With the 2023 NBA Draft lottery now in the rearview mirror, it’s time for us to churn through our first NBA Mock Draft of the season.
The San Antonio Spurs won the lottery and the right to select 7’4″ French phenom Victor Wembanyama. Unfortunately, the Knicks were not as lucky since the Dallas Mavericks were awarded the 10th pick, which means they will keep their draft pick this year and not transfer it to the Knicks. As a result, New York does not, at this moment, have a pick in this draft at all.
Since this is a no-trades NBA Mock Draft, the Knicks will not pick below, but we can still walk you through how we think the first round will play out a month ahead of the draft.
2023 NBA Mock Draft
1. San Antonio Spurs – Victor Vembanyama, C France
This is the worst-kept secret in basketball. Teams were tanking for the 19-year-old Frenchman who is seen as the best prospect since LeBron James. He will go number one overall.
2. Charlotte Hornets – Scoot Henderson, G G-League
The Hornets take Henderson to give LaMelo Ball a dynamic backcourt mate and another scoring guard to pair with up-and-coming young center Mark Williams. Charlotte will have plenty of interesting options to trade away this pick, but drafting Henderson for his explosiveness and slashing and putting him next to Ball’s passing and shot-making could be worth keeping the pick.
3. Portland Trail Blazers – Brandon Miller, G/F Alabama
The Trail Blazers have a clear choice here: pick at number three or keep Damian Lillard. The veteran guard has said, “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route.’’ If Portland wants to keep Lillard and give him his chance then they will trade this pick for a veteran. Would they be interested in Julius Randle and future first-round picks?
4. Houston Rockets – Cam Whitmore, F Villanova
This is another pick that could be traded, but if Houston stays, they could use some help on the wing. Whitmore has shown the ability to shoot in streaks and has the ball-handling to improve as a slasher as well. He could be a dynamic scorer.
5. Detroit Pistons – Amen Thompson, G Overtime Elite
With this pick in our NBA Mock Draft, Thompson would become the highest-drafted player from Overtime’s alternative to NCAA basketball. He is not yet a great shooter, but he can run the point next to Cade Cunningham and be an impact defender.
6. Orlando Magic – Auser Thompson, G/F Overtime Elite
Hey, another Overtime Elite player. Auser is a better shooter than his twin brother Amen and will also give Orlando instant transition offense and defensive versatility. He has plus athleticism and upside to grow as a scorer.
7. Indiana Pacers – Jarace Walker, F Houston
The Pacers could look to move up with Portland, but this is a no-trades NBA Mock Draft so, if they stay here, Walker’s potential to stretch the floor could be intriguing to them. Especially considering he has great defensive versatility and length.
8. Washington Wizards -Anthony Black, G/F Arkansas
Washington is in a position to add the most talented player, and that’s Black. The fact that he can also help them as a two-way wing is even more of a benefit. Some see him as a point guard, but he can play more of a combo guard role with the size to guard wings.
9. Utah Jazz – Taylor Hendricks, F UCF
Hendricks is a combo forward with positional size who can be a solid 3-and-D wing for Utah. He also shows flashes of scoring versatility that could give him intriguing upside and mkes him good value here in our NBA Mock Draft.
10. Dallas Mavericks – Gradey Dick, F Kansas
The pick that crushed Knicks fans. The Mavericks are highly unlikely to keep this pick as a team that is looking to win now with Luka Donic and – maybe – a re-signed Kyrie Irving. Could Dallas take a European star to develop and stash overseas? Or could they take somebody like Dick who can help right away with shooting?
11. Orlando Magic (via Bulls) – Keyonte George, SG Baylor
The Magic need a shooter to space the floor, so George’s shot-making would work well for them, whether he immediately enters the starting lineup at shooting guard or just factors into the rotation.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Cason Wallace, PG Kentucky
Wallace is an intriguing guard at 6’4″ who can shoot, sees the floor well, and brings the defensive pressure that the Thunder seem to love.
13. Toronto Raptors – Nick Smith, G Arkansas
The Raptors need a player who can guard opposing guards. Nick Smith is not as great a defender as Wallace, who Toronto would love to see fall here, but Smith has the size and athleticism to smother opposing guards and has the potential to be a great value here in our NBA Mock Draft.
14. New Orleans Pelicans – Jordan Hawkins, G/F UCONN
The Pelicans are another team that could trade this pick as they try to make a playoff push. Would they be interested in adding Obi Toppin? If New Orleans does stay here, expect them to add shooting. With Dick already off the board, Hawkins is the right pick.
15. Atlanta Hawks – Kobe Bufkin, G Michigan
The Hawks are another team that is feeling pressure to make a deeper playoff run and might be willing to deal this pick. If they stay, Bufkin is the best scorer left on the board. He can play both guard positions and has defensive versatility.
