NBA Mock Drafts

The NBA draft combine just ended, and many prospects got to show off at the NBA combine. The draft lottery ended with the Wizards obtaining the number one pick, the Utah Jazz at two, the Memphis Grizzlies at three, and the Chicago Bulls at four. AJ Dybantsa remains the projected top pick, followed by Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. 

The Wizards are projected to take Dybantsa, but it’s worth wondering if they will go in another direction, as they need many things as of current. Many fans believe they should go in the direction of Dybantsa, as it is the safest option; he has such a high ceiling, and at worst, he ends up like Andrew Wiggins, a one-time all-star in his 12-year career. However, there is a chance he ends up with the Jazz, as he is connected with the Utah Jazz owner, Ryan Smith, Danny Ainge, and Austin Ainge, who all hold close ties to BYU. It’s not clear at this stage what Utah’s interest would be in trading up to number one, a move that would probably cost a lot. Which would also assume the Jazz see enough separation in skill and needs between their top two prospects to make it worth trading. 

For the Grizzlies, Cameron Boozer seems like a match made in heaven. The Grizzlies need a power forward as of current, and with Ja Morant potentially being on the move, this seems like a perfect move for the Grizzlies. Although Boozer isn’t as vertically gifted as the other prospects, he did outperform Caleb Wilson in agility drills, showing solid athleticism. The lottery looks good for him, with the top four teams looking like good fits. He is arguably the safest pick in this draft. 

It was a big week for the Bulls after they moved up five spots in the lottery to land the fourth pick, a relatively low-pressure spot where they’ll be confident of walking away with a top talent. As expected, Wilson tested well vertically and posted good measurements. However, he weighed in at just 211 pounds, making him more of a true power forward positionally for the time being. Although he’s broadly viewed as the fourth player in this top group, there are plenty of people around the NBA who rate him higher.

For every single team in this draft, this seems to be a great draft. There are not many downsides to the top four players, and every single one of them seems to be a safe option. This is projected to be one of the strongest draft classes in this past decade. Every team is hopeful for a good pick in this draft and hopeful that next season is going to go better with these picks.