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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:
It’s official, the Spurs have won the Draft Lottery. So, what will happen next? Compare the updated mock drafts from Jonathan Givony + Jeremy Woo/ESPN, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, and Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today plus new picks from Hoops Distillery!
It’s Draft Lottery Day and everyone is at the Combine, so no better time to dig into the updated big boards from this week, including Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo/ESPN, and Tankathon.
The pre-draft process has officially begun and we have three new big boards to compare Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, Jonathan Givony/ESPN-Draft Express, and Tankathon.
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7/29 update: Re-updated with new mocks drafts from Jonathan Givony at ESPN, Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer, Chad Ford at NBA Big Board, and Jonathan Wasserman at B/R! Updated this morning with new picks from Jonathan Givony at ESPN. Keep checking back for updates throughout the day. And as Mike Schmitz, said in his tweet below, LET’S GO!! Draft Day has finally arrived!
7/28 update: Updated again with new mock drafts from Jonathan Givony at ESPN and Jeremy Woo at SI. Added updated mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman at B/R, and 2nd round picks for Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer.
7/27 update: Added updated mock drafts from John Hollinger at The Athletic, Sam Vecenie at The Athletic,and Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer.
7/26 update: Re-updated, post Grizzlies-Pelicans trade, with updated mock drafts from ESPN, Chad Ford, and Jeremy Woo. Added updated mock drafts from Jeremy Woo at Sport Illustrated and Chad Ford from NBABigBoard.com.
7/25 update: added new mock drafts from Jonathan Givony at ESPN and Tankathon.
7/23 update: added Kevin O’Connor‘s updated 1st round mock draft from The Ringer‘s NBA Draft Guide.
7/21 update: added updated mock drafts from Sam Vecenie at The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman at B/R.
7/20 update: added updated mock draft from Jeremy Woo at SI.
Late posting this one as work, family, and travel made it tough to keep up with all the updates being posted since the Draft Combine, withdrawal deadline, and with team workouts happening. Chad Ford posted his mock draft 3.0 on NBABigBoard.com (which is having a big $40 annual sale for subscribers btw–well worth it!), Jonathan Wasserman from Bleacher Report putting in lots of high-quality work as always, and our friends at Tankathon. Scottie Barnes is firmly in the top 5, and it sounds like James Bouknight has wowed team execs to solidify his spot in the top 10. Jared Butler got great news yesterday, as he was cleared by NBA health protocols, and Jaden Springer, now injury-free, has made quite an impression during team workouts. There will be many more mock drafts posted this week, so make sure to check back for updates leading up to the big day on July 29th–and follow me at @hoopsdistillery on Twitter for update notifications. Also, if I’m missing a mock draft from any Draft Analysts you feel belong with these All-NBA level Draft Analysts I currently include, feel free to DM me on Twitter.
Pre-draft season is here along with updated mock drafts from Jonathan Givony + Jeremy Woo/ESPN-Draft Express, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, Tankathon,, and new picks from Hoops Distillery!
With March Madness on the horizon we have a new batch of big boards to compare including picks from Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, and the best available from Jonathan Givony/ESPN-Draft Express. Will Brandon Miller overtake Scoot for the #2 spot?
March has arrived with updated mock drafts from Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Jonathan Givony/ESPN-Draft Express, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, Tankathon, Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation. Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today, Sam Vecenie/The Athletic….and an updated mock from Hoops Distillery.
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7/22 update: added Sam Vecenie‘s top 60 from his updated big board as part of his 2021 NBA Draft Guide for The Athletic.
7/19 update: added Kevin O’Connor‘s top 50 big board that was updated as part of The Ringer‘s NBA Draft Guide.
With the draft less than two weeks away and the NCAA withdrawal deadline passed, there have been quite a few recent updates to share, as intel has been flowing in from the Combine and team workouts. Lots of movement in the rankings = perfect timing for another Big Board comparison featuring John Hollinger from The Athletic who released his Top 70, a very interesting update to Jonathan Wasserman’s board from Bleacher Report with Cam Thomas moving up to #10, Chad Ford from NBABigBoard.com, Jeremy Woo from Sports Illustrated, and Draft Dummies, who have been doing a hell of a job on their LockedOn NBA Draft Podcast and Twitter. As big boards are posted or updated before July 29th, I’ll be adding them to this post, so make sure to check back and follow me on Twitter (@hoopsdistillery) to watch for updates.
New mock drafts for February are here–including two updates from Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Jonathan Givony/ESPN-Draft Express, Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Tankathon–and fresh picks from Hoops Distillery. Jarace Walker and Gradey DIck moving up in this recent batch.
We now have five mock drafts to compare, including Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation, Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today Tankathon, and the first Hoops Distillery mock draft of 2023!
We finally have a few 2023 big boards to stack up against each other. So, here’s our first #bigboardcomp of the year featuring boards from Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Jonathan Givony/ESPN-Draft Express and Tankathon.
