NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Four-man race at the top with no true consensus No. 1 pick
College basketball is officially over and unlike the uncertainty of last year, an NBA draft date has already been set for July 29. There are a few players who elevated their draft stock in the NCAA tournament this year with Baylor’s Davion Mitchell making the biggest jump to inside the top 10. It’s turning out to be a four-man race at the top between Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley with no true consensus No. 1 overall pick this year.
Here’s a look at Yahoo Sports’ updated first and second rounds for the 2021 NBA draft.
(Draft order is from Tankathon)
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: G, Cade Cunningham
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 220 lbs | Class: Freshman | Oklahoma State: 20.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.5 apg
It will be really hard for any team to pass on Cade Cunningham as the No. 1 pick, and especially if it’s the Timberwolves. Adding Cunningham to the backcourt will instantly give this young team size and free some space for Anthony Edwards to continue to make plays off the wing. Cunningham is a phenomenal playmaker and passer, something that will benefit Karl-Anthony Towns in the post; his game has been compared to Luka Doncic and Paul George after one year of college basketball. Cunningham is coming off a historic season at Oklahoma State where he scored 25 or more points in seven games this season and shot 40% from 3-point range.
2. Houston Rockets: G Jalen Suggs
Ht./Wt: 6-4, 205 lbs | Class: Freshman | Gonzaga: 14.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.6 apg
The Rockets traded Chris Paul three years ago and could end up with a younger, promising version of the veteran guard with Jalen Suggs. Suggs cemented himself into NCAA tournament history when he banked in the buzzer-beating game-winning shot against UCLA to advance to the championship game. That is not the play that NBA scouts will remember. With two minutes left in the game, Suggs dropped down low and had a killer block on UCLA’s center Cody Riley and then delivered a one-handed bounce pass in transition through traffic to Drew Timme for the finish at the other end of the court. He is a tough, gritty player with great court vision (thanks to his days playing quarterback) and could end up being the franchise point guard the Rockets are looking for.
JALEN SUGGS! THE BLOCK! THE PASS!
Special. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/wgkwwY9HxV— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) April 4, 2021
3. Detroit Pistons: G Jalen Green
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 186 lbs | G League Ignite: 17.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg
Green was the leading scorer on the Ignite team and started all 15 games in the G League bubble season. He finished with a season-high 30 points, seven assists and three steals against the No. 1 team in the G League. The combo guard from Fresno, California, had at least 20 points in nine games this season and was the only player on the Ignite team to score 30 points in a game. NBA scouts were impressed with his playmaking ability and how he found different ways to score against stronger, bigger guards. Green could be a great addition in the backcourt to a healthy Killian Hayes next season.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers: C Evan Mobley
Ht./Wt: 7-0, 210 lbs | Class: Freshman | USC: 16.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3 bpg
If Mobley ends up dropping to No. 4, this is a great pickup for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have had top-10 draft picks in the past three years where they drafted two guards and a wing. Adding a dynamic center to this young, talented group could give them the defensive presence they need in the lane to compete against the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. Mobley has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and is the best shot-blocker in this draft class. He recorded 95 blocks this season and finished first in the country for the highest box plus-minus (edging out Player of the Year Luka Garza). He also can handle the ball extremely well for his size and isn’t afraid to step outside the block, face up and make a play.
5. Orlando Magic: F Scottie Barnes
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 227 lbs | Class: Freshman | Florida State: 10.3 points, 4 rpg, 4.1 apg
The Magic have guards Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony returning next season after they were sidelined this year with injuries. Orlando also just traded Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets. What the Magic need is size and versatility. Barnes brings that to the table. He’s a 6-foot-9 point-forward who is a high-level passer dishing out five or more assists in 11 games this season. Barnes was one of the best defenders in the ACC this year and can defend almost every spot on the court due to his size and length.
6. Washington Wizards: G Jonathan Kuminga
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 210 lbs | G League Ignite: 15.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg
Kuminga led the G League Ignite team in rebounds, grabbing 93 boards in 13 games. He is the most physically gifted player in this draft class and averaged 22 points and seven rebounds in the first three games of the season and showed scouts how good he can be once he gets downhill. With Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal in the backcourt, Kuminga could be a great third option on offense; he proved in the G League bubble season that he has the size and physicality to defend bigger wings and forwards on defense.
