2023 NBA first-round mock draft

Anticipated Role: Franchise savior

Often referred to the best prospect since LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama is the one player in this draft with the LeBron-type upside to always have his team in contention for a title. Wembanyama is a 7-foot-5 French big man who plays like Kevin Durant - if he grew half a foot. Like LeBron and Durant, Wembanyama should ascend to the top of the NBA quickly and have San Antonio set up to contend for championships by the end of his rookie contract. The Spurs have a some nice young complementary pieces like Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell as well as a ton of cap space with which they can get a veteran point guard and/or big man to make Wemby's life easier.

Anticipated Role: Franchise player

While Brandon Miller makes the most sense here with Charlotte's roster, Scoot Henderson should be the pick. He has everything you want in a franchise player - elite athleticism, a great feel for the game, an ultra-competitive work ethic and the self-confidence and passion to be the face of a franchise. Ignoring all of this for a player who fits better with the current roster would be a huge mistake for the Hornets. Henderson projects to be some sort of blend of Ja Morant and Russell Westbrook. And, he could be a nice fit alongside LaMelo Ball as well because of Ball's size and ability to play off-ball.

Anticipated Role: Secondary star 

Brandon Miller unquestionably has All-NBA ability, but his off-the-court issues may keep him from being the true face of a franchise someday, even if his production suggests he should be. No worries here though - the Blazers already have Damian Lillard for that role, so Miller can slide right into being the secondary wing star Portland has craved for years. Standing 6-foot-9, Miller can attack downhill, shoot efficiently (38.4 percent from three last season), and run an offense. Assuming his legal situation clears up and the questions about his character are adequately addressed, Miller would be a great fit with all of Portland's sweet-shooting guards with his ability to space the court.

Anticipated Role: Secondary star 

If Amen Thompson can actually play point guard in the NBA and can actually improve his jump shot, he could develop into a franchise player. If he can't do either, he could very well be a bust (at least considering his draft position). A number of draft experts have said that Amen Thompson will enter the NBA as one of the best, if not the best, athletes in the league. The 6-foot-7 point guard and twin brother of another lottery pick, Ausar Thompson, took an unconventional route to the league through the Overtime Elite program and didn't face the level of competition some of the other top prospects did. However, it doesn't take much to envision him being a special rim-attacker in the NBA. Add in his playmaking ability, and the Rockets could have a foundational piece for the next decade. 

Anticipated Role: Secondary star 

While I didn't love what I saw from Villanova's powerful small forward,  Cam Whitmore, in college, his athletic testing was sublime - posting the highest vertical leap of the entire NBA Combine with 40.5 inches - and he is vaulting up draft boards. He's clearly talented and possesses serious NBA athleticism, but his lack of production on a blah college team makes me skeptical that he could be the type of star player a team hopes to draft when it picks in the top six. Then again, a player with his kind of athleticism could develop into the type of stud that could really accelerate the Pistons' ascent in the Eastern Conference.

Anticipated Role: Secondary star 

Ausar Thompson is considered to be more advanced and NBA-ready than his brother, Amen. There's a little more confidence in him developing into a  decent shooter and reaching his full potential. Thompson is an incredibly athletic wing to build around for the future. And while he doesn't possess the exact same explosiveness as Amen, he's close, which means he'll wow us on a nightly basis and should also develop into a  very capable defender once he packs on some muscle. With two picks in the lottery, Orlando can take a big swing on Thompson here and look for a player with a higher floor at no. 11.

Anticipated Role: Elite role player

While there may never be another Draymond Green, Walker is probably the closest thing we've seen to Draymond proxy in a while. At 6-foot-8 and 240 pounds, Walker is strong enough to battle big men but quick enough to move laterally with guards. He also has a decent feel for the game on offense, so he could potentially be a nice pick-and-roll partner for Tyrese Haliburton. Assuming the Pacers don't trade Myles Turner this offseason, Walker and Turner would pair nicely as their respective strengths would cover for one another's weaknesses.

