The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, with the Orlando Magic winning the No. 1 overall pick. The Magic will get their choice of top prospects Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey, allowing them to add to a terrific core that features a number of compelling young pieces.
Beneath them, the Thunder moved up to No. 2 in the draft, positioning them to take a really strong interior presence to add to their bevy of perimeter talent. The Houston Rockets stayed in the top three, a big result that will allow them to take the best of the skilled 6-foot-10-plus players to add to their frontcourt. And the Sacramento Kings moved up and will get a chance to add an impact piece to a team that will look to compete for the playoffs next year.
Having said that, this is a wide-open draft. Here are a few notes before we dive into breaking down potential selections:
- This is as unpredictable a draft as I can remember throughout the first round. The top four is up for grabs. The next tier is seven or eight guys long, followed by another mini-tier of likely first-round picks. After that? It’s wide open.
- Based on my conversations with decision-makers and scouts, teams are spreading their pool of players wider than usual because of this class’ unpredictability. The range from about No. 19 through picks in the early 40s is more fluid than usual heading into the NBA Draft Combine. Some teams have a top-15 grade on a player, while others may rank that same player outside of their top 40. This is an eye-of-the-beholder draft. Anyone who claims to know how that back half of the first round will shake out at this point is fooling themself.
- In that vein, this mock draft is best treated as a general guide to the class’ hottest names rather than a statement of any individual team’s interest in that specific prospect. One thing I’ve heard from agents and the front office personnel in charge of booking workouts is that this year feels a bit more sped up than in recent years — and who could blame them for feeling that way? After the pandemic forced the draft to be held in November 2020 and July 2021 in each of the past two years, this is our first year getting back to a normal cycle earlier in the calendar.
- The pandemic also helps explain why scouts are particularly split on freshmen who entered the draft despite unpolished skill sets, such as Max Christie, Caleb Houstan, Josh Minott, Harrison Ingram, JD Davison, Peyton Watson, Terquavion Smith, Leonard Miller and others. Their development in high school was stunted when COVID-19 took away their entire AAU slate, and many also lost large parts of their high school season. That presents a unique challenge for scouts who haven’t been able to see them play as many games as a typical prospect who jumps to the NBA after one college season. How much will teams justify taking a chance on their skill sets and hoping they’ll develop without much evidence of proven production? It remains to be seen, but the worst stages of the COVID-19 pandemic loom as a massive contextual factor in the draft.
With that being said, here is where we are post-lottery and pre-combine.
1. Orlando Magic
Jabari Smith Jr. | 6-10 forward | 19 years old | Auburn
Smith is my favorite prospect in the class because he possesses the combination of skills that are most in demand in the current NBA. He’s an elite shooter who made 42 percent from 3 in 2021-22 while also possessing enough athleticism and shot-creation ability to get to his pull-up jumper. I see him as an efficient 20-plus point-per-game scorer and a versatile defender who can switch across multiple positions. Elite shooting and strong defense are the best possible baseline for a teenage NBA player.
Smith must improve as a passer and ballhandler attacking the rim. He was a good but not great finisher, and he hasn’t shown an ability to make multi-layered passing reads. But I think he’s the safest prospect in this class, and he retains a lot of upside due to his shot-creation skill, especially when generating stepback jumpers.
The Magic simply just need elite talent, and they’ll likely take the best player available. With that being the case, I like Smith as that guy for them. The team has a lot of pieces across the position spectrum and should just take the guy they think works best for them.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren | 7-1 center | 20 years old | Gonzaga
Now that we know the draft order, the Holmgren debates can begin in earnest. His supporters will note his elite defense. Even at 195 pounds, he is a monster rim protector who combines outstanding positioning with excellent anticipation, and he can at least hang in when pulled away from the rim. He has Defensive Player of the Year upside.
On offense, he’s a great shooter from distance, a strong finisher at the basket and an unselfish passer. The issue is he’s 195 pounds while playing a physical style that puts him against the biggest players in the league. How will his frame hold up? How long will it take for him to get stronger? Holmgren’s upside is higher than any other player in this class, but there is real uncertainty about his future among the NBA decision-makers who are ultimately putting their jobs on the line in drafting him.