7. Toronto Raptors: G Davion Mitchell
Ht./Wt: 6-2, 205 lbs | Class: Junior | Baylor: 14 ppg, 5.5 apg
Mitchell is the best on-ball defender in college basketball and gave teams all sorts of problems in the NCAA tournament. Head coach Scott Drew says his nickname is “Off Night” because every player that goes up against him has an off night. Mitchell has been a projected late first-round pick all season (Yahoo Sports had him at No. 13 back in February) and catapulted his way into the top 10 thanks to his consistent shooting and high basketball IQ on offense. He averaged 13.2 points and six assists in the NCAA tournament and plays a lot like another Mitchell we all know.
“His upside in the league is definitely a Donovan Mitchell-type of player who plays way better defense,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports.
8. Orlando Magic: G Keon Johnson
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 186 lbs | Class: Freshman | Tennessee: 11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg
Johnson showed some great stretches of games late in the season. If you’re the Orlando Magic and have three draft picks, you take the upside and value Johnson could bring the franchise two to three seasons down the road. He is one of the quickest guards in transition and has excellent body control when finishing at the rim. Johnson scored 20 or more points in the last 11 games of the season and had one of the best dunks when he posterized a Georgia player after a give-and-go in the lane. Johnson has the most upside of any player in this draft, which is why he’s consistently been a projected top-10 pick all season.
For your consideration @CoachJimmyDykes pic.twitter.com/GEeQMGyeDc
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) February 12, 2021
9. Oklahoma City Thunder: G Moses Moody
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 205 lbs | Class: Freshman | Arkansas: 16.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg
Moody scored in double-digits in all but two games this season. He played alongside Cunningham and Barnes at Montverde Academy on what was arguably the best high school basketball team of all time. He was excellent in spot-up shooting, averaging 1.13 points per possession. Moody was also great with the ball in his hand, ranking in the 98th percentile in scoring when he’s the ball handler in a pick-and-roll situation, according to Synergy Sports. He was the leading scorer on a loaded Arkansas team and was option one in the offense this season. The Thunder currently have five draft picks in the 2021 draft and have 34 total future picks spanning the next seven years.
10. New Orleans Pelicans: F Jalen Johnson
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 220 lbs | Class: Freshman | Duke: 11.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg
There wasn't much of a sample size for NBA scouts since Johnson left Duke after only appearing in 13 games this season. His early departure came with mixed reviews among NBA scouts and executives. Some fear this could be a pattern after Johnson left his high school team, IMG Academy, midway through the season his senior year in high school. There's no doubt he's a talented prospect with a ton of upside who might just need to find the right team and situation. The Pelicans have a lot of young talent in Kira Lewis and Jaxson Hayes and star power in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Johnson would have room to adjust to the pace of the NBA game and could be molded into a rotational player without a ton of pressure on him.
11. Indiana Pacers: G James Bouknight
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 190 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Connecticut: 18.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg
Bouknight was one of the best scorers in the country this year and returned to play after undergoing elbow surgery at the beginning of January. He's also one of the best guards in the country at changing speed and direction. The 6-foot-5 guard has a high basketball IQ having averaged under three turnovers per game and is also sneaky bouncy, demonstrating that with a put-back dunk in his first game back.
WELCOME BACK JAMES BOUKNIGHT pic.twitter.com/sdiAusruDL
— #BIGEASThoops (@BIGEASTMBB) February 16, 2021
12. Sacramento Kings: C Kai Jones
Ht./Wt: 6-11, 218 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Texas: 8.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg
Jones improved tremendously from his freshman year to his sophomore year. That could be a solid indication he'll continue to improve the next two to five years in the league. He went from averaging 3.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game his freshman year to 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds this past season. Jones is still raw and could be more of a project for the Kings, similar to the way Jaxson Hayes is being utilized in New Orleans.
13. Golden State Warriors: G Corey Kispert
Ht./Wt: 6-7, 220 lbs | Class: Senior | Gonzaga: 18.8 ppg, 5 rpg
The Warriors are trying to get back to a championship-caliber team next year and Kispert could provide some shooting relief off the bench to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Kispert was the best 3-point shooter on a loaded Gonzaga team where he shot 45% from 3-point range and made 89 threes this season (including nine 3-pointers in a win over Virginia). Kispert elected to return for his senior season after testing the NBA waters last year. It's paid off in a huge way with a team likely taking him in the late lottery.
