2022 NBA Mock Draft: Third Edition

 Here is the third edition of my 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

1. Orlando Magic- Chet Holmgren, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: The Magic have their choice of three great players to pick from to add to their young core. Holmgren is the pick here due to his ability to protect the rim, shoot the three, and space the floor and it helps that he is a great defensive player too.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder- Jabari Smith, Power Forward, Auburn: The Thunder landing a top two pick is a great win for them and I love the idea of Smith on this team. With better guard play than he had in college, he would be in a nice spot to show off his scoring capabilities in.

3. Houston Rockets- Paolo Banchero, Power Forward/Center, Duke: The Rockets land a player here with a ton of skill and upside here in Banchero. There are mixed thoughts about a frontcourt mix of Banchero, Chrstian Wood, and Alpren Sengun, but he and Jalen Green together is a nice foundation long term.

4. Sacramento Kings- Jaden Ivey, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Purdue: This would be an odd fit considering the Kings already have D'Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell, unless the team opts to move one of the two point guards. Ivey is a super explosive player, but he lacks the distribution skills.

5. Detroit Pistons- Sheldon Sharpe, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: The Pistons dropping to the fifth spot is not ideal, but it may not be a complete disaster as they have a few viable options. Sharpe didn't play for Coach Cal, but he would be an interesting fit here playing with Cade Cunningham with his ability to shoot the ball.

6. Indiana Pacers- Keegan Murray, Power Forward, Iowa: The Pacers can go in an number of directions here with their selection. Murray does make some sense here as they can use a combo forward that has a solid mid-range game and is a good defender.

7. Portland Trail Blazers- AJ Griffin, Small Forward, Duke: This pick would make a ton of sense for the Blazers considering their need for a forward. Griffin had a fine season for the Blue Devils and he can come in and provide some good shooting and athleticism.

8. New Orleans Pelicans (from Los Angeles Lakers)- Johnny Davis, Shooting Guard, Wisconsin: The Pelicans really did leave a great impression on "what could be" after their playoff loss to the Suns. I feel Davis here may be his ceiling, but the fit here is interesting with all the guards and wings the team has considering Davis does just about everything well.

9. San Antonio Spurs- Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis: The Spurs have some options here with their selection and they should have their eyes on a big with their first of three picks. Duren has double-double potential and he would fit nicely with this newer Spurs young core they have.

10. Washington Wizards- Bennedict Mathurin, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Arizona: The Wizards taking Mathurin would be interesting considering they have an abundance of wings. Mathurin really broke out in a big way last season and is your classic three-and-D wing that a ton of teams will covet.

11. New York Knicks- Jeremy Schoan, Small Forward, Baylor: The Knicks ideally would like a guard here, but Schoan may be too good to pass up on. Schoan is someone that really showed off an elite skill set this past season with the Bears and I like the idea of him and RJ Barrett together on the wing.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles Clippers)- Ochai Agbaji, Shooting Guard, Kansas: Agbaji here to the Thunder feels like the right spot. He really put himself in a good position to return to school and winning Most Outstanding Player in the tournament to be a first rounder.

13. Charlotte Hornets- Mark Williams, Center, Duke: The third Duke player in this mock I have going to Charlotte. The Hornets badly need a center and Williams is someone who had a great tournament in which his stock rose, but he doesn't have high upside.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers- Malaki Branham, Shooting Guard, Ohio State: A hot match with a little over a month to go until the draft is Branham with the Cavaliers, but I feel this could be a reach. He can shoot it from well from three and gets into the paint often, which the Cavaliers can use off the bench.

15. Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans Pelicans)- Ty-Ty Washington, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: The Hornets get a player that is super duper entertaining player here in Washington. The thought of him and LaMelo Ball together is super intriguing.

16. Atlanta Hawks- Tari Eason, Power Forward, LSU: The Hawks are a real candidate to trade their first round selection because they want that second star to go with Trae Young. Eason had a breakout season for the Tigers and is an excellent defender, but has some offensive flaws.

17. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn Nets)- Dyson Daniels, Shooting Guard, G-League Unite: The Rockets are quite lucky that this pick is this in this spot. People are skeptical of Daniels due to his shooting numbers, but he is a solid defender and gets to the basket.

18. Chicago Bulls- Walker Kessler, Center, Auburn: I personally think the Bulls are an unknown in terms of the draft. Kessler is an absolute monster defensively in the paint and blocks shots like there's no tomorrow.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves- Blake Wesley, Shooting Guard, Notre Dame: This would be an interesting pick for the T-Wovles, who have an abundance of guards. Wesley is a raw player that really didn't impress much in college, but is unafraid to score.

20. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto Raptors)- Jaden Hardy, Shooting Guard, G-League Unite: Hardy and the Spurs just feels appropriate. He is a player that didn't live up to hype with Unite, but has a ton of potential that he could unlock.

21. Denver Nuggets- Ousame Dieng, Small Forward, France: If the Nuggets nail this pick or trade it for a veteran, then it puts them among the front runners to win the 2023 NBA title with the players that are returning from injuries. Dieng was inconsistent in the NBL, but has tremendous upside with his shot making and ball handling.

22. Memphis Grizzlies- Kennedy Chandler, Point Guard, Tennessee: The Grizzlies are just picking for depth on a potential title contender with their selections. Chandler makes a ton of sense with Tyus Jones entering free agency and Ja Morant being a player that gets injured more often than everyone would like.

23. Brooklyn Nets (from Philadelphia 76ers)- Kendall Brown, Small Forward, Baylor: With the James Harden trade potentially looking like a win for the Nets, they get a good player with the pick here in Brown. He can come off the bench and provide solid play and has the athleticism to succeed.

24. Milwaukee Bucks- EJ Liddell, Power Forward, Ohio State: I don't know if I necessarily love the fit here with the Bucks array of big men.  Liddell is somebody that is a little bit older, but improved each and every season at Ohio State.

25. San Antonio Spurs (from Boston Celtics)- Wendell Moore Jr, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Duke: The Spurs with their third first rounder get a guy I feel is NBA ready in Moore. He had his best season as a junior after being thought out as a lottery pick two years ago so this could be a steal.

26. Dallas Mavericks- Christian Braun, Shooting Guard, Kansas: The Mavericks should really target guys that should help them right away considering they have a future MVP in Luka Doncic. Braun is an NBA-ready three-and-D wing and is good at attacking the rim.

27. Miami Heat- Nikola Jovic, Power Forward, Serbia: The Heat are a team if the board doesn't break their way, can trade out of this pick. Jovic is the safest bet of the international players in this draft and he is your classic "point forward" type of player that does a little bit of everything.

28. Golden State Warriors- Christian Koloko, Center, Arizona: The Warriors are a likely candidate to trade out of this spot. Koloko broke out this season for the Wildcats and averaged a double-double and over two blocks a game.

29. Memphis Grizzlies- Patrick Baldwin IV, Small Forward/Power Forward, Milwaukee: Baldwin was a massive disappointment this past season with injuries and I feel that he probably should have played for a larger branded program considering the hype he had. Baldwin could rediscover his potential that he had coming into college on the right team.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Phoenix Suns)- Terquavion Smith, Shooting Guard, NC State: I can see the Thunder trying to move back up in the teens and using this pick with either a current player or a future pick. Smith is a player that has a good shot and could be a solid bench scorer for someone.