{"id":694683,"date":"2026-06-10T01:53:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T01:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/694683\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T01:53:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T01:53:10","slug":"the-athletic-latest-predictions-on-how-the-first-2-rounds-will-go","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/694683\/","title":{"rendered":"The Athletic: Latest predictions on how the first 2 rounds will go"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2214737\" class=\"wp-image-2214737\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/wilson-combine-052326-784x440.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1078\"  \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-2214737\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caleb Wilson is considered one of the top players in the Draft and, in the latest projections, would go No. 4 to Chicago.<\/p>\n<p>Editor\u2019s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/nba\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p>\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/draft\/2026\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">2026 NBA Draft: Complete coverage<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/2026-nba-draft-order\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Draft Order: 1-60<\/a><\/p>\n<p>THE ATHLETIC\u00a0\u2014\u00a0We are about two weeks away from the 2026 NBA Draft, so it\u2019s time to dig into the intel and figure out where players may be selected.<\/p>\n<p>This draft is considered a strong one at the top and throughout the lottery, although withdrawals of college players lured by NIL riches have substantially hindered the depth of the class. Most executives I speak with have first-round grades on about 20 to 25 players and think the final 20 picks of the draft could result in some\u00a0interesting\u00a0selections. They say teams could be making deals with players ahead of time to lock them in on two-way contracts, as they don\u2019t see much difference in talent level between players ranked from, say, No. 45 to No. 100.<\/p>\n<p>A few notes before the mock:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Ages are as of the night of the first round (June 23).<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Heights are from the AWS NBA Draft Combine in May.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 NBA executives, scouts, agents, players and other sources across the basketball ecosystem were granted anonymity in exchange for speaking freely about prospects.<\/p>\n<p>First Round<\/p>\n<p>1.\u00a0Washington Wizards<br \/>AJ Dybantsa | 6-9 wing | 19 years old | BYU<\/p>\n<p>Sources say that Washington is doing its due diligence and that the Wizards haven\u2019t made a decision yet on who they\u2019ll draft No. 1.<\/p>\n<p>But sources across the league believe that Dybantsa remains Washington\u2019s most likely target. He is seen as having extremely high upside while also possessing a high floor. For the Wizards, he would slot in perfectly on the wing regardless of the team\u2019s direction next season. He fits between Anthony Davis and Trae Young but also blends nicely with the team\u2019s young core of Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Will Riley and Kyshawn George, because he does something those four don\u2019t: put pressure on the rim. The combination of George and Dybantsa should work well together long-term as bigger, longer wings who can dribble, pass and shoot, with George taking on tougher defensive assignments.<\/p>\n<p>2. Utah Jazz<br \/>Darryn Peterson | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Kansas<\/p>\n<p>The Jazz are set up well to win next season with a loaded frontcourt following the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade in February. What they really need is a playmaker at guard to help Keyonte George with the creation load. Ace Bailey is a terrific scorer, but ball-handling is not necessarily his strength. The Jazz need another player who can dribble, pass and shoot with Bailey, Lauri Markkanen and presumably Walker Kessler, even though Kessler is a free agent.