Ricky Dimon
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The 2020 NBA Draft will finally take place on Wednesday night. It doesn’t feel too late in that the NBA Finals ended not too long ago, but the draft is normally a summer operation. The coronavirus crisis, of course, has messed up just about everything in the sports world and now these festivities are part of the fall.
Here is our final first-round mock draft in advance of Wednesday’s proceedings.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves – Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
LaMelo Ball is the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick, but Edwards has just as much upside and is not as big of a risk.
2. Golden State Warriors – James Wiseman, C, Memphis
The lack of a low-post presence has always been an issue for the Warriors, and they have a prime opportunity to address it here.
3. Charlotte Hornets – Onyeka Okongwu, PF, USC
It would not be shocking to see Michael Jordan pass up Ball and draft a bigger area of need for the Hornets.
4. Chicago Bulls – LaMelo Ball, PG, Australia pro league
This is a bit of a longshot, but if Ball gets past the Timberwolves at No. 1 there is a real chance he could fall the way to No. 4.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers – Deni Avdija, F, Israel pro league
Is Avdija the next Luka Doncic? Okay, probably not. But he could end up being the best player in this class.
6. Atlanta Hawks – Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
The Hawks are reportedly looking to trade out of this spot, but settling for Haliburton would not necessarily be a bad move.
7. Detroit Pistons – Patrick Williams, F, Florida State
Nobody’s stock is rising higher than Williams’ at the moment. Some other team may trade up to No. 6 and steal him from the Pistons.
8. New York Knicks – Obi Toppin, F, Dayton
Toppin’s upside may not be through the roof, but the Knicks just need a rock-solid player who is a borderline sure thing to be productive.
9. Washington Wizards – Killian Hayes, PG, France pro league
It’s time for the Wizards to start thinking about life in the backcourt after John Wall and Bradley Beal.
10. Phoenix Suns – Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn
The Suns have agreed to a deal with Oklahoma City for Chris Paul. Now it’s time to address the 3 spot in the lineup.
11. San Antonio Spurs – Devin Vassell, SG, Florida State
Vassell is first and foremost a force on the defensive end of the floor, which will surely draw the attention of Gregg Popovich.
12. Sacramento Kings – Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
Marvin Bagley III has not exactly been the savior at forward for the Kings so far in his career, so Achiuwa would help.
13. New Orleans Pelicans – Siddiq Bey, F, Villanova
The Pelicans won’t be making as much noise with this year’s selection, but Bey would be a good one at this point.
14. Boston Celtics – RJ Hampton, G, Australia pro league
With three first-round picks to work with, the Celtics could go in any number of directions here—including a trade.
15. Orlando Magic – Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
Oh, look, another Kentucky freshman coming out of school for the NBA Draft… it’s probably not a bad decision, either.
16. Portland Trail Blazers – Jaden McDaniels, PF, Washington
The Trail Blazers already have a great backcourt, so it would make sense to add a big body in the paint.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland
After going with a guard at No. 1 overall, the Timberwolves will give Karl-Anthony Towns some help down low.
18. Dallas Mavericks – Isaiah Stewart, PF, Washington
Even with Kristaps Porzingis, the Mavericks still need some more size. And who knows if Porzingis will be healthy?
19. Brooklyn Nets – Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
The Nets are obviously in win-now mode and Nesmith can provide another scoring punch right away.
20. Miami Heat – Vernon Carey, C, Duke
Beyond Bam Adebayo, the Heat don’t have much to speak of in the paint. Carey would change that in a big way.
21. Philadelphia 76ers – Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
Anthony endured an injury-plagued season with the Tar Heels and his stock has continued to fall, but he would be a steal at this point.
22. Denver Nuggets – Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
Yes, the Nuggets already have a strong backcourt. But they don’t have any real holes in the starting lineup, so depth at guard would be a good thing.
23. Utah Jazz – Josh Green, SG, Arizona
Speaking of depth, the Jazz could use some behind Donovan Mitchell. Green can have an impact on both ends of the floor.
24. Milwaukee Bucks – Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
The one thing Giannis Antetokounmpo can’t do is shoot with consistency. Khris Middleton can, but the Bucks need another perimeter threat.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Aleksej Pokusevski, C, Serbia pro league
Although the Thunder overachieved in 2019-20, they are clearly still building for the future. Pokusevski is a talented project.
26. Boston Celtics – Leandro Bolmaro, G, Argentina pro league
The Celtics have three first-round picks and not many holes. They could bide their time before bringing Bolmaro to the NBA.
27. New York Knicks – Theo Maledon, G, France pro league
With two first-round picks, the Knicks will add to their backcourt here if they go with Toppin at No. 8 overall.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder – Malachi Flynn, PG, Syracuse
Paul is gone and the Thunder need a point guard of the future—even if Ricky Rubio sticks around temporarily.
29. Toronto Raptors – Jahmi’us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
Fred VanVleet could be out in free agency and Kyle Lowry isn’t getting any younger, so this pick makes sense.
30. Boston Celtics – Zeke Nnaji, C, Arizona
Obviously this pick will depend on what Boston does with its first two. Either way, another post presence is needed.
Pickswise is the home of free NBA picks and predictions. We will cover all the big offseason news before making picks for every game during the 2021 season.
