The NBA draft is Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET, and the first round is starting to take shape.
Auburn’s Jabari Smith is projected to go No. 1 to the Orlando Magic (over Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero), and there are rumblings multiple teams are interested in trading up to No. 4 in pursuit of Purdue guard Jaden Ivey.
Wake Forest wing Jake LaRavia and Arizona guard Dalen Terry are late first-round risers. It will be interesting to see what Oklahoma City does with the No. 2 pick and if the Thunder keep the pick at No. 12 or try to package it with future picks and trade up.
1. Orlando Magic: F Jabari Smith
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 220 pounds | Class: Freshman | Auburn: 16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Smith might be the youngest of the top three prospects, but he brings a wide variety of offensive skills that can be plugged into this Magic team right away. He has the length and athleticism to defend positions 1-4 and is the best shooting big in this draft class, averaging 42% from 3-point range, something the Magic desperately need some help with after shooting 33% from deep last season.
The Magic brought in Holmgren for one of their last workouts (Smith worked out for the team June 9), but there is so much to like about what Smith brings to the table right away with his elite shooting and defensive versatility.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: C Chet Holmgren
Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 196 pounds | Class: Freshman | Gonzaga: 14.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.7 bpg
Sam Presti is patiently building something in Oklahoma City, and Holmgren might be the superstar prospect who starts to bring it all together. Yes, there are concerns about his slight frame at under 200 pounds, but what Holmgren brings to a team and what he can do on the court is remarkable with his elite ball-handling and footwork in the paint. Defensively, he’s a tremendous shot blocker and has the length to defend the perimeter and challenge every shot. Fans will have to get used to seeing Holmgren and Aleksej Pokusevski (7-foot, 190 pounds) on the court together, but the duo might change the narrative of what an NBA frontcourt looks like. The pair will definitely be the most intriguing duo of bigs in the NBA.
The Thunder are keeping all options open at No. 2 and could target Ivey with this pick or try to package their 12th pick, a couple players and future draft picks to move up for either Ivey or Shaedon Sharpe.
3. Houston Rockets: F Paolo Banchero
Ht./Wt.: 6-10, 250 pounds | Class: Freshman | Duke: 17.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.2 apg
The Rockets need size in the lane and Banchero will bring that plus much more. The ACC Rookie of the Year is a grab-and-go player who has the size to bang down low but is also comfortable with the ball in his hands. The Rockets are looking for that glue guy to get them over the hump, and Banchero could be the missing piece after leading Duke to the Final Four this season.
“I had a great workout and great conversation with Coach [Stephen] Silas and the front office,” Banchero told reporters last week. “I’ve known Jalen [Green] just through USA Basketball and KPJ [Kevin Porter Jr.] is from the same area and we played for the same AAU program.”
Houston has a top-three draft pick for the second straight year. Banchero is a player it can build around and a key addition to Green and Porter Jr. in the pick-and-roll option.
4. Sacramento Kings: G Jaden Ivey
Ht./Wt.: 6-4, 195 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Purdue: 17.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.1 apg
Ivey is the best prospect at No. 4, but he duplicates what Sacramento already has in De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell. The Kings could trade down and have reportedly been in talks with the Pistons, Pacers, Wizards and Knicks. If they decide to keep the pick, this could be an entertaining backcourt filled with speed, highlight after highlight in transition and crafty shots around the rim. Ivey brings a consistent outside jump shot and can add a lot of value to Sacramento. If the Kings are looking for size in the lane, they could move down in the draft and get a lot in return.
5. Detroit Pistons: F Keegan Murray
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 215 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Iowa: 23.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg
Murray brings great size at the wing position and was arguably the best college player last season. He isn’t going to be the No. 1 option on the court for the Pistons but has an efficient midrange game and is a solid defender. He’ll need to improve on his playmaking at the next level, but will be a great secondary ball handler with size that should alleviate some responsibility from Cade Cunningham.
6. Indiana Pacers: G Shaedon Sharpe
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 215 pounds | Class: Freshman | Kentucky: Did not play this season
Sharpe is the most athletic player in this draft class and a dynamic shooter from beyond the arc. There is a ton of mystery surrounding Sharpe after he sat out the second semester at Kentucky. Regardless, Sharpe was the No. 1 player coming out of high school for a reason and the Pacers have room to take a swing at a prospect like Sharpe with Tyrese Haliburton, Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield in the backcourt.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: G Benn Mathurin
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 210 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Arizona: 17.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.5 apg
There has been some top-five buzz surrounding Mathurin after strong workouts, and if he’s here at No. 7, the Trail Blazers would love to add him to the roster alongside Anfernee Simons and Damian Lillard. Mathurin is a plug-and-play guy from positions 1-3 and was the go-to scorer during his sophomore season at Arizona. Mathurin’s scoring could complement Lillard and remove some of the pressure from the All-Star guard in crunch time or at the end of the shot clock.