Holmgren fits really well with an Oklahoma City team that could use a real rim protector inside. His ability to play outside-in offensively will also likely appeal to coach Mark Daigneault.
3. Houston Rockets
Paolo Banchero | 6-10 forward | 19 years old | Duke
In leading Duke to the Final Four this year, Banchero showed why he is the most complete offensive player in this draft class. He’s a matchup nightmare at 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds. He’s physical but has a lot of polish as a ballhandler and shot creator, countering multiple defensive coverages with ease. He favors scoring from the less efficient midrange zone but can generate those shots with ease through his ability to separate and shoot over the top. On top of that, there’s a case that he’s the best passer — at 6-foot-10! — than anyone else in the lottery.
Banchero’s defense lags behind his outstanding offense, but if your team is seeking a primary playmaker, he is the guy to bet on.
Houston will look to just draft the best player available here, and that’s Banchero. He fits well as a frontcourt playmaker who can pass paired with Jalen Green as a scorer in the backcourt.
4. Sacramento Kings
Jaden Ivey | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | Purdue
Picking Ivey this high is all about his upside. He’s the best athlete in the class and was extremely productive this year at Purdue. He has a lightning-quick first step, can power through defenders on the move and finish with explosive leaps at the hoop. The way he uses his speed to create driving lanes and transition opportunities resembles No. 1 pick John Wall early in his NBA career.
Ivey’s main issues are his non-existent midrange game and sub-elite passing skills, both essential skills for an NBA lead guard. If he can’t improve those areas, it will be hard for him to take on a primary offensive role consistently. But if those parts of Ivey’s game come together, he could end up as the best player in this class.
The Kings have De’Aaron Fox in place already, but they did just fill the big position with Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline. I would imagine this is purely a best-player-available situation, depending on which of the top four falls.
5. Detroit Pistons
Shaedon Sharpe | 6-6 forward | 18 years old | Kentucky
A Shaedon Sharpe sighting for the first time this draft cycle!
If the NBA Draft has a mystery man within the top 10, it’s Sharpe. The 6-foot-6 wing from Canada committed to Kentucky early this year, only made it to campus for the second semester, then sat out the season and subsequently declared for the draft. He is eligible to be picked because he graduated high school before the 2021-22 NBA season began and turned 19 before the end of 2022.
Sharpe represents a high-upside gamble due to his potential as a wing shot creator. He looks every bit like a future NBA star wing, combining elite length with terrific hops. The problem for scouts is that he hasn’t played much at high levels of competition, so nobody’s really sure how he’ll react to the speed of the game. He has all of the tools to be great, but it’ll take a team willing to dive in and take a risk. Troy Weaver tends to really like players with a great intersection of athleticism and length, as well as guys who have high upsides. Sharpe also fits really well on the wing as a shot maker next to Cade Cunningham.
6. Indiana Pacers
Keegan Murray | 6-8 forward | 21 years old | Iowa
Murray is the safest pick of this year’s lottery as a skilled 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 23 points and eight rebounds per game this season for Iowa while shooting 40 percent from 3. He’s a terrific finisher inside and has even flashed the ability to generate 3-point shots off pick-and-pops and off-ball movement. His game resembles Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris, who has been a starting-quality, near All-Star player for several seasons. Murray’s defensive foot speed, much like Harris’, is suspect, but he makes up for it with his strength. If he can get a body on his man, teams should feel comfortable that he can stay in front of them. Ultimately, Murray slots in nicely on a large variety of teams.
7. Portland Trail Blazers
Jeremy Sochan | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Baylor
Sochan has been a riser up the draft board throughout the year. Teams are fascinated by his upside as a player who is extremely versatile on both ends of the floor. He’s a switchable defender as a 6-foot-9 big who can realistically guard all five positions using his mobility. He’s also really smart with his positioning and timing and seems to have terrific instincts.
Offensively, he’s huge, can handle the ball over large spaces, make reasonably high-level passes and finish effectively at the rim. Really, the only concern among scouts is his shooting. But there are some in the industry who see Sochan as a late riser, like Patrick Williams in 2020, because of how multifaceted his game is at his size. If you buy that Sochan’s shooting will improve, he has a real chance to be an impact player given his two-way upside at his size.