The global holiday that is our beloved NBA Draft day is coming up quick, so here’s an updated 1st round mock draft with a couple of big surprises along the way as food for thought. By now, most mock drafts have a lot of similar picks with most draft analysts agreeing (in general) on the tiers where players lie. But as you’ll see in this mock draft, one pick that comes out of left field can throw a monkey wrench into the 1st round, which then creates a ripple effect of semi-unexpected picks.
The biggest theme I see in this year’s draft is that most teams want to win (as we saw with so many teams competing to make the play-in tournament last season) and would prefer to have someone who can step into their rotation right away to give them a boost. This is an especially big help for the older prospects like Corey Kispert, Davion Mitchell and Chris Duarte–all considered elderly in draft terms at the ages of 23 and 24. Although this draft is considered top heavy, with a lot of top tier talent in the first five picks, the top 40 picks should have multiple players who will play for years in the league and be important rotation players, if not all stars, for some players who can get a handle on the all-important swing skill of shooting.
As opposed to some mock drafts that are aiming to be as accurate as possible with the picks that teams will make on July 29th via the intel they have from GM’s, scouts, and agents, this mock draft is fully based on my opinion of who each team should take based on my research, which includes a huge amount of time reading, watching, and listening to draft coverage in order to distill the best content possible. I avoid deep dives into player strengths and weaknesses, as I’m not a scout or an analytics guy, but instead, look closely at roster construction and how certain picks might fit into team’s current and future plans. Thanks to our friends Fanspo, as always, for their Mock Draft Simulator.
1. DET—Cade Cunningham: An almost no-brainer pick here as the Pistons need to win games but maybe more pressing in the near term is to be relevant and sell tickets. Cunningham gives them a leader on the floor and an identity off of it. He’ll control the pace and open up the floor for others to make plays. Can he coexist with Killian Hayes? There’s no reason to believe he can’t. He is a team first guy that loves to set other players up for easy looks, and will take the pressure off of Hayes to be the primary creator for the time being. If both can continue to gain experience, fine tune their ball handling and pick and roll playmaking, the Pistons will have a very versatile lineup moving forward that will be dangerously big and strong with Jeremi Grant and Saddiq Bey lurking on the perimeter.
2. HOU—Jalen Green: Fertitta is desperate to have a new Rockets poster boy—and very excited to have a low-cost team with no expectations but lots of highlight reels. Green has tons of talent and athleticism, and should provide exactly that. And with the rebuild just beginning, he’ll have plenty of time to fine tune his game and be an offensive force for years in the league. Seems like there’s a very good chance Eric Gordon will be traded and certainly John Wall is not in their future plans, so their 2021 picks will be important to start filling holes with high-ceiling guys that they can develop, along with Kevin Porter Jr., KJ Martin, and Jae’Sean Tate. Christian Wood and John Wall will spar and side-eye each other, trying to be the go-to-guy for this squad, but when the smoke clears there’s a good chance that neither will be on the roster for long.
3. CLE—Evan Mobley: some of the most experienced draft analysts think Mobley is the best prospect in this draft, so the Cavs may be lucking out with a franchise player here that is also a positional fit, assuming he can play the 4, and more 5 too, as he adds strength. Colin Sexton may be shipped out to avoid overpaying him, and Jarret Allen’s contract is up which will most likely cost the Cavs between $18-20m per year on a multi-year contract. Both players may not be in the future plans of the organization, but they are both skilled and should be retained to avoid losing them as assets (in Allen’s case) and/or signed and traded (in either case). Mobley should quickly emerge as the new face of the franchise.
4. TOR—Jalen Suggs: No need to overthink this one. Barnes is tempting at this spot but Suggs has too high of a floor and will fit in perfectly with Raps culture. Whether Lowry leaves or not this offseason, he’ll be gone eventually and Suggs can play on or off the ball with VanVleet and provide the same competitive fire of Lowry. It can be hard for teams to replace leadership, but Suggs may be able to do that, even as a young player. He isn’t used to losing and doesn’t accept it, which Toronto fans will love. The Raptors will need some added depth to strengthen their bench next season, but by bringing back Gary Trent Jr. and having even average luck with team health (as opposed to last year’s disaster), they’ll already have a rotation that should put them back as one of the East’s elite teams.
5. ORL—Scottie Barnes: Barnes has one of the highest ceilings in this draft and from day one will be a glue guy who is super versatile and will be a terror on D paired with Isaac. Once his shot develops a bit more, he’ll be able to leverage that to be an even better playmaker. And, he could set up the Magic to have lineups, similar to the championship Warriors teams, where 4-5 guys can shoot, rebound, push the ball up the court, and make smart decisions.
6. OKC—Ziaire Williams: ***……Record scratch…..***. The Thunder shock everyone by taking Williams with their first of multiple first round picks, with the plan to swing for the fences on a big, talented wing who could eventually provide positional versatility and the ability to shoot over anyone like Michael Porter, Jason Tatum, or KD. Chad Ford reported that his trainer, Joe Abunassar, at Impact Basketball, has been raving about him as a truly elite prospect—so what if that’s not smoke? What if he actually did underachieve due to circumstances last season? He already grew to 6’10” and his floor could be Cam Johnson on the Suns this season. It seems like a risky choice by Sam Presti, but with a super young roster, dozens of draft picks at his disposal, and Kemba Walker primed and ready for another flea market flip, they’ll take the best player available, and Presti always loves guys who are big, long, and athletic.
