2022 NBA Mock Draft: Eighth Edition

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

1. Orlando Magic- Jabari Smith, Power Forward, Auburn: The Magic can have their pick of one of the big three with Smith, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero. Smith you can make a case is the safest of the top three draft prospects bet due to his fine all around play in college despite poor guard play around him.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder- Chet Holmgren, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: The Thunder have to be doing backflips if this scenario presents itself on draft night. Holmgren is the perfect type of player for this young Thunder nucleus with his ability to create his own shot as a stretch five and protect the rim.

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 or this pick, which the latter isn't inconceivable. Ivey is a super explosive player, but he lacks the distribution skills.

5. Detroit Pistons- Keegan Murray, Power Forward, Purdue: 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. Murray is a nice fit here as he can be a fun pick and pop partner for Cade Cunningham with his shooting ability.

6. Indiana Pacers- Benedict Mathurin, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Arizona: A hot rumor as we approach the draft in a week is that Mathurin and the Pacers could be a match. 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.

7. Portland Trail Blazers- Jeremy Schoan, Small Forward/Power Forward, Baylor: The Blazers have a ton of options here with this selection. I like the idea of Schoan here due to the Blazers need on the wing and his elite skill set.

8. New Orleans Pelicans- Dyson Daniels, Shooting Guard, G-League Ignite: This would be a reach for the Pelicans, but more people are higher on Daniels than yours truly. Daniels is a very good defender and really showed improvement offensively throughout the G-League season.

9. San Antonio Spurs- Shaedon Sharpe, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: With their first of three picks, I have the Spurs going with an intriguing prospect in Sharpe. Despite not playing in the second college semester, he's a sharp three-point shooter and arguably the best athlete in the draft.

10. Washington Wizards- Johnny Davis, Shooting Guard, Wisconsin: This would be a very interesting pick for the Wizards since Bradley Beal is the face of trade rumors. Davis is a very selfless player and even if the Wiz were to keep Beal, he and Davis would be a fun pair together on the perimeter.

11. New York Knicks- AJ Griffin, Small Forward, Duke: This pick would be a slam dunk for the Knicks, despite their need for a point guard. Griffin had a fine season for the Blue Devils and he can come in and provide some good shooting and athleticism.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles Clippers)- Malaki Branham, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Ohio State: The Thunder go with the fast rising prospect here with their second first round. Branaham is someone that improved tremendously throughout the season and is a fabulous scorer whether it's from three or in the paint.

13. Charlotte Hornets- Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis: The Hornets need for a center is among the obvious needs for any team and here they land the drafts best center. Duren has double-double potential and he and LaMelo Ball would be a fun pick and pop duo.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers- Ochai Agbaji, Shooting Guard, Kansas: This would be an interesting selection for the Cavaliers, who can use some depth on the wing. Agbaji really put himself in a good position to return to school and winning Most Outstanding Player in the tournament to be a first rounder.

15. Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans Pelicans)- Ousame Dieng, Small Forward, France: With their second first rounder, the Hornets go with one of the drafts more interesting prospects. Dieng is a bit of a project, but he does have potential defensively and playmaking.

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)-  Jalen Williams, Shooting Guard, Santa Clara: With their second first rounder, I have the Rockets going with Williams, who I think can be a solid bench player. He has been a big time riser of late in terms of draft prospects and showed tremendous potential as a three-and-D wing.

18. Chicago Bulls- Mark Williams, Center, Duke: The third Duke player drafted in this draft I have falling to a team that can use some depth at the center position. Williams doesn't have the upside of Jalen Duren, but is very steady defensively and in the paint.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves- EJ Liddell, Power Forward, Ohio State: I really like the thought of Liddell with the Timberwolves as he would be a nice complement with their core players. Liddell is somebody that is a little bit older, but improved each and every season at Ohio State.

20. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto Raptors)- Dalen Terry, Point Gaurd/Shooting Guard, Arizona: Terry is a fast rising prospect with the draft approaching next week. Terry is someone that has great character on and off the court and is the perfect type of Spurs-y player.

21. Denver Nuggets- Ty Ty Washington, Point Guard, Kentucky: Washington falling all the way down to the twenties would be somewhat surprising despite flaws teams see. Washington plays with a ton of energy and has positional versatility which would be fun with this Nuggets team.

22. Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah Jazz)- Blake Wesley, Shooting Guard, Notre Dame: The Grizzlies are a team that looks to be among the NBA title contenders next season so it's not inconceivable that they trade this pick. Wesley is somebody that can shoot the ball well, but hasn't really impressed in other aspects of the game.

23. Philadelphia 76ers- Jaden Hardy, Shooting Guard, G-League Unite: The Nets chose to defer this pick to 2023, which says a ton about how they may feel about the 76ers next season so there is some pressure to nail this pick. Hardy id a player that didn't live up to hype with Unite, but has a ton of potential that he could unlock.

24. Milwaukee Bucks- Nikola Jovic, Power Forward, Serbia: The Bucks are just searching for players that can help them while they have Giannis Antetokounmpo at the peak of his powers. Jovic is a perfect fit here with the Bucks as he can come off the bench and be a stretch four.

25. San Antonio Spurs (from Boston Celtics)- MarJon Beauchamp, Shooting Guard, G-League Ignite: The third player from the loaded G-League Ignite team going I have Beauchamp. He is a really good scorer and would be a great three-and-D player for the Spurs to develop.

26. Houston Rockets (from Dallas Mavericks)- Caleb Houstan, Shooting Guard, Michigan: With their third first rounder, I have the Rockets going with a player I feel can have a nice impact as a rookie. Houstan was a former five star recruit that has high upside and has the skill set to succeed.

27. Miami Heat- Christian Braun, Shooting Guard, Kansas: The Heat are a strong candidate to trade out of their selection, but I do believe Braun can help the Heat. Braun is an NBA-ready three-and-D wing and is good at attacking the rim.

28. Golden State Warriors- Jake LaRavia, Power Forward, Wake Forest: The Warriors are another likely candidate to trade out of their pick. LaRavia has good aspects of the game and can shoot the three ball well, which bolds well for today's NBA.

29. Memphis Grizzlies- Kennedy Chandler, Point Guard, Tennessee: This would be a nice pick fo the Grizzlies, who are picking for depth pieces on what should be a title contender. If it weren't for poor measurements, Chandler could have been a lottery pick due to his other attributes.

30. Denver Nuggets (from Oklahoma City Thunder via Phoenix Suns)- David Roddy, Power Forward, Colorado State: The Nuggets get this pick from the Thunder for veteran JaMychal Green and now they continue to pick for depth pieces on a possible title contender. Roddy is someone that's a stretch four and could be a mismatch for defenders with his three point shot.