NBA Draft season is upon us once again! With the NBA finals wrapping up within the next week, we are one week away from draft day and there is a lot to be excited about this year. There is a lot of uncertainty over the prospect rankings, and unlike previous seasons there is no consensus number one pick. Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero are all polarizing prospects with the ability to make their future teams great, and it will be fun to see the order they end up selected next Thursday night. With that being said, here is my NBA mock draft for the lottery picks.
1. Orlando Magic- Jabari Smith Jr. |F| Auburn
The Magic have a lot of promising young players, but none with true superstar potential. Bringing in Jabari Smith will quickly change that. Jabari has the highest potential in the class in my opinion. He is an elite shooter and great perimeter defender, and he has the skill set to step in and be a great two way player immediately.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder- Chet Holmgren |F/C| Gonzaga
The Thunder drafting Chet Holmgren would take them to the next step of their rebuild by giving Shai another teammate with superstar potential. Chet would be a perfect fit and a potential nightmare for opposing defenses in pick and roll sets with Shai, with his elite ball handling and three point shooting for his size. His average of nearly four blocks a game at Gonzaga combined with his shooting ability makes him fit what an ideal center should look like in this league, one that the Thunder should not pass up.
3. Houston Rockets- Paolo Banchero |F| Duke
With Chet and Jabari likely off the board, all signs point to the Rockets taking Paolo Banchero with the third pick. As a point forward with no true position, Paolo offers an exciting playmaking ability to the Rockets that could take some pressure off Jalen Green and make him more of an efficient player. While there are some concerns about Paolo’s defense, his scoring ability and athleticism are too exciting to pass up, and he has arguably the highest floor out of all of this year’s crop of prospects.
4. Sacramento Kings- Keegan Murray |F| Iowa
The Kings have always been unpredictable. But I think that them drafting a guard after trading Haliburton away would just lead to a crowded guard room and the same issues as before. I think Keegan Murray is a better fit for their squad. He is one of the most NBA ready players in the class, and for a team with notorious player development issues it is a better fit. Murray is a great defender who is capable of guarding any position on the court, someone that defensive minded coach Mike Brown will want to try and make the leap in a competitive western conference.
5. Detroit Pistons- Jaden Ivey |G| Purdue
Jaden Ivey falling to the fifth pick would be huge for the Pistons. He is highly considered to be the top guard in the class and pairing him with Cade Cunningham would give the Pistons one of the league’s most exciting young backcourts. Ivey has the athleticism that Cunningham lacks, and is capable of running the offense when Cade needs rest. This pick is a no brainer for a young Pistons team that should still be looking for the best player available.
6. Indiana Pacers- Shaedon Sharpe |G| Kentucky
We’ve hit the point in the draft where the top prospects are off the board and the picks are not as clear. I have the Pacers taking a risk with Sharpe here. Not playing a single college game, Shaedon Sharpe is a huge wildcard. There are legitimate questions about if Sharpe taking a year off and reclassifying will give his transition to the NBA a rust hard to shake. However, I think his upside will be too intriguing to pass up. If he did not reclassify, he was ranked the number one prospect in 2023 due to his athleticism and two-way potential, and I think this will make him a great fit besides Haliburton in Indiana. The Pacers should take the player with the highest potential, and that is Sharpe.
7. Portland Trail Blazers- AJ Griffin |G/F| Duke
AJ Griffin is an ideal small forward in today’s NBA, one the Blazers should be intrigued to add to their lineup. Griffin played a huge part in Duke’s offensive efficiency last year, being one of the most efficient offensive role players in the NCAA. As one of the best catch and shoot scorers in college, he would be a great fit in Damian Lillard’s offense as long as he is able to stay healthy, as his durability is his biggest concern.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (from LA Lakers)- Dyson Daniels |G/F| G-League Ignite
Getting this pick from the Lakers, the Pelicans are in a great position to add an elite role player after a promising finish to the season. They should finally get Zion back, and I think they’ll select Dyson Daniels with this pick. He adds to an already great defense with his elite defending abilities, and is very good at setting up teammates for success. The Pelicans are a largely positionless team that can defend anyone on the court, and adding Daniels to the squad would give them another versatile option that fits their lineup vision.
9. San Antonio Spurs- Bennedict Mathurin |G| Arizona
The Spurs would be getting a steal if Mathurin falls to number nine. The reigning Pac-12 player of the year was one of the best shooters off the catch in the NCAA last season, and his skillset should translate well to the NBA. He would give Dejounte Murray another great shooting option to dish the ball to and Mathurin has the potential to be a great role player in today’s league.
10. Washington Wizards- Jalen Duren |C| Memphis
Duren is one of the best interior big men in the class, and not even turning 19 years old yet, he has a lot of upside as the youngest player in the draft. Even though the Wizards have a semi crowded center room, they need to select the player with the most potential, and Duren’s rebounding and defensive ability may just be too enticing for a constantly underwhelming Wizards team to pass up.
11. New York Knicks- Johnny Davis |G| Wisconsin
Johnny Davis would be a huge steal at number 11, as some mocks have him as high as the sixth pick off the board. Davis would pair with RJ Barrett as one of the most promising young wing duos in the league. He does a lot of his work in the paint, so his ability to draw contact and get to the free throw line should make him an efficient scorer in the league. His aggression and work ethic on both ends of the court should make him an addition that coach Tom Thibodeau would covet for his team.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers)- Jeremy Sochan |F| Baylor
The Thunder should opt to go with another promising positionless prospect here in Jeremy Sochan. Sochan was an important anchor to the defense for Baylor, and him being able to guard any position on the court gives the Thunder another intriguing and versatile option to add to the rotation.
13. Charlotte Hornets- Tari Eason |F| LSU
I have the Hornets doing something a bit unexpected with picking Eason at 13th. Eason had a huge breakout season as the SEC Sixth Man of the Year to get on NBA teams’ radars this season. He was a top 5 defender in college hoops last season, being ranked fourth in defensive rating and fifth in defensive plus/minus. With a PJ Washington trade expected this offseason, Eason would be a very NBA ready addition to the Hornets squad, someone who could step into the rotation and make an impact right away.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers- Ochai Agbaji |G| Kansas
With the last lottery pick, the Cavs selecting Agbaji would be a great value pick for their rotation. Agbaji improved a lot in his senior season at Kansas on defense and making better decisions with the ball. He has a basketball IQ and drive to get better that the Cavs should be enamored by, and he would join Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens on the elite defensive front.
Do you agree or disagree with these picks? Let me know in the comments.