8. New Orleans Pelicans: G Dyson Daniels
Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 200 pounds | Australia | G League Ignite: 11.3 ppg, 4.4 apg
Daniels had a great showing at the combine with his pro day and interviewed well with teams. After a slow start in the G League, Daniels surged to close the season, creating for others and showcasing his size and length against much stronger opponents. The Australian native grew 2 inches from the start of the G League season and is now close to 6-foot-8 in shoes. His height and high basketball IQ make him an intriguing prospect if he falls to No. 8 in the draft. The Pelicans could use a guard like Daniels with his length and plug him in right away next to CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram.
“Dyson is the type of player that can fit into a lot of different NBA systems,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “He has great size, can come in as a secondary ball handler and also possibly be an option on the wing with his versatility on and off the ball. He’s a player that’s just going to continue to improve and have a long NBA career.”
9. San Antonio Spurs: C Jalen Duren
Ht./Wt.: 6-11, 250 pounds | Class: Freshman | Memphis: 12 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Duren was a consensus top-three player coming out of high school and despite his young age at 18 years old, he held his own in college hoops this season. He has an NBA-ready body at 250 pounds and was one of the best passers out of a double team in college basketball. Duren will be a project and is still a couple years away from immediately contributing to a team. He’ll need to work on his jump shot out of the pick-and-pop and his lateral quickness when having to occasionally step out and guard the perimeter. The Spurs could develop Duren alongside their 12th overall pick last year, Josh Primo. Primo spent most of his first year in the G League, and it could be a similar path for Duren, further developing under a great coaching staff.
10. Washington Wizards: G Johnny Davis
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 194 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Wisconsin: 19.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.1 apg
Davis remains one of the safest picks in the lottery with his intensity, hard-working mindset and consistent play. There is long-term value and upside in Davis, and even though he might not be the superstar to change the franchise, he is a nice complementary piece to Bradley Beal. Davis consistently made the right reads when he got downhill this season and could be an instant contributor to this Wizards team.
11. New York Knicks: F A.J. Griffin
Ht./Wt.: 6-6, 222 pounds | Class: Freshman | Duke: 10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg
If Griffin can stay healthy, he might end up being a steal at No. 11. He has all the physical tools to make an instant impact in the NBA, but has struggled to consistently stay on the court due to nagging injuries during his young career. The spacing in the NBA will cater to Griffin because of how strong he is with the ball in mismatch situations, and he can add a lot of size to the wing on this Knicks team (if they keep this pick and don’t move up).
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: G Malaki Branham
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 180 pounds | Class: Freshman | Ohio State: 13.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Branham improved tremendously and was one of the most impactful point guards in college basketball to close out the season. He’s still young, turning 19 on May 12, but will be a solid backup option in the second unit. It speaks volumes to his continued rise when Ohio State essentially shifted the offense to run around him to close out the season. He has strong shooting instincts and is consistent in the catch-and-shoot and getting shots off the dribble. If the Thunder keep this pick, Branham will be an additional complementary piece to Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
13. Charlotte Hornets: F Jeremy Sochan
Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 230 pounds | Class: Freshman | Baylor: 9.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg
Sochan had one of the best pro days during the draft combine and showcased his speed and consistent 3-point jumper — something that he struggled with at Baylor. The NBA spacing and pick-and-roll option cater to Sochan, and he will undoubtedly be a much better pro than his one year in college would indicate. The Hornets have two picks nearly back-to-back and are looking to add size and defensive versatility, something Sochan excels at.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers: G Ochai Agbaji
Ht./Wt.: 6-5, 215 pounds | Class: Senior | Kansas: 18.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg
Agbaji is the perfect example of what can happen when a player returns to school and continues to develop for the next level. He tested the NBA waters twice, listened to feedback from teams, returned to school and now is a projected lottery pick. The Cavs could benefit from Agbaji’s 3-point shooting, after averaging 41% from deep this past season. He’s an older player (22) in this draft class and can be plugged in right away.