In general, the Blazers’ front office — much of which is still in place from the departed Neil Olshey’s regime — has tended to draft very young and upside-driven. Sochan is the kind of guy who has tended to fit with how they like to invest in projects. They could also use an impact defender.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers)
Bennedict Mathurin | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Arizona
Mathurin won Pac-12 Player of the Year this season as a terrific scorer who averaged 18 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3. His role early in his NBA career will be that of a 3-point marksman. He’s excellent as a shooter off the catch and has a bit more game than that when driving closeouts and attacking using second-side actions. If he can keep improving as a ballhandler, he might have some real upside beyond that. It also helps that he’s a terrific open-floor athlete who gets downhill with powerful leaping ability. He’s substantially improved every year, including this season, when he took legitimate strides as a passer in averaging three assists over his final 16 games. His defense will be a work in progress because his fundamentals and effort level weren’t always there. But Mathurin is a floor-spacer-plus model of a player early in his career and should make an impact on any team that needs help on the wing.
The Pelicans should continue to look to add shooting to surround a core around Zion Williamson. Mathurin fits really well as a player who could make an impact as soon as next year on a playoff team and fits really well potentially on the wing with defensive dynamo Herb Jones.
Bennedict Mathurin drive to the hoop agianst Houston. (Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports)
9. San Antonio Spurs
A.J. Griffin | 6-6 forward | 18 years old | Duke
Griffin remains polarizing for teams largely because his value rests on a philosophical question: How valuable are shooting and shot making if they come at the expense, potentially, of everything else?
The one thing we know Griffin can do is shoot. He’s one of the better teenage shooting prospects you’ll find, having hit 45 percent from 3 this season. He makes 3s off pull-ups and off the catch at a high level and has a chance to become a top shot creator given his size, length and strength. But can he do enough else to be an effective player if the shot isn’t falling?
Griffin was a poor defender this season and had a lot of games where he wasn’t quite as visible as teams would like to see from a potential lottery pick. Additionally, he has had a few injury questions over the past year. Will he showcase more athletic explosiveness the further removed he gets from missing large parts of his final two high school seasons? He’s not necessarily a wild card, but evaluators differ in their opinions of him depending on the value they place in certain skills.
10. Washington Wizards
Johnny Davis | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Wisconsin
The Big Ten Player of the Year, Davis is an extremely competitive guard who plays tough on both ends. Offensively, he’s a shot creator and maker who was responsible for just about everything in Wisconsin’s offense this year. He was faultless throughout the first part of the season, hitting shots at a reasonable level, rebounding at an elite level for a guard and showing up in the biggest moments. But he suffered an ankle injury late in the season, and as he played through it, his numbers fell off a bit. He averaged 17 points per game over his final 12 games, but he shot just 42 percent from the field and 22 percent from 3 in that time. His elevation, in general, looked sapped, as did his ability to stop and start. But when he was at his best, Davis was a good three-level scorer who also played hard on defense. That translates at least on some level to the NBA. The ceiling on his draft status has dropped a bit in recent months, but I’d still anticipate him going in the No. 7 to No. 17 range.
11. New York Knicks
Jalen Duren | 6-11 center | 18 years old | Memphis
Duren is your typical rim-running, shot-blocking center at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan. He physically looks like an NBA player despite being the youngest player slotted in this mock draft, with a chiseled, 245-pound frame. He ended up averaging 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game this year and shot 60 percent from the field, with most of his finishes being dunks. That was despite the fact that he didn’t have a point guard who could offer much help setting him up until late in the year.
I’m not a total buyer in Duren’s switchability defensively, but there are some scouts within the league who think he has a chance to provide value there too. Ultimately, I see him as a DeAndre Jordan starter kit. Can Duren get as good as Jordan was positionally in his prime? That’ll be the key to him becoming a top-10 center in the league.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)
Dyson Daniels | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | G League Ignite
Daniels is a terrific playmaker and defender for his size. Sources have told me he has grown throughout the past year — we’ll find that out officially at the combine this week — and if that’s the case, it’s easy to see him rising throughout the draft process. I don’t think there is a better perimeter defender in the class, as he’s switchable and disruptive with awesome instincts. He shared point guard duties for the Ignite and was their best option due to his unselfishness.
His draft stock just comes down to his shooting. His shot doesn’t look broken, but there are some slight mechanical tweaks he needs to make to get better rhythm and power from the lower half of his body. If his shooting comes around, Daniels profiles as a terrific starting guard who could turn into one of the best role players in the NBA. In general, I think the Thunder will continue to just look to add good players within their core.
13. Charlotte Hornets
Mark Williams | 7-0 center | 20 years old | Duke
This pick is all about positional fit and value. Williams is one of the best rim protectors in the draft, a 7-foot shot swatter who blocked three shots per game this season and got better as the year went on. He also averaged 11 points per game and shot 72 percent from the field as a monster rim runner, a skill that should translate well due to his ability to get downhill out of rolls. He runs the floor well and has elite length, even by NBA center standards.
This is a position the Hornets have struggled to fill over the past few years. They took Kai Jones last season, but Jones doesn’t quite profile as the rim protector Williams could be. That’s especially important for a team that must find answers on defense sooner rather than later, with LaMelo Ball entering the portion of his career where he must be ready to compete in the playoffs.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Ousmane Dieng | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | New Zealand Breakers
The Cavaliers missed the playoffs and keep this pick as a result, since they attached lottery protection on it in the 2022 trade with Indiana for Caris LeVert. The Cavs have terrific bigs and an All-Star guard in Darius Garland. What they desperately need, more than anything else, are wing players — particularly ones with size.
Dieng is 6-foot-9, and I liked some of his defensive efforts late in the year for the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian NBL. He was terrific later in the team’s campaign, averaging 13.3 points in his final 12 games while shooting 48 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. He played much more under control than he did early in the season, when it seemed like the game was moving a million miles an hour for him. He’s not a crazy athlete, but he can dribble, pass and shoot at a high level for a teenager at his size. His upside makes him a worthy swing to take given the Cavaliers are unlikely to have their first-rounder next year.
15. Charlotte Hornets (via NOP)
Ochai Agbaji | 6-5 wing | 22 years old | Kansas
The Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four this year, Agbaji’s game translates really well to the NBA. He’s an elite, 6-foot-5 catch-and-shoot player, having hit 40.7 percent from 3 on nearly seven attempts per game this season. He’s also an efficient scorer in transition and has become much more comfortable putting the ball on the deck and handling the ball when necessary.
Defensively, he’s tough, strong and physical for a wing, though he lacks the elite-level measurements that most genuine plus defenders in the NBA possess. He’ll hold his own and won’t make mistakes. He might just end up as a role player, but his solid defensive play and shooting make him a good player for Charlotte to target when looking for running mates with Ball. Under the Michael Jordan ownership regime, the Hornets have also valued high-level collegiate producers as opposed to rawer projects.
16. Atlanta Hawks
Malaki Branham | 6-5 wing | 19 years old | Ohio State
The name of the game with Branham is shooting — and scoring. Branham closed the season on a tear, deservedly winning the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award and playing well in Ohio State’s two NCAA Tournament games. In his final 22 games, Branham averaged 17 points on 52.8 percent from the field and 43.2 percent from 3. He was outstanding as a shot creator over his final portion of the season.
Though Branham isn’t an elite athlete, he does a great job of getting defenders off-balanced when attacking and getting downhill. He has a pure midrange game that bodes well for his long-term success. He can break down guys in isolation, get separation with a series of hesitations and crossovers, and rise up to knock down a shot. He needs to improve on defense — he’s pretty rough there right now — but scouts expect he will be a top-20 pick.
17. Houston Rockets (via BKN)
TyTy Washington Jr. | 6-3 guard | 20 years old | Kentucky
Washington is a polarizing prospect. Many talent evaluators believe Kentucky tends to hold back its guards, so we don’t see the best of them until they reach the NBA. Think Tyler Herro, Tyrese Maxey and Keldon Johnson in recent years. Additionally, Washington was arguably the best freshman guard in the country during the first half of the season. From Game 1 to Game 17, Washington averaged 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3 and 82 percent from the line. But he suffered a couple of ankle injuries in games against Auburn and Florida. Over his final 14 games, he averaged 10 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists and shot just 36.2 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from 3 while playing through those two injuries. Which stretch represents the real TyTy? Teams will need to get him in for workouts and figure it out.
