Here’s my Final NBA Mock Draft. I won’t have time to write one up tomorrow, so here’s my best guess at how things might shake out with the information available as of the night before.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers – Jabari Parker
I’m going to play the odds here and go with Jabari. According to reports, there’s currently a 50/50 split between him and Andrew Wiggins within the organization and also a moderately high likelihood they trade the pick. If they do trade, which would likely be to Utah, Orlando or Boston (the Sixers won’t likely to be able to match any of those offers unless they include No. 10, which they don’t seem willing to do), those teams are all apparently targeting Jabari. While I think the Cavs, if they keep the pick, will ultimately decide on Wiggins, the odds of Jabari going No. 1 are much more favorable over all the scenarios.
2. Milwaukee Bucks – Dante Exum
This is where my mock separates itself from others. I think the Bucks have never been the biggest Andrew Wiggins fans and he isn’t really a great fit on their roster. I think if Jabari is not available, they roll the dice with Exum. The hype surrounding Exum has only increased in the week leading up to the draft, with some even comparing him to Kobe Bryant due to his size, superior athleticism and off-the-charts psychological and intelligence testing (proving him to be one of the smartest and most competitive players in the draft). Exum would be a great fit on their roster as a scoring guard to pair with The Greek Freak and all those other tall, lanky forwards on the roster.
3. Philadelphia 76ers – Andrew Wiggins
The Sixers get their guy! Wiggins makes the most sense for their roster and would be a steal if he slipped out of the top-2. If he’s not there, I think they would be happy to go with Exum. However, I wouldn’t be shocked if they decided Embiid was worth the risk and took him.
4. Orlando Magic – Joel Embiid
If the Magic (or Cavs) end up picking here and Exum is not available, I think they ultimately decide the upside of Embiid is too great to pass up. Another team might also trade into this spot to leapfrog Boston and snag Embiid. The other two directions I could see them going are Marcus Smart or Noah Vonleh, with the former being the more likely just because the Magic have a plethora of forwards already on the roster.
5. Utah Jazz – Noah Vonleh
We know they highly covet Jabari and if their trade with Cleveland for No. 1 does not work out, I think the Jazz roll the dice with the higher upside forward of the bunch as a possible replacement for Enes Kantor, if he proves too costly in free agency. Vonleh has greater potential to build a franchise around than fellow forwards Aaron Gordon and Julius Randle. Also, his ability to stretch the floor with his shooting range would fit Derrick Favors and Enes Kantor’s bruising offensive style.
6. Boston Celtics – Marcus Smart
If Boston keeps the pick and Embiid is off the board, I think they ultimately decide Smart over Gordon. They’re going to need a guard, especially if Bradley and Rondo are potentially gone after this summer or next. Smart is also likely the best available player left at this spot of draft.
7. Los Angeles Lakers – Julius Randle
This pick just seems to make sense for both parties. The Lakers pretty much need players (and scorers) at every position and Randle is one of the best on the board. He also proved it during his NCAA Tournament run during his one year at college.
8. Sacramento Kings – Aaron Gordon
It seems that if Embiid and Smart are off the board, the Kings (who have been actively shopping this pick) would likely trade down. If they do make that trade, the team that moves in would seemingly want to take the best player available, which I believe is Aaron Gordon. Even though he’s not a great fit for the Kings, I’m going to play the odds again here and say he gets picked at No. 8 rather than slipping down to 9, 10 or 11.
9. Charlotte Hornets – Doug McDermott
This has been a terribly kept secret throughout the entire pre-draft process and ultimately, I believe the new Hornets will follow through and take McDermott. They like his size, scoring versatility and shooting ability, which is in high need for this playoff-aspiring Hornets squad. Also, with Josh McRoberts’ relative free agent uncertainty, I think they take the larger-sized of the two great shooters in the draft (McDermott & Stauskas).
10. Philadelphia 76ers – Nik Stauskas
This is probably one of the hardest picks to project because the Sixers have been pretty much radio silent throughout this entire pre-draft process (we only know Wiggins because that’s been so blatantly obvious), but taking a shooter would make sense. Currently, they don’t really have any good shooters on the roster and being able to run and gun three pointers would definitely fit Brett Brown’s uptempo style. However, who really knows where they’ll go with this pick because if they trade into the top-10 (like some reports suggest), they could go in an entirely different direction, possibly going with the Croatian, Dario Saric, even though he recently announced he won’t be coming to the NBA for another 2 years.
11. Denver Nuggets – Gary Harris
Harris would be a great backup guard to Ty Lawson and someone who can play defense and make 3s off the bench. The Nuggets could also take Jusuf Nurkic or trade down from this pick.
12. Orlando Magic – Elfrid Payton
If the Magic miss out on a guard with their first selection, taking Payton here would give them someone to pair in the backcourt with Victor Oladipo. I considered Dario Saric here, however taking Embiid and Saric would likely not seem like a victory for a team looking to move past rebuilding next season.