<\/p>\n<p>Teams that dig into Peterson\u2019s high school tape will see that he took a big step forward at Prolific Prep during his senior year with his passing and playmaking out of ball screens. He\u2019s always been a tremendous scorer, but he began to read the second and third levels of the defense and make plays off how help defenders played him, even at times manipulating them. At Kansas, he didn\u2019t get the opportunity to showcase those skills. Part of these issues at Kansas could have been because of his injuries. He looked less explosive than he was in high school. Another part could have been the Jayhawks\u2019 lack of spacing. It was not dissimilar to what Anthony Edwards looked like at Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>Like the Wizards, the Jazz are learning everything they can about the top four prospects. Utah president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=hnHh-oKwsno\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">last week on the radio in Salt Lake City<\/a> that his front office has not reached a consensus. But with the team ready to move into a different phase next season, Peterson is the player who will help them do that, and he fills a skill-based need.<\/p>\n<p>3. Memphis Grizzlies<br \/>Cameron Boozer | 6-8 forward | 18 years old | Duke<\/p>\n<p>If Boozer is on the board, I would be pretty stunned to see Memphis pass on him. He ticks all the boxes that the organization has looked for in its draft picks over the years under president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman.<\/p>\n<p>The Grizzlies have been consistently better at drafting than any other team in the league, having hit on Desmond Bane, Santi Aldama, Jaylen Wells, Cam Spencer, Brandon Clarke and even guys such as GG Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. beyond pick No. 20, let alone past lottery picks Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Typically, the Grizzlies like skilled players who produce well for their age and possess high-level basketball IQ while being extremely competitive. Boozer is elite in all of those categories. He is almost prototypical of what Memphis wants to build around as it enters a new era following the trades of Jackson and Bane.<\/p>\n<p>4. Chicago Bulls<br \/>Caleb Wilson | 6-9 wing | 19 years old | North Carolina<\/p>\n<p>League sources believe Wilson would be an easy pick for Chicago if he gets to No. 4. He\u2019s an athletic player with great positional size who plays with physicality and would fit nicely if the Bulls continue to operate an uptempo offense under the coach whom new general manager Bryson Graham hires. Graham loves players with high-end athletic traits and length, having been a part of drafting many of them in New Orleans during his time there.<\/p>\n<p>Wilson would fit well at the four next to Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis as the team\u2019s long-term building blocks and give the Bulls a solid framework with which to start using their cap space this summer to acquire veterans, while also trying to accumulate more assets.<\/p>\n<p>5. LA Clippers (via IND)<br \/>Keaton Wagler | 6-5 wing | 19 years old | Illinois<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019ll be fascinating to see what the Clippers do at No. 5. Sources have indicated that the team is digging into all the top guard prospects as well as exploring potential trade-down scenarios that could result in them accumulating more assets. I\u2019ve also heard Aday Mara\u2019s name associated with the Clippers, although it\u2019s difficult to tell if that would be at No. 5 or in a potential trade down.<\/p>\n<p>Wagler is clearly the best fit of the guards, though, if LA stays at No. 5. He can play both on and off ball and has enough positional size to play next to Darius Garland, whom the team acquired for James Harden at the deadline. Garland played well down the stretch for the Clippers and should be seen as a building block, and I\u2019m skeptical that the Clippers would have enough size defensively by taking Darius Acuff Jr. or Kingston Flemings to play with him. Sources have indicated that Wagler has added muscle to his frame during the pre-draft process. He came to Illinois at 168 pounds and weighed 188 pounds at the combine; his frame should be able to continue adding strength over the next few years.<\/p>\n<p>6. Brooklyn Nets<br \/>Darius Acuff Jr. | 6-2 guard | 19 years old | Arkansas<\/p>\n<p>The Nets have engendered by far the most speculation among sources. I\u2019ve also heard a lot of contradictory information, which is an indication that there is some smoke billowing from Barclays Center. I\u2019ve heard all the guard prospects in this range for them, from Wagler to Acuff to Kingston Flemings to Mikel Brown Jr. I\u2019ve heard Nate Ament quite a bit over the last week. I\u2019ve also heard Mara\u2019s name creep into the conversation, as well as the potential trade-down offers.<\/p>\n<p>The one consistent piece of information is that the Nets will take the highest-graded player on their board, regardless of position. Even though the team selected three point guards last season, it hasn\u2019t ruled that position out. Brooklyn believes it simply needs to get more talent in the door. The issue with predicting anything there, though, is that this team marches to the beat of its own drum in terms of evaluations.