7. GSW—Franz Wagner: Most mocks have the Warriors taking Davion Mitchell or James Bouknight to provide immediate help for a championship run next season, but I think they’ll opt for Wagner who also happens to provide immediate help on D, along with high IQ (which they strongly value), and is only 19, but with a lot of experience between playing pro in Germany and University of Michigan. If his shooting becomes more consistent, he could really help them as part of small-ball closing lineups, which the Warriors would love to get back to if they can piece together the right personnel.
8. ORL—James Bouknight: Easy pick here, as Bouknight has a very high ceiling offensively in the mold of Zach Lavine or Devin Booker, which is exactly the scoring punch that the Magic need with Fultz and Barnes still developing consistent offensive games. With Bouknight in the fold, Magic could also send out Terrence Ross for more assets sooner than later. They’ll need to make sure there are some vets on the roster to guide the young guys, but they should already be proud of how quickly they have been able to rebuild the roster after sending out Vucevic, Gordon, and Fournier.
9. SAC—Jonathan Kuminga: After mock drafts had him as a top 5 pick for months, the tide has turned after players like Barnes and Bouknight have risen up the charts post-combine, interviews, and team workouts. Kuminga has a lot of work to do to make his skill level match his physical talents, but Jarrett Jack on the Ryen Russillo pod, mentioned that with a couple adjustments to his jumper, he could be a strong 3-D player for years, which would suit the Kings just fine—and the sooner the development the better, with the trade winds blowing hard on Bagley and Hield. A player like Kuminga will be much needed to try to slow down big wings like LeBron and Kawhi in the west.
10. NOP—Moses Moody: Pelicans have been rumored to be looking for veteran help and desperately need to unload Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams—both puzzling moves from David Griffin last summer. With Moody left on the board, they should keep the pick instead of using it as trade sweetener, as he will fit in immediately with his shooting and length on D. As Moody continues to develop his game (and confidence), there may actually be quite a bit of hidden upside that could emerge, but for the time being they only need him to play hard and play smart, leaving all the heavy lifting to Zion and Ingram. I’m also for the Pels resigning Ball so they don’t lose him as an asset. The only worry I have with this pick is that Ball, Ingram and Moody seem to all have very laid-back on-court personalities. That is a good thing in some ways, but may force the team to eventually add a Jimmy Butler/Chris Paul-style player to add the needed leadership and intensity come playoff time that to balances them out.
11. CHA—Keon Johnson: Hornets still have a lot of holes, so there are many picks that make sense here. Additionally, they have some tough choices to make roster-wise in terms of resigning Graham and Rozier, which speaks to the bigger question of whether to fast-track their way to the playoffs with vets or to be patient and develop over time. Although tempting to take the outside shooting of Kispert or the inside presence of Sengun, the better pick here is Keon Johnson, who will look much better with age, skill development, and the LaMelo effect. He’ll also provide insurance for Graham and/or Rozier leaving and help their D from day one.
Proposed starting lineup: Ball-Rozier-Hayward-Washington-? (FA center or trade)
12. SAN—Alperen Sengun: There are lots of interesting options on the board here including Jalen Johnson, Corey Kispert and Josh Giddey. The Spurs, whose veteran trio of DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay are free agents leaving the roster at a bit of a crossroads. There are a various moves that they need to consider making to balance out the younger group on the roster, which is very guard-heavy for the time being. Not knowing exactly what their plans are, or even if Popovich will be back to coach next season, the best pick is Sengun, who can play some 4 and 5, and gives them a young big with a ton of upside. He can work with Chip Engalland to fine tune his jumper and will eventually be able to help stretch the floor. For the time being, he can score inside, rebound and give them more of an inside presence (if there’s such a thing anymore) and should have no issue fitting into the Spurs culture which thrives on having a diverse group of players from around the world.
13. IND—Davion Mitchell: Mock drafts have the Pacers taking Josh Giddey but I’m not so sure that makes sense unless they plan to eigher trade Brogdon or not resign McConnell. Jalen Johnson is another popular pick here which could make sense but not sure how he fits with Myles Turner and Sabonis. That being said, this roster could change quite a bit in the next couple months. The best pick, in my view, is Mitchell who can help Brogdon with ball-handling responsibilities but also is very good playing off the ball. It goes without saying the boost of energy he’ll give them on D, matching up against the Curry’s and Lillard’s of the world.
14. GSW—Chris Duarte: Lots of debate as to whether the Warriors should trade these lottery picks for veteran, win-now help, and that makes a ton of sense, but if they do send out Wiseman, Wiggins and both picks for a max player like a Siakam, I don’t see how they’ll have enough quality depth to get through a full season + multiple playoff series—and overplaying Klay or Steph is not a good option. If the Warriors can sign a couple of ‘ring chaser’ vets and pick Duarte they may have a better shot at making a deep run. Duarte should be able to step in from day one and be solid on both ends of the floor, and as some have mentioned, based on the Warriors huge payroll and luxury tax issues, its well worth taking someone like Duarte, who may not have as a high a ceiling but is a cost controlled 3-D wing for years to come while they try to maximize what ever is left of being light years ahead.