14. Memphis Grizzlies: G Chris Duarte
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 190 lbs | Class: Senior | Oregon: 17.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg 2.7 apg
Duarte only played in two NCAA tournament games but it was enough to get the attention of NBA scouts — and for him to shoot up draft boards. He averaged 22 points and 6.5 assists per game in the tournament and turned the ball over only a total of three times. There are some players who excel on the biggest stage in college basketball and Duarte was one of those players this year. He shot 43% from the 3-point line, 53% from the field and was an 81% free-throw shooter. Duarte was consistent across the board all season long and is a player the Grizzlies can plug into the rotation right away next season.
Post Lottery
15. New York Knicks: G Ziaire Williams
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 185 lbs | Class: Freshman | Stanford: 10.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg
16. Boston Celtics: G Franz Wagner
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 220 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Michigan: 12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3 apg
17. Atlanta Hawks: F Usman Garuba
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 229 lbs | Spain (Real Madrid): 5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
18. Oklahoma City Thunder: G Josh Giddey
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 205 lbs | Adelaide 36ers (Australia’s National Basketball League): 11 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 6.7 apg
Giddey is one the best international prospects in the draft and could continue to jump up draft boards after the combine and individual workouts. He's a skilled ball handler who is dominating other older, stronger guards in the NBL this season. Giddey isn't the quickest athlete but finds ways to create for others and can put good separation between himself and defenders when preparing to shoot.
19. Charlotte Hornets: C Charles Bassey
Ht./Wt: 6-11, 235 lbs | Class: Junior | Western Kentucky: 17.6 ppg, 11.6 rpg
20. San Antonio Spurs: G Josh Christopher
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 215 lbs | Class: Freshman | Arizona State: 14.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg
21. New York Knicks: G Cameron Thomas
Ht./Wt: 6-4, 210 lbs | Class: Freshman | LSU: 23 ppg, 3.4 rpg
22. Houston Rockets: C Isaiah Jackson
Ht./Wt: 6-10, 206 lbs | Class: Freshman | Kentucky: 8.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg
23. Denver Nuggets: G Jaden Springer
Ht./Wt: 6-4, 204 lbs | Class: Freshman | Tennessee: 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.9 apg
24. Los Angeles Lakers: G Tre Mann
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 190 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Florida: 16 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.5 apg
25. Los Angeles Clippers: G Max Abmas
Ht./Wt: 6-1, 165 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Oral Roberts: 24.5 ppg, 3.8 apg
Abmas was the leading scorer in all of college basketball this year, putting up 20 or more points in 20 games this season. He is the first player with three 25-point games for a double-digit-seeded team since Stephen Curry in 2008. If that’s not impressive enough, Abmas is only the fourth player to score 25 or more points in three consecutive NCAA tournament games since 1985. He has such great speed and body control in the lane, it’s hard to defend his shot. As a playmaker, he’s just as deadly. Abmas has dished out seven or more assists in five games this season and is averaging only 2.3 turnovers per game as the primary ball-handler.
26. Houston Rockets: C Neemias Queta
Ht./Wt: 7-0, 245 lbs | Class: Junior | Utah State: 14.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg
Queta led the nation in blocked shots with 97 for the season and had the highest defensive box plus/minus in the country at 6.9. He has a larger frame than Evan Mobley and can provide a much-needed defensive presence in the lane for a Houston Rockets team that looking to rebuild after the James Harden era.
