The NBA Draft is always an exciting time, and the 2022 draft will be no different. With a new lottery system in place, it’s anyone’s guess who will go first overall.
The mock draft nba 2021 is a mock draft that predicts the order of NBA teams in the 2022 season.
With Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and the rest of the 2021 draft class gone, it’s time to focus on next year’s crop of collegiate and foreign prospects.
The NBA draft in 2022 is less than 11 months away, but this group of athletes has been on our radar for quite some time. Despite pandemic-related limitations, we’ve seen the class’s top prospects grow up in high school, AAU and FIBA tournaments, as well as various all-star settings over the last two years.
Despite this, NBA decision-makers claim they know very little about this group at this point due to the fragmented nature of events. Due to a short-term focus on the 2021 NBA draft class and the necessity to remain with their own clubs during a difficult season, most scoutable activities were missed. FIBA championships this summer, the Nike Skills Academy, and an NBA Basketball Without Borders-style event scheduled for Dallas in September have all been scrapped or curtailed.
These facts only emphasize the importance of the next season. Expect a lot of movement as unheralded players emerge from the cloud of the last 18 months, while other more highly regarded talents undoubtedly stall after losing out on key growth chances in the form of high-level competition.
Let’s take a look at how our mock is shaping out right now, then move on to the main stories we anticipate will accompany this class into 2022:
Note: The predicted 2022 draft order is based on William Hill’s Caesars Sportsbook’s 2021-22 NBA championship odds, with all ties broken by the 2020-21 standings. Picks owed and owned are also shown in the whole 1-59 sequence.
Houston Rockets, No. 1
Gonzaga | Chet Holmgren | PF/C | 19.2 years old
Oklahoma City Thunder, No. 2
Paolo Banchero is a Duke PF/C player who is 18.6 years old.
3. The Pistons of Detroit
G League Ignite | SG | Jaden Hardy 19.0 years old
4. The Magic of Orlando
Jalen Duren | TBA | PF | 17.6 years old
Cleveland Cavaliers, No. 5
Caleb Houstan | Michigan | SF/PF | 18.5 years old
Minnesota Timberwolves, No. 6
Unicaja Malaga | Yannick Nzosa | C | 17.6 years old
Sacramento Kings, No. 7
Jabari Smith (Auburn) | PF/C | 18.1 years old
San Antonio Spurs (#8)
A.J. Griffin | Duke | SF/PF | A.J. Griffin | Duke | SF/PF | A.J. Griffin | Duke 17.9