15. WAS—Corey Kispert: The Wizards, as with some of these other teams in the late lottery have the option of choosing a high-ceiling prospect to develop over time or going for someone who can help right away. The front office will want to maximize what could be a short window of time with Beal and Westbrook, so makes more sense to pick someone who can be in the rotation right away. Garuba and and Giddey are interesting options here, but Garuba overlaps a bit too much with Hachimura and Giddey with Avdija, so the Wiz go with the plug-and-play 3-and-D game of Kispert who will provide much needed outside shooting threat to spread the floor. Adding Kispert to the roster definitely does not improve the defensive outlook, but they can look to fill out the roster with some defensive-minded vets that may at least make them passable.
16. OKC—Josh Giddey: The Thunder come in with a boat load of draft picks which gives them many options to trade up or trade for another young player, if the right one is offered up. But assuming they don’t trade up based on the high quality of guys who are still left on the board, Giddey seems like a great choice here, dropping a bit from where most mock drafts have him. As SGA does with his size and ball handling, Giddey will provide lots of positional versatility with lineups that may combine him with Maledon/Kemba, SGA, and Poku. Who actually brings the ball up the court doesn’t matter so much, as long as they all can shoot and create for others. Giddey is young and has plenty of upside which he’ll have a good chance to maximize with the OKC player development staff.
Multi-ball-handler lineup: Maledon, SGA, Giddey, Z. Williams, Poku
17. MEM—Jalen Johnson: Everyone raves about the depth of the Grizzlies, but in order to make playoff run in the West, they still need to upgrade their talent via the draft or trade along with continued player development. With Johnson, the Grizzlies add a versatile wing who has some similarities to Kyle Anderson, who happens to be in the last year of his contract. Both provide some ball-handling, solid vision, and solid 3-point shooting. Johnson will need to work on his game and gain a lot more experience, but he can learn the ropes from Anderson and not have pressure to produce in the near term. Eventually, if Johnson’s shooting consistency and maturity improves, the Grizzlies could utilize him as their starting SF, as he’ll provide much needed athleticism and speed to their lineup.
18. OKC—Usman Garuba: With their 3rd pick in the 1st round, the Thunder go with another international player with lots of upside and pro experience in Garuba who will provide positional versatility at the 4 or 5. Without a good center option on the roster after sending Al Horford and Moses Brown to Boston, Isaiah Jackson and even Day’Ron Sharpe are interesting options, but what Garuba has that those two don’t, is unicorn stopper ability that will certainly come in handy vs. the LeBron, Kawhi, KD, and Giannis’s of the world. Not to mention, Garuba is a great team defender who can protect the rim immediately. OKC player development staff will have their hands full working with Williams, Giddey, and Garuba on their shooting, but if they’re able to turn them into 35-40% three-point shooters, than look out.
Future super-sized wing lineup: SGA, Giddey, Z. Williams, Poku, Garuba
19. NYK—Miles McBride: Rumors are swirling that the Knicks will trade their two picks to move up, and it’s possible that the Hornets or Wizards might take them up on the offer, with both teams needing more depth (and home run swings). That being said, I don’t think the Knicks have much quality depth either and unless they are in love with a specific player, they’d be best off, making both picks. McBride is a perfect fit with Thibs style, providing tough-nosed defense, speed/athleticism, and a good shooting stroke. He won’t give them much playmaking which is why many think (and hope) the Knicks will select Sharife Cooper here, but his lack of prowess on D, plus poor shooting does not seem like a great match. Once the Rose era ends, some combination of Quickley, Vildoza and McBride can be the Knicks future guard rotation, moving Barrett to the 3.
20. ATL—Jared Butler: The Hawks lineup is stacked, but maybe not for long, as Hawks owner Tony Ressler honestly admitted to the media after the playoffs. Although Cam Thomas, Jaden Springer, and even JT Thor are interesting here, the developmental curve of those players may bit a bit too long to take advantage of the awesome depth that the Hawks have which could (and almost did) propel them on a championship run before they have to pick and choose who to resign and consider consolidating the roster. Butler can play some backup PG as well as playing off the ball with Trae Young or Bogdanovic. He’s an excellent ball handler, defender, and is experience playing in big games–and he’s only 20 years old. He will be attractive to other teams in trade packages while at the same time providing insurance if they do opt to trade (or not resign) Huerter, Lou Will, or Reddish.
21. NYK—Isaiah Jackson: Logically, Jackson has been rumored to be going to the Knicks in many mock drafts with the current roster uncertainty of resigning Mitchell Robinson and/or Nerlens Noel. Makes sense that they won’t bring both of them back. And again, the Knicks coaching staff and front office are overly well-connected with the Kentucky staff and will have better intel than most teams on what Jackson is capable of. As happens with many Kentucky players during the Calipari era, there may be a hidden offensive upside for Jackson which would could eventually allow him to pick and pop and/or space the floor when Randle or Barrett post up. For the time being, he’ll provide a poor man’s version of the rim protection and rim running alley-oop dunks that Noel gave them last season.
