Mock NBA Draft 5.0: Post-combine shake-up clarifies the league
By Corey Rausch
We are now two weeks removed from the draft lottery results a less than a month from the draft. Now knowing the actual results of the lottery presents some clarity about possible assets and future plans. Now the fun beings, starting with the top pick in the draft.
As the dust settles on the lottery results and draft combine, Mock NBA Draft 5.0 is here to update where the rankings stand.
. Guard. Detroit Pistons. Cade Cunningham. 1. player. 64
There has been some discussion (to Pistons Twitter’s dismay) about who may end up being the number one overall pick. For our money, it remains Cade Cunningham. He brings a little bit of everything to a young core that needs to improve at everything. He pairs well with Killian Hayes as another elite passer and would take some of the scoring burden from Jerami Grant.
Guard. Houston Rockets. Jalen Green. 2. player. 169.
The Houston Rockets got the nearly perfect news on lottery night that they kept their pick and get a chance to bring in Jalen Green. Green is a go-to scorer that played above his age with the G-League Ignite. The pairing of Green and Kevin Porter Jr. would be a nightmare for opponents to guard. His work ethic will change the culture for the Houston Rockets.
Big. Cleveland Cavaliers. Evan Mobley. 3. player. 156.
The Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves in a strange place. They have young players at almost every position but no one who is a no-doubt star. Evan Mobley could be that star. He is the type of big man that teams can actually build around in the modern game, with the ability to stretch the floor while anchoring an elite defensive unit.
81. . Guard. Toronto Raptors. Jalen Suggs. 4. player
Seeing the Toronto Raptors jump up to fourth gives them plenty of options going forward. They can not escalate the rebuilding process should they chose to or take someone who can contribute right away. Jalen Suggs threads the needle as an elite talent that can defer as he learns but gives them a potential superstar moving forward. The guard depth will be opening up with Kyle Lowry likely heading elsewhere.
38. . Wing. Orlando Magic. Jonathan Kuminga. 5. player
Theoretically, this is where things begin to get interesting. The Orlando Magic will likely try to use their two top-10 picks to move up but they should also not be afraid to take both and deal with positional overlap. The Magic should be treating their roster as a blank slate and Jonathan Kuminga is also a blank slate. He has elite potential but needs plenty of work. He is exactly the player the Magic could build around.