Draft Day Predictions
Wizards trade 6th overall to Nets for 8th, 19th, and future second-round picks. It makes more sense for them to trade up to 3, but I don’t see Mark doing another trade with the 76ers unless he absolutely fleeces them.
Other Rumors to Keep an Eye On
Jaylen Brown — Mavs, Heat, Nets, Bucks, 76ers, Kings. I can see all of these teams making a move to acquire a player like him, maybe even the Timberwolves. He would be a great pairing with Antman.
Kuminga — I wouldn't be shocked if you see player rights be traded to the Warriors down the line because they wouldn’t be able to technically make this deal until July 6th.
Cam Johnson — One of the few Nets players who can help teams win next season. I would be shocked if he remains on the roster by the end of the night. Keep an eye out for PHX at 10 and Philly at 3 to try to make a package to acquire him.
Bradley Beal — The Suns are looking to offload his contract, which might be the worst in the NBA. The problem is that the Nets are the only team willing to take him, but they’ll probably have to attach the 10th pick to get the deal done.
MOCK
Mavs 1st — Cooper Flag — Consensus 1st overall pick for more than a year. No point in discussing him further; he’s a well-known player.
Spurs 2nd — Dylan Harper — Probably the best on-ball player in the draft, showing flashes of being great at Rutgers. NBA size frame, great IQ from a basketball family. Best court vision in the class and a huge asset for his position.
76ers 3rd — VJ Edgecombe — This would have been Ace Bailey, but he doesn’t want to go to this franchise—do you blame him? VJ could be a blessing in disguise. He’s probably the most athletic, versatile wing, but he will need further development on his jumper.
Hornets 4th — Khaman Maluach — I think this is where the draft really starts, and picks will be harder to predict from this point on. Charlotte’s biggest need is a presence down low, and I think Maluach addresses that. He has been shooting up draft boards during the combine process, for better or worse.
Jazz 5th — Kon Knueppel — It’s the Jazz, so I see this as a realistic landing spot. In my opinion, he’s not a lottery-level talent; he’s closer to Koby Brea than to a lottery pick. That’s not a knock on Brea, who I think will end up being as good as a pro as Kon.
Nets 6th — Ace Bailey — The Nets have scouted Rutgers extensively, and with all the buzz around Bailey, I think Brooklyn finds a way to keep the hometown kid. He’s a 6’9+ wing who can do almost everything. He’ll need to improve his handle and add muscle to his frame.
Pelicans 7th — Jeremiah Fears — Fears is a great playmaker who can get his shot when he wants. He’s one of the youngest in the class, and a few years from now, we might look back and wonder why he went 7th—kind of like Donovan Mitchell.
Wizards 8th — Tre Johnson — Another player who can get his shot off at will. He’s very athletic, which should translate well to the NBA. He’ll need to improve his passing and decision-making.
Raptors 9th — Noa Essengue — He’s quietly doing the same as Ace Bailey, meeting with only certain teams—namely, the Nets and Raptors. If he doesn’t go to the Nets, he’ll almost certainly go to the Raptors.
Suns 10th — Carter Bryant — It makes too much sense for them to draft the Arizona product to fill the wing spot vacated by KD. A smart, coachable kid from a basketball family.
Trail Blazers 11th — Egor Demin — I think Chauncey Billups and the Trail Blazers are still looking for their point guard, and Egor’s play style fits their roster well. A pass-first, 6’8” playmaker who needs to work on his jump shot. Essentially a bigger Josh Giddey.
Bulls 12th — Kasparas Jakucionis — You don’t get many chances to draft a kid who played in your home state and fits a team need. The Bulls will have a chance to do that two years in a row. Hopefully, they don’t mess it up.
Hawks 13th — Asa Newell — He can play the 4 or 5, and learning from KP would be great because of their similar playing styles.
Spurs 14th — Jase Richardson — Could be the steal of the draft. Super athletic lefty who can shoot from a distance. His father was a two-time Slam Dunk champ and played 14 years in the NBA.
Thunder 15th — Cedric Coward — Seems like a perfect fit for the Thunder if they stay at this position. A tough, hard-nosed player who has worked his way up from Division 3.
Grizzlies 16th — Collin Murray-Boyles — A grinder who plays bigger than his size. If this were the same Grizzlies as with Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, I’d say he fits right into their culture. But that’s not this team anymore. They might be drafting him to revive that effort and energy. His only weakness is his shooting.
Timberwolves 17th — Nique Clifford — The only player they’ve worked out in this class who wouldn’t be a reach at this pick. Big frame, can get his shot when he wants. A potential backup behind TSJ & Clarke. Also, keep an eye out for one of the French big men to learn from Rudy.
Wizards 18th — Joan Beringer — I think the Wizards will pair Sarr with a fellow countryman down low for years to come. If Joan develops as hoped, they’ll have an excellent two-man punch in the paint.
Wizards 19th — Thomas Sorber — A great depth piece, as they lack size. He’ll be the best center available when their pick comes. Trading back might be a blessing for a team with many holes.
Heat 20th — Ben Saraf — They’re looking for playmaking to maximize Hero and Bam. I think he’s the best pure playmaker available at this spot. I wouldn’t be surprised if they consider Walter Clayton, who just played at an in-state school.
Jazz 21st — Rasheer Fleming — One of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects. He could develop into an All-Star or end up like Anthony Bennett.
Nets 22nd — Will Riley — A player the Nets have been linked to since early in the draft process. With so many roster holes, they’ll likely pick the best player available and figure out the fit later.
Pelicans 23rd — Liam McNeeley — They already have their core with Pool, Murray, and Zion. They’ll look for pieces to help Herb Jones and their bench.
Thunder 24th — Maxime Raynaud — With many picks, they might take a high-upside project if they stay here. But I think that they will trade out of this spot
Magic 25th — Walter Clayton Jr. — After a standout March, he has risen significantly in the draft stock. So i have him staying in state and helping the Magic off the bench
Nets 26th — Hugo Gonzalez — One of the most underrated European prospects. Showed flashes of greatness; wasn’t a key fixture for Real Madrid, but he’s young, played 76 games in three seasons before turning 20. If the NBA called, I’d go too.
Nets 27th — Nolan Traore — As mentioned, the Nets have many holes and should focus on the best player available rather than fit. And he will be the best player at this spot
Celtics 28th — Ryan Kalkbrenner — Al Horford has been a mainstay for years. With KP traded away, they need another big. He also seeems like he would be a good fit for their organization
Suns 29th — Danny Wolf — A key player for Michigan, which made a deep March run. From a basketball family, with a great IQ from Yale before Michigan. He could help space the floor for Booker and Bryant if they draft him at 10.
Clippers 30th — Noah Penda — They need depth, and Penda helps fill that void, with potential to become a starter once they move on from Harden and Kawhi.