22. LAL—Sharife Cooper: This may not actually make sense as the Lakers pick, as LeBron may get grumpy if he’s not surrounded by shooters, but the Basketball Gods may need to make this happen to bring a bit more of the Showtime-style back to the Lakers. With uncertainty surrounding Schroeder, Caruso, THT, and KCP, this seems to make sense from a basketball standpoint too. The Lakers thrive in the bubble with lineups that combined the elite playmaking and high basketball IQ of Rajon Rondo with LeBron and AD and Sharife could eventually do the same.
24. HOU—Isaiah Todd: With back-to-back picks in the 20’s and lots of rebuilding to do, the Rockets can swing for the fences with two versatile, high upside guys. Springer can play the 1 or 2 and will fit nicely with Kevin Porter Jr and John Wall in the near term. And Todd, who showed flashes of solid D on the Ignite, has an intriguing game that has shades of Tatum/Durant/MPJ thanks to his athleticism, size and footwork. Combining these two with Jalen Green and Christian Wood would be very entertaining and eventually lead to winning. Fertitta isn’t the same as Donald Sterling, but for some reason, I get the feeling he’ll be more than happy fielding a young, exciting, and inexpensive team for years to come, while he collects his checks and watches the team value grown exponentially.
Starting lineup once they find a way to trade Wall and Gordon: Porter Jr.-Green-Tate-Martin Jr.-Wood
25. LAC—Cameron Thomas: Everyone talks about the Warriors being in win-now mode, but the Clippers also have a very limited championship window to take advantage of with the Kawhi/PG pairing. On the positive side, Reggie Jackson and Terrence Mann showed that they are truly 16-game players in this year’s playoffs. On the negative side, there’s Ibaka and Kawhi’s injuries and unknown recovery time—and Kawhi’s lack of communication/trust with team management and medical staff. Although Luke Kennard played well at times in the playoffs, the Clips are sorely missing a microwave scorer off the bench like they had with Lou Williams, and that’s where Thomas comes in. Although a bit undersized for a SG at 6’3” (reportedly), he can score from all three levels and at his age there’s a lot of room for growth.
26. DEN—Brandon Boston: Murray’s injury was a huge stroke of bad luck for the Nuggets who were riding an MVP season from Nikola Jokic and could have made a deep playoff run had they fielded a healthy squad. With Will Barton opting out, Murray recovering, Gary Harris and RJ Hampton on the Magic, they are in major need of depth at the guard position, but because based on their current roster, they’d be best off filling some of these holes in free agency with players that can step in right away and contribute. In the end, the Nuggets will stick with what’s worked for them the past few years—swing for the fences on the guy that has undeniable talent and high ceiling but dropped out of favor for whatever reason. And this year, that player is Brandon Boston. While Josh Christopher or Bones Hyland would also be solid options, the Nuggets will bank on Boston being the next Kentucky guard to show a more diversified skill set than they flashed in college. Plus, Boston is 6’7” which should help on the defensive side of the ball from day one. Becoming a solid 3-D wing will go a long way in helping the Nuggets get to the next level, but if he can eventually regain his confidence and shot creation ability, he’ll provide a scary perimeter trio with MPJ and Murray, which Jokic will take full advantage of.
27. BKN—Bones Hyland: Rumor has it that the Nets made a promise to Day’Ron Sharpe here, but I’m not so sure that makes sense. The Nets already have Jordan (who KD and Kyrie won’t allow to be traded) and the up-and-coming Nicolas Claxton—plus KD, Blake Griffin or Jeff Green for small-ball lineups, so why would they take another center—a position that is relatively easy to find inexpensively via free agency or the buyout market? With Spencer Dinwiddie heading out via free agency and Mike James questionable to return, plus the fragility of Kyrie Irving, the Nets take Hyland who can run backup PG and also play off the ball in some lineups with Harden, as he is a very confident scorer and most likely better than D on day one, than Landry Shamet. KD can even teach him how to survive and thrive in the league as an ultra-skinny but highly skilled player.
28. PHI—Kai Jones: Lots of questions this offseason for the Sixers, as a Ben Simmons trade may happen. If this is the case, this pick could be part of the outgoing package in a two or three team deal. But assuming the trade doesn’t happen till the deadline or Daryl Morey doesn’t feel like he’s getting enough value, Jones would be a solid pick here based on his athleticism and upside. Dwight Howard may not be resigned, so Jones could play a bit of backup center for Joel Embiid while also getting a few minutes at the 4. With a strong lineup built to make a championship run in the next couple of years, Jones wouldn’t have any pressure to produce in the near term, but if he ever comes close to reaching his very high ceiling, he could end up being the Sixers starting PF if Simmons gets traded and they use a more traditional PG.
