NBA Mock Draft 2.0: “We Have a Trade to Announce”
The latest version of my NBA mock draft with about a week to go
With around a week remaining until the 2023 NBA Draft and rumors continuing to pile up, I gave Fanspo another go in my second full mock, including a draft night trade for a top prospect.
Check out my first full mock draft here:
First Round
1. San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama (7'4", C, France)
2. Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller (6'10", F, Alabama)
3. TRADE: New Orleans Pelicans (via Portland Trail Blazers)
Pelicans receive: 3rd overall pick, Anfernee Simons, Nassir Little
Trail Blazers receive: Brandon Ingram
Shams Charania reported Monday that the Pelicans are aiming to trade for a top-three pick in order to select G-League phenom Scoot Henderson. The Blazers, meanwhile, are looking to trade their third overall pick to build around Damian Lillard in the endless cycle of Portland purgatory.
4. Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson (6'7", PG, Overtime Elite)
5. Detroit Pistons: Ausar Thompson (6'7", SG/SF, Overtime Elite)
6. Orlando Magic: Taylor Hendricks (6'9", PF, UCF)
7. Indiana Pacers: Jarace Walker (6'7", PF, Houston)
8. Washington Wizards: Cam Whitmore (6'7", SF, Villanova)
Whitmore, an athletic 6'7" wing recovering from injury, moves out of the top five but would help Washington’s offense and develop in a solid system.
9. Utah Jazz: Anthony Black (6'7", PG, Arkansas)
10. Dallas Mavericks: Gradey Dick (6'7", SG/SF, Kansas)
11. Orlando Magic (via CHI): Jalen Hood-Schifino (6'5", PG, Indiana)
An effective facilitator at 6'5", Hood-Schifino’s aggressiveness would greatly benefit a young Magic team on the rise. Improving his jumper will be critical for his success, but Hood-Schifino has certainly worked his way into being considered a lottery pick.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nick Smith Jr. (6'4", PG, Arkansas)
13. Toronto Raptors: Cason Wallace (6'3", PG, Kentucky)
With Fred VanVleet declining his $22.8 million Player Option, Toronto will have several chances to find a solid replacement, and Wallace could be that guy, given his standout defense and improving three-point shot.
14. New Orleans Pelicans: Keyonte George (6'4", SG/SF, Baylor)
15. Atlanta Hawks: Jett Howard (6'8", SF, Michigan)
Howard fulfills Atlanta’s need of a 3-and-D wing, with the opportunity to contribute to a red-hot offense led by Trae Young. He brings size and athleticism to the A, hoping to help Atlanta’s subpar perimeter shooting (35.2%, 21st in the league).
16. Utah Jazz (via MIN): Kobe Bufkin (6'4", PG, Michigan)
17. Los Angeles Lakers: Jordan Hawkins (6'5", SG/SF, UConn)
18. Miami Heat: Dereck Lively II
At 7'2", Lively would provide the size that Miami missed throughout its playoff run, with the opportunity to develop behind Bam Adebayo.
19. Golden State Warriors: Noah Clowney (6'10", PF, Alabama)
20. Houston Rockets (via LAC): Leonard Miller (6'11", SF, Canada)
21. Brooklyn Nets (via PHX): Brice Sensabaugh (6'5", SF, Ohio State)
22. Brooklyn Nets: Kris Murray (6'8", PF, Iowa)
23. Portland Trail Blazers (via NY): Olivier-Maxence Prosper
A Marquette forward who has burst onto NBA draft boards, Prosper is an athletic 6'8", 220-pound Canadian who averaged 12.5 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the field, 34% from deep and 73.5% from the free-throw line. He has expanded his skill set greatly and will be a solid fit wherever he lands.
24. Sacramento Kings: James Nnaji (6'10", C, Nigeria)
25. Memphis Grizzlies: Rayan Rupert (6'7", SF, France)
26. Indiana Pacers (via CLE): Bilal Coulibaly (6'7", SF, France)
27. Charlotte Hornets (via DEN): Colby Jones (6'5", SG, Xavier)
As a junior, Jones averaged 15 points per game while shooting nearly 38% from deep, stats that would earn him a spot on the 2022–23 All-Big East and All-Big East Tournament teams. He would bring his sharpshooting swingman skills to Charlotte, who finished second-to-last in three-point shooting this season (32.5%).
