2023 NBA Mock Draft: First Edition

Here is the first edition of my 2023 NBA Mock Draft.

1. San Antonio Spurs- Victor Wembanyama, Center, France: This is a slam dunk selection for the Spurs as they luck out yet again with a franchise altering big man in Wembanyama. Wemby is the best prospect to enter the league since LeBron James and he is a super intimidating presence on the court with his ability to shoot from anywhere and at the rim blocking shots.

2. Charlotte Hornets- Brandon Miller, Small Forward, Alabama: The pick should be Scoot Henderson here, but because of the presence of LaMelo Ball they may go in with Miller. Despite off court troubles, Miller has the upside to be an elite scorer on a good team.

3. Portland Trail Blazers- Scoot Henderson, Point Guard, G-League Ignite: Henderson dropping to three would cause chaos as teams would be either trying to acquire the pick or even if the team were to keep it and take Henderson, to trade Damian Lillard. Henderson has great athleticism and has All-NBA type of talent.

4. Houston Rockets- Amen Thompson, Point Guard, Overtime Elite: This pick is absolutely in play to be traded with the Rockets desire to bring back James Harden and to win now. Thompson has a ton of length and can guard any position realistically, but he needs to become a better shooter.

5. Detroit Pistons- Cam Whitmore, Small Forward/Power Forward, Villanova: The Pistons were the biggest loser of the draft lottery dropping to the fifth spot, but Whitmore isn't the worst constellation prize ever. The Pistons biggest need is on the wing, so this pick here would make a lot of sense with his ability to defend and is great in transition.

6. Orlando Magic- Ausar Thompson, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Overtime Elite: The Magic land a great talent here with Thompson. Ausar arguably has higher upside than his brother Amen due to his three-point shooting ability and that is something that this young Magic team can use.

7.  Indiana Pacers- Jarace Walker, Power Forward, Houston: The Pacers have some options here with this pick as they can potentially trade up if they want to. Walker is a versatile player on both ends of the court and would give the Pacers offense a different look.

8. Washington Wizards- Anthony Black, Point Guard, Arkansas: This would be a nice pick for the Wizards considering the need for a long term point guard. Black is a big guard that does just about everything and is a smart player that knows how to utilize advantages.

9. Utah Jazz- Gradey Dick, Shooting Guard, Kansas: The Jazz were surprisingly decent this season and they don't seem that far off from being a threat. Dick makes a ton of sense here for the Jazz with his ability to shoot the three and defend and has the ability to develop more as a player.

10. Dallas Mavericks- Taylor Hendricks, Power Forward, UCF: The Mavericks keep their draft pick courtesy of tanking out of the playoffs to prevent themselves for losing their pick. Hendricks here makes sense because the Mavs may lose Christian Wood and Dwight Powell in free agency has a lot of upside and would fit well with Luka Doncic.

11. Orlando Magic (from Chicago Bulls)- Keyonte George, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Baylor: With their second lottery pick, the Magic go with someone who is very battle tested in George. He's super explosive and tends to get to the basket well, but his shooting has to improve on what he's shown.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder- Leonard Miller, Small Forward/Power Forward, G-League Ignite: The Thunder have a ton of options here, including trading the pick. Miller is someone who's stock has flown the last several weeks as he's shown the ability to shoot the three well and has a chance to develop defensively too.

13. Toronto Raptors- Cason Wallace, Point Guard, Kentucky: The Raptors have a lot of questions this offseason including what they should do with Fred Van Vleet. Wallace here makes sense incase they lose Van Vleet and he is a good defender that can develop more offensively.

14. New Orleans Pelicans- Jordan Hawkins, Shooting Guard, Connecticut: Hawkins announced that he's staying in the draft and he is making a good decision since he can be a lottery pick. Hawkins is a player that fits the Pelicans now and going forward as he has an excellent three point shot and knows what it takes in big games.

