The NBA draft is looming this week, and with blockbuster trades–goodbye, Bradley Beal!–already afoot, it is slated to be a very busy few days. Not only will the league welcome uberprospect Victor Wembanyama, but a very deep group of incoming rookies is slated to join him.
Complete first-round picks are here: Mock Draft Picks 1-14 | NBA Mock Draft Picks 15-30
That means that not only will this year’s first round be closely watched, but teams will scramble to line up talent in the second round, which will be well-stocked. “Those second-round picks, you can be a little more flexible with the contracts,” one GM told Heavy Sports. “And there are going to be some very good players out there in the second round. If you did your homework and you get a little lucky, you can really score in this second round.
“I mean, we just had a second-rounder win the Finals MVP (Nikola Jokic). There will be players here.”
Picks 31-39: Celtics Get a Frontcourt Contributor
31. Pistons. Leonard Miller, SF, G-League. He’s got a 7-foot-2 wingspan, good ballhandling and plenty of potential, but will need time to develop.
32. Pacers. Maxwell Lewis, SF, Pepperdine. He is a solid fundamental wing capable of growing as a scorer. Lewis is a solid glue guy.
33. Spurs. Dariq Whitehead, SF, Duke. Foot surgeries have sunk his value, but he has first-round potential.
34. Hornets. James Nnaji, C, Nigeria. Could he move into the first round? His physical gifts have teams intrigued.
35. Celtics. Trayce Jackson-Davis, PF, Indiana. Polished, pure power forward who could give the Celtics minutes off the bench in the short term.
36. Magic. Marcus Sasser, SG, Houston. Versatile senior scorer who has first-round potential.
37. Nuggets. Seth Lundy, SF, Penn State. He’s mature (23) and can be an instant role player.
38. Kings. Ben Sheppard, SG, Belmont. Has some potential as a secondary ballhandler but should shine as a shooter.
39. Hornets. Terquavion Smith, SG, N.C. State. Very bouncy athlete, but needs work.
Picks 40-50: Nuggets Land Former Superstar Prospect
40. Nuggets. Emoni Bates SG, Eastern Michigan. Much-hyped prep prospect has flamed out, but Denver is a good place to rebuild.
Emoni Bates lobs it to Jalen Duren in a pick up game 👀 #Pistons
41. Hornets. Nikola Djurisic, SG, Serbia. He’s a 6-foot-8 shooting guard, and that’s enough to get him a draft spot.
42. Wizards. Hunter Tyson, SG, Clemson. Made 40.5% of his 3s on 6.3 attempts as a senior. He’ll stick in the NBA.
43. Trail Blazers. Keyontae Johnson, SF, Kansas State. Big, versatile wing who can defend and find ways to score in the paint.
44. Spurs. Tristan Vukcevic, C, Serbia. 7-footer who needs to develop more physicality, but could be a stretch 5.
45. Grizzlies. Ricky Council, SG, Arkansas. Might well have been a first-rounder in most years, but not in this wing-heavy draft.
46. Hawks. Toumani Camara, PF, Dayton. He is only 6-foot-8 but he has athleticism and smarts and likely secured his spot in the second round with solid workouts.
47. Lakers. Adama Sanogo, C, UConn. Averaged 17.2 points for the Huskies, shooting 60.6% from the field. Began working on a 3-point shot and is a high-upside prospect.
48. LA Clippers. Jalen Pickett, SG, Penn State. Transfer from Siena played five years in college–he will be 24 when the season starts.
49. Cavaliers. Azuolas Tubelis, PF, Arizona. Notched 19.8 points and 9.1 rebounds last season.
50. Thunder. Adam Flagler, SG, Baylor. He’ll be 24 in December, a fifth-year senior. SHould be an excellent 3-point shooter in the NBA.
Picks 51-60: Nets Land a Steal on the Wing
51. Nets. Jordan Walsh, SF, Arkansas. Potential first-rounder could slip and wind up a second-round steal.
52. Suns. Julian Phillips, SF, Tennessee. Aggressive offensive wing who already has plenty of defensive polish.
53. Timberwolves. Jordan Miller, SG, Miami. He’s 6-foot-4 and 23 years old, which is why he’s in the second round. But he has a solid, all-around game.
54. Kings. Jalen Wilson, SF/PF, Kansas. Wilson is 23 and experienced, but will need to wkr on his shot.
55. Pacers. Rayan Rupert, SG, New Zealand Breakers. The Pacers have five picks in this drank, and Rupert is a risky player with upside–he’s worth a chance for Indiana.
56. Grizzlies. Jaylen Clark, F, UCLA. One of the best defenders in college, but might be too limited offensively.
57. Bulls. (Forfeit)
58. Sixers. (Forfeit)
59. Wizards. Julian Strawther, SF, Gonzaga. Smart, efficient offensive player who could thrive in Washington’s rebuild.
60. Bucks. Jazian Gortman, PG, Overtime Elite. Very athletic point guard who will need to make strides as a shooter to get NBA minutes.
Complete first-round picks are here: Mock Draft Picks 1-14 | NBA Mock Draft Picks 15-30
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NBA Mock Draft 2023: Emoni Bates Highlights 2nd-Round Steals