POST COMBINE MOCK DRAFT 3.0

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

POST-COMBINE MOCK DRAFT 3.0

In this latest update, I have looked at some of the more recent entries into the draft, followed trends, looked at combine information, and this draft will include realistic trades based on the anticipated team goals.

1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS - Previous: Victor Wembanyama - Victor Wembanyama - He remains firmly entrenched as the first overall pick in this draft. Barring a cataclysmic injury, I don't anticipate this changing anytime soon. I think that they will try to trade up in the draft to try to acquire another guard to build a core that has dynasty upside like the Duncan era... they need their Tony Parker. Continue reading through the draft and see who they might pick.

2. TRADE!

CHARLOTTE RECEIVES: #6, #11, Jalen Suggs, Orlando 2024 1st [Lottery Protected]

ORLANDO MAGIC - Scoot Henderson - This is the move this franchise needs to take. Charlotte does not really need Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller has been under fire due to his current fitness level and poor interviewing. The Magic have been searching for that franchise guard for a while and have had several really good guards, but none the caliber of Scoot Henderson. His feel for the game and athleticism will pair nicely with Paolo Banchero, and they will look to return Orlando to its glory. Charlotte gets a nice haul with two high caliber draft picks, Jalen Suggs, and a chance at another first next year. Charlotte needs to fill several positions so this move feels like the best option for them, rather than drafting a player with a weird fit.

3. TRADE!

PORTLAND RECEIVES: DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams

CHICAGO RECEIVES: #3, Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic

CHICAGO BULLS - Amen Thompson - The Bulls try to start their rebuild with a splash. DeMar DeRozan was entering the final year of his contract and probably unlikely to re-sign. Previously tied to Portland prior to signing with the Bulls, he finally gives Dame what he needs. Patrick Williams becomes Jerami Grant insurance, they still have a draft pick later in the draft, and they free up some cap space. With Lonzo Ball's future uncertain with how his foot has healed, the Bulls might be looking to try to pair LaVine with someone more reliable. They reload their backcourt immediately with Simons, and they get a starting caliber center in Nurkic to immediately fill the void left from Vucevic. The trade might get more complicated with both teams having expensive players coming off contract, so more players/teams might ultimately be roped into this trade scenario.

4. HOUSTON ROCKETS - Previous: Amen Thompson - Brandon Miller - With Brandon Miller now available at 3, it makes sense for the Rockets to pivot back to this scenario. It seems almost a certainty at this point that Harden will return as the starting point guard, and having a reliable wing option with upside will propel their game. Many believe there might be a little bit of overlap in skillset between Miller and Jabari Smith, but I think they can co-exist on the perimeter and be a dual 3-and-D threat for this team. Sengun will see a change in his role, as he was a Jokic-lite last year and will likely play as a more conventional big in the new-Harden era. Rockets might finally return to playoffs.

5. DETROIT PISTONS - Previous: Jarace Walker - Cam Whitmore - I had been going back and forth and while I think Walker is probably the better win-now player, I think Whitmore is ultimately the better fit. Walker is a more complete Isaiah Stewart, but rather than just replacing him with Walker, it makes more sense for them to bring in a player that adds an another dimension to the team. Whitmore's defense and shooting is not fully developed, but his ceiling is significantly higher. There have been some analysts saying that his ceiling might even be higher than Brandon Miller's. That being said, I don't think it's a major reach for the Pistons to take someone that might be their highest pick that they'll take for a while, assuming they can get healthy.

6. CHARLOTTE HORNETS - Jarace Walker - I don't think the Hornets hesitate on this pick. They get great value selecting him at #6, and they still fill one of the same needs they would have with Miller at #2. Walker essentially makes Miles Bridges expendable, and bring some defense and grit to this team. His playmaking will be crucial and he might have the offense run through him if LaMelo misses time to start the season. His style of play pairs well with Mark Williams and he could be the missing piece that helps this team make the playoffs.

7. INDIANA PACERS - Previous: Taylor Hendricks - Taylor Hendricks - The fit still just makes too much sense for him to fall past the Pacers here. They already have every other positional need covered and it just makes too much sense for them to pick him. The Pacers will likely have a busy draft but I don't think they move this pick unless they are able to bring in a whale. Should Walker be available at 7, he would obviously be selected over Hendricks, but I don't see either forwards making it past 9.