29. PHX—Day’Ron Sharpe: After all the Nets rumors, it was the Suns who made the promise to Sharpe, and boy could they have used him during the Finals. Ayton did well to protect the rim and battle with Brook Lopez and Giannis, but he had to play 36-40 minutes per game which is exhausting after such a long season—and very hard to stay out of foul trouble. One of the flaws of the Suns roster was the lack of a backup big man that could provide some muscle against the bigger centers like Embiid and Jokic. The Suns tried Damian James earlier in the season but eventually waived him and Dario Saric was their backup center. Sharpe, who is in great shape, has a high motor, untapped potential as an outside shooter, and is a skilled passer for his size. He’ll provide lineup versatility for the Suns next season while Saric recovers and Jalen Smith continues to develop.
30. UTA—JT Thor: After passing on Jaden McDaniels in the 2020 draft in the oft-told tale of front office in-fighting, the Jazz have an interesting choice here. As with most perennial playoff teams who want to make a championship run, Assuming Mike Conley is back next year and the Jazz aren’t looking for guard-help, they could really use an injection of youth and athleticism. That’s where JT Thor could really help. He may not provide instant production, but just for Quinn Snyder to have the option of playing him in a faster lineup as a small-ball 5 or to guard the long, athletic, skilled PFs of the league like Tatum and KD, could give them quite a boost. As his three-point shot continues develop, he’ll fit right in with the Jazz offense.
6/30 update: Chad Ford just posted an update for his NBA Big Board site which has Scottie Barnes moving to #4, and McBride, Hyland and Trey Murphy moving into the 20’s. Check back next week as he will be posting 31-80 on his board, at which time I’ll update this post.
I’ve also included John Hollinger’s Top 20 board from his June 22nd article at The Athletic, which does not include three sleepers he mentions: Roko Prkacin, Herb Jones, and Neemias Queta.
June big boards are coming out as the deadline to declare for the NBA Draft passed on May 30. There’s been lots of movement since last month across the different boards, so lets compare boards by Chad Ford at NBA Big Board (updated with the 2nd half of his big board on 6/10), Jonathan Wasserman at Bleacher Report, and Sam Vecenie at The Athletic. As more big boards are updated, I’ll be adding them to this page, so make sure to check back for updates throughout the month.
6/29 Update: ESPN/Draft Express posted an updated mock draft post-Draft Combine and Pro Days. Jalen Green moves up from #3 to #2, Scottie Barnes from #9 to #5, and James Bouknight #19 to #8.
After months of anticipation, the 2021 Draft Lottery is complete and the Pistons came out as the big winners….or so it seems at this moment [see future story: Cade Cunningham switches to Klutch Sports and warns Pistons he’ll sit out the year if they pick him]. Rockets breathed a huge sigh of relief. sticking in the top 4 and narrowly avoiding sending their pick to OKC. And the Cavs and Raptors luck out and move up into the top 4. As always, all of the top draft analysts released new mock drafts last night, so this mock draft comp is the richest yet, especially since everyone is now on an ‘equal playing field’ knowing the order of picks and having studied tape, talked to many agents, scouts, and front office folks. As more mock drafts are posted, I’ll be adding them to this post, so make sure to check back for updates throughout the month. or follow me at @hoopsdistillery.
Some fresh picks to compare from Jeremy Woo/SI, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, ESPN-Draft Express/Jonathan Givony, Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, and Tankathon. Wemby + Scoot we know, but then what…
The much anticipated Draft Lottery took place this week and the Detroit Pistons moved up a spot to grab the #1 pick in the #FadeforCade sweepstakes. And with that, it’s time for an updated mock draft via the Fanspo (formerly TradeNBA) Mock Draft Simulator using the official NBA Draft order. Buzz seems to be growing for Scottie Barnes moving into the top 5 picks and pushing Jonathan Kuminga out, but I’m not so sure Orlando will opt for that based on their lack of offense firepower. Cleveland is also in a bit of an odd position where they may need to pick Jalen Green based on upside which may force their hand in trading Colin Sexton. Warriors are also rumored to be considering trading out of the draft for a proven veteran, but I have them taking Bouknight and Kispert which would (in theory) shift them back to an elite and diverse offense team. As for OKC’s retool, they go with an hyper-athletic trio of Barnes, Ziaire Williams and Day’Ron Sharpe, while the Knicks revamp their backcourt with Sharife Cooper and Chris Duarte.
6/5 Update: Added picks by Kevin O’Connor who posted his mock draft as part of the The Ringer’s 2021 NBA Draft Guide.
5/25 Update: As promised, updated picks have been added for Chad Ford, Jonathan Givony/Mike Schmitz, and Tankathon, with the tiebreakers that were decided this afternoon.
The first mock drafts have been released for the month of May and once again, we’re here to capture those and let you compare picks. Unlike last month, we now have mocks from Sam Vecenie at the Athletic and Chad Ford from NBA Big Board, Tankathon, Jonathan Wasserman from Bleacher Report, and I just added the mock from ESPN’s, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz. As more mock drafts are posted, I’ll be adding them to this page, so make sure to check back for updates throughout the month.
