5) Philadelphia 76ers—Khaman Maluach
The Sixers have a fantastic chance of keeping their pick out of the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. That selection is top-six protected this year, and the Sixers have the fifth-worst record in the league. Assuming that they keep the pick, they are projected to select 7'2 Duke center Khaman Maluach.
His size, mobility, and length make him a nightmare to score against in the paint, and he is agile enough to hold his own defending on the perimeter. There's offensive potential too with him being a big target in the pick and roll and showing solid touch from outside, though he hasn't taken many threes at Duke.
Center is a tricky position for the 76ers, with them having Joel Embiid but him being in and out of the lineup. Having Maluach at least gives them a terrific backup plan. Embiid is expected to have surgery this summer and may miss time at the start of next season.
With him unlikely to ever play both games of a back-to-back again, he will likely max out at 65 games a season until he retires. Maluach should give them an excellent replacement who can start games when Embiid sits and back him up when he plays. Long-term, he should be the answer at center, allowing them to pivot to building around Tyrese Maxey.
6) Brooklyn Nets—Derik Queen
Maryland's Derik Queen might be the most polarizing player in the draft. Some see him as a terrific offensive weapon who can attack opposing big men one-on-one and bully his way to the rim. Others question his motor, defensive ability, and whether he can actually develop into a good 3-point shooter.
The downside is definitely there, with some comparing him to Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun. Sengun would probably be the most favorable outcome for Queen, who will need to land in the right spot for him to thrive. Brooklyn already has a young starting center in Nic Claxton, but he's not relevant enough to keep the Nets from picking Queen.
In fact, they could pair them together, with Claxton being a versatile defender who can handle the dirty work defensively, allowing Queen to cook offensively. Cook he can, with his final college game seeing him drop 27 points on just 17 shots against Florida, who won the NCAA Men's Basketball championship this season.
The Nets don't have much of an identity, so they can afford to gamble on Queen in the hopes that he can emerge as a star. His rebounding and ability to draw free throws at a high rate should translate. Queen's defense is a work in progress, but his offensive skill attacking in space is tantalizing.
His biggest swing skill is his 3-point shooting, but he did show signs of improvement late during his run at Maryland. In his last 14 regular-season games, he attempted and clanked all four of his 3-point attempts. However, he was much better in the conference and NCAA Tournament, going 5-11 in five games and averaging 21.2 points against better competition. That should make a clear top-10 pick.