[NBA Draft]: Comparison of Actual 2021 Draft vs. Final Mock Drafts

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We spend a lot of time following all of the top NBA Draft analysts for months as they post and tweet about intel and update their big boards and mock drafts leading up to draft day. But once that day comes and goes, it’s easy to shift focus to how the rookies will fit on their new rosters, summer league, and the next draft, so I thought it might be nice to compile all of the final versions of these mock drafts and compare them to the actual 2021 draft picks for easy reference in the future.

After all the hard work this year, even the mock draft accuracy from the top shelf analysts was obliterated early in the 1st round with the trifecta of Toronto choosing Scottie Barnes over Jalen Suggs at #4, OKC going with Josh Giddey at #6 instead of James Bouknight or Jonathan Kuminga, and (the grand finale) the Spurs pick of Josh Primo at #12, who was projected to go in the 25-40 range. All of that, plus a Russell Westbrook trade to the Lakers made for a wild night of twists and turns that surpassed what we have come to expect.

Here is the actual 2021 NBA Draft from July 29th versus the final mock drafts from Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, ESPN’s Mike Schmitz and Jonathan Givony, NBA Big Board’s Chad Ford, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, and Tankathon.com:

Pick/Team	Draft Trades	ACTUAL DRAFT ORDER	B/R (7/29)	NBA Big Board (7/29)	The Ringer (7/29)	ESPN (7/29)	SI (7/29)	The Athletic (7/29)	Tankathon (7/25)
1. DET		Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham	Cade Cunningham
2. HOU		Jalen Green	Jalen Green	Jalen Green	Jalen Green	Jalen Green	Jalen Green	Jalen Green	Jalen Green
3. CLE		Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley	Evan Mobley
4. TOR		Scottie Barnes	Jalen Suggs	Jalen Suggs	Jalen Suggs	Jalen Suggs	Jalen Suggs	Jalen Suggs	Jalen Suggs
5. ORL		Jalen Suggs	Scottie Barnes	Scottie Barnes	Scottie Barnes	Scottie Barnes	Scottie Barnes	Scottie Barnes	Scottie Barnes
6. OKC		Josh Giddey	James Bouknight	James Bouknight	James Bouknight	Jonathan Kuminga	James Bouknight	James Bouknight	Jonathan Kuminga
7. GSW		Jonathan Kuminga	Jonathan Kuminga	Franz Wagner	Franz Wagner	James Bouknight	Jonathan Kuminga	Franz Wagner	James Bouknight
8. ORL		Franz Wagner	Franz Wagner	Jonathan Kuminga	Jonathan Kuminga	Moses Moody	Franz Wagner	Jonathan Kuminga	Franz Wagner
9. SAC		Davion Mitchell	Alperen Sengun	Alperen Sengun	Alperen Sengun	Franz Wagner	Alperen Sengun	Alperen Sengun	Alperen Sengun
10. MEM	MEM to NOP	Ziaire Williams	Josh Giddey	Josh Giddey	Josh Giddey	Josh Giddey	Josh Giddey	Josh Giddey	Josh Giddey
11. CHA		James Bouknight	Moses Moody	Corey Kispert	Moses Moody	Corey Kispert	Kai Jones	Moses Moody	Moses Moody
12. SAN		Joshua Primo	Kai Jones	Trey Murphy	Corey Kispert	Alperen Sengun	Moses Moody	Corey Kispert	Keon Johnson
13. IND		Chris Duarte	Chris Duarte	Chris Duarte	Davion Mitchell	Chris Duarte	Davion Mitchell	Davion Mitchell	Davion Mitchell
14. GSW		Moses Moody	Davion Mitchell	Davion Mitchell	Chris Duarte	Davion Mitchell	Chris Duarte	Chris Duarte	Jalen Johnson
