The 2023 NBA Draft is nearly upon us. After months (years, truly) of evaluation, scouting, interviews, workouts and manipulating big boards, NBA teams will get the opportunity to make the selections that could change the course of their franchise this Thursday evening.
To get us ready, here is our first Mock Draft of the season, complete with the Cleveland Cavaliers trading into the lottery and the New Orleans Pelicans making a trade up in pursuit of Scoot Henderson. We begin, however, with the most unique prospect to ever enter the draft, courtesy of the San Antonio Spurs.
If Victor Wembanyama were entering the league simply as a 7’4″ big man, he would likely be in the conversation at the top of the NBA Draft. Players with that size don’t come around very often, and merely being that close to the rim gives them an inherent advantage. It’s when you factor in his ball-handling, shooting, finishing, standing reach and absolutely insane defensive ability as a paint protector; that’s how you get a legendary prospect.
When a player like Wembanyama enters the draft, fit is almost pointless to evaluate. The San Antonio Spurs will build their team around Wembanyama over the next few years. Still, he does fit in well with the players already in place. Devin Vassell looks like the perfect player to pair with Wembanyama as a 2-way wing, while Jeremy Sochan could make a devastating defensive Robin to Victor’s Batman.
NBA Mock Draft: Pelicans trade up for Scoot
The New Orleans Pelicans badly want G League Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson, thought by most to be the second-best player in this draft. They also are reportedly growing tired of Zion Williamson: his injuries, his approach to rehab, his drive for the game, his lack of leadership. That’s a lot of smoke for there to be no fire.
However, the Charlotte Hornets are unlikely to be as interested in Williamson as the Pelicans would need them to be. In our mock they rebuff the trade offers of the Pels and take their guy at No. 2.
Since the night of the NBA Draft Lottery, the overwhelming word from every Draft and NBA Insider was that the Charlotte Hornets want to take Brandon Miller with the second overall pick. It’s possible they trick everyone and take Henderson, but it makes sense for them to be taking steps to keep the “mystery” to encourage teams to bring their best trade packages to the table. Still, it seems like Miller will be the guy at No. 2.
The 6’9″ forward fits the modern NBA perfectly. He had an All-American season at Alabama, displaying elite shooting and great finishing inside. He is a solid passer, a good defender and a surprisingly good rebounder. The Hornets need help at every position, but adding a two-way small forward is both the best bet in NBA team building and a perfect fit alongside LaMelo Ball.
Trade Alert! With Scoot Henderson still on the board at No. 3, the Pelicans find a more willing trade partner in the Portland Trail Blazers. If the Blazers are truly going to make a run at a championship during Damian Lillard’s prime they have to make a risky, high-upside bet like this. Ultimately, the Pelicans don’t get the overwhelming return they were hoping for Williamson, but they get to move to a new chapter built around Brandon Ingram and Scoot Henderson.
The Pelicans have cycled through a few different point guard prospects over the past few years, from Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Devonte Graham to Kira Lewis, Jr. Here they finally invest in one with both a high floor and a high ceiling. Everything about his draft profile screams a future All-Star, if not more. He is an elite athlete with a tight handle, an excellent feel for the game, great passing chops and the strength to finish inside.
He can be the second star alongside Brandon Ingram, with either CJ McCollum or Anfernee Simons tapped as the No. 3 option. Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III and Dyson Daniels are an excellent collection of two-way options to fill in around them. Find a reliable defensive center and suddenly this team is set up to be dangerous for the next decade.
NBA Mock Draft: Picks No. 4 and 5
Amen Thompson is commonly viewed as the higher prospect over his twin brother Ausar, which likely stems from his development as a point guard while Ausar has been the off-ball wing. If Amen does develop as an on-ball guard at 6’7″ with his athleticism, he could be a truly dangerous player. If he can’t cut it as a full-time point guard, he may struggle more than his brother to transition to a different role.
Even so, this is the right place for him to be drafted. The Houston Rockets can use a ball-handler with size, whether or not they successfully recruit James Harden or another top guard in free agency. His versatility to play either end of a pick-and-roll would be deadly paired with Alperen Sengun.
The Detroit Pistons were rightfully disappointed when they fell to fifth after having the worst record in the NBA this season, and not being able to draft Victor Wembanyama is painful for all 29 teams not located in southern Texas. Even so, the way the draft board falls they are still able to add a high-upside player at their greatest position of need.
Cam Whitmore is one of the youngest players in the draft, which makes his accomplishments in college all the more impressive. He is an elite athlete and can score at all three levels with the ball in his hands. He was also a solid defender with an excellent steal rate. He slots in beside Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey to form a truly formidable young perimeter core that could propel the Pistons up the standings in a few years.
NBA Mock Draft: Picks 6 and 7
Taylor Hendricks will be the name that casual NBA fans are most surprised by when his name is called, as he played for a small school and absolutely rocketed up draft boards over the past eight months. He is a 6’9″ shooter with elite defensive chops; you don’t usually get this level of weakside rim protection in a player who shot 39.4 percent from 3-point range. He is a bit upright and doesn’t have a ton of potential to be more than a spot-up player at the next level, but given his defense that’s already a high-end prospect.
The Orlando Magic have plenty of frontcourt players already, so Hendricks isn’t a natural fit. What they do need, however, is shooting, and Hendricks can provide that. The guard prospects available here are non-shooters, something the Magic can’t add more of into their backcourt. That could lead to Orlando exploring trades, but for now they stay put and add Hendricks.
Ausar Thompson is not simply his brother’s twin, but the two look nearly identical both physically and on the basketball court. Where Amen drew the point guard straw, Ausar has been able to develop as the “off-ball” player, which will help him fit into a rotation quickly but caps a bit of his upside. Even so, a player with his athletic traits has a long runway to become something special in the NBA.