18. Chicago Bulls
Tari Eason | 6-8 forward | 21 years old | LSU
Eason is one of the more productive players in this draft class, a 6-foot-8 forward who averaged 17 points, nearly seven rebounds, two steals and a block while shooting 52 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3. His jumper looks a bit messy, as he has catapult-like mechanics that might take some time to iron out. He’s also not a terrific playmaker for others. But defensively, there are few prospects in this draft with more potential to guard a variety of players on the ball. He can lose his way at times while executing his team’s scheme, but I bet teams are willing to bet on him figuring that out. The Bulls have a great set of perimeter players already in Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, Coby White, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, assuming LaVine re-signs this summer. They could use another forward who can defend to give them better lineup versatility, something they lacked this year when Patrick Williams missed most of the season with a wrist injury.
Tari Eason works against the Iowa State defense in the NCAA Tournament. (Benny Sieu / USA Today)
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
Blake Wesley | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Notre Dame
Wesley is a shot creator with dynamic, powerful athleticism who can attack out of ball screens and get open looks. The act of getting past the first level of defenders and collapsing the defense is something he has down pat. The problem for Wesley right now is the final product. He struggled immensely after college coaches got eyes on him and devised schemes to slow him down. Over his final 17 games of the season, Wesley shot just 36 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3. His NCAA Tournament appearances were a good encapsulation of this trend, as he shot 15-for-45 over three games and looked a bit overwhelmed at times. Having said that, his ceiling is high. His blend of powerful strides and suddenness, as well as his size, gives him an awful lot of potential once he gets that final product figured out.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via TOR)
Walker Kessler | 7-1 center | 20 years old | Auburn
Kessler was my pick for college basketball’s national Defensive Player of the Year. He’s a monster interior rim protector who swats shots with impunity and plays well in drop-coverage situations. He averaged a whopping five blocks per game in SEC play this season, along with 12 points and nine rebounds. Some scouts think he can shoot a bit from the perimeter.
Kessler played his worst game of the season in Auburn’s NCAA Tournament loss to Miami, giving scouts a bad last taste. Against an athletic, up-tempo Hurricanes team that pushed the pace, Kessler didn’t look up to speed and struggled to keep up. Given that he’ll face high-level athletes every night in the NBA, teams must decide if that performance was a harbinger of something to come or an aberration based on his success in the SEC this season.
Still, Kessler is one of the best rim protectors in this class and should stick off that skill alone. The Spurs have a need for more depth in the middle behind Jakob Poeltl, at the very least. Kessler would bring that.
21. Denver Nuggets
Jalen Williams | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | Santa Clara
Williams is my first surprise spike up the board. He has been a significant riser as teams have actually gone back through tape and done the work. There just aren’t many holes in his game. He’s big, standing 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He’s versatile on the ball and defends multiple positions. He hits 40 percent from 3. He can pass at a high level, as he spent time throughout his development at point guard until a late growth spurt pushed him out to the wing. He has a low center of gravity, which allows him to move opposing players, and he possesses some real shake off the bounce. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest to see him end up in the top 20 by the time the draft rolls around.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (via UTA)
Bryce McGowens | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Nebraska
McGowens’ value as a prospect is all about what he could be, not what he is yet. He was great to close the season at Nebraska, but he still didn’t shoot well despite solid mechanics. He’s skinny, but he tries to play a physical brand of basketball. He can create off the bounce at 6-foot-7. It might take some time for him early in his career as he works through his passing reads and gets stronger, but he’s an interesting upside flier for teams to take, given his size as a potential on-ball player. The Grizzlies are in a great place as a franchise, they have a history of developing young players, and they have a few picks to be able to add to their core with upside swings.