15. WAS		Corey Kispert	Trey Murphy	Moses Moody	Usman Garuba	Trey Murphy	Corey Kispert	Trey Murphy	Corey Kispert
16. OKC	BOS to OKC OKC to HOU	Alperen Şengun	Jalen Johnson	Ziaire Williams	Jalen Johnson	Keon Johnson	Ziaire Williams	Ziaire Williams	Usman Garuba
17. NOP	NOP to MEM	Trey Murphy	Corey Kispert	Cameron Thomas	Cameron Thomas	Ziaire Williams	Trey Murphy	Jared Butler	Chris Duarte
18. OKC		Tre Mann	Jared Butler	Isaiah Jackson	Keon Johnson	Jalen Johnson	Day'Ron Sharpe	Kai Jones	Jaden Springer
19. NYK	NYK to CHA	Kai Jones	Ziaire Williams	Usman Garuba	Trey Murphy	Kai Jones	Isaiah Jackson	Usman Garuba	Isaiah Jackson
20. ATL		Jalen Johnson	Cameron Thomas	Keon Johnson	Day'Ron Sharpe	Cameron Thomas	Josh Primo	Keon Johnson	Trey Murphy
21. NYK	NYK to LAC	Keon Johnson	Nah'shon Hyland	Jaden Springer	Kai Jones	Nah'shon Hyland	Keon Johnson	Jaden Springer	Ziaire Williams
22. LAL	LAL to WAS WAS to IND	Isaiah Jackson	Keon Johnson	Kai Jones	Ziaire Williams	Usman Garuba	Usman Garuba	Sharife Cooper	Sharife Cooper
23. HOU		Usman Garuba	Isaiah Jackson	Sharife Cooper	Sharife Cooper	Sharife Cooper	Brandon Boston	Isaiah Jackson	Kai Jones
24. HOU		Josh Christopher	Sharife Cooper	Isaiah Todd	Isaiah Jackson	Isaiah Jackson	Jalen Johnson	Jalen Johnson	Jared Butler
25. LAC	LAC to NYK	Quentin Grimes	Usman Garuba	Josh Christopher	Jared Butler	Jared Butler	Nah'shon Hyland	Miles McBride	Day'Ron Sharpe
26. DEN		Bones Hyland	Josh Primo	Josh Primo	Isaiah Todd	Quentin Grimes	Cameron Thomas	Josh Primo	Cameron Thomas
27. BKN		Cameron Thomas	Day'Ron Sharpe	Day'Ron Sharpe	Jaden Springer	Day'Ron Sharpe	Miles McBride	Cameron Thomas	Ayo Dosunmu
28. PHI		Jaden Springer	Jaden Springer	Brandon Boston	Josh Primo	Josh Primo	JT Thor	Nah'shon Hyland	Quentin Grimes
29. PHX	PHX to BKN	Day'Ron Sharpe	Ayo Dosonmu	Miles McBride	Miles McBride	Tre Mann	Kessler Edwards	Joel Ayayi	Joel Ayayi
30. UTA	UTA to MEM	Santi Aldama	Miles McBride	Ayo Dosunmu	Tre Mann	Miles McBride	Quentin Grimes	Ayo Dosonmu	Tre Mann
31. MIL	MIL to IND	Isaiah Todd	JT Thor	Quentin Grimes	Ayo Dosunmu	Jaden Springer	Ayo Dosunmu	Herbert Jones	Rokas Jokubaitis
32. NYK	NYK to OKC	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Quentin Grimes	Jalen Johnson	Jason Preston	Ayo Dosonmu	Sharife Cooper	Quentin Grimes	Jason Preston
33. ORL	ORL to LAC	Jason Preston	Josh Christopher	JT Thor	Rokas Jokubaitis	JT Thor	Jaden Springer	Tre Mann	Josh Christopher
34. OKC	OKC to NYK	Rokas Jokubaitis	Tre Mann	Brandon Boston	Nah'shon Hyland	Josh Christopher	Jared Butler	Day'Ron Sharpe	Brandon Boston
35. NOP		Herbert Jones	Isaiah Todd	Tre Mann	Josh Christopher	Isaiah Todd	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Joe Wieskamp	Nah'shon Hyland
36. OKC	OKC to NYK	Miles McBride	Brandon Boston	Vrenz Bleijenbergh	Brandon Boston	Joel Ayayi	Joel Ayayi	JT Thor	Filip Petrusev
37. DET	DET to CHA	JT Thor	Joel Ayayi	Greg Brown	Charles Bassey	Brandon Boston	Tre Mann	Austin Reaves	Josh Primo
38. CHI		Ayo Dosunmu	Charles Bassey	Nah'shon Hyland	Joel Ayayi	Kessler Edwards	Jason Preston	Brandon Boston	Juhann Begarin
39. SAC		Neemias Queta	Herbert Jones	Herbert Jones	Austin Reaves	Charles Bassey	Isaiah Todd	Rokas Jokubaitis	Herbert Jones