The Indiana Pacers are built to play fast, so adding nuclear athletes who can handle the basketball, pass and finish makes perfect sense for their offensive system. Ausar’s shooting is his weakest element, but on a Pacers team with shooting at every position he could find a place to thrive. If his defensive ability translates to the NBA he would be a perfect fit on the Pacers.
NBA Mock Draft: Picks 8 and 9
The Washington Wizards appear set to enter a rebuild, which could give them an entirely clean slate heading into next season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Kyle Kuzma and Monte Morris all in new places next year. That means they can go in any direction here at No. 8.
We’ll tab Anthony Black as the pick, a 6’7″ point guard who offers that “big playmaker’ archetype that is taking over the league. He is an excellent passer, with great timing on his passes and his rim attacks. He is fearless in launching himself at the rim, both in transition and in the half-court. Defensively he was one of the best players in the country generating steals, and he may even provide weakside rim protection at some point. He can’t shoot, and that’s the biggest question mark for him moving forward, but the Wizards can afford to take their time bringing that along.
The Utah Jazz have one of the best young defenders in the league in the shot-blocking center Walker Kessler, and they have one of the best shooting forwards in the league in Lauri Markkanen. What they could use as their third frontcourt player is someone who can defend in space, pass and shoot enough to keep defenses honest.
That makes Jarace Walker well worth the swing here for the Jazz. He is one of the best defenders in this class, with the size and strength to battle inside and the versatility to pick up opposing forwards and even wings on the perimeter. He is a good passer, especially out of the short-roll, and he has a decent jumpshot. His scoring upside is still a question, but the high floor and defense make him impossible to pass on at No. 9.
NBA Mock Draft: Cleveland trades in at No. 10
The Dallas Mavericks aren’t looking to draft and develop another prospect; they want win-now help, and they are almost certainly going to use the No. 10 pick to acquire it. After receiving all sorts of offers, in our mock they pull the trigger on a deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers to help their defense and add a difference-maker at center in Jarrett Allen.
This trade, first pitched by Bleacher Report, accomplishes multiple things for the Cavaliers. They get a 3-and-D wing in Reggie Bullock to work into their playoff rotation (and potentially even start), they add an excellent defender and stretch-big in Maxi Kleber to increase their lineup versatility, and they get to take a top-flight prospect in this year’s Draft Lottery.
With that pick, the Cavaliers select Gradey Dick out of Kansas University. The 6’7″ wing is right there with Jordan Hawkins as the best shooter in the draft, and his combination of height and ball skills makes him the better prospect of the two. He can hit spot-up 2s, he loves the pump-dribble-shoot relocate shot, and he’s the kind of player teams will be terrified to leave open, opening up the court for his teammates.
Dick isn’t much of a playmaker, but he can put the ball on the deck to attack closeouts and either pull up in the midrange or go to the rim, where he’s a decent finisher. He plays hard and is a great addition to a locker room. He has defensive question marks, but the Cavs need shooting more than defense. He may not ever be a starter on a team starting two small guards, but he can be a bench bomber in a lot of lineups for Cleveland.
NBA Mock Draft: Picks 11 and 12
The NBA Draft teachers us every year to draft Kentucky guards higher than we think they should, and the Orlando Magic put that to action here in taking Cason Wallace 11th overall. They need to inject more talent into the backcourt, and Wallace is an elite guard defender who can score at all three levels and loves to have the ball in his hands conducting the offense.
The questions for Wallace are how good of a shooter he ultimately is, and how he gains separation at the next level as merely an average athlete. If the shooting comes through, however, he could be an excellent fit alongside any other type of guard in the Magic backcourt.
Michigan’s Kobe Bufkin is a sophomore but younger than many of the freshmen already drafted, and his upside as an offensive weapon is immense. He exploded in the second half of the season for the Wolverines, scoring at all three levels and able to generate shots for himself and others. He’s also a good defender, with good instincts and quick hands.
The Oklahoma City Thunder love to take high-feel players, and with a need for more scoring and shooting to fill in around their stars Bufkin gets the nod here over an athletic project like Bilal Coulibaly. Bufkin is thin but has great length and fast hands, and the high motor the Thunder love.
NBA Mock Draft: Picks 13 and 14
Brice Sensabaugh had the fourth-highest usage rate of any player in college basketball, behind three mid-major upperclassmen, and by far the highest of any freshman. The fact that he still shot 48 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from 3-point range with that load is remarkable, and it also explains some of his poor defensive effort. Put him in a smaller role with an NBA conditioning system and he could be passable on defense.
That matters a ton, as Sensabaugh can absolutely score the basketball. He can launch from deep and finish inside, but he also is an assassin in the midrange. The Toronto Raptors have been a team with too much overlap among its players, so getting a scoring threat and shooter on the wing is an excellent choice no matter what happens the rest of the offseason.
The Portland Trail Blazers are now on the clock after trading down from No. 3, and they get to take their center of the future in Duke’s Dereck Lively II. Long-term, therefore, they can deploy a lineup of Damian Lillard, Shaedon Sharpe, Jerami Grant, Zion Williamson and Lively, which could be a contending group if Sharpe and Lively come along while Lillard is still in his prime.
Lively is massive, an incredible finisher at the rim (you can’t throw a lob he can’t get to) and after Wembanyama the best rim-protector in the draft, and by a large amount. He is mobile enough to defend in space, and his wingspan and athleticism help him cover ground instantly. On offense, he won’t ever be a hub, but he has the shooting upside to be something more than a rim-roller. Centers continue to be devalued in the league, but Lively is special enough to warrant the lottery selection, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go even higher on Thursday night.