8. WASHINGTON WIZARDS - Previous: Cam Whitmore - Anthony Black - While his shooting is a work in progress, he is a bouncy guard with size and defense, and excellent feel for the game. His passing is among the elite in this class and he gives the Wizards a guy that can start day 1. He should mesh well with Beal and if Porzingis comes back will give the Wizards another guy with mismatch sizing. With so many elite guards in the East after this draft, it is no surprise that the arms race continues with the Wizards. Should the Wizards see an opportunity to move past the Bradley Beal era, Asaur Thompson would likely be the player drafted here.

9. UTAH JAZZ - Previous: Anthony Black - Asaur Thompson - While it might seem absurd that he fell this far, it isn't that surprising. Despite putting up better numbers on a per-minute basis than his twin and actually winning the awards over him, he's not deemed as the better prospect. This is mainly due to role and fit. Amen is projected as a point guard, so his size and tools will create unique mismatches. Asaur is likely to play as a wing, so his size is more common and his ability to shoot the ball will be more important. While being a point-forward is a nice luxury in this league, he will be up and down as his shot develops. His defense alone should make him a solid improvement to this roster and with so many excellent shooters already on the roster, he could find himself as more of project. His upside is way too high for him to fall later than this.

10. TRADE!

DALLAS RECEIVES: Buddy Hield, Myles Turner

INDIANA RECEIVES: #10, DeAndre Ayton

PHOENIX RECEIVES: #26, Tim Hardaway Jr, JaVale McGee, Maxi Kleber

INDIANA PACERS - Gradey Dick - This trade is quite large so there is a lot to unpack. Starting the Dallas side, this most obviously improves their two largest needs - wing and center. After Wemby the talent drop-off for the center position is quite weak. Dallas addresses those needs and remains essentially cap-neutral to re-sign Kyrie. JaVale was essentially out of the roster, so two roster spots go out and come back. Indiana gets the guy they've coveted since a year ago. He probably has his most value on this team and with the plethora of youth contracts on this team, as well as multiple first round picks in this draft, they needed to consolidate. In the process, they get probably the best shooter in this draft class to replace their veteran shooter. Phoenix gets a lot of the depth they had to give up to bring in Kevin Durant. They get a 3-and-D wing player in THJ, two big men that fit their system better, and a late 1st round pick to have a prospect or potentially flip.

11. TRADE!

CHARLOTTE RECEIVES:  #33, #44, Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott

SAN ANTONIO RECEIVES: #11, Gordon Hayward

SAN ANTONIO SPURS - Cason Wallace - The Spurs draft their point guard of the future. Wallace has been flying up draft boards and his combination of prototype size, defense, and pedigree make him a must have prospect for a rebuilding Spurs. The Spurs have the cap room to do this trade without sending McDermott, but it seemed necessary to send a bad expiring back since they're receiving an even worse expiring back. It's possible Hayward just gets bought out and he ends up on a team like the Lakers, Suns, or even back with Boston. Charlotte has a lot of roster spots to fill and will likely use a good chunk of their cap space to bring back Oubre. I could see a scenario where Charlotte goes all-in to get Khris Middleton, but that might find themselves in these same position they are at now in 2-3 years.

12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER - Previous: Gradey Dick - Leonard Miller - One of the larger bodied entrants to the Draft Combine, he has already shown his ability at the pro level during his season at the G-League Ignite. He's got the the size and length guard any position, has a nice Euro-step, and his style of play he played with the Ignite really lean into the fast paced full-court style of play in OKC. He might be a bit of a reach with his limitations, but I think he can be used in several different ways and the Thunder need to start looking at fit over best available as their core begins to set roots. Many projections have Miller in the late teens, early 20s, but don't be surprised to see his name in the Lottery.

13. TORONTO RAPTORS - Previous: Keyonte George - Jordan Hawkins - Many of the same points remain whether they go with George or Hawkins - they need a bucket getter. Hawkins might better fit their timeline, as I think there will be a lot of smoke around them finally breaking this team up, but not a lot of fire. As mentioned before the most crucial thing that needs to happen this summer is for Scottie Barnes to take a leap. Adding a guy like Hawkins that averaged almost 40% from beyond the arc, has respectable defense, and could end up being the most efficient 3-point shooter in this draft is exactly what they need. He's not the youngest player in this draft by any means, but he comes with a championship pedigree, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them bring in a pedigree coach. Should VanVleet move on from the team, I could see them selecting Nick Smith here, or possibly moving up.

14. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS - Previous: Nick Smith Jr. - Nick Smith Jr. - I stand by my pick of Nick Smith Jr here at 14. He is such a high ceiling athlete that the numbers are sort of irrelevant. If we're looking at numbers, Jett Howard is a much better fit, but I think the Pelicans fall in love with this guy and proceed. The Pelicans are running out of clock on McCollum, as he'll be 32 when the season begins and they don't have a complete package waiting on deck. This is likely the draft for them to draft that position long-term and hope that Zion can stay healthy to allow them to compete.