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going with Acuff for now. If the Nets really do want the best player, I think it\u2019s him. The city would fall in love with him as a fearless guard with toughness. He would embrace being a leader of the rebuild. I also think he\u2019s a fairly safe selection for this front office as a high-level producer early in his career, following a season where none of the team\u2019s five 2025 first-round picks finished in the top 15 of All-Rookie team voting. But I also think anything is on the board here, and if there is a top-10 selection prediction most likely to change in some way before the draft, it\u2019s this one.<\/p>\n<p>7. Sacramento Kings<br \/>Kingston Flemings | 6-3 guard | 19 years old | Houston<\/p>\n<p>It feels like the Kings are likely to end up with the best guard available. They\u2019re doing due diligence into players such as Ament and others, but they need a point guard to replace De\u2019Aaron Fox, and this is an outstanding draft in which to do it. In this case, the best guards available are Flemings and Brown.<\/p>\n<p>Flemings has done workouts with teams lower than this to find a floor for his services, but he\u2019s in the mix with teams from the Nos. 5 to 7 range. He has impressed in interviews, his speed is a serious weapon for teams and he\u2019s been viewed as the best defender of the elite lead guard crop in this class. The Kings could use all these skills.<\/p>\n<p>8. Atlanta Hawks (via NOP)<br \/>Aday Mara | 7-3 big | 21 years old | Michigan<\/p>\n<p>The Hawks need a lead guard, but I\u2019ve heard centers more when asking about what they\u2019re looking to do at No. 8. They\u2019ve also explored potential trade-down scenarios to accumulate assets, something that should come as no surprise since president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh is regarded as one of the best long-term strategists in the league.<\/p>\n<p>Mara fits Atlanta\u2019s scheme well under Quin Snyder thanks to his passing ability and his rim protection. Remember, Snyder is the coach who unlocked Rudy Gobert\u2019s length in drop coverage and helped turn him into one of the best defensive players in the league. Mara does not move as well as Gobert but is similarly massive with a 9-foot-9 standing reach at 7-foot-3 without shoes. He can shut down the paint, finish above the rim on the interior and be an impediment at the basket for opposing teams.<\/p>\n<p>9. Dallas Mavericks<br \/>Brayden Burries | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | Arizona<\/p>\n<p>The Mavericks are another team that has engendered a lot of speculation among sources, something that the new brain trust led by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz will likely appreciate. They\u2019ve explored trading this selection and are considering several different players and positions, from lead guards like Flemings, Wagler, Brown, Acuff and Christian Anderson to Ament to Yaxel Lendeborg.<\/p>\n<p>Burries is the name I hear the most with Dallas, though, with sources around the lottery trying to determine why he\u2019s not working out in as many places as you\u2019d expect given his standing at the start of the process. There is a lot of enthusiasm for Burries among teams who want to try to win next season, as he\u2019s seen as a tough guard who can dribble, pass and shoot and who will also defend at a high level with physicality.<\/p>\n<p>10. Milwaukee Bucks<br \/>Mikel Brown Jr. | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | Louisville<\/p>\n<p>The Bucks have certainly been doing due diligence into the lead guards, including Flemings, Anderson, Labaron Philon Jr. and Brown. I\u2019ve also heard Hannes Steinbach\u2019s name as an option here. But with the potential for Giannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s departure, it makes sense for the Bucks to go with as high an upside swing as possible. Brown is a dynamic playmaker with the ball who can play in ball screens, make high-level passing reads and shoot. However, his decision-making can be questionable at times while trying to hit home runs, and his scoring inside of 15 feet has left some scouts with questions.<\/p>\n<p>11. Golden State Warriors<br \/>Yaxel Lendeborg | 6-9 big | 23 years old | Michigan<\/p>\n<p>Lendeborg\u2019s draft stock is one of the most difficult to figure out. He is going to be 24 before he plays an NBA game, and several of the teams in the lottery will be hunting for more upside. I\u2019ve gotten the impression that there is potential for him to slip out of the lottery despite being among the most NBA-ready players in the draft.