My final mock draft before the first round of the NBA Draft includes plenty of movement.
Teams are looking to make deals and one of the biggest to watch is and anticipated trade involving a team in the top three.
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Will Houston be dealing away its pick at No. 3? It's possible, so we look at a few options for the Rockets and eventual landing spots for UConn big man Donovan Clingan.
Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
We said last week that Atlanta was trending away from Sarr and now that has become the assumption of most. Risacher and Clingan look like the options right now, although a trade is still a possibility. Risacher gives them a budding big wing with a 3-and-D archetype.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
We've been ahead of this one too, predicting for weeks that Sarr wouldn't drop out of the top two and that Washinton would jump all over the defensive seven-footer if Atlanta passed on him. Right now, that appears to be how this might play out.
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Mock Trade from
Houston Rockets
Round 1- Pick 3
Connecticut
• 7'2"
/ 282 lbs
Here's where it gets fun. I'm now projecting Clingan to be a top three pick, but never actually play for the Rockets, where they already have Alperen Sengun. Look for Memphis and to a lesser extent, Chicago, to both be possibilities here. If Houston keeps the pick, Sheppard is the most likely candidate.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Kentucky
• 6'2"
/ 182 lbs
Risacher, Sheppard and Castle are the players that San Antonio is believed to be most interested in if it stays at No. 4. If the Spurs have to pick between Sheppard and Castle, shooting could very well be the variable that pushes this decision in Sheppard's favor.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Detroit's decision to fire Monty Williams despite the $65 million dollars left on his contract illustrates the potential for unexpected decisions. We don't know what Trajan Langdon will do quarterbacking his first draft but Buzelis seems to be the player who fits the best.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Connecticut
• 6'6"
/ 210 lbs
If Memphis or Chicago can't make a deal with Houston, it'll move on to Charlotte, if Clingan is still on the board. If not, Castle makes a lot of sense providing a defensive standout between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Colorado
• 6'7"
/ 178 lbs
The Trail Blazers have swung big in the last two drafts with Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson. Williams would be another similar high upside proposition, as one of the more notable high-risk/high-reward prospects in this draft. If no one deals for Clingan though, he won't drop farther than this.
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From
Toronto Raptors
Round 1 - Pick 8
Tennessee
• 6'5"
/ 212 lbs
Wemby must be surrounded by spacing and an incoming backcourt of Sheppard and Knecht would do that in a big way. Knecht is one of the most NBA-ready perimeter scorers in the field, but needs to keep making strides defensively.
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Mock Trade from
Memphis Grizzlies
Round 1 - Pick 9
There's a chance the Spurs take him at No. 8. If not, and if Houston ends up with this pick, he could give them just the type of physical specimen up front that they don't yet have among their young assets.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Devin Carter
PG
Providence
• 6'2"
/ 193 lbs
It was ten years ago that Danny Ainge drafted Marcus Smart. Devin Carter is a similar archetype as an elite competitor and strong defender with on/off ball versatility offensively, albeit in a somewhat high-volume style. He also measured as one of the best athletes in the combine.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Jared McCain
PG
Duke
• 6'2"
/ 203 lbs
The addition of Josh Giddey means that if Chicago is going to add to their perimeter, it will not be with a nonshooter. McCain would seem to fit well alongside Giddey and Coby White, presumably enabling the Bulls to move off of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. A big man, like Zach Edey, is a real possibility here too.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 - Pick 12
With Giddey now gone, adding another big playmaking guard who can consistently get a piece of the paint and create for others seems to make sense for the Thunder, even if they end up having to wait a year to get him on the floor because of the ACL injury.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
With Malik Monk signing a new deal, Sacramento has less need of another guard and could instead target a defensive-oriented wing like Holland, who would be real value here and be a nice long-term fit alongside Keegan Murray.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Purdue
• 7'4"
/ 299 lbs
Edey is getting increasingly lottery buzz leading up to the draft and if Portland goes with Williams or another backcourt player at No. 7, this makes sense if the Trail Blazers are committed to being a drop-coverage team on the defensive end of the floor.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Kentucky
• 6'1"
/ 164 lbs
McCain, Walter, Carrington and Dillingham are expected to be options here as the Heati may target the most talented perimeter player available. Dillingham is a dynamic offensive talent and could really benefit from Miami's culture.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Colorado
• 6'8"
/ 217 lbs
Da Silva is a ultra-solid plug-and-play wing who could give them some needed wing depth and additional floor spacing around Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. A backup point guard is also a possibility here.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Baylor
• 6'11"
/ 229 lbs
Missi is an athletic big who protects the rim, runs and spaces the floor vertically as a lob threat. While da Silva is expected to be an option if he's on the board, Missi has a chance to be the Lakers center of the future.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Pittsburgh
• 6'5"
/ 190 lbs
Carrington's range sounds like it could be anywhere from No. 12-20, with OKC and Miami being potential destinations above this and little chance he slips beyond Cleveland. The late-blooming guard made huge strides this year at Pittsburgh.