40. MEM	MEM to UTA	Jared Butler	Joe Wieskamp	Rokas Jokubaitis	JT Thor	Juhann Begarin	Josh Christopher	Santi Aldama	JT Thor
41. SAN		Joe Wieskamp	Kessler Edwards	Neemias Queta	Juhann Begarin	David Johnson	Rokas Jokubaitis	Isaiah Todd	Neemias Queta
42. DET		Isaiah Livers	Jason Preston	Jason Preston	Quentin Grimes	Filip Petrusev	Juhann Begarin	Josh Christopher	Greg Brown
43. NOP	NOP to POR	Greg Brown	Juhann Begarin	Joe Wieskamp	Aaron Henry	Jason Preston	Joe Wieskamp	Filip Petrusev	Miles McBride
44. BKN		Kessler Edwards	Aaron Henry	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Herbert Jones	Rokas Jokubaitis	Charles Bassey	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Isaiah Livers
45. BOS		Juhann Begarin	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Aaron Henry	David Johnson	Austin Reaves	Austin Reaves	Jason Preston	Daishen Nix
46. TOR		Dalano Banton	Filip Petrusev	Raiquan Gray	Joe Wieskamp	Herbert Jones	Aaron Wiggins	Juhann Begarin	Kessler Edwards
47. TOR		David Johnson	David Johnson	Charles Bassey	Greg Brown	Aaron Wiggins	Herbert Jones	Isaiah Livers	Aaron Wiggins
48. ATL		Sharife Cooper	Rokas Jokubaitis	Juhann Begarin	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Jericho Sims	David Johnson	Greg Brown	Isaiah Todd
49. BKN		Marcus Zegarowski	Jericho Sims	Sandro Mamukelashvili	Kessler Edwards	Joe Wieskamp	AJ Lawson	Sandro Mamukelashvili	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
50. PHI		Filip Petrusev	Austin Reaves	Filip Petrusev	Sam Hauser	Aaron Henry	Aaron Henry	David Johnson	Vrenz Bleijenbergh
51. NOP	NOP to LAC	Brandon Boston	Vrenz Bleijenbergh	Amar Sylla	Luka Garza	Isaiah Livers	Duane Washington	Kessler Edwards	Joe Wieskamp
52. DET		Luka Garza	Isaiah Livers	Jericho Sims	Aaron Wiggins	Daishen Nix	RaiQuan Gray	Vrenz Bleijenbergh	Aaron Henry
53. PHI		Charles Bassey	Aaron Wiggins	Santi Aldama	Vrenz Bleijenbergh	Greg Brown	Jericho Sims	Aaron Henry	Luka Garza
54. IND	IND to MIL	Sandro Mamukelashvili	Greg Brown	Luka Garza	Isaiah Livers	Luka Garza	Amar Sylla	Charles Bassey	Raiquan Gray
55. OKC		Aaron Wiggins	Santi Aldama	David Johnson	Filip Petrusev	Santi Aldama	Santi Aldama	Neemias Queta	McKinley Wright
56. CHA		Scottie Lewis	Luka Garza	Isaiah Livers	McKinley Wright	Vrenz Bleijenbergh	Filip Petrusev	Justin Champagnie	Charles Bassey
57. CHA	CHA to DET	Balša Koprivica	Neemias Queta	Joel Ayayi	Sandro Mamukelashvili	McKinley Wright	Greg Brown	Jericho Sims	Matthew Hurt
58. NYK		Jericho Sims	McKinley Wright	Justin Champagnie	Daishen Nix	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl	Neemias Queta	Luka Garza	Jay Huff
59. BKN		RaiQuan Gray	Sam Hauser	Daishen Nix	Neemias Queta	Sandro Mamukelashvili	Vrenz Bleijenbergh	Moses Wright	David Johnson
60. IND	IND to MIL	Georgios Kalaitzakis	Sandro Mamukelashvili	Chris Smith	Santi Aldama	Neemias Queta	Sam Hauser	Matthew Hurt	Austin Reaves

Summary of all transactions leading up to and during the Draft:

NBA.com

References:

ESPN/Draft Express [Jonathan Givony/Mike Schmitz]

The Ringer [Kevin O’Connor]

Bleacher Report [Jonathan Wasserman]

The Athletic [Sam Vecenie]

Sport Illustrated [Jeremy Woo]

NBA Big Board [Chad Ford]

Tankathon

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