The 2021 NBA Draft lottery is in the books, and the Detroit Pistons are in pole position with the first overall pick.
The Pistons won the ping-pong sweepstakes on Tuesday night, and the rest of the top 14 picks were also settled, as the league looks to stage the annual event closer to its usual place on the basketball calendar following delays caused by the pandemic last year.
With the order now known, the time is right for a mock draft. Fun as it might be, simulating random draft orders at Tankathon will have to be put aside until next year.
While last year's draft class was said to be relatively light, it did produce some promising top-end talent, and several early contributors. This year's class, though, is thought to be deeper, with several premium talents tantalizing scouts at the top end of big boards, and generally more depth running through the first round.
For this mock, we've tried to keep it relatively simple, prioritizing overall talent over fit or need — the "best available" model. In later installments of this mock in the coming weeks, media reports will surely give us some idea of which players are coveted by which teams. Plus, picks could be moved in trades. But with that being said, we won't be giving the Warriors a center with their first pick, one year after they drafted big man James Wiseman.
Without further ado ...
Picks 1-5
Evan Mobley has a chance to be a dominant two-way big man.(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)1. Detroit Pistons - Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State
2. Houston Rockets - Jalen Green, G, G League
3. Cleveland Cavaliers - Evan Mobley, C, USC
4. Toronto Raptors - Jalen Suggs, G, Gonzaga
5. Orlando Magic - Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League
The top five should look like this, in some order or another, and it should start with Cade Cunningham at the top, even if the Pistons could really use a big man. That big man could be Evan Mobley, though we think Cunningham's talent is simply too much to pass up. Thus, with the Rockets looking for a spark plug like Jalen Green and with Christian Wood already manning the middle, Mobley falls to the Cavaliers at No. 3 here.
And they should be psyched if that's the case, seeing as he has the potential to become the best player in the draft. Impending free agent Jarrett Allen isn't someone that the Cavs will want to just let go of already — GM Koby Altman has already hinted at that — but his price tag could continue to grow, and the NBA-ready Mobley could make their decision regarding the future of their center position that much easier.
Picks 6-10
Franz Wagner could contribute right away to a win-now Warriors team.(Justin Casterline/Getty Images)6. Oklahoma City Thunder - Scottie Barnes, F, Florida State
7. Golden State Warriors - Franz Wagner, F, Michigan
8. Orlando Magic - Jalen Johnson, F, Duke
9. Sacramento Kings - Keon Johnson, G, Tennessee
10. New Orleans Pelicans - Davion Mitchell, G, Baylor
The Golden State Warriors' window seemed to be closing fast, but Stephen Curry's miraculous, MVP-caliber season pumped life back into Chase Center. A similar performance, combined with the return of Klay Thompson, another strong Draymond Green campaign, the continued development of James Wiseman and a couple of offseason additions could put them right back in the forefront of the Western Conference race.
That's why a player like Franz Wagner makes sense here. The soon-to-be 20-year-old played a big role in Michigan the past two seasons, averaging over 31 minutes per game throughout his two-year career of Big Ten action. He saw his three-point percentage, his passing and his defensive impact improve from Year 1 to Year 2, and he can really contribute in a number of ways that a competing team could use off the bench.
Given the fact that they have another pick later in the lottery to use on more of a scorer, a versatile player of Wagner's caliber would be a smart choice here.
Picks 11-15
If the Wizards still want to build around Westbrook and Beal, Corey Kispert is a good selection.(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)11. Charlotte Hornets - Alperen Sengun, C, Besiktas
12. San Antonio Spurs - Josh Giddey, G, Adelaide
13. Indiana Pacers - Moses Moody, G, Arkansas
14. Golden State Warriors - James Bouknight, G, UConn
15. Washington Wizards - Corey Kispert, F, Gonzaga
Here is where the Warriors get their scorer — though Jared Butler could also be a solid option at No. 14 — meaning that Gonzaga's Corey Kispert fell out of the lottery picks. That's a good thing if you're a Wizards fan.
The second-leading scorer on the 31-1 Bulldogs, Kispert shot the lights out from deep, nailing 44 percent of his treys (6.5 attempts per game), which was an improvement over his nearly as impressive 43.8 percent on 5.4 attempts per game in 2019-20. Should Davis Bertans get back over 40 percent, there would be two knockdown snipers from deep to help space out the offense for Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. The Wizards were second-to-last in three-point attempts and were in the bottom ten in three-point percentage, meaning they could certainly use a boost here.
Picks 16-20
Sharife Cooper averaged 20 points and 8 assists per game in his lone season at Auburn.Getty16. Oklahoma City Thunder - Jared Butler, G, Baylor
17. Memphis Grizzlies - Kai Jones, C, Texas
18. Oklahoma City Thunder - Isaiah Jackson, F, Kentucky
19. New York Knicks - Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee
20. Atlanta Hawks - Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn
With the first of their two picks in a three-pick span, the Knicks get arguably one of the better players remaining, and address what might become an area of need by selecting Jaden Springer. With Derrick Rose, Elfrid Payton, Alec Burks, Frank Ntilikina and Reggie Bullock all impending free agents, there's bound to be a few holes to fill in the backcourt, and Springer's high-effort defense and multi-dimensional scoring approach would be a perfect fit.
Meanwhile the Hawks would do well to snag Cooper, who was one of the more productive freshmen point guards in the country last season, averaging 20 points and 8 dimes per game. The Hawks would almost certainly feel better knowing they had such a player backing up the often-dinged Trae Young.
Picks 21-25
Chris Duarte, who played his high school ball in New York, could be a nice fit for the Knicks.Getty21. New York Knicks - Chris Duarte, G, Oregon
22. Los Angeles Lakers - Tre Mann, G, Florida
23. Houston Rockets - Cameron Thomas, G, LSU
24. Houston Rockets - Ziaire Williams, F, Stanford
25. Los Angeles Clippers - Usman Garuba, F, Real Madrid
The Knicks went the sentimental route with the first of their two first-rounders last year, taking hometown kid Obi Toppin. That pick didn't work out so well, but will they try their luck again, this time with Duarte? The 6-foot-6 guard starred as a prep player in Troy, N.Y., before taking his talents across country to Oregon. Though on the older side at 24, Duarte is an efficient scorer and pesky defender, averaging 2 steals per game last year, which would seem to fit right in with coach Tom Thibodeau's preferred style.
Elsewhere, we have the Rockets, looking to restock the cupboard after their recent teardown, taking a pair of intriguing prospects with consecutive picks in Thomas and Williams. Thomas is a pure scorer who lives on the free-throw line, while the lanky Williams fits the mold of the coveted 3-and-D wing player in the modern NBA.
Picks 26-30
Miles McBride could be a nice fit for the Sixers if they look to retool in the backcourt.(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)26. Denver Nuggets - Ayo Dosunmu, G, Illinois
27. Brooklyn Nets - Greg Brown, F, Texas
28. Philadelphia 76ers - Miles McBride, G, West Virginia
29. Phoenix Suns - Joel Ayayi, G, Gonzaga
30. Utah Jazz - Day'Ron Sharpe, C, North Carolina
The last five picks are owned by teams that made relatively deep runs into the playoffs, meaning most of them are in win-now mode. If any teams are going to draft on need rather than best available, these are the spots it's more likely to happen. The Nets' lack of depth in the front court was exposed against Milwaukee, so Greg Brown could help there. Miles McBride could bring his hard-nosed defense and solid long-range abilities (41.4 percent from deep in 2020-21) off the bench in Philly.
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