We are now just under 48 hours until the big night. With moratorium ending today, we have already seen some fireworks and there is no doubt that more are to come. With the extensive delay to the NBA offseason, this is turning out to be what seems like one of the most anticipated drafts in years, even if the talent isn’t as great as other drafts.
I fully expect to see many trades over the next few days and the draft order to change significantly. There is a lot to be excited about and just because your team is let’s say the OKC Thunder, who pick twice at the end of the first round, there is a chance that you could wind up picking top 10 or even top 5 after another trade.
So moral of the story, look at all of these guys on the Big Board and don’t just focus on the guys projected to go in the range where your team is currently set to pick. Also, take this mock with a grain of salt. This is how I expect the draft to go if there are no trades, but there are for sure going to be trades. They are just next to impossible to predict right now. For example, currently it is looking like LaMelo will fall to 4, but somebody could very likely trade into the top 3 for him.
Without further ado, here is my current Mock Draft and Big Board.
| 1 | Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards |
| 2 | Warriors | James Wiseman |
| 3 | Hornets | Onyeka Okongwu |
| 4 | Bulls | LaMelo Ball |
| 5 | Cavs | Deni Avdija |
| 6 | Hawks | Tyrese Haliburton |
| 7 | Pistons | Patrick Williams |
| 8 | Knicks | Obi Toppin |
| 9 | Wizards | Isaac Okoro |
| 10 | Suns | Killian Hayes |
| 11 | Spurs | Devin Vassell |
| 12 | Kings | Saddiq Bey |
| 13 | Pelicans | Tyrese Maxey |
| 14 | Celtics | RJ Hampton |
| 15 | Magic | Tyrell Terry |
| 16 | Trail Blazers | Aaron Nesmith |
| 17 | Timberwolves | Aleksej Pokusevski |
| 18 | Mavs | Precious Achiuwa |
| 19 | Nets | Kira Lewis Jr |
| 20 | Heat | Cole Anthony |
| 21 | 76ers | Desmond Bane |
| 22 | Nuggets | Jalen Smith |
| 23 | Jazz | Josh Green |
| 24 | Bucks | Nico Mannion |
| 25 | Thunder | Theo Maledon |
| 26 | Celtics | Jaden McDaniels |
| 27 | Knicks | Cassius Winston |
| 28 | Thunder | Vernon Carey Jr |
| 29 | Raptors | Isaiah Stewart |
| 30 | Celtics | Zeke Nnaji |
Some sleepers who did not make my Big Board that I am going to be watching closely Wednesday night are Cassius Stanley, Tre Jones, Nico Mannion, Udoka Azubuike, and DeVon Dotson. I think all five of these guys could stick in the NBA for a long time. Stanley, Azubuike, and Dotson all had incredibly strong combine numbers that could have moved them up draft boards, while Mannion and Jones have an impeccable feel for the game that could entice GM’s to take a swing on them. The majority of these guys could have gone first round if the season was finished and we could have seen them shine in March.
For more draft talk, check out the latest episode of the ATM Podcast where Peter and I do a Mock Draft for the first 20 picks.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/atm-at-the-minute-podcast/id1472204823
Spotify:
