25) Washington Wizards (via Grizzlies)-Alex Karaban
Connecticut forward Alex Karaban has the makings of a prospect who could stick in the NBA as a jack-of-all-trades player. The 22-year-old has already won two NCAA championships and has more than 100 college games under his belt and counting. That could be useful for a team such as Washington, which could suddenly try to pivot to winning with Cooper Flagg in the fold.
Karaban's versatility is an intriguing draw, with him possibly being able to play both a small forward or power forward, with him being a reliable, high-volume 3-point shooter. He is also an impressive shot blocker for his size, averaging 1.6 rejections per game despite only being 6'8. Factor in that he is a good passer, and there is a lot to like about his game.
While he could stand to be better on the glass, he could potentially thrive as a four who can both space the floor by knocking down threes, score in the post, and provide weakside shot-blocking. He also defends on the perimeter, though he may struggle against quicker wings. Still, he may be able to hold his own against bigger small forwards.
Karaban may not have a very high ceiling given his age, but he has already played roles on championship teams and should be a solid NBA player given his potential role as a three and D player.
26) Orlando Magic (via Denver) Carter Bryant
What a frustrating season it's been for the Orlando Magic, who have dealt with injury after injury. Their three best players, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs, all missed significant time, and Mo Wagner tore his ACL to boot. All of which have combined to hurt their seeding and thus their playoff chances.
Nevertheless, they could continue to build on what is a solid foundation with the 26th pick, courtesy of the Denver Nuggets. Although Orlando could use more offense, they should also consider taking Arizona forward Carter Bryant. Although he is currently only averaging 6.4 points per game for the Razorbacks thus far, he has shown impressive tools that could make him a terrific rotation player on a good team for years to come.
At 6-8, he has the ideal size to play both small forward and power forward and has shown enough shooting ability to toggle between the two positions, with him shooting nearly 36% on 2.7 attempts per game. He has even flashed some playmaking ability when given the chance to operate as a ball handler in pick and rolls.
Defensively, he is terrific at playing the passing lane and forcing turnovers as well as shutting down drives by stuffing his defensive assignment at the rim. With Orlando having plenty of size, they could take a flyer on Bryant and see if he can emerge as a prototypical three-and-D forward. One who can step in and immediately contribute on a team that is becoming increasingly expensive.