23. Brooklyn Nets (via PHI)*
Jaden Hardy | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | G League Ignite
The more I go back and watch Hardy’s tape, the more impressed I am with his play later in the season. He may have the best handle in the class, and he knocked down a higher percentage from 3 over his last month and a half. He was more willing to make passing reads later in the season, something he’s actually quite adept at when he chooses to be.
It’s all about shot selection for Hardy. He needs to be willing to take better shots and play more within the confines of his team’s style of play. Oh, and he has to be willing to defend — something he doesn’t do enough now. But this year’s NBA postseason has shown how valuable these on-ball creators who can shoot can be. Though Hardy’s full-season shooting numbers weren’t elite because of his poor shot selection, I think he is a good shooter who makes them when he’s open.
*The Nets could choose to take Philadelphia’s 2023 first-round selection rather than this one.
24. Milwaukee Bucks
Terquavion Smith | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | N.C. State
A big riser up the board. Smith had a terrific season offensively with the Wolfpack as a freshman, averaging 18.3 points per game in ACC play and shooting 40.1 percent from 3 on a ridiculous nine attempts per game. He’s an awesome shot maker that creates them off the bounce and has real suddenness to his game off the bounce. He doesn’t finish well on drives, and the less said about his defense, the better. But last year, Josh Primo and Tre Mann proved there is a real first-round market for elite 3-point marksmen who create their own looks off the bounce and have enough youth to grow into the rest of their game. The Bucks could use more floor-spacing and shot-creation depth, as shown in the playoffs this year.
25. San Antonio Spurs (via BOS)
Nikola Jović | 6-10 forward | 18 years old | Mega
Jović is a skilled big man out of Serbia who averaged almost 12 points per game this year as a teenager in the Adriatic League while shooting 36 percent from 3 and averaging 3.4 assists. His value lies in his skill and feel for the game. Jović sees the floor well as a point forward and has workable mechanics to the point that it’s easy to buy him becoming an impact player on the offensive end in a specific role. There are questions about his defense, but he’s big and smart enough that teams have some faith that they can make it work with him as he continues to be coached. He’s not a crazy athlete, but the Spurs have been successful taking players like him in the past.
26. Dallas Mavericks
MarJon Beauchamp | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | G League Ignite
Beauchamp has an awesome story of perseverance, essentially carving out his own path after choosing not to go to college. He worked his way into getting an Ignite contract this year and impressed scouts with his willingness to do all of the little things. He defends well on the ball with real switchability because of his 6-foot-11 wingspan. He is aggressive in crashing the glass. He cuts and makes things happen.
He has become the kind of dirty-work-style wing who does whatever the team needs of him. Ultimately, NBA teams will need him to shoot, and I’m a bit skeptical he can do that, which is why he’s more of an end-of-the-first-round guy. But if the shooting comes, he could be a valuable rotation player.
27. Miami Heat
Kennedy Chandler | 6-0 guard | 19 years old | Tennessee
Chandler won MVP of the SEC tournament, and over his final 15 games, he averaged 15 points, five rebounds and two steals while shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3. I don’t totally trust his jumper, but there is enough of a chance he can fix it given his improvement over the last portion of the season, and his defensive aggression gives him a shot despite being small.
But he is a 6-0 point guard in a league that makes it exceptionally hard for smaller guards to thrive. NBA players hunt mismatches and just shoot over the top of smaller opponents. Chandler is good enough, but Sharife Cooper, a smaller guard, plummeted out of the first round last year due to his size, despite a monster freshman season in the SEC.
28. Golden State Warriors
Jake LaRavia | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | Wake Forest
LaRavia has risen up the board as teams have gone back through tape at the start of the process. He stands out due to his feel for the game, his 6-foot-8 frame and his skill as a shooter. The teams that tend to love him are analytically inclined and value the ability to dribble, pass and shoot. He’s not the most athletic guy, and some teams do have athletic concerns about how he might hold up on defense. But LaRavia is very good as a team defender and makes the right rotations. For a role player, it’s tough to find more than that. Given his intelligence as a mover without the ball and his shooting, the Warriors seem like a perfect fit.
