2022 NBA Mock Draft: Ninth Edition

 Here is the ninth 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. With Christian Wood out of the picture now, Banchero has a better opportunity to put up some numbers and form a nice foundation with Jalen Green.

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- Benedict Mathurin, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Arizona: A hot rumor as we approach the draft on Thursday is that Mathurin could sneak into the top five. 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.

6. Indiana Pacers- Keegan Murray, Power Forward/Center, Purdue: Murray landing here with the Pacers would be an odd fit, unless the team opts to move Myles Turner. Murray is a very good two way big man and would fit nicely with this newer Pacers core they are putting together.

7. Portland Trail Blazers- Shaedon Sharpe, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: Sharpe landing here with the Blazers is very ideal for the team from a fit standpoint. Despite not playing in the second college semester, he's a sharp three-point shooter and arguably the best athlete in the draft.

8. New Orleans Pelicans- Dyson Daniels, Point Guard/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- 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- 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)- Ousame Dieng, Small Forward, France: This pick would be a reach for the Thunder, but a player like Dieng is someone that the Thunder should be targeting with a later pick. 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: With their first of two picks, I have the Hornets taking the talented winger. Schoan's skill set would fit nicely with LaMelo Ball and the rest of the young talent they have.

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- Jalen Williams, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Santa Clara: The Hawks are a wild card come Thursday because this pick is totally in play for a trade. Williams has been a big time riser of late in terms of draft prospects and showed tremendous potential as a three-and-D wing.

17. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn Nets)- Tari Eason, Power Forward, LSU: With their second first rounder, I have the Rockets going with a solid player in Eason. He had a breakout season for the Tigers and is an excellent defender, but has some offensive flaws.

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- Ty Ty Washington, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Kentucky: I really love this possible match between Washington and the Wolves. Washington does have some flaws that concerns teams, but he and Anthony Edwards together would be a lot of fun.

20. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto Raptors)- Blake Wesley, Shooting Guard, Notre Dame: With their second first rounder, I have the Spurs going with Welsey. He somebody that can shoot the ball well, but hasn't really impressed in other aspects of the game.

21. Denver Nuggets- Jaden Hardy, Shooting Guard, G-League Unite: The Nuggets are a team that is looking to add depth on what think could be a title contender. Hardy is a player that didn't live up to hype with Unite, but has a ton of potential that he could unlock.

22. Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah Jazz)- 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 Grizzlies to develop.

23. Philadelphia 76ers- Wendell Moore Jr, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Duke: 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. I like the idea of Moore here due to his floor spacing and ability to shoot 3's.

24. Milwaukee Bucks- EJ Liddell, Power Forward, Ohio State: The Bucks are just searching for players that can help them while they have Giannis Antetokounmpo at the peak of his powers. Liddell would be a nice fit here and could eventually go into that Bobby Portis role with his stability.

25. San Antonio Spurs (from Boston Celtics)- Kennedy Chandler, Point Guard, Tennessee: With their third first rounder, I have the Spurs going with the talented Point Gaurd. If it weren't for poor measurements, Chandler could have been a lottery pick due to his other attributes.

26. Houston Rockets (from Dallas Mavericks)- Walker Kessler, Center, Auburn: I don't know if I like the fit with Kessler on the Rockets, but he is someone worth taking this late in the first round. Kessler is a great shot blocker and could help protect the rim.

27. Miami Heat- Dalen Terry, Point Gaurd/Shooting Guard, Arizona: Terry is a fast rising prospect with the draft approaching next week and can conceivably go higher than this. Terry is someone that has great character on and off the court and is a good guy to have in the Heat Culture.

28. Golden State Warriors- Jake LaRavia, Power Forward, Wake Forest: The Warriors are just looking for depth pieces at this point or they may trade out of the pick altogether. LaRavia has good aspects of the game and can shoot the three ball well, which bolds well for today's NBA.

29. Memphis Grizzlies- Nikola Jovic, Power Forward, Serbia: Jovic falling this far back would be a steal for whomever lands him. Jovic is the safest bet among the international players due to his ability to be a stretch four and knock down threes.

30. Denver Nuggets (from Oklahoma City Thunder via Phoenix Suns)- Christian Braun, Shooting Guard, Kansas: With their second first rounder, I have the Nuggets going with someone I think can help them next season. Braun is an NBA-ready three-and-D wing and is good at attacking the rim.