2022 NBA Mock Draft: Fifth Edition

Here is the fourth 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. 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- AJ Griffin, Small Forward, Duke: The Pacers have options here and I like the thought of Griffin here considering the Pacers 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.

7. Portland Trail Blazers- Sheldon Sharpe, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: I love this possible choice for the Blazers, who need the shooting to replace CJ McCollum. Sharpe didn't play at Kentucky, but can shoot the lights out of the ball.

8. New Orleans Pelicans (from Los Angeles Lakers)- Bennedict Mathurin, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Arizona: This would be a nice pick for the Pelicans, who would add depth on the wing. 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.

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- 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- Dyson Daniels, Shooting Guard, G-League Ignite: This may be somewhat of a reach for the Knicks if this was the selection, but Daniels has been a fast riser of late. People are skeptical of Daniels due to his shooting numbers, but he is a solid defender and gets to the basket.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles Clippers)- Ousame Dieng, Small Forward, France: This pick would be a major reach for the Thunder, a player like Dieng is someone that the Thunder should be targeting. Dieng was inconsistent in the NBL, but has tremendous upside with his shot making and ball handling.

13. Charlotte Hornets- Jeremy Schoan, Small Forward/Power Forward, Baylor: This would be a very interesting pick for the Hornets, who have an abundance of forwards. Schoan is someone that really showed off an elite skill set this past season with the Bears.

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)- 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.

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)- Ty Ty Washington, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: Washington falling all the way to here would be a major steal for the Rockets. The fit here would be interesting to go with Jalen Green in the back court and he can play with or without the ball.

18. Chicago Bulls- Malaki Branham, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Ohio State: I personally think the Bulls are an unknown in terms of the draft, but here I have them getting depth on the wing. Branahm can shoot it from well from three and gets into the paint often.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves- Nikola Jovic, Power Forward, Serbia: The T-Wolves going with Jovic here would be very interesting. He 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.

20. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto Raptors)- Jalen Williams, Shooting Guard, Santa Clara: With their second of three first rounders, I have the Spurs 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.

21. Denver Nuggets- Kennedy Chandler, Point Guard, Tennessee: This would be a nice pick fo the Nuggets, who are aiming to be back in NBA title contention next season. If it weren't for poor measurements, Chandler could have been a lottery pick due to his other attributes.

22. Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah Jazz)- Jaden Hardy, Shooting Guard, G-League Unite: This would be an interesting pick for the Grizzlies, who are going to be among the possible contenders next season. Hardy is a player that didn't live up to hype with Unite, but has a ton of potential that he could unlock.

23. Philadelphia 76ers- EJ Liddell, Power Forward, Ohio State: 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. Liddell is somebody that is a little bit older, but improved each and every season at Ohio State.

24. Milwaukee Bucks- Walker Kessler, Center, Auburn: This would be an interesting pick and potentially a long term replacement for Brook Lopez. Kessler is an absolute monster defensively in the paint and blocks shots like there's no tomorrow.

25. San Antonio Spurs (from Boston Celtics)- Jake LaRavia, Power Forward, Wake Forest: With their third first, they take a fast rising player in LaRavia. He has good aspects of the game and can shoot the three ball well, which bolds well for today's NBA.

26. Dallas Mavericks- MarJon Beauchamp, Shooting Guard, G-League Ignite: The second player from the loaded G-League Ignite team going I have Beauchamp. He is a really good scorer and he could be a heat check guy for the Mavericks, who could end up back in contention next season if they keep the current group intact.

27. Miami Heat- Dalen Terry, Point Gaurd/Shooting Guard, Arizona: The Heat are definitely looking at point guards with this pick (or preferably in a trade) as they try to get younger and better at the position. Terry is someone that has great character on and off the court as that fits "Heat Culture".

28. Golden State Warriors- Wendell Moore Jr, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Duke: The Warriors are a strong candidate to trade out of this spot. Moore had his best season as a junior after being thought out as a lottery pick two years ago so this could be a steal.

29. Memphis Grizzlies- Kendall Brown, Small Forward, Baylor: Brown falling to the end of the first round would be a steal for the Grizzlies. Brown can come off the bench and provide solid play and has the athleticism to succeed.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Phoenix Suns)- 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. Wesley is a raw player that really didn't impress much in college, but is unafraid to score.