting selected much higher than he’s currently projected is possible. However, the scenario of him getting selected much lower is equally likely.
C Zach Edey | Purdue
Keeping up with the topics of centers, Zach Edey will be available for teams to draft. After winning the Naismith Player of the Year Award, Edey will undoubtedly draw some form of interest from teams in the late second round.
What makes Edey’s case interesting is his age and his intentions. Edey will be 21 come the NBA draft, but features a one-dimensional game similar to Lively II. Additionally, Edey still isn’t 100% sold on entering the NBA draft, so a return to Purdue might happen.
Suppose Edey is selected in the late second round. In that case, he will likely follow the path that center Luka Garza has experienced in the NBA. Garza has spent most of his NBA career bouncing between seeing minimal time on the NBA court and playing in the G-League.
F Dillon Mithcell | Texas
Ahead of Mitchell’s freshman season at Texas, he was the fourth-highest-ranked high-school prospect. Mitchell’s hype bled into early mock drafts that projected Mithcell as a top-10 lock for this year’s NBA draft.
After a disappointing season for the Longhorns, Mitchell will likely go in the late second round. Despite his less-than-impressive season at Texas, the potential is still there for Mitchell to make a name for himself in the NBA.
G/F Emoni Bates | Eastern Michigan
Bates has experienced one of the biggest downfalls the basketball world has seen. On the strength of his third overall ranking among 2021 high schoolers, Bates initially committed to Michigan State before signing with Memphis.
Following his disappointing season with Memphis, Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan. During his time at Eastern Michigan, Bates was arrested after a gun was found in the car he was driving.
While Bates’ basketball journey has been less than normal, he’s a low-risk, high-reward player for the teams in the late second round.
F Kris Murray | Iowa
Murray entering his name in this NBA draft will make him the third twin selected this draft between the Thompson twins and his brother, Keegan Murray, who was selected in last year’s draft fourth overall to the Kings.
Murray will likely go late in the first round of this NBA draft. His age makes him a great candidate to join teams looking to add win-now players to their team through the draft.
Comments