Ringer
(6/2)
ESPN
(5/25)
NBA Big Board
(5/25)
Tankathon
(5/25)
Athletic
(5/6)
B/R
(5/11)
1. HOU
Cade
Cunningham
1. HOU
Cade
Cunningham
1. HOU
Cade
Cunningham
1. HOU
Cade
Cunningham
1. HOU
Cade
Cunningham
1. OKC
Cade
Cunningham
2. DET
Evan
Mobley
2. DET
Evan
Mobley
2. DET
Jalen
Green
2. DET
Evan
Mobley
2. MIN
Jalen
Suggs
2. TOR
Evan
Mobley
3. ORL
Jalen
Green
3. ORL
Jalen
Green
3. ORL
Evan
Mobley
3. ORL
Jalen
Suggs
3. DET
Evan
Mobley
3. SAC
Jalen
Green
4. OKC
Jalen
Suggs
4. OKC
Jalen
Suggs
4. OKC
Jonathan
Kuminga
4. OKC
Jalen
Green
4. ORL
Jalen
Green
4. IND
Jalen
Suggs
5. CLE
Jonathan
Kuminga
5. CLE
Jonathan
Kuminga
5. CLE
Jalen
Suggs
5. CLE
Jonathan
Kuminga
5. CLE
Jonathan
Kuminga
5. OKC
Jonathan
Kuminga
6. GSW
Davion
Mitchell
6. GSW
Keon
Johnson
6. GSW
Scottie
Barnes
6. GSW
Scottie
Barnes
6. OKC
Scottie
Barnes
6. DET
Keon
Johnson
7. TOR
Keon
Johnson
7. TOR
Davion
Mitchell
7. TOR
Davion
Mitchell
7. TOR
Jalen
Johnson
7. SAC
Keon
Johnson
7. GSW
Franz
Wagner
8. ORL
Jalen
Johnson
8. ORL
Jalen
Johnson
8. ORL
Keon
Johnson
8. ORL
Keon
Johnson
8. ORL
Moses
Moody
8. CLE
Jalen
Johnson
9. SAC
Franz
Wagner
9. SAC
Scottie
Barnes
9. SAC
Franz
Wagner
9. SAC
Corey
Kispert
9. TOR
Davion
Mitchell
9. ORL
Scottie
Barnes
10. NOP
Corey
Kispert
10. NOP
Franz
Wagner
10. NOP
Josh
Giddey
10. NOP
Davion
Mitchell
10. NOP
Josh
Giddey
10. ORL
Davion
Mitchell
11. CHA
Scottie
Barnes
11. CHA
Corey
Kispert
11. CHA
Alperen
Sengun
11. CHA
Alperen
Sengun
11. IND
Franz
Wagner
11. NOP
Moses
Moody
12. SAN
Alperen
Sengun
12. SAN
Isaiah
Jackson
12. SAN
Jalen
Johnson
12. SAN
Moses
Moody
12. WAS
Kai
Jones
12. WAS
Corey
Kispert
13. IND
Cameron
Thomas
13. IND
Josh
Giddey
13. IND
Moses
Moody
13. IND
James
Bouknight
13. GSW
James
Bouknight
13. SAN
Josh
Giddey
14. GSW
Ziaire
Williams
14. GSW
Alperen
Sengun
14. GSW
Jared
Butler
14. GSW
Franz
Wagner
14. SAN
Alperen
Sengun
14. MEM
Usman
Garuba
15. WAS
Moses
Moody
15. WAS
Usman
Garuba
15. WAS
Corey
Kispert
15. WAS
Josh
Giddey
15. CHA
Usman
Garuba
15. CHA
Isaiah
Jackson
16. BOS
Josh
Giddey
16. BOS
Cameron
Thomas
16. BOS
Usman
Garuba
16. BOS
Isaiah
Jackson
16. MEM
Jaden
Springer
16. BOS
Kai
Jones
17. MEM
Kai
Jones
17. MEM
Kai
Jones
17. MEM
Kai
Jones
17. MEM
Ziaire
Williams
17. OKC
Ziaire
Williams
17. GSW
Jared
Butler
18. OKC
Isaiah
Jackson
18. OKC
Moses
Moody
18. OKC
James
Bouknight
18. OKC
Usman
Garuba
18. BOS
Jalen
Johnson
18. ATL
James
Bouknight
19. NYK
Sharife
Cooper
19. NYK
James
Bouknight
19. NYK
Sharife
Cooper
19. NYK
Jared
Butler
19. ATL
Cameron
Thomas
19. HOU
Ziaire
Williams
20. ATL
Tre
Mann
20. ATL
Tre
Mann
20. ATL
Tre
Mann
20. ATL
Chris
Duarte
20. HOU
Corey
Kispert
20. NYK
Tre
Mann
21. NYK
James
Bouknight
21. NYK
Ziaire
Williams
21. NYK
Isaiah
Jackson
21. NYK
Kai
Jones
21. NYK
Isaiah
Jackson
21. LAL
Jaden
Springer
22. LAL
Chris
Duarte
22. LAL
Ayo
Dosunmu
22. LAL
Chris
Duarte
22. LAL
Jaden
Springer
22. NYK
Chris
Duarte
22. HOU
Cameron
Thomas
23. HOU
Jaden
Springer
23. HOU
Sharife
Cooper
23. HOU
Ziaire
Williams
23. HOU
Day'Ron
Sharpe
23. LAL
Ayo
Dosunmu
23. NYK
Brandon
Boston
24. HOU
Usman
Garuba
24. HOU
Jared
Butler
24. HOU
Jaden
Springer
24. HOU
Greg
Brown
24. HOU
Sharife
Cooper
24. HOU
Alperen
Sengun
25. LAC
Ayo
Dosunmu
25. LAC
Charles
Bassey
25. LAC
Johnny
Juzang
25. LAC
Sharife
Cooper
25. PHI
Jared
Butler
25. DEN
Ayo
Dosunmu
26. DEN
Greg
Brown
26. DEN
Chris
Duarte
26. DEN
Greg
Brown
26. DEN
Filip
Petrusev
26. DEN
Roko
Prkacin
26. BKN
Aaron
Henry
27. BKN
Jeremiah
Robinson-Earl
27. BKN
Marcus
Bagley
27. BKN
Isaiah
Todd
27. BKN
Neemias
Queta
27. LAC
Jeremiah
Robinson-Earl
27. LAC
Sharife
Cooper
28. PHI
Jared
Butler
28. PHI
Max
Abmas
28. PHI
Matthew
Mayer
28. PHI
Josh
Christopher
28. BKN
Day'Ron
Sharpe
28. PHI
Chris
Duarte
29. PHX
Rokas
Jokubaitis
29. PHX
Jaden
Springer
29. PHX
Cameron
Thomas
29. PHX
Ayo
Dosunmu
29. PHX