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From
Indiana Pacers
Round 1 - Pick 19
Miami (Fla.)
• 6'8"
/ 205 lbs
He's not the athlete in the middle of the lineup that Masai Ujiri has historically coveted, but he's a late-blooming big wing who shoots and reportedly had an excellent workout in Toronto shortly before getting a Green Room invite.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Duke
• 6'11"
/ 230 lbs
Changes may be coming to the Cavs this summer and if they split up the twin towers of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, Filipowski could play alongside either one as a near-7-footer who can dribble, pass and shoot the basketball now.
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From
Milwaukee Bucks
Round 1 - Pick 21
Indiana
• 7'0"
/ 230 lbs
The Pelicans need help at the 5 and yet have to be conscious of spacing implications around Zion. Ware is a high-risk high-reward type prospect, but he checks both of those boxes and may be worth the risk here.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Baylor
• 6'4"
/ 198 lbs
If Phoenix keeps the pick, a more seasoned player capable of stepping right into the rotation like Tyler Kolek or Baylor Scheierman could make sense, but Walter is a 19-year-old with physical tools and two-way potential.
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From
New Orleans Pelicans
Round 1 - Pick 23
Kansas
• 6'8"
/ 189 lbs
With Giannis locked in long-term and the rest of the starting lineup in their 30's, Furphy gives them an up-and-coming floor spacer to build out the next iteration of their supporting cast.
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From
Dallas Mavericks
Round 1 - Pick 24
Tyler Kolek
PG
Marquette
• 6'1"
/ 197 lbs
It's possible Kolek is off the board here, but if not, the Knicks are believed to be big believers in his IQ, pick-and-roll playmaking and overall mentality.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Ryan Dunn
SF
Virginia
• 6'6"
/ 214 lbs
If the Knicks don't look at a center here, Dunn fits coach Tom Thibodeau to a tee. He is a high-level athlete, was one of the best defenders in college basketball and even played his high school basketball in Long Island.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 - Pick 26
USC
• 6'3"
/ 205 lbs
This would be a bit of a slide for Collier, but would end up in a good place as he would have a chance to show the Wizards he's their point guard of the future amidst a young core that would now include Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Deni Avjija.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Creighton
• 6'6"
/ 202 lbs
He could, and probably should, be off the board by here. If not, he makes a lot of sense for Minnesota given his ability to space the ball and make quick decisions in a supportive role, especially since he reportedly had a great workout for the Timberwolves.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Dayton
• 6'9"
/ 236 lbs
Holmes is another one who could already be gone, but he's not expected to slip past the Nuggets here. The athletic big man returned to Dayton for his junior year, made notable strides with his shooting and should now be in the first round as a result.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Cam Christie
SG
Minnesota
• 6'5"
/ 190 lbs
George could be an intriguing high-upside proposition for Ainge if he's still on the board, but Christie provides another young shooter to add to the floor-spacing alongside Carter and Keyonte George in the backcourt.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Shooting is a requisite for the newly crowned NBA champs and with Al Horford now 38 years old and Kristaps Porzingis' durability always in question, Smith gives them another shooting big, with underrated athleticism, to develop.
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