28. Utah Jazz (via PHI): Dariq Whitehead (6'7", SF, Duke)
29. Indiana Pacers (via BOS): Brandin Podziemski (6'6", SG, Santa Clara)
Podziemski has emerged into the first-round conversation given his averages of nearly 20 PPG on 44% shooting from three-point range. The Pacers would add another perimeter threat to the roster with a chance to develop into a rotational player.
30. LA Clippers (via MIL): Maxwell Lewis (6'7", SF, Pepperdine)
I recently wrote a draft profile on Lewis, gaining insight into his college career through alum and former sports editor of the Pepperdine Graphic, Jerry Jiang. He noted various attributes that will serve Lewis well at the next level, as well as his potential as a 3-and-D wing.
Second Round
31. Detroit Pistons: Gregory Jackson (6'9", PF, Georgia)
After reclassifying to join the Georgia Bulldogs at 17, “GG” Jackson has a ton of upside despite his underwhelming stats — 15.4 PPG and 5.4 RPG on 38–32–68 splits. Jackson would add size and strength to Detroit’s front court, joining Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III, and James Wiseman.
32. Indiana Pacers (via HOU): Tristan Vukcevic (6'10", PF, Serbia)
33. San Antonio Spurs: Terquavion Smith (6'5", SG, NC State)
34. Charlotte Hornets: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (6'7", SF, UCLA)
35. Boston Celtics (via POR): Trayce Jackson-Davis (6'9", PF, Indiana)
36. Orlando Magic: Andre Jackson Jr. (6'5", SG, UConn)
37. Denver Nuggets (via WSH): Marcus Sasser (6'3", PG, Houston)
The defending champs solidify their point guard depth with Sasser, bringing in a skilled shooter who can score in a hurry while holding his own defensively. He averaged nearly 17 points and three assists per game for the Cougars on 43–38–84 splits.
38. Sacramento Kings (via IND): Ben Sheppard (6'6", SF, Belmont)
39. Charlotte Hornets (via Utah): Jalen Wilson (6'7", PF, Kansas)
40. Denver Nuggets (via DAL): Sidy Cissoko (6'7", SG, France)
41. Charlotte Hornets (via OKC): Kobe Brown (6'8", PF, Missouri)
42. Washington Wizards (via CHI): Mouhamed Gueye (7'0", PF, Washington St.)
Gueye averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds for Washington State, holding promise as a stretch-four or five given his 27% mark from distance. Aside from that, he is a “double-double machine” with NBA-ready skills.
43. Portland Trail Blazers (via ATL): Jordan Walsh (6'7", SF, Arkansas)
44. San Antonio Spurs (via TOR): Julian Phillips (6'7", SF, Tennessee)
45. Memphis Grizzlies (via MIN): Julian Strawther (6'7", SF, Gonzaga)
46. Atlanta Hawks (via NO): Emoni Bates (6'8", SF, Eastern Michigan)
47. Los Angeles Lakers: Adama Sanogo (6'9", C, UConn)
48. LA Clippers: Amari Bailey (6'4", PG, UCLA)
49. Cleveland Cavaliers (via GS): Seth Lundy (6'6", SG, Penn State)
50. Oklahoma City Thunder (via MIA): Keyontae Johnson (6'5", SF, Kansas State)
51. Brooklyn Nets: Hunter Tyson (6'8", SF, Clemson)
Tyson is a fifth-year wing whose averages of 15.3 points per game on 48–40–83 splits earned him a nod on this year’s All-ACC First Team.
52. Phoenix Suns: Ricky Council IV (6'6", SG, Arkansas)
53. Minnesota Timberwolves (via NY): Nikola Durisic (6'8", SG, Serbia)
54. Sacramento Kings: Toumani Camara (6'8", PF, Dayton)
55. Indiana Pacers (via CLE): Jalen Pickett (6'3", PG, Penn State)
56. Memphis Grizzlies: Jordan Miller (6'6", SG, Miami)
57. Washington Wizards (via BOS): Colin Castleton (6'11", C, Florida)
58. Milwaukee Bucks: Zvonimir Ivisic (7'3", C, Croatia)
That’s a wrap on the second version of my 2023 NBA Mock Draft. As preparation ramps up, it’ll be exciting to see which prospects impress teams at pre-draft workouts and which rumors come closer to becoming reality.