Tre
Mann
29. PHX
Josh
Christopher
30. UTA
Day'Ron
Sharpe
30. UTA
Greg
Brown
30. UTA
Chris
Smith
30. UTA
Trey
Murphy
30. UTA
Aaron
Henry
30. UTA
Roko
Prkacin
Traded draft picks:
• The Knicks own the Mavs’ pick. • The Warriors own the Wolves’ pick if it falls between 4 and 30. • The Magic own the Bulls’ pick if it falls between 5 and 30. • The Pelicans get the Lakers’ pick if it falls between 1 and 7. • The Rockets own the Blazers’ pick if it falls between 15 and 30. • The Rockets own the Bucks’ pick if it falls between 10 and 30. • The Rockets get the Pistons’ pick if it falls between 17 and 30. • The Thunder own the Warriors’ pick if it falls between 21 and 30. • The Grizzlies own the Jazz’s pick if it falls between 8 and 14. • The Knicks can swap picks with the Clippers. • OKC will get the best two of their own pick, the Rockets’ (top 4 protected) and Miami’s first-round pick.
This month, we feature our own 1st round picks stacked up with picks from Sam Vecenie and John Hollinger/The Athletic, Kevin O’Connor/Ther Ringer, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, ESPN-Draft Express/Jonathan Givony, Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today, Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation, and Tankathon.
After having consumed a huge amount of mock drafts, big boards, player analysis and draft combine coverage, it’s time to take a multi-dimensional look at the choices each lottery team may face on draft night.
With this week’s 2021 NBA Draft Guide update by Kevin O’Connor at The Ringer, lets take a look at how his Top 30 board compares to recent updates from Jeremy Woo at Sports Illustrated and Jonathan Givony/Mike Schmitz at ESPN/Draft Express (who don’t post an update date on their best players available page, as I’m sure many of you have noticed). Alperen Sengun has been moving up the boards as analysts have dug into the more tape. O’Connor has him at #9, similar to John Hollinger from The Athletic who has him at #7, according to his recent visit with Chad Ford on this week’s NBA Big Board pod. As more big boards are updated, I’ll be adding them to this page, so make sure to check back for updates throughout the month.
With this year’s Draft Lottery in the rearview mirror, we have a full batch of eight shiny, new mock drafts to compare. featuring 1st round picks from Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, ESPN-Draft Express/Jonathan Givony, Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation, Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today and Tankathon.
Post March Madness + NBA playoff time = early entry commitments and the start of pre-draft workouts. And with that, we have new 1st round picks to compare from Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Jonathan Givony/ESPN-Draft Express, and Rafael Barlowe/NBA Big Board.
After two weeks of March Madness, the next round of mock drafts have been released and are ready to put head to head. I’ve added 1st round picks from Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report, Kevin O’Connor/The Ringer, Tankathon, ESPN-Draft Express/Jonathan Givony, Bryan Kalbrosky/USA Today, and Ricky O’Donnell/SB Nation.
An updated April mock draft as NBA standings have become a bit more clear. Images via TradeNBA Mock Draft Simulator and draft order determined via a Tankathon sim for that day. The top 5 still seems pretty locked in, but teams in the 6 to 20 range will have a tough choice between players that may help immediately and longer term projects with high ceilings. Also, it looks like the 20-45 range could have a lot of value, especially if teams in the 6-20 range swing for the fences on high-ceiling guys like Ziaire Williams or BJ Boston and established guys like Chris Duarte or Jared Butler start to drop.