For eight teams, the hope of an NBA Championship remains before them. For the other 22 teams, attention is turning fully to the upcoming NBA Draft.
Sunday will mark a major milestone on that journey, as the NBA Draft Lottery will determine who gets to pick in the Top 4 and where each of the 14 lottery teams will draft. In a loaded class, securing a top pick will be critical. Multiple stars are going to come out of this draft class.
For our first Hoops Habit mock draft, and final one ahead of the lottery, we went full chaos. Adam Silver will be giddy with glee if none of the five worst teams this season secure a Top-4 pick, as in this spin of the lottery wheel. Instead, the Charlotte Hornets leap up from 14th to take the first overall pick, kicking things off.
No. 1: Charlotte Hornets select AJ Dybantsa, BYU
The Hornets have a deep collection of guards but could use a star forward injected into the mix. AJ Dybantsa is a silky-smooth scorer in the mold of Kevin Durant, and with the likes of Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller spacing the court around him would be freed up to score at will. The offensive ceiling for this group would be staggering.
No. 2: Memphis Grizzlies select Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Memphis is ready to move on from Ja Morant, and now they would have his replacement ready to step in. Darryn Peterson struggled through a controversial season defined by injury and a penchant for not finishing games, but the talent is undeniable. The Grizzlies get the next Morant to add to an intriguing young core.
No. 3: Dallas Mavericks select Caleb Wilson, UNC
The Dallas Mavericks could go with a second-straight Duke star and take Cameron Boozer, but there are a lot of similarities between his game and Cooper Flagg's. Noise is building for Caleb Wilson, whose athleticism and motor and competitive fire would all be excellent fits as a frontcourt pairing with Flagg.
No. 4: Atlanta Hawks select Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Our first massive divergence comes with the fourth pick, where the Atlanta Hawks see their need for a backcourt creator and reach for Darius Acuff Jr. His ability to score in bunches while never turning the ball over would fit with a team trying to win the possession battle. He is small, but the Hawks have a team built to cover that up. Is it a bit of Trae Young deja vu? Perhaps, but they are betting that Acuff has more to offer as an off-ball and complementary player.
No. 5: Washington Wizards select Cameron Boozer, Duke
The slide for Cameron Boozer stops at No. 5, as the Wizards take him to pair him with Alex Sarr in the frontcourt (no one knows if Anthony Davis will be around to play next season). Falling to five is a disappointment, but still managing to land the talent and production of Boozer is a coup. He will be a ten-time All-Star and does every little thing to help a team win.
No. 6: Los Angeles Clippers select Keaton Wagler, Illinois
The Los Angeles Clippers get this pick because it slid out of the Top 4, and they take Keaton Wagler over the pure point guards because of his size at 6'6" and ability to play alongside another lead creator such as Darius Garland. He came out of nowhere for Illinois this season and is a fearless scorer with real defensive chops as well.
No. 7: Brooklyn Nets select Kingston Flemings, Houston
The veteran Houston Cougars handed the keys of their offense over to Kingston Flemings and he delivered in a major way this season. The Brooklyn Nets would like to do the same, taking the best player available. Given that they loaded up with on-ball players in last year's draft, it creates even more of a logjam, but so far they haven't found a no-doubt future star. Flemings looks the part.
No. 8: Utah Jazz select Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Yaxel Lendeborg was the best player on a Michigan team that won the title, and for a Utah Jazz team ready to take a step forward next season he can fit in and help in a plethora of ways. He is everywhere on defense, he rebounds, he is an improved shooter, and his motor is eternal.
No. 9: Sacramento Kings select Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
Falling to ninth is certainly a disappointment, but Mikel Brown Jr. has Top-5 upside in this draft class if he can stay healthy and realize his potential. He is a superb athlete, innate passer and confident scorer. The defensive potential is there, even if he never realized it. The Kings could do much worse adding him to their young core.
No. 10: Chicago Bulls select Labaron Philon, Alabama
The Chicago Bulls finally seem ready to approach a rebuild just as the lottery odds are changing. To help them out, they get a lottery pick in this year's strong draft and take Alabama point guard Labaron Philon. In many drafts, he would look like a Top-5 pick given his smooth scoring ability and turbo-charged attack skills. Surrounded by so many freshman guards, however, the sophomore is likely going to fall toward the back of the lottery.
No. 11: Milwaukee Bucks select Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks need to start somewhere as they finally appear to be pivoting out of the Giannis Antetokounmpo era. Nate Ament has the most upside of anyone left on the board, and while an inconsistent freshman season is holding him back, he could easily turn into a future All-Star given his size and fluidity.
No. 12: Golden State Warriors select Brayden Burries, Arizona
The Golden State Warriors are likely trying to remain as competitive as possible around Stephen Curry for another season or two, but Brayden Burries allows them to fill a need for now while also developing a player for the future. He can play both backcourt positions and is a courageous offensive player coaches will love.
No. 13: Oklahoma City Thunder select Aday Mara, Michigan
Yet another lottery pick for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they take a long-term replacement for Isaiah Hartenstein with Michigan center Aday Mara. The national champion big man is massive, with excellent defensive instincts and underrated touch around the basket.
No. 14: Miami Heat select Dailyn Swain, Texas
The final pick in the lottery goes to the Miami Heat, and they take jumbo guard Dailyn Swain, one of the late risers up draft boards as June's event draws near. He has the potential to be a top-end 3-and-D wing, with some upside to become something more.
The Rest
No. 15: Chicago Bulls select Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
No. 16: Memphis Grizzlies select Hannes Steinbach, Washington
No. 17: Oklahoma City Thunder select Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan
No. 18: Charlotte Hornets select Karim Lopez, New Zealand
No. 19: Toronto Raptors select Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
No. 20: San Antonio Spurs select Koa Peat, ArizonaNo.
21: Detroit Pistons select Isaiah Evans, Duke
No. 22: Philadelphia 76ers select Chris Cenac Jr., Houston
No. 23: Atlanta Hawks select Allen Graves, Santa Clara
No. 24: New York Knicks select Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
No. 25: Los Angeles Lakers select Cameron Carr, Baylor
No. 26: Denver Nuggets select Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
No. 27: Boston Celtics select Henri Veesaar, UNC
No. 28: Minnesota Timberwolves select Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
No. 29: Cleveland Cavaliers select Amari Allen, Alabama
No. 30: Dallas Mavericks select Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
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