<\/p>\n<p>The Warriors are somewhere in that middle ground, and he could be useful in one final ride for Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green. His game is tailor-made to enter the NBA early as a well-rounded offensive and defensive player. He can make an impact without the ball and has enough shooting ability to be effective on the baseline as a cutter and floor-spacer from the corners. He also moves the ball quickly, which would fit well within Steve Kerr\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n<p>12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)<br \/>Nate Ament | 6-10 wing\/forward | 19 years old | Tennessee<\/p>\n<p>Ament\u2019s draft range is one of the more difficult ones to figure out. He\u2019s working out with teams throughout the middle of the lottery, and the buzz with the Nets, as Jon Rothstein would say, has been palpable. And yet, scouts are mixed on him. The ones who like him appreciate his ability to play with the ball in his hands, think that he\u2019s a better shooter than he was this year at Tennessee and like his professional mindset. Sources say that Ament comes off as smart. He cares about his game and improving. He\u2019s someone teams want to believe in. But other scouts worry about his frame and lack of strength, wondering if it\u2019s comparable to some of the issues 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher has dealt with early in his career with the Hawks.<\/p>\n<p>I think there\u2019s a decent chance that Ament is off the board by the time the Thunder pick at No. 12. Also, sources across the league get the impression that the Thunder are open to many scenarios with picks Nos. 12 and 17. I\u2019ve heard they would consider consolidating the picks to move up, I\u2019ve heard of them looking at getting rid of one of the picks for a future first-rounder, and I\u2019ve also heard speculation of them moving more expensive rostered players to get under the second apron and then keeping the picks to add more young talent.<\/p>\n<p>13. Miami Heat<br \/>Hannes Steinbach | 6-10 big | 20 years old | Washington<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s difficult to get a read on Miami\u2019s intentions. It feels as if the Heat are trying to figure out their standing in potential star trades this summer, and whether this selection could be involved in a deal. Speculation about whether they can acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo gets thrown around regularly.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going with Steinbach here because he ticks a few boxes. First and foremost, the Heat have essentially zero frontcourt depth right now beyond Bam Adebayo and Kel\u2019el Ware. Steinbach, theoretically, can play both at the four and the five if his jumper comes around, although I am a lot more enthusiastic about his fit at the five. Second, the Bucks have also been said to have an interest in Steinbach, so if they were to move Giannis to Miami, he could easily be a target if they go with a guard at No. 10.<\/p>\n<p>14. Charlotte Hornets<br \/>Morez Johnson Jr. | 6-9 big | 20 years old | Michigan<\/p>\n<p>Johnson seems to be one of the most popular names in the draft right now, and it feels unlikely that he\u2019ll slip beyond the top 15. One question that teams often ask players who come in for workouts and have been out on the circuit for a while is, \u201cWhich other prospect has impressed you?\u201d The Michigan big man has been a popular answer to that question.<\/p>\n<p>The Hornets need a degree of toughness and physicality. Johnson would be the perfect player to provide that. Moussa Diabat\u00e9 and Ryan Kalkbrenner are underrated center options, but Diabat\u00e9 weighs just 210 pounds and Kalkbrenner has high hips that allow him to get pushed around. Johnson is tough, has a low center of gravity, rebounds the ball at a high clip and defends multiple positions across the front line as a switchable big man. He\u2019d give the Hornets a look that they lacked this season.<\/p>\n<p>15. Chicago Bulls (via POR)<br \/>Dailyn Swain | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Texas<\/p>\n<p>A couple of other teams noted that the Bulls have asked around about potentially moving up from No. 15 into the lottery for a second pick after No. 4. But if they stay at No. 15, Swain seems to be an option, as he meets Graham\u2019s preferences for size, length, athleticism and physicality. Swain played at 225 pounds this year at Texas (don\u2019t worry about him coming in at only 211 pounds at the combine; sources told\u00a0The Athletic\u00a0that he was sick in the days leading up to the event and lost several pounds), and has the exact frame you\u2019re looking for from a slashing guard. He proved that he could play at a high level on defense in the Big East during his time at Xavier, even if he was more hit-or-miss at Texas.