15. ATLANTA HAWKS - Previous: Dereck Lively II - Dereck Lively II - The more and more I see of him, the more I see it happening that he doesn't fall past Atlanta here. They need to move on from some of their expensive big men, and Lively is already working on a 3-point shot at the pro-level. The Hawks are running up against some pretty steep cap restrictions this upcoming season, so they will have to find ways to replace roles that will be lost via trade. Collins would be the most ideal player for them to move on from, as his play has diminished, yet Capela is swirling in many trade talks. Lively is the best player at his position outside of Wemby in a very center-shallow draft.

16. UTAH JAZZ - Previous: Rayan Rupert - GG Jackson - With frontcourt players far and few between in this draft, I think they go with a guy that could eventually replace Olynyk as early as this year. Jackson is a better defender day 1, and his shot is developing well. Olynyk is not a very good rebounder despite being basically a 7-footer, but GG has solid sized hands, a long wingspan, and would be a more natural fit to play small-ball center at times. With the Jazz selecting Thompson earlier in the draft, he helps fill one of their other needs.

17. LOS ANGELES LAKERS - Previous: Jett Howard - Jett Howard - I still really like this pick here. Sensabaugh would be another player that fits well with LeBrom, but I think Howard is too appealing here. A 6-8 swingman with solid outside shot, decent passing, and has already shined being surrounded by high-usage players. Howard comes from excellent pedigree both in his personal and professional life and I see LeBron being an excellent mentor him in the same way he had been for Austin Reaves over the past couple of seasons. Lakers might trade out of this pick, but they don't have a lot of options.

18. TRADE!

MIAMI RECEIVES: Fred VanVleet (sign-and-trade)

TORONTO RECEIVES: #18, Kyle Lowry, Miami 2027 1st [Top-10 Protected]

TORONTO RAPTORS - Jalen Hood-Schifino - I think the Raptors see themselves in a position to where they can move back into the draft and pick up some additional assets for a player that has been shopping around and they go for it. Miami, regardless of winning the title, will look to improve upon their already impressive core and find a way to remain at the same caliber without spending much additional money. VanVleet will likely demand a similar salary to what Lowry was already making, and adds a much higher defensive ceiling to this team over Herro. For the Raptors, they draft a Brogdon-type point guard that has size and defensive acumen to fit well into their system. There might be additional compensation required to make this work depending on VanVleet.

19. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS - Previous: Leonard Miller - Brice Sensabaugh - He fits in perfectly with what the Warriors are trying to do. A solid comp for him is actually Andrew Wiggins, who is already on their team. He needs to improve the speed of his shot, but with so much attention on their backcourt, he could find himself a useful asset his rookie year. Colby Jones and Bilal Coulibaly are other guys to consider for the Warriors, but a large portion of how they proceed with this off-season is whether or not they are looking to run it back with the departure of Bob Myers.

20. HOUSTON ROCKETS - Previous: Brice Sensabaugh - Keyonte George - Despite having an underwhelming season at Baylor, that did not end on a high note, there is still a good chance that he get selected in the first half of this draft. If not, I don't really see him moving past Houston at 20. Houston is accumulating assets and trying to see if they can land a big free agent like Harden and figure out how to proceed. Jalen Green is already receiving trade rumors, and one way or another, they might be looking to reset that position. Elite point guards are long but taken in this draft, so barring some other trade, they probably go with best available here. George's defense is a major aspect to his game and he's projected to be a much better outside shooter than his numbers suggest. He should see minutes his rookie year if the Rockets draft him.

21. BROOKLYN NETS - Previous: Kris Murray - Kris Murray - I still like Murray for the Nets. A versatile forward, I think he more naturally fits at the 4 than some of the other wings on this team. I think the Nets needs to consolidate some of their forwards to address other positional needs, and Murray can help fill those gaps. Nets may look to move up in this draft, as they do have a lot of overlapping players and multiple picks, but it will just depend on who is available and how they envision their timeline.

22. BROOKLYN NETS - Previous: Kobe Bufkin - Kobe Bufkin - This is still a great option for them. They have a lot of guards that are either already expired or nearing the end of their contract, and Bufkin can assist in rebuilding that aspect of their roster. As previously mentioned, they will likely look to consolidate, but seeing as how they just blew out the team, their timeline is somewhat undefined. Bufkin is not a major name, but he's an exciting player and if the Nets are looking to try to make underrated players household names, they're on a good path. They are a major market, so if some of these guys don't pan out, they need to look to bring in a familiar face at some point soon.

23. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS - Previous: Maxwell Lewis - Bilal Coulibaly - So we're undoing everything we discussed in the previous mock. Dame is staying with the team, the Blazers are trading away their first pick for DeRozan and Pat Williams, and we now have Shaedon Sharpe moving into the starting line-up to fill the void left by Simons. All of that is happening, but they still need some defense. Bilal is the guy for this task - his 3-and-D ability makes him an immediate threat to start over Pat Williams, and he should annoy the entire Western Conference with his defensive abilities. Whether or not his offense translate to the NBA, there is a role for a guy that can develop into someone that guard a team's best player.

24. SACRAMENTO KINGS - Previous: Dariq Whitehead - Dariq Whitehead - I still like his fit. I've liked his fit since probably my first mock draft. I'm not as high as on Whitehead as some of the projections in the 15-20 range, but I think the upside is there. He has good size, is an excellent shooter, and whenver a player does not see a lot of playing time his freshman season, it's hard to judge from that. He was the #1 Prospect on Rivals last year, ahead of guys like Brandon Miller, Cam Whitmore, and Jarace Walker - all guys drafted in the top-10.

25. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES - Previous: Bilal Coulibaly - Jaime Jaquez Jr. - With Bilal off the board, they need a guy that can fill the Dillon Brooks role. Despite the fact that I am excited to have 2 players with JJJ on the same team, he's actually an excellent fit. Among one of the more underrated defenders in this draft, he has been a solid source of scoring for UCLA for a while. He rebounds well for his position and can defends the 1-3. His outside shot is somewhat inconsistent, but we've seen many players improve on that after getting in the league. Brooks was not a consistent shooter by any means.

26. PHOENIX SUNS - Brandin Podziemski - He is a high riser on this draft board. After Jalen Williams made a major impact coming out of Santa Clara, the SC transfer Podziemski seems to be looking to make a similar jump. He was very efficient last season with the ball in his hands, was an excellent rebounder, a competent defender, and an elite outside shooter. His best comp would be Austin Reaves, and after witnessing what he was able to accomplish for a play-in Lakers team, he could be a nice sleeper for the Suns, who are looking to run things back with Durant and Booker. Also brining in Tim Hardaway Jr in the Ayton trade, he might find himself regulated to the bench his rookie year, but he could be a nice Cinderella story we look back on in a couple of years.

27. CHARLOTTE HORNETS - Previous: Trayce Jackson-Davis - Rayan Rupert - It is highly unlikely he falls this far in the draft, but the Hornets are an excellent team to get him. Assuming the early part of the draft does not materialize, and they don't get Jarace Walker, I still like TJD for them. That being said, Rupert has a unique frame - 6-7 body with a 7-3 wingspan, has already played professionally at several clubs, including with Wemby. The Hornets needs someone to eventually fill the Hayward role, and he could be an excellent fit. He is somewhat of a project, but the Hornets are unlikely to be anything more than a fringe play-in team at best next year.

28. UTAH JAZZ - Previous: Colby Jones - Marcus Sasser - Sasser is an underrated player in this draft. For a team that missed out on the elite guards at the top of this draft, he could be an excellent option for a team at the bottom of the first round. He is quick to the rim, has great outside shot, and despite only being 6-2, has a 6-7 wingspan. He is an excellent free throw shooter, which makes him a solid fit on this Jazz team that needs more 3-and-D players. Sexton is an excellent offensive weapon, but they lack someone that contributes on both end of the floor. A somewhat older prospect, he is only 2 years younger than Sexton. The Jazz already picked up a Thompson Twin and GG earlier in the draft, so they are making a concerted effort to have elite defense in every position.

29. INDIANA PACERS - Previous - Jaime Jaquez Jr - Trayce Jackson-Davis - He is a literal dream fit for this team. He gives a reliable defensive player at the 4, he will compensate for some of Ayton's defensive lapses, and is elite at spreading the ball around. Haliburton might have to share some of the touches bringing the ball across court, TJD is that good. The Pacers are really starting to look like a tough team in the East after this draft.

30. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS - Brandin Podziemski - Olivier-Maxence Prosper - O-Max is an awesome addition to the Clippers. They have a lot of players that play this similar that are beyond their prime on this team and they may look to move some salaries to avoid the Apron. O-Max has shown significant improvement, wowing people at his Pro Day, and he profiles as a stretch-4 that can play small-ball 5. Aside from fit, it makes sense for the Clippers to go this route as they look to remain cap flexible entering potentially their last season with the PG-Kawhi wing combo.

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2023]