13. Minnesota Timberwolves – James Young
Flip Saunders wants to contend next season and the team is supposedly in the market for a shooter. James Young would be a vast improvement over last years’ flop, Shabazz Muhammad, and has the potential to be a great athlete and shooter.
14. Phoenix Suns – Zach LaVine
LaVine’s crazy athleticism and ball-handling would fit well in the Suns’ super uptempo offense. Although they have two combo-type guards, LaVine has a ton of upside and could have a big role coming off the bench for the Suns.
15. Atlanta Hawks – Jusuf Nurkic
The Hawks are trying to emulate the Spurs’ international culture and Nurkic would definitely fit that bill. He also makes sense on their roster as a rim protector at almost 7 feet tall.
16. Chicago Bulls – Dario Saric
The Bulls could trade this pick, but maybe since they have two selections, they roll the dice with another Croatian (previously Toni Kukoc in the 90s). Saric is expected to come to the NBA in 2 years, so this would be a long-term asset for the franchise.
17. Boston Celtics – Rodney Hood
The Celtics could use a real shooter on their roster and Hood’s ability to knock down 3s and considerable size would make for a good fit, especially if they take Smart at 6.
18. Phoenix Suns – Clint Capela
The Suns like this guy and as a lanky, Serge Ibaka-type forward, he would fit well in Suns scheme. Apparently his draft stock is all over the place, however he’s big and international so I’m betting it rises on draft night, causing the Suns (with several of their other targets off the board) to take him higher than they may have planned.
19. Chicago Bulls – Adreian Payne
I love this pick for the Bulls and it makes so much sense for them if they amnesty Boozer. Payne is a veteran collegiate player who would be able to play stretch four in the NBA and seemingly play right away. He would also be extremely cheap compared to Boozer.
20. Toronto Raptors – Tyler Ennis
This is an equally awesome pick since the Raptors may need a point guard if Lowry leaves, Ennis is better than the 20th pick and he’s from Toronto! He literally has said he wouldn’t mind falling in the draft to play for the Raptors. He also has the skill-set, mentality and demeanor to potentially be a great point guard in the league for many years.
21. Oklahoma City Thunder – T.J. Warren
Warren would provide some much needed scoring relief for KD off the bench and give some real depth at the small forward position.
22. Memphis Grizzlies – Jarnell Stokes
This just seems like a guy that should play on the Grizzlies (fits the “Grit and Grind” mentality) and analytics show he was actually a much more productive player than he was given credit for in college (comparable to Julius Randle). He could help weaken the blow if Zach Randolph leaves in free agency.
23. Utah Jazz – Jordan Clarkson
Heard a lot of reports that Clarkson was fantastic in workouts and played his way into the first round. This pick makes sense for the Jazz since they didn’t take a PG at 5 and Trey Burke is definitely not the only backcourt answer for them long term.
24. Charlotte Hornets – P.J. Hairston
I really don’t know where the Hornets are going to go with this pick, but if they miss out on a shooter at 9, Hairston fills that role. Also, he’s a North Carolina guy, a veteran and talent-wise, he could be a lottery pick.
25. Houston Rockets – Kyle Anderson
Everyone in the West just watched Boris Diaw light up the playoffs (among other Spurs) and if this guy is actually Boris 2.0, he could be a valuable asset. The Rockets have been good at developing players and finding late-round talent in the past and his point-forward skill set could really improve their sometimes stagnant offense.
26. Miami Heat – Shabazz Napier
I seriously doubt this pick happens here, I screwed this mock up a bit by not having Napier higher, but I called this back in April! Napier is a great fit for this team as both a scorer, defender and veteran winner, and would already be a superior player to Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers. Plus, the best player in the world thinks he’s the best guard in the draft and wants to play with him. Miami is apparently doing all they can to move up and take him earlier in the draft.
27. Phoenix Suns – Cleanthony Early
I don’t think the Suns will end up with all of their 3 first round picks and may take another international player here, however if they’re picking domestic, Early might be the guy. He would fit their offense and could be a better long-term solution at small forward than P.J. Tucker and Gerald Green.
28. Los Angeles Clippers – Mitch McGary
The Clippers needed another big man off the bench all season and McGary would immediately fill that need as a body and veteran college player who could play right away.
29. Oklahoma City Thunder – C.J. Wilcox
The Thunder are looking to contend for a championship next year, which would suggest they should take NBA-ready players versus projects. Wilcox is a veteran college player who is super-athletic and has deep shooting range. He would be valuable as a player who can actually score and hit open 3s off the bench for the Thunder.
30. San Antonio Spurs – Glenn Robinson III
I have no idea who the Spurs are going to pick here. Robinson has a lot of talent and athleticism, maybe the Spurs believe they can harness that and turn him into an effective NBA player. It would be cool to see him go to the Bucks at 31 though. Big Dog 2.0!
Obviously, this isn’t how the draft will ultimately shake out. It’s nearly impossible with all the potential trades and misinformation floating around to predict the top-3, let alone the lottery or entire draft. That’s ok though because this should be one of the most entertaining drafts of all-time.