<\/p>\n<p>16. Memphis Grizzlies (via PHX)<br \/>Christian Anderson Jr. | 6-1 guard | 20 years old | Texas Tech\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Anderson has impressed in pre-draft workouts with his shooting ability, feel for the game and willingness to give effort on defense. He seems to be another prospect who has helped himself as teams get to know him, despite his lack of size. Anderson has popped in a lot of teams\u2019 analytical models thanks to his shooting and passing. The Grizzlies have some guard depth behind Morant in Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr., but it\u2019s unclear if they can be long-term answers if the organization moves Morant. The read is that the Grizzlies will be open to any position here and will take the best player on their board.<\/p>\n<p>17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI)<br \/>Jayden Quaintance | 6-9 big | 18 years old | Kentucky<\/p>\n<p>There are numerous possibilities with this pick, from the Thunder keeping it to trading up or trading out to acquire future draft capital. I\u2019m aware that the team selected Thomas Sorber last year at the center position, but the Victor Wembanyama problem is not going away for OKC. The best potential Wembanyama defender in this class is Quaintance, who was shaping up as one of the best defensive prospects I\u2019d seen in a while before tearing his right ACL at Arizona State in February 2025. This season was essentially a wash as he recovered from that injury; he played only four games at Kentucky midseason before shutting things down.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke with a half-dozen NBA teams in Quaintance\u2019s potential range over the weekend, and all of them said that they don\u2019t yet have access to how their team doctors assessed Quaintance\u2019s health. Those reports from doctors and internal meetings tend to come about two weeks before the draft.<\/p>\n<p>18. Charlotte Hornets (via PHX)<br \/>Allen Graves | 6-8 forward | 19 years old | Santa Clara<\/p>\n<p>I think this is far too rich for Graves by about 10 slots. But Graves has been one of the names I\u2019ve heard most connected with the Hornets because of their analytically inclined front office. Graves\u2019 metrics pop across the board, even if his tape is less than the sum of the numbers. Typically, team models have him around the top five of this class. And yet, there are questions about whether he can defend in space and on the interior, or if his shooting is ready for the NBA given how stationary it is. One thing not in question, though, is that he processes the game quickly and makes rapid decisions on offense.<\/p>\n<p>19. Toronto Raptors<br \/>Labaron Philon Jr. | 6-3 guard | 20 years old | Alabama<\/p>\n<p>The Raptors are always difficult to get a gauge on this time of year. Under the Bobby Webster regime, they have done a nice job keeping things in-house on their feelings about prospects. One thing that I\u2019ve gotten from a couple of teams is that they are still surveying the market for veteran, star-quality bigs. But in terms of prospects, they tend to keep things hushed. Philon would give them another creator of offense, something they could use to take the next step into the second round of the playoffs. As long as his jumper holds up, he would be terrific next to both Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley.<\/p>\n<p>20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)<br \/>Cameron Carr\u00a0| 6-5 guard | 21 years old | Baylor<\/p>\n<p>The Spurs are in a position to add the best player who can shoot. Carr fits that billing perfectly. Yes, he\u2019s skinny and needs to add weight. But he\u2019s long and would give San Antonio more lineup versatility to keep shooting on the court with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, both of whom need to keep making strides themselves in that area.<\/p>\n<p>The Spurs also have a tough decision on Julian Champagnie this summer. They can decline the team option on their critical floor-spacing wing to do a new deal with him or keep him at $3 million for next season before allowing him to hit unrestricted free agency. Given their cap sheet, I would guess they use the former strategy, put more of Champagnie\u2019s money on the books now while they\u2019re still slated to be $50 million away from the first apron and possibly try to negotiate a descending contract structure for him. But Carr would provide cover in case negotiations go wrong there, and they need more shooting depth anyway.