15. Atlanta Hawks- Nick Smith, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Arkansas: With Trae Young being in trade rumors, a guard here would make sense. Smith struggled in college a season ago with injuries and inconsistencies, but it could be worth the risk if he lives up to the hype he got in college.

16. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota Timberwolves)- Bilal Couliably, Small Forward, France: The Jazz can afford to take big swings on picks and here I have doing that with Couliably, who was a teammate of Victor Wembanyama. He has a ton of talent and has the length to be a solid defender.

17. Los Angeles Lakers- Jett Howard, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Michigan: It's more likely than not that the Lakers trade this pick for more help around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Howard is a really good scorer and could do so in many ways.

18. Miami Heat- Jalen Hood-Schifino, Shooting Guard, Indiana: This selection would make a lot of sense for the Heat since both Max Struss and Gabe Vincent are free agents. Hood-Schifino is a wild card in the draft that could go anywhere from the lottery to the end of the round as he's very skilled, but needs improvement with his shooting.

19. Golden State Warriors- Derrick Lively Jr, Center, Duke: This is another pick I wouldn't be surprised is traded, but they do need some center depth. Lively has two-way upside as a player, but didn't really show that consistency in college and has the ability to play on the perimeter too.

20. Houston Rockets (from Los Angeles Clippers)- Dariq Whitehead, Small Forward, Duke: With their second first rounder, the Rockets go with Whitehead, who could have been a top ten pick his freshman year if he didn't fracture his foot. He would fit nicely as a secondary scoring option off the bench.

21. Brooklyn Nets (from Phoenix Suns)- Maxwell Lewis, Small Forward, Pepperdine: The Nets are a team trying to accumulate the most assets possible to trade for a star to go with Mikael Bridges. Lewis has the length and creates good shots for himself, which can cause him to move up draft boards.

22. Brooklyn Nets- Kobi Bufkin, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Michigan: With their second pick in a row, the Nets go with the versatile guard in Bufkin, although it would not surprised me if the team tried to move up. He is super quick and athletic on the perimeter and is a safe bet in this draft to be impactful.

23. Portland Trail Blazers (from New York Knicks)- Noah Clowney, Power Forward, Alabama: This is another pick I can see on the move to another team. Clowney does fit a depth need for the Blazers as he is an impactful defender, but has work to do offensively.

24. Sacramento Kings- Kris Murray, Small Forward/Power Forward, Iowa: Of course everyone and their mother is making this mock selection. Murray does make sense here though with Harrison Barnes being a free agent as he can come in and play good defense and has a good IQ.

25. Memphis Grizzlies- James Nnaji, Center, France: This is a good long term match as Steven Adams probably is not a long term solution for the Grizz. Nnaji has solid physical tools as he's strong and lengthy and has a ton of potential defensively.

26. Indiana Pacers (from Cleveland Cavaliers)- Brice Sensabaugh, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Oho State: With their second first rounder, the Pacers take the talented wing in Sensabaugh. He is your classic three point bucket getter that can help swing a game.

27. Charlotte Hornets (from Denver Nuggets)- Rayan Rupert, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, France: This could be an interesting draft and stash player for the Hornets as they should take that swing here. Rupert has the ability to defend at a high level and has a great wing span.

28. Utah Jazz (from Philadelphia 76ers)- Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Small Forward/Power Forward, Marquette: With their third first rounder, I have the Jazz going with Prosper. This pick makes sense as the Jazz need depth at forward and Prosper is super aggressive and does a little bit of everything.

29. Indiana Pacers (from Boston Celtics)- Trayce Jackson-Davis, Power Forward, Indiana: Jackson-Davis had a great last season in college after he was thought out to be a one and done in college several years ago. He is a great scorer in the paint and would help anyone immediately.

30. Los Angeles Clippers (from Milwaukee Bucks)- Colby Jones, Shooting Guard, Xavier: The Clippers can use young depth everywhere with a lot of long term questions with the roster. Jones is a solid all around player and is a competitor that could help teams win.