It has been a couple weeks, but I am back with a new mock draft. Let’s go!

Draft order and lottery courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com.

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Looking at current roster construction, Cameron Boozer may make the most sense here, but I am a strong believer of drafting the best player available at the very top of the draft, and that seems to be AJ Dybantsa at the moment. Offense is king in the NBA right now, and having a guy who can create his own offense when things bog down is more important than ever. Dybantsa has been unguardable at the college level. He is shooting over 60% from the floor, a spectacular number for a non-big man. He has a developing three point shot, can slash to the basket and knock down his free throws. His play making and defense are further along than scouts may have thought. He has answered most of the questions that pundits had prior to the season, and is in the drivers set to be the first player selected.

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It has not been all sunshine and rainbows, mostly because of nagging injuries, for Darryn Peterson, but he is still in that three man mix for first overall pick consideration. Like AJ Dybantsa, he is built to be a modern day NBA scorer. He could be one of the best shooting guards in the league during his rookie season. His ability to score with the ball in his hands or off screens would make him the centerpiece of an NBA offense. The Jazz have been trying to tank for years, and Peterson would be the ultimate prize if they can land in this spot.

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The Wizards traded for Trae Young, without having to give up much to acquire him, but still remain a team in need of real star power. Landing in the top three of this draft would be huge for this franchise. I have Cameron Boozer ranked a bit behind the two players picked above, but there could be a scenario where he is the first player selected. He is another offensively gifted prospect, though he gets his buckets the old school way, mostly through brute force and down low wizardry. He may not be big enough to play center, and will always struggle defensively because of a lack of strength and explosiveness, but both of those issues would be covered up a bit playing next to Alex Sarr in the Washington front court. I do not doubt his offensive ability, however, and could see a Kevin Love-like 20/10 player in his prime.

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The forever-treadmill running Chicago Bulls break into the top five of the lottery, which would be a franchise altering circumstance if it happens. This roster needs star power. Caleb Wilson may not be in the same tier as the top three players in this class, but he is not far off. Thought to be raw offensively, he has been a consistent 20 point per game scorer, with the ability to rebound, score off putbacks and even stretch the defense. He is also a springy, active rebounder and shot blocker, and looks like a modern day power forward, who is also capable of playing some small ball center.

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The Hawks felt comfortable trading Trae Young, in part, because they feel they have a great chance to land either Darryn Peterson or Kingston Flemings with the Pelicans draft pick. Flemings would be a tremendous replacement at point guard. There are a lot of talented combo guards in this class, but Flemings is the one player who undoubtedly will be a point guard at the next level. He has a great feel for running an offense, can score at a high level and is a strong defender. While he might not actually be as big as his listed mensurables claim, he is big and strong enough to hold down the lead guard spot full time. Flemings is an exciting prospect, and could elevate this young Hawks team to another level.

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Right now, this looks like a five man class, so falling to six would definitely be a gut punch for the tanking Pacers. Not to say there is no talent to be had, but the board opens up and the remaining prospects have as many question marks as answers. This is a best player available situation, and that looks to be Darius Acuff Jr. at the moment. He has had a fantastic season as John Calipari’s lead guard, showing the ability to score, shoot threes and distribute the ball. He is a bit undersized and a point guard only, but with Tyrese Haliburton able to play on or off the ball, Indiana should have a threat on the court at all times.

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The forever-rebuilding Kings are back at square one after making a mini playoff run the past couple of seasons. This is a franchise without a clear building block, and falling out of the top five of this draft would be a disappointment. I am a Labaron Philon Jr. fan. Some draft pundits think he may be more suited as a super-sub guard off of the bench, but I think he has shown enough development that he can play point guard in the NBA. His calling card, like most guards in this class, is the ability to create offense with the ball in his hands, something that all NBA teams need. The Kings are a blank slate as far as the back court is concerned.

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The Nets are considered a lock to trade Michael Porter Jr. this month. Why? Because he has played too well and Brooklyn is winning games. Thus is the life of a team trying to tank. The Nets need talent everywhere. Nate Ament may be one of the most naturally talented players in this class, but it has been a struggle for him more often than not this season. He has been even more inconsistent offensively than scouts predicted, struggling to knock down jump shots with any regularity. Still, he is a hard working rebounder and decent play maker, so he still provides value if his shot is not falling. He reminds me of a young MPJ, and if his jump shot does develop, which it should, he could be a 20 point per game scorer. It will take time, though, which is something this franchise has.

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Even though rookie phenom Cooper Flagg can play a point forward role offensively on occasion, adding a dynamic scoring guard to take some of the pressure off him should be priority number one for Dallas. Mikel Brown Jr. came into the season with top five hype, but he struggled to score with consistency, and has not played in a month due to injury. He still remains in the lottery for me, at least for now, because he has one of the highest offensive ceilings in this draft. Like I have mentioned several times, finding guys who can create offensively, both for themselves and others, is one of the most important skills a 2026 NBA player can have.

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29 out of 30 franchise are hoping the Clippers can string some wins together so the Thunder do not get a top three pick. Los Angeles has won 8 out of their last 10 games, so good news for the rest of the NBA. The Thunder have one of the best starting fives in the league, so this would be a best player available situation. Hannes Steinbach could actually carve a role off the Thunder bench as a rookie. His ability to stretch the floor on offense and grab rebounds makes him an ideal modern big man. He is not a great athlete, and will never be much of a defender, but for a team like Oklahoma City, he can just come in and do what he is good at.

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Despite constant poking and prodding by the media, both Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks remain committed to each other. If Milwaukee can somehow strike gold in the lottery, they could perhaps make this a championship roster again. Even a pick here would help. UConn has brought Braylon Mullins along slowly, but he is starting to show why he is such a good NBA prospect. He had 24 points in an overtime win over Providence, and followed that up with a 16 point game against DePaul. He is up to almost 40% from deep. His ability to shoot and play passable defense should make him a lottery pick.

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The Grizzlies are rumored to be entertaining offers for their two biggest names, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant, which would signal yet another rebuild. Koa Peat is a good player, but his NBA role is unclear. He is a tough scorer who can rebound and pass the ball, but he has a big mans game without the size to match, is not a three point threat or much of a defender. At some point, you ignore the warts and draft a talented freshman with upside, and this is about the spot in the draft for selections like this.

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Following a slow start, Portland is making a real playoff push. It is hard to believe they landed Deni Advija for a single draft pick. He should be the teams first All Star in quite a while. Yaxel Lendeborg would be a perfect player to add to a team looking to break through to that next level. Teams are not as wary of drafting older prospects in the lottery as they used to be. Lendeborg does everything at a pretty high level. He can score, shoot, rebound, block shots and even handle the ball at times. He would be a strong bench asset for any aspiring playoff team.

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The Spurs are not quite Oklahoma City in terms of assets, but are another championship contender who may have a lottery pick. San Antonio should look to shore up its big man depth here. Chris Cenac Jr. is proof that it often takes big men longer to develop. To his credit, he has managed to stay in Houston’s starting lineup, thanks to his ability to knock down some jump shots and hustle on the boards. He has the ability to be a Nic Claxton-like big man with a some three point range, but it will take time.

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The Heat have been linked to Ja Morant, which is more of an indictment of their point guard situation than an infatuation with Morant. I think Bennett Stirtz can be a quality starting point guard in the right situation. He is not an amazing athlete, and will not blow by the best defenders in the league, but he is smart, can initiate an offense, and most importantly, score with consistency, especially from outside. Even if he tops out as a sixth man, he would fit this Heat roster very well.

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The Warriors are going to try to contend as long as Stephen Curry is around, but it is clear that the end is near. Following a slow start, top recruit Brayden Burries has seemingly improved by the game. He is now shooting over 50% from the field, and has shown improvement on his jump shot and decision making. True combo guards like Burries are a mixed bag in the NBA, but, at the least, he should carve a solid role off of the Warriors bench.

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Once again, Atlanta benefits from a disappointing team, as the preseason Eastern Conference favorite Cleveland Cavaliers are barely hanging over .500. Neoklis Avdalas has the type of game that scouts dream about, thanks to his ability to initiate an offense and score at 6’9. His scoring consistency needs work, but he already has a couple of 30 point performances to his name. If he can put up some big performances against better competition, I would feel better about moving him up the board, but he is still talented enough to push the disappointing Zaccharie Risacher for the starting small forward spot in Atlanta.

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This is the first of many first round picks that are coming the Grizzlies way, via the Desmond Bane to Orlando trade. Memphis adds even more toughness to its bench with this selection. Jayden Quaintance finally made his long awaited Kentucky debut a couple of weeks ago. Predictably, he is being brought along slow, only averaging about 16 minutes per game. Quaintance is already an NBA-caliber rebounder and shot blocker, but will need to convince scouts he can be an offensive threat if he hopes to land in the lottery.