<\/p>\n<p>21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN)<br \/>Bennett Stirtz | 6-3 guard | 22 years old | Iowa<\/p>\n<p>The two positions I hear most regarding the Pistons are lead guards who can shoot and create offense, or wings\/forwards who can shoot. I\u2019ve heard a lot about Stirtz and Anderson as potential fits next to Cade Cunningham as offensive creators who can fire from distance, and then players like Chris Cenac Jr. or Carr. Stirtz ticks the scoring and playmaking boxes and would fit well with the defensive infrastructure in place.<\/p>\n<p>22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU)<br \/>Koa Peat | 6-7 wing | 19 years old | Arizona<\/p>\n<p>Sources around the league are still trying to figure out what new head of basketball operations Mike Gansey\u2019s type will be. So this pick might just be me wish-casting a bit, but I can\u2019t imagine a better fit for both Peat and an organization. With Joel Embiid playing more consistently on the perimeter now, Peat could use his athleticism and strength to crash along the baseline and make smart plays while also providing tough defensive energy. The 76ers desperately need a four with some power to his game, and Peat brings that in a big way. I have Peat higher than this on my personal board, but sources across the league are unsure where he slots into the class.<\/p>\n<p>23. Atlanta Hawks (via CLE)<br \/>Karim Lopez | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | New Zealand Breakers<\/p>\n<p>Lopez has largely been working out for teams ahead of this range so far, feeling confident in his status as a top-15 selection. I\u2019m not convinced of that. When I speak to teams about him, the feedback is commensurate with a mid-to-late first-rounder, as opposed to a lottery pick. He has some questions to answer as a defender and shooter, even if scouts are enticed by his rebounding and ability to drive into the lane. His range feels like it\u2019s anywhere from No. 11 down to No. 25 or so.<\/p>\n<p>24. New York Knicks<br \/>Tarris Reed Jr. | 6-10 big | 22 years old | Connecticut<\/p>\n<p>Mitchell Robinson is a free agent at the end of the season, so it would make sense for the Knicks to look for a backup center behind Karl-Anthony Towns who provides toughness in the middle. Reed would fit the team\u2019s desire to crash the glass hard on the offensive end, and he has some latent shooting potential that he\u2019s shown in workouts.<\/p>\n<p>25. Los Angeles Lakers<br \/>Chris Cenac Jr. | 6-10 big | 19 years old | Houston<\/p>\n<p>Cenac has been an exceptionally difficult prospect to find a home for, as well. The consensus seems to be that he\u2019s going to go somewhere in the top 20, but the feedback I get from teams is that he\u2019s more like a late first-rounder. He\u2019s seen as a high-upside swing for teams that can afford to be patient and wait for him to improve his feel for the game.<\/p>\n<p>26. Denver Nuggets<br \/>Ebuka Okorie | 6-1 guard | 19 years old | Stanford<\/p>\n<p>This is another player with a wide range, as I\u2019ve heard anywhere from right after the lottery to late first round. I think Okorie will be picked in the first round, and he would fit with the Nuggets. Denver needs a second ballhandler behind Jamal Murray, given that Tyus Jones was signed and entered the rotation quickly and will now hit free agency this summer. Okorie\u2019s ability to pressure the rim could also blend nicely with Denver\u2019s five-out structure and could allow him to play with Murray.<\/p>\n<p>27. Boston Celtics<br \/>Joshua Jefferson | 6-8 forward | 22 years old | Iowa State<\/p>\n<p>Jefferson\u2019s basketball IQ is exceptionally high, something that would play well in Boston under Joe Mazzulla\u2019s scheme, where quick decision-making is critical. He defends well and makes fast decisions on that end, plus he passes exceedingly well. His range is seen as somewhere from the 20s into the early second round.<\/p>\n<p>28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via DET)<br \/>Sergio De Larrea | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Valencia<\/p>\n<p>The Timberwolves are thought to be exploring potential point guard options in the late first round, and De Larrea is an interesting one after having played a solid role for Euroleague team Valencia this season. He averages nine points and nearly four assists per game in the Spanish ACB league and is a legitimate 40 percent 3-point shooter over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n<p>29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS)<br \/>Meleek Thomas | 6-3 wing | 19 years old | Arkansas<\/p>\n<p>The Cavaliers will have to find a way to cut money from their books, with Dennis Schr\u00f6der representing one of the easiest ways to do that. If they find a taker on the trade market for Schr\u00f6der, they\u2019ll need more instant offensive contributions off the bench, and Thomas fits that bill. He\u2019s a highly effective shooter who can attack and handle the ball, but he does need to rein in some of his wilder decision-making issues.