2021 NBA Mock Draft One Week Before Lottery

With the NBA Playoffs in full swing, some teams are still pushing towards an NBA title, while others are shifting their focus onto the offseason and the 2021 NBA Draft. Lottery teams are hoping to find their next franchise player in the loaded 2021 draft class on draft day on July 29, 2021.

The NBA Draft Lottery takes place next Tuesday where the lottery order will be decided. This may change things for teams if they jump up or fall down the draft order. For right now, my mock will use the current order of teams upon how they finished the regular season.

Round 1 - Pick 1

Houston Rockets select

Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State, Fr.

PG, 6’8”

Whatever team lands the No.1 overall pick is going to have themselves a superstar in the making. Cunningham has been the consensus No.1 pick for a while now and for good reason. He’s tall, strong, and has a tremendous feel for the game. He has all the tools you’d want in a franchise point guard. In this case, Houston gets a quick turnaround in their rebuild as Cunningham looks to replace James Harden at the helm of the organization.

Round 1 - Pick 2

Detroit Pistons select

Jalen Suggs, Gonzaga, Fr.

PG, 6’4”

The second pick in the draft is intriguing to me. There are four guys that deserve to go here that are ranked 2-5 on the Big Board, Mobley, Suggs, Green, and Kuminga. In past drafts in recent years we have seen some of the top ranked big men get drafted ahead of a guard who has blossomed into a superstar. Most notably Bagley over Luka, and Wiseman over LaMelo. (although still early) For me, guard is more suited to start a rebuild while a big man of the likes of Mobley is better paired with an existing piece. The Pistons snag Suggs here at No. 2 and can still pair him with Killian Hayes to create their backcourt of the future.

Round 1 - Pick 3

Orlando Magic select

Jalen Green, USA

SG, 6’5”

Similar logic goes here for the Magic at pick 3. After trading Nikola Vucevic for a package including former lottery pick, Wendell Carter Jr. they can’t pass up on arguably the best pure scorer in the draft in Jalen Green. Green will look to be the centerpiece of a rebuild in Orlando around players like Cole Anthony and Jonathan Isaac.

Round 1 - Pick 4

Oklahoma City Thunder select

Evan Mobley, USC, Fr.

C, 7’0”

The Thunder would be ecstatic if Evan Mobley fell to them here at pick 4. Sam Presti has stock-piled an unworldly amount of draft picks in an attempt to make OKC’s rebuild as easy as possible. Oklahoma City already has a young superstar in the making in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. With Mobley thrown into the mix, this has all the signs of an all-star dynamic duo of the future. Mobley is an athletic and mobile big who is also one of the best rim-protectors in the class.

Round 1 - Pick 5

Cleveland Cavaliers select

Jonathan Kuminga, Congo

SF, 6’8”

Cleveland will take the best player available here at 5 in Jonathan Kuminga from the G-League Ignite. As I said before, the top-5 players in this class are very distinguishable from the rest. Having selected Isaac Okoro the year prior, the fit isn’t the greatest but Clevland shouldn’t pass on Kuminga’s two-way potential. With the Sexland back-court combo and newly acquired center Jarret Allen, Kuminga just might be the missing piece for the Cavs.

Round 1 - Pick 6

Golden State Warriors select

Scottie Barnes, Florida State, Fr.

SF, 6’9”

It would be a real bummer for Minnesota if they were unable to retain their pick, which the odds say, is very likely. On the flip side, adding an early lottery pick to Steph Curry, and a healthy Klay Thompson bodes very well for Golden State. Scottie Barnes, although a tier-below the consensus top five prospects in the class, is no slouch and oozes with potential. He’s a versatile defender with playmaking ability very much of the likes of Draymond Green. If he could develop a consistent jump shot we could be looking at a Draymond 2.0.

Round 1 - Pick 7

Toronto Raptors select

Alperen Sengun, Turkey

C, 6’9"

Alperen Sengun is a player that has skyrocketed up draft boards in recent months. Overseas, this 6’9” center has shown great ability to score in the low post and has impressive playmaking skills for a center. Toronto is long overdue for a rebuild after two subpar years following the departure of Kawhi Leonard. With a glaring hole at the center position, the Raptors take a shot at this high-potential big from Turkey.

Round 1 - Pick 8

Orlando Magic select

Jalen Johnson, Duke, Fr.

SF, 6’9”

Already with a “safe” pick in the bag with Jalen Green, Orlando takes a gamble with another Jalen, Jalen Johnson, out of Duke. Johnson opted out of Duke early due to the Covid-19 pandemic but showed flashes of potential while there. He is very athletic and has great size for a wing, to go along with impressive fluidity on the offensive end make for tremendous upside, and a risk the Magic are willing to take here at pick 8.

Round 1 - Pick 9

Sacramento Kings select

Kai Jones, Texas, So.

PF, 6’10”

Sacramento attempts to avenge their Marvin Bagley selection here at 9 with Kai Jones out of Texas. The Kings have an outstanding young backcourt duo of the future in Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox, still looking to find the right big to share the floor with them. Relationship issues with Marvin Bagley may make the big man expendable and could allow Jones to fill in his role. This backcourt likes to play fast, making Jones a perfect fit who’s athletic and plays with high energy and intensity.

Round 1 - Pick 10

New Orleans Pelicans select

Moses Moody, Arkansas, Fr.

SG, 6’6”

The Pelicans look for wing depth to surround Zion Williamson with pick 10. Moody has 3-and-D potential who’s scoring upside was evident in his performance in the March Madness tournament.

Round 1 - Pick 11

Charlotte Hornets select

Ziaire Williams, Stanford, Fr.

SG, 6’8”

Williams is a project wing with high potential on both sides of the ball. The Hornets take a chance at a scorer with potentially the best space-creating ability in the class to pair with LaMelo Ball in Charlotte.

Round 1 - Pick 12

San Antonio Spurs select

Franz Wagner, Michigan, So.

SF, 6’9”

San Antonio looks to add defense and an all-around wing with Franz Wagner. Wagner has great instincts and if he proves he can shoot the 3-ball well at the NBA level he can be a valuable asset for the Spurs.

Round 1 - Pick 13

Indiana Pacers select

James Bouknight, UConn, So.

SG, 6’5”

Bouknight is one of my favorite prospects in the 2021 class. Bouknight’s game is a combination of athleticism and shot-creating. To say he’s athletic would be an understatement, Bouknight could flat out jump out of the gym and has shown flashes of being a prolific shot maker. For Indiana, they could use his type of scoring ability off the bench at first but I see them having a hard time keeping him out of the starting rotation in the long run.

Round 1 - Pick 14

Golden State Warriors select

Davion Mitchell, Baylor, Jr.

PG, 6’2”

With the last pick of the lottery, the Warriors have their own pick here at 14. Having already added Scottie Barnes, they can look to add a force off their bench with two-way guard Davion Mitchell. Among the older of prospects, Mitchell can contribute to Golden State right away while also learning under the wings of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.