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The Thunder have could have up to four first round picks in this draft, and obviously will not have the roster spots for all of them. Tyler Tanner has been a revalation for the unranked Vanderbilt Commodores. He can shoot, score, slash and lead an offense. If he was three inches and 20 pounds heavier, he would be a lottery lock. Players his size have a very small track record of success in today’s NBA, but for a team as deep as Oklahoma City, this is a risk well worth taking. He could be an explosive bench scorer.

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The Raptors are one of the most surprising teams in the league. Thanks to a playoff push, they may opt to draft an experienced player here. Thomas Haugh is a 22 year old junior, but has a nice all around game that would help any playoff bench. He can score, shoot and rebound, and chip in defensively. Nothing special, but should provide 20 quality minutes off the bench per game.

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With most of the top foreign players playing college this year, Karim Lopez is the best true international prospect in this class. He is a talented scorer, but his game could struggle to translate to the NBA. He is not a great shooter or athlete, and may never be much of a defender. Still, there are plenty of teams with multiple first round picks who could easily take a flyer on him, especially the Thunder.

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The Celtics have a guard heavy roster, and should look to add cheap front court depth with this selection. Patrick Ngongba II is an analytic favorite. Big men like him will not put up monster stats playing for Duke, but he fills his roll quite well. He is an athletic big man who can rebound, block shots and score on put backs. He may never be more than a Day’Ron Sharpe type, but could fill important minutes for a playoff team like Boston.

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The Suns are playing some great basketball, once again showing that the deep team over star collecting approach is the way to go. Charlotte has another first round pick here to continue to fill out its roster with. Tounde Yessoufou’s counting stats look fine, but a peek under the hood shows a player who has struggled to both shoot and get to the rim with consistency. He may need to make his living as a pesky defender who scores on the fast break and put backs, like a Christian Braun. This is a great spot to take a gamble, though.

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The fact that the Lakers are nine games over .500 with such a flawed roster is actually somewhat impressive. This team lacks size and shooting, and Henri Veesaar could help out both areas. Obviously, you are not expecting much from a player drafted in the 20’s, but Veesaar is a good scorer with stretch ability on offense. He can also rebound and block the occasional shot. Not a high upside pick, but he has starting potential.

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New York has one of the weakest benches in the NBA, and could really use someone to help in that area. Keaton Wagler was not even a top 100 pick according to some publications, but has been as good as any second-tier freshman in the country. He has good size, can play some point guard, and can score from deep. He would make a very nice backup for both guard spots.

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The point guard duo of Mike Conley Jr. and Rob Dillingham leaves a lot to be desired. While it is a stretch to think anyone taken this late can challenge those two immediately, bringing in competition could be a good thing. Christian Anderson has been a revelation for Texas Tech as a sophomore. He is small and may struggle to hold up for 30 minutes a game, but has Bones Hyland ability as a scorer and distributor, and could be a solid change of pace backup.

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The Nuggets ability to not only tread water without Nikola Jokic, but post a winning record, was precisely the reason they made the Michael Porter Jr. trade. Four key players, including Peyton Watson, will be free agents after the season. With so few draft picks in upcoming years, this is an important selection for Denver. It has not been a smooth sophomore season for Isaiah Evans, but he is coming off of three straight 21+ point performances in ACC play, showing the ability to take over offensively, especially as a shooter. That type of game could make him the ideal Tim Hardaway Jr. replacement in Denver.

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The Cavaliers move from Ty Jerome to Lonzo Ball as a backup guard is one not insignificant reason this team has struggled so badly. Sergio de Larrea will not make up for Jerome, but is more of an ideal back up guard, thanks to his ability to run the floor and knock down long jump shots.

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The Pistons are a fantastic team, but could use additional shooting. While Cameron Carr’s unsustainable production has fallen slightly back to earth since the start of Big 12 play, he remains a top scoring threat. He is a good shooter and can get to the rim as well. He also blocks shot at a high rate for a guard. He should continue to remain a late first round option as an immediate bench scorer.

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The Washington Wizards round out the first round, and could draft whatever freshman falls through the cracks. With so many ball dominant guards o the Arkansas roster,Meleek Thomas has struggled with consistency. Still, his ability to play point guard and score from all levels could keep him in the first round. He represents great value here at the end of the first round.

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