2023 NBA Mock Draft: Second Edition

 Here is the second 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, like some of the reports are suggesting. 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- Cam Whitmore, Small Forward/Power Forward, Villanova: This pick is absolutely in play to be traded with the Rockets desire to bring back James Harden and to win now. Whitmore would be interesting here and it would be interesting to see how he'd fit with Jabari Smith and Jalen Green.

5. Detroit Pistons- Amen Thompson, Guard/Small Forward, Overtime Elite: The Pistons were the big loser of the draft lottery dropping to the fifth spot. Thompson here would be an interesting pick as he has a ton of length and can guard any position realistically, but he needs to become a better shooter.

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- Jalen Hood-Schifino, Shooting Guard, Indiana: This selection would be somewhat of a reach for a Wizards team that really needs to hit this pick. 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.

9. Utah Jazz- Anthony Black, Point Guard, Arkansas: This would be a nice pick for the Jazz 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.

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)- Gradey Dick, Shooting Guard, Kansas: With their second lottery pick, the Magic go with someone who is a lot of fun to watch in Dick. He makes a ton of sense here for the Magic with his ability to shoot the three and defend and has the ability to develop more as a player.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder- 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.

13. Toronto Raptors- 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. The Raptors have some interesting offseason decisions to make and Hawkins would be good insurance for them.

14. New Orleans Pelicans- Keyonte George, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Baylor: The Pelicans go with a battle tested player here with George. He is super explosive and tends to get to the basket well, but his shooting has to improve on what he's shown.

15. Atlanta Hawks- Derrick Lively Jr, Center, Duke: It would not make sense for the Hawks to draft a center, unless if they trade Clint Cappela or Onyeka Okongwu. 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.

16. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota Timberwolves)- Nick Smith, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Arkansas: With their second first rounder, the Jazz get another guard here with Smith. He 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.

17. Los Angeles Lakers- Cason Wallace, Point Guard, Kentucky: It's more likely than not that the Lakers trade this pick for more help around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Wallace is somebody that is a good defender and could develop more offensively and could be a long term point guard option here.

18. Miami Heat- Leonard Miller, Small Forward/Power Forward, G-League Ignite: The Heat are a team that wants to keep and add to its identity that's got them here to the finals. 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.

19. Golden State Warriors- Kobi Bufkin, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Michigan: This would be a pick that makes sense considering the future of Klay Thompson is in the air as well as Jordan Poole's. Bufkin is super quick and athletic on the perimeter and is a safe bet in this draft to be impactful.

20. Houston Rockets (from Los Angeles Clippers)- Colby Jones, Shooting Guard, Xavier: With their second first rounder, the Rockets go with Jones, who fit what they are looking for. He is a solid all around player and is a competitor that could help teams win.

21. Brooklyn Nets (from Phoenix Suns)- Dariq Whitehead, Small Forward, Duke: The Nets are a team trying to accumulate the most assets possible to trade for a star to go with Mikael Bridges. Whitehead would have been a lottery pick had he not fractured his foot his Freshman year and he would fit nicely as a secondary scoring option off the bench.

22. Brooklyn Nets- Noah Clowney, Power Forward, Alabama: With their second first rounder, the Nets go with someone who's played on good teams in college in Clowney. He is a flawed offensive player, but is a really good defensive player that impacts games.

23. Portland Trail Blazers (from New York Knicks)- Kris Murray, Small Forward/Power Forward, Iowa: This is another pick I can see on the move to another team. Murray I think will be an impact player for anyone as he can come in and play good defense and has a good IQ.

24. Sacramento Kings- Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Small Forward/Power Forward, Marquette: The Kings probably will go with a forward with this pick as Harrison Barnes will be a free agent. Prosper is super aggressive and does a little bit of everything.

25. Memphis Grizzlies- Bobi Klintman, Small Forward/Power Forward, Wake Forest: The Grizzlies are under some pressure with this pick considering the Ja Morant situation. Klintman provides some upside with defensive versatility and can shoot offensively.

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)- Gregory Jackson, Small Forward, South Carolina: With their second first rounder, I have the Hornets going with another forward in Jackson. He has a strong frame and good athleticism to handle physicality in the league.

28. Utah Jazz (from Philadelphia 76ers)- Jalen Wilson, Small Forward, Kansas: With their third first rounder, the Jazz take the steady forward in Wilson. He made a massive leap this past season which could get him drafted in the first round and he's a good three-and-D glue guy.

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)- Maxwell Lewis, Small Forward, Pepperdine: The Clippers can use young depth everywhere with a lot of long term questions with the roster. Lewis has the length and creates good shots for himself, which can cause him to move up draft boards.