27. Philadelphia 76ers: G Ayo Dosunmu
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 200 lbs | Class: Junior | Illinois: 20.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.3 apg
28. Brooklyn Nets: G B.J. Boston
Ht./Wt: 6-7, 185 lbs | Class: Freshman | Kentucky: 11.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg
29. Phoenix Suns: F Greg Brown
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 205 lbs | Class: Freshman | Texas: 9.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg
30. Utah Jazz: G Sharife Cooper
Ht./Wt: 6-0, 180 lbs | Class: Freshman | Auburn: 20.2 ppg, 8.1 apg
Second Round
31. Oklahoma City Thunder: G David Duke
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 205 lbs | Class: Junior | Providence: 16.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 apg
32. Milwaukee Bucks: G Jared Butler
Ht./Wt: 6-3, 195 lbs | Class: Junior | Baylor: 16.7 ppg, 4.8 apg
33. New York Knicks: F RaiQuan Gray
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 260 lbs | Class: Senior | Florida State: 11.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg
34. Orlando Magic: G Marcus Bagley
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 215 lbs | Class: Freshman | Arizona State: 10.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg
35. New Orleans Pelicans: F Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 230 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Villanova: 15.2 ppg, 8.4 rpb
36. New Orleans Pelicans: G Nah'Shon Hyland
Ht./Wt: 6-3, 173 lbs | Class: Sophomore | VCU: 19.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2 apg
37. Detroit Pistons : C Filip Petrusev
Ht./Wt: 6-11, 235 lbs | Mega Basket (Serbia): 23.6 ppg, 7.6 rpb
38. Oklahoma City Thunder: F Roko Prkacin
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 220 lbs | Cibona (Serbia): 13 ppg, 6.7 rpg
39. Chicago Bulls: C Isaiah Todd
Ht./Wt: 6-10, 210 lbs | G League Ignite: 12.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg
40. Sacramento Kings: G Miles McBride
Ht./Wt: 6-2, 200 lbs | Class: Sophomore | West Virginia: 15.4 ppg, 4.7 apg
41. New Orleans Pelicans: C Jericho Sims
Ht./Wt: 6-10, 245 lbs | Class: Senior | Texas: 8.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg
42. Brooklyn Nets: G Terrence Shannon Jr.
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 210 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Texas Tech: 12.5. ppg, 4.1 rpg
43. Toronto Raptors: C Day’Ron Sharpe
Ht./Wt: 6-11, 265 lbs | Class: Freshman | North Carolina: 9.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg
44. Boston Celtics: G Joel Ayayi
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 180 lbs | Class: Senior | Gonzaga: 11.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.2 apg
45. Philadelphia 76ers: F Herbert Jones
Ht./Wt: 6-8, 210 lbs | Class: Senior | Alabama: 10.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg
46. Detroit Pistons: G Daishen Nix
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 224 lbs | G League Ignite: 8.8 ppg, 5.3 apg
47. Toronto Raptors: G Aaron Henry
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 210 lbs | Class: Junior | Michigan State: 15.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
48. San Antonio Spurs: G David Johnson
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 210 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Louisville: 12.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.3 apg
49. Atlanta Hawks: F Matthew Hurt
Ht./Wt: 6-9, 235 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Duke: 18.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg
50. Brooklyn Nets: G Quentin Grimes
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 205 lbs | Class: Junior | Houston: 17.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg
51. New Orleans Pelicans: G Ron Harper Jr.
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 245 lbs | Class: Junior | Rutgers: 15.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg
52. Memphis Grizzlies: G M.J. Walker
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 213 lbs | Class: Senior | Florida State: 13.1 ppg, 2.5 apg
53. Detroit Pistons: G Scottie Lewis
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 189 lbs | Class: Sophomore | Florida: 8.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg
54. Oklahoma City Thunder: G John Petty Jr.
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 184 lbs | Class: Senior | Alabama: 12.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2 apg
55. Charlotte Hornets: G Buddy Boeheim
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 195 lbs | Class: Junior | Syracuse: 16 ppg, 2.7 apg
56. Indiana Pacers: G Terrence Clarke
Ht./Wt: 6-7, 194 lbs | Class: Freshman | Kentucky: 10.7 ppg, 3 rpg
57. Charlotte Hornets: G McKinley Wright IV
Ht./Wt: 6-0, 196 lbs | Class: Senior | Colorado: 15.3 ppg, 5.7 apg
58. New York Knicks: C Luka Garza
Ht./Wt: 6-11, 265 lbs | Class: Senior | Iowa: 23.8 ppg, 8.7 rpb
59. Brooklyn Nets: G Johnny Juzang
Ht./Wt: 6-6, 210 lbs | Class: Sophomore | UCLA: 14.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
60. Indiana Pacers: G Ochai Agbaji
Ht./Wt: 6-5, 215 lbs | Class: Junior | Kansas: 13.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg
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