16. Utah Jazz (via Timberwolves)- Jett Howard, G Michigan
Back-to-back Michigan players go off the board here in our NBA Mock Draft as Utah gets another versatility player in the 6’8″ Howard who can score and shoot like a guard but can also defend wings.
17. Los Angeles Lakers – Brice Sensabaugh, G Ohio State
What are the skills that work best with LeBron James? Shooting and defense. The Lakers certainly aren’t going to take a project player here so Sensabaugh makes, well, sense here in our NBA Mock Draft since he is an NBA-ready scoring wing who would fit great on the Lakers’ second unit.
18. Miami Heat – Leonard Miller, F G-League
Despite their playoff success, the Heat were the 25th-best offense in the NBA this season because they have very few creators off the bounce. Miller can be that from the PF position, so he’s the pick in our NBA Mock Draft. He’s a terrific, fluid athlete and an elite finisher at the rim, making 67% of his shots on penetration.
19. Golden State Warriors – Dariq Whitehead, G/F Duke
The Warriors tend to like well-rounded prospects who contribute in multiple capacities and they don’t mind drafting young players who will take time to develop into their roles. That fits with Whitehead, who was an elite prospect coming out of high school but will be coming off foot surgery.
20. Houston Rockets (vis Clippers) – Dereck Lively, C Duke
Lively is an elite rim protector who averaged 2.5 blocks per game this season. He’s limited on offense, but this is the type of gamble a team like Houston takes because if he becomes even an average offensive player, he would be one of the most impactful picks in this draft.
21. Brooklyn Nets (vis Suns) – Jalen Hood-Schifino G, Indiana
Brooklyn needs creators who can get their own offense. Hood-Schifino is a well-rounded prospect who won the Big Ten’s Rookie of the Year award and while he’s an inconsistent spot-up shooter, he showed solid ability to hit pull-up shots off of the dribble and make good passes.
22. Brooklyn Nets – Bilal Coulibaly, SF, France
Brooklyn is back again in our NBA Mock Draft, and this time they swing for the fences with Victor Wembanyama’s teammate. Coulibaly has shown off when people came to see his teammate and projects as a potential NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate who has explosive athleticism and has shown flashes of plus shot-making.
23. Portland Trail Blazers (via Knicks) – Kris Murray, F, Iowa
If Portland trades their earlier pick but keeps this one, they’d likely be looking for an NBA-ready player. Murray is not quite as good as his brother (Keegan) but, at 22 years old, he quickly enters the rotation as a three/four with the upside to be a starter.
24. Sacramento Kings – Rayan Rupert, F, New Zealand
Rupert is a French teen playing on a New Zealand team in an Australian basketball league. Got that? He’s also a great fit as a development wing on a Kings team that doesn’t need a lot of immediate help. Rupert is 6’7″ with a 7’3″ wingspan and strong instincts on the defensive end. If he grows into more of an offensive game, he could be a star.
25. Memphis Grizzlies – Colby Jones, G, Xavier
We’re certainly not the first people to say this, but the Grizzlies could replace Dillon Brooks with Jones since Jones is a 6’6″ plus defender whose scoring efficiency, passing, and decision-making would be an immediate fit in Memphis.
26. Indiana Pacers (via Cavaliers) – G.G. Jackson, F, South Carolina
We’ve reached the part of our NBA Mock Draft where talent meets red flags. Jackson has some questions about his maturity and effort and could flame out of the league. However, he was playing in college as a 17-year-old and has elite shot-making potential.
27. Charlotte Hornets (via Nuggets) – Noah Clowney, F, Alabama
Clowney is an upside pick here. He’s 6’10” with a 7’3″ wingspan, plays defense at a really high level, rebounds, and has good shooting mechanics while taking over four 3-point attempts per game. If he starts hitting those shots consistently, the upside is great.
28. Utah Jazz (via 76ers) – Max Lewis, G/F, Pepperdine
Danny Ainge has indicated that he wants college production with his draft picks, and that means Lewis goes to Utah in our NBA Mock Draft. He has the ability to knock down shots from deep and the size/wingspan to be a matchup issue on the wing.
29. Indiana Pacers (via Celtics) – James Nnaji, C, Barcelona
This is Indiana’s third first-round pick in our NBA Mock Draft, so they’ll take a developmental prospect in Nnaji. He’s 6’11” with a 7’5″ wingspan and is an impressive athlete around the rim.
30. Los Angeles Clippers (via Bucks) – Jaime Jaquez, G/F, UCLA
The Clippers seem to love competitive and tough players who work hard on defense. That’s Jaquez. His shot needs some work, but he can run in transition and lock down on defense and that has value this late in the draft.
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