29. Memphis Grizzlies
Patrick Baldwin Jr. | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | Milwaukee
Baldwin is not a certainty to stay in the draft, and scouts have him all over the map. Some are willing to entirely overlook an unmitigated disaster of a freshman season at Milwaukee. Others are not. Baldwin averaged 12 points and six rebounds while shooting 34 percent from the field and 26 percent from 3 in the Horizon League. That is bad. But a lot of it can be chalked up to circumstance, if you want to make that case. He’s a non-shot creator who ended up having to do too much on offense far too regularly. He’d have been much better off on a team where other players could have created shots for him, and he could have used his pristine shooting mechanics to hit open looks. Indeed, he didn’t get many clean opportunities this season. Per Synergy, Baldwin took just seven uncontested 3-pointers this season in 11 games, a low number that exemplifies how much Milwaukee’s guards struggled. But there are plenty of scouts who are still interested and see the same guy who was a consensus top-five recruit in the country. I’ll be completely honest: I have no idea what direction his draft stock will go.
30. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHX)
Kendall Brown | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Baylor
Brown had an outstanding start to the season and drummed up some lottery support following great performances on both ends of the court. But his limitations on offense continued to pop up over the course of the season. He is not particularly comfortable as a shooter and just isn’t comfortable as a ballhandler in the half court. But he’s extremely athletic with all sorts of twitch and vertical pop at 6-foot-8, and he defends in space at a high level. He makes impact action plays to get out in transition regularly, too. My bet is someone takes a flier on his athleticism in the first round, given his defense is already pretty good. If he shoots, he’s an impact player.
Second round
31. Indiana Pacers (via HOU): Trevor Keels | 6-5 guard | 18 years old | Duke
32. Orlando Magic: E.J. Liddell | 6-7 forward | 21 years old | Ohio State
33. Toronto Raptors (via DET): Leonard Miller | 6-10 wing | 18 years old | Fort Erie Prep
34. Oklahoma City Thunder: Christian Koloko | 7-1 center | 21 years old | Arizona
35. Orlando Magic (via IND): Max Christie | 6-6 wing | 19 years old | Michigan State
36. Portland Trail Blazers: Caleb Houstan | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Michigan
37. Sacramento Kings: Wendell Moore Jr. | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Duke
38. San Antonio Spurs (via LAL): Christian Braun | 6-7 wing | 21 years old | Kansas
39. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS): Dalen Terry | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Arizona
40. Minnesota Timberwolves (via WAS): Peyton Watson | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | UCLA
41. New Orleans Pelicans: Josh Minott | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | Memphis
42. New York Knicks: Ryan Rollins | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Toledo
43. LA Clippers: Jean Montero | 6-2 guard | 18 years old | Overtime Elite
44. Atlanta Hawks: Harrison Ingram | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Stanford
45. Charlotte Hornets: Ismaël Kamagate | 6-11 center | 21 years old | Paris Basketball
46. Detroit Pistons (via BKN): Khalifa Diop | 6-11 center | 20 years old | Gran Canaria
47. Memphis Grizzlies (via CLE): Jaylin Williams | 6-10 center | 19 years old | Arkansas
48. Minnesota Timberwolves: Alondes Williams | 6-5 guard | 22 years old | Wake Forest
49. Sacramento Kings (via CHI): Justin Lewis | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Marquette
50. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DEN): Jabari Walker | 6-9 forward | 19 years old | Colorado
51. Golden State Warriors (via TOR): JD Davison | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Alabama
52. New Orleans Pelicans (via UTA): Keon Ellis | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Alabama
53. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Mobley | 6-10 forward | 22 years old | USC
54. Washington (via DAL): Matteo Spagnolo | 6-4 guard | 19 years old | Vanoli Cremona
55. Golden State Warriors: Gabriele Procida | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Fortitudo Bologna
56. Cleveland Cavaliers (via MIA): Hugo Besson | 6-3 guard | 21 years old | New Zealand Breakers
57. Portland Trail Blazers (via MEM): Dom Barlow | 6-8 forward | 19 years old | Overtime Elite
58: Indiana Pacers (via PHX): Julian Champagnie | 6-8 forward | 20 years old | St. John’s
(Photo of Jabari Smith Jr.: Kevin Langley / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