<\/p>\n<p>30. Dallas Mavericks (via OKC)<br \/>Isaiah Evans | 6-6 wing | 20 years old | Duke<\/p>\n<p>Evans would represent a terrific floor-spacing and shooting option for the Mavericks, who need to continue accumulating players in that archetype around Cooper Flagg. It probably wouldn\u2019t hurt that Evans played with Flagg last season at Duke and has a terrific understanding already of what the NBA\u2019s Kia Rookie of the Year requires around him.<\/p>\n<p id=\"sect-59\">Second Round<\/p>\n<p>31. New York Knicks (via WAS):\u00a0Emanuel Sharp | 6-3 guard | 22 years old | Houston<\/p>\n<p>32. Memphis Grizzlies (via IND):\u00a0Zuby Ejiofor | 6-8 big | 22 years old | St. John\u2019s<\/p>\n<p>33. Brooklyn Nets: Henri Veesaar | 6-11 center | 22 years old | North Carolina<\/p>\n<p>34. Sacramento Kings:\u00a0Baba Miller | 6-11 wing | 22 years old | Cincinnati<\/p>\n<p>35. San Antonio Spurs (via UTA):\u00a0Alex Karaban\u00a0|\u00a06-7 wing | 23 years old | Connecticut<\/p>\n<p>36. LA Clippers (via MEM):\u00a0Bruce Thornton | 6-0 guard | 22 years old | Ohio State<\/p>\n<p>37. Oklahoma City Thunder (via DAL):\u00a0Jack Kayil | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | Alba Berlin<\/p>\n<p>38. Chicago Bulls (via NOP):\u00a0Maliq Brown | 6-8 big | 22 years old | Duke<\/p>\n<p>39. Houston Rockets (via CHI):\u00a0Braden Smith | 5-10 guard | 22 years old | Purdue<\/p>\n<p>40. Boston Celtics (via MIL):\u00a0Richie Saunders | 6-5 wing | 24 years old | BYU<\/p>\n<p>41. Miami Heat (via GSW):\u00a0Trevon Brazile | 6-10 big | 23 years old | Arkansas<\/p>\n<p>42. San Antonio Spurs (via POR):\u00a0Ryan Conwell | 6-2 guard | 22 years old | Louisville<\/p>\n<p>43. Brooklyn Nets (via LAC):\u00a0Izaiyah Nelson | 6-8 big | 22 years old | South Florida<\/p>\n<p>44. San Antonio Spurs (via MIA):\u00a0Ugonna Onyenso | 6-11 big | 22 years old | Virginia<\/p>\n<p>45. Sacramento Kings (via CHA):\u00a0Nick Boyd | 6-1 guard | 25 years old | Wisconsin<\/p>\n<p>46. Orlando Magic:\u00a0Jaden Bradley | 6-3 guard | 22 years old | Arizona<\/p>\n<p>47. Phoenix Suns (via PHI):\u00a0Tyler Nickel | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Vanderbilt<\/p>\n<p>48. Dallas Mavericks (via PHX):\u00a0Felix Okpara | 6-10 big | 22 years old | Tennessee<\/p>\n<p>49. Denver Nuggets (via ATL):\u00a0Tobias Jensen | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm<\/p>\n<p>50. Toronto Raptors:\u00a0Ja\u2019Kobi Gillespie | 6-0 guard | 22 years old | Tennessee<\/p>\n<p>51. Washington Wizards (via MIN):\u00a0Noam Yaacov | 6-1 guard | 21 years old | Oostende<\/p>\n<p>52. LA Clippers (via CLE):\u00a0Tamin Lipsey | 6-2 guard | 22 years old | Iowa State<\/p>\n<p>53. Houston Rockets:\u00a0Tyler Bilodeau | 6-7 forward | 22 years old | UCLA<\/p>\n<p>54. Golden State Warriors (via LAL):\u00a0Nick Martinelli | 6-7 wing | 22 years old | Northwestern<\/p>\n<p>55. New York Knicks:\u00a0Trey Kaufman-Renn | 6-8 forward | 23 years old | Purdue<\/p>\n<p>56. Chicago Bulls (via DEN):\u00a0Otega Oweh | 6-4 guard | 23 years old | Kentucky<\/p>\n<p>57. Atlanta Hawks (via BOS):\u00a0Jaden Henley | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Grand Canyon<\/p>\n<p>58. New Orleans Pelicans (via DET):\u00a0Milos Uzan | 6-3 guard | 23 years old | Houston<\/p>\n<p>59. Minnesota Timberwolves (via SAS):\u00a0Dillon Mitchell | 6-7 wing | 22 years old | St. John\u2019s<\/p>\n<p>60. Washington Wizards (via OKC):\u00a0Tobi Lawal | 6-7 big | 23 years old | Virginia Tech<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Caleb Wilson is considered one of the top players in the Draft and, in the latest projections, would&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":694684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99,301110],"class_list":["post-694683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-nba","tag-sports","tag-the-athletic-mock-draft-update-first-round-predictions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=694683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/694683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/694684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=694683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=694683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=694683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}