Anticipated Role: Elite role player

With a new front office, and a number of big decisions ahead - Re-sign Porzingis? Re-sign Kuzma? Trade Beal? - the Wizards will be an interesting team to watch come draft night. Regardless of whether they blow things up and start from scratch (the right move!), take half-measures (the wrong move!) or maintain the status quo (the wrongest move!), they need to good players. Anthony Black could be a really nice player because he's a connector and he does all of the little things. He enhances his teammates. At 6-foot-7, Black is a big guard who does a little bit of everything - he defends his butt off, he's a ball-mover and playmaker, and he knows how to use his size to his advantage around the basket. 

Anticipated Role: Elite role player

Unless the Jazz feel that there's a player available here with significantly more upside - perhaps Keyonte George reminds them of Jordan Clarkson or Bilal Coulibaly gives them OG Anunoby vibes - the safe pick would be Kansas wing, Gradey Dıck. Dıck makes a ton of sense here for the Jazz. He's a great shooter (40.3 percent from three), he's big (6-foot-8, 205 pounds), and he's competitive as hell. He projects to be an ideal three-and-some-D wing in the NBA, and Utah's best move is to continue to accumulate players like him that fit the modern, spaced-out NBA.

Anticipated Role: Elite role player

If the Mavericks keep this pick - and that's a big if given they must stay competitive to keep Luka Doncic happy - they should be thrilled if Taylor Hendricks is still available at no. 10. UCF's Hendricks projects to be a very good three-and-D forward. As a freshman, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.0 APG with an impressive 39.4 percent three-point stroke. His length, athleticism and willingness to defend at the college level should translate well to the NBA. While he probably won't be a star, the Mavs already have their two stars and simply need defense and shooting around them, and Hendricks checks both of those boxes.

Anticipated Role: Elite role player 

The lesser-known teammate of Victor Wembanyama is one of the deep sleepers of the 2023 NBA Draft. With the way he's played in recent weeks alongside Wemby in the French League, he may go even higher than this. With his decent size (6-foot-7) and absurd wingspan (7-foot-3), Bilal Coulibaly is a raw prospect with a ton of upside at the wing, especially on the defensive end. Though he only attempted 2.3 three-pointers per game this past season, he has a decent stroke, as evidenced by his 35.7 percent conversion rate. He'll be a bit of a project, but the right organization could develop him into a nice three-and-D wing.

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

Keyonte George could easily develop into the next Jordan Clarkson...or he could bust out of the league like Tony Wroten due to his inconsistencies. With an excellent young roster and a boatload of future first-round draft picks, OKC can afford to take some risks on high-ceiling, low-floor players like George. At his best, the freshman from Baylor could go off for 20-30 points, which he 12 times last season. But at his worst, he could score under 10 points, which he did 10 times last season. George, who can create his own shot and has the bounce to score on any defender, could flourish in a sixth-man role for the Thunder as they rise up the Western Conference rankings over the next few seasons.

Anticipated Role: Elite role player

With Fred VanVleet set to be a free agent, the Raptors could very well be in the point guard business in this coming draft. Even if FVV stays, Cason Wallace could be the answer at the position in the long term as he has many qualities that Masai Ujiri seems to covet - he's a rugged defender who has positional versatility. He projects to become something in between Kris Dunn and Jrue Holiday (the latter of which would be an absolute best-case scenario). Wallace would fit in well with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. 

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

Kobe Bufkin has been flying up draft boards as of late, and for good reason too - the kid has game. His shiftiness and ability to waterbug his way around the basketball court is reminiscent of a lot of young scoring guards to enter the league in recent years, like another former-Michigan player, Jordan Poole. The team that drafts him will need to be willing to let him learn through his mistakes to maximize his talent, but it should be worth it once he gets a feel for the speed of the NBA. The Thunder have the patience to develop any and all prospects with potential.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

This may be a little late for Indiana's 6-foot-5 point guard, Jalen Hood-Schifino, to be around as his combine testing helped his draft stock. In his only college season, Hood-Schifino was extremely inconsistent, but when he had it going - like when he had 35 points and seven rebounds in an upset win over Purdue - he displayed the entire package you could ask for in a scoring guard. He'll need to improve his shooting in the NBA, but the skills are certainly there. He could be a steal this late in the first.

Anticipated Role: Elite role player

If there's one skill Jordan Hawkins is elite at, it's shooting the basketball. Anyone who watched him during March Madness knows he's got an absolute laser from deep - one of the purest jump shots you'll ever see. The UConn sophomore, who averaged 16.2 PPG with 41-39-89  shooting splits, would be an ideal floor spacer for the Jazz and could develop into a JJ Redick-type of threat from the outside.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

There's a good chance that the Lakers ultimately deal with this pick for a veteran and make this pick for another team. However, if the Lakers hold onto the no. 17 pick, they'll be looking for a role player who can shoot, ideally with some size. Enter Jett Howard. The 6-foot-8 Michigan product averaged 14.2 PPG on 36.8 percent three-point shooting this past season. The son of Juwan Howard, Jett, also displays a good feel for the game and has an advanced arsenal of dribble moves and bucket-getting skills and could really develop into a legitimate secondary scorer in the right situation.

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

Why not take a big swing on a prospect expected to be a top-five pick before his injury-riddled freshman year, Nick Smith? Smith has a strong pedigree and was ESPN's no. 3 prospect going into the season but only played 17 total games and never got into a rhythm at Arkansas. If he pops, he could be the next great draft find for Pat Riley and the Heat. 

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

Dereck Lively II is the epitome of a Boom/Bust prospect. On the Boom side of things, he's 7-foot-1, very athletic and averaged 2.4 BPG last year at Duke. That's the perfect mold of a modern-day, rim-running NBA center. On the Bust side of things, he didn't produce at all in college, averaging 5.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG. With the 19th pick, the Warriors can afford to take a swing and try to get a player who can provide them some much-needed big man depth.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

There are a lot of rumors about the Rockets going on a bit of a veteran shopping spree this summer. If they go that route (which would be an interesting decision to say the least), they'll probably select higher-upside youngsters in the draft who can benefit from the presence of veterans in the locker room. A player like Alabama's Noah Clowney is the type of energetic big man with an undefined ceiling that any team could use. Clowney, who stands 6-foot-10, also seems like the type of player who will come in, play hard, not demand touches, and do his job, which is something the Rockets desperately need.

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

At 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and all types of potential as a two-way player, Leonard Miller (G-League Ignite) is destined has one of the highest ceilings and lowest floors in this year's draft. He definitely has the body to be a versatile big man who can play inside and on the perimeter, but will he have the awareness, attention to deal and work ethic required to stick it in the NBA? Will he be able to stay on the court when the pressure is turned up and defensive coverages and rotations have to be crisp? If he learns to do those things, he could be a steal for the Nets here at 22.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player 

Wait, another small forward? That's right, I have the Nets taking too more wings despite already having six or seven legitimate wings. That's because I expect them to deal at least one of their veteran wings - if not more - to a contender at some point in the coming season to assist with their eventual rebuild around Mikal Bridges and whichever players remain. Thus, in this draft, Brooklyn should swing for the fences with their first-round picks. Rayan Rupert is the type of home run swing prospect that could develop into an excellent three-and-D wing or bust out of the league by the end of his rookie deal. The French swingman played an injury-abbreviated season for the New Zealand Breakers this past year and flashed some two-way potential with his 7-foot-3 wingspan and aggressive approach to defense. He'll need to expand his offensive game and shoot the ball better, but his mechanics are good enough to see a pathway to him becoming a good shooter. 

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

With the second of their first-round picks, the Blazers will take a swing on a big man with a lot of potential, but little production: James Nnaji. The 6-foot-10 Nigerian big man with an insane 7-foot-7 wingspan has a whole lot of defensive potential. He's strong, athletic and can even more fairly well on the perimeter. While he doesn't have much ability on offense beyond being a lob threat, there are still minutes for guys like that in the league. Moreover, Portland could really use some big men to support their oft-injured center, Jusuf Nurkic.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

If his brother Keegan Murray is an elite role player, there's no reason Kris Murray, essentially a left-handed, poor man's version of Keegan, can't be a rotation-level forward in the NBA. The Kings are a team on the rise and will need to accumulate cheaper rotation players as some of their younger stars command larger contracts, so Kris makes sense from that standpoint. In addition, the team's other starting forward, Harrison Barnes, is set to become a free agent this offseason, so there could be a hole at the position.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

At this stage in the draft, teams should either be selecting upperclassmen who can help them immediately or boom/bust prospects. Xavier's Colby Jones definitely qualifies as the former and has the chance to be drafted even earlier because he should be able to play NBA minutes immediately. The 6-foot-6 wing from Xavier is simply a solid all-around player, who competes on defense and does the little things that help a team win. While he wasn't a star in college, he was highly productive (15 PPG, 4.3 APG) and efficient (37.8 percent from three). If he develops into the best version of himself, he could be a Malcolm Brogdon or Bruce Brown-type player for a contender.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

With the second of their three first-round picks, the Pacers should consider Ohio State's two-guard, Brice Sensabaugh. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound freshman is an absolute bucket-getter and excellent shooter (40.5 percent from three), but doesn't project to do much more besides score. No matter! There's always a place in the NBA for scorers who can space the floor out, especially when you have an elite pass-first point guard like Tyrese Haliburton. After a couple of years of development, Sensabaugh could develop into a "laser" off the bench for the Pacers.

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

One of the post-NBA combine risers, Brandin Podziemski, is a very interesting prospect. He's a compact 6-foot-4 guard who excelled at Santa Clara, averaging 19.9 PPG, 3.7 APG and shot 43.8 percent from three on 5.8 attempts per game. And while he's not super athletic, he plays at his own pace - big D'Angelo Russell vibes (though not as gifted) - which often can make up for a lack of NBA athleticism. He could be a great backup point guard and change of pace behind LaMelo Ball...or he could be playing in Europe in two seasons. 

Anticipated Role: Boom/Bust player

Andre Jackson is a winning player and a great connector on the basketball court. He's probably going to help a team compete for championships someday...I'm just not sure whether it'll be in the NBA though as his skill set is rare to see at the NBA level. He's a great passer, great defender, decent rebounder and smart player. However, he's a bad shooter, an average ball handler, and he's too small to play small-ball center. If a coach figures out how to play to his strengths, he'll stick it in the NBA and probably be a great role player. But if the team that drafts him isn't willing to cater to his skill set, he might be playing overseas in a few years. Will Hardy and the Utah Jazz seem like a decent fit for Jackson. We'll see if Hardy can figure out a pseudo-Draymond Green role for him.

Anticipated Role: Rotation player 

If I had to bet on a late-first/early-second round pick to outplay his draft position, it would be Jaime Jaquez Jr. Nothing about this guy's appearance or athleticism jumps off the screen at you (although he surprisingly tested off the charts with his vertical leap at the NBA Combine). Yet, if you watched UCLA at all the past three years, he was usually the best player on the court. He knows how to play basketball. His footwork is impeccable, and he has a good midrange game and can make plays for his teammates. He has some athletic shortcomings, but there are plenty of rotation players who have stuck around the NBA for several years with elite fundamentals and a high basketball IQ. 

Anticipated Role: Rotation player

Olivier-Maxence Prosper is a player who initially wasn't expected to keep his name in the NBA Draft, but ultimately elected to do so after having possibly the best NBA combine performance of all of the prospects that participated in the scrimmages. While OMP didn't wow anyone with his stats last season (12.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG), the 6-foot-8 forward, who has a 7-foot-1 wingspan, stood out when you watched him run the floor for Marquette. He clearly had an NBA body and the defensive tools to make it to the league, he just needs to continue to improve his three-point shot and round out his offensive game a bit. He's worth a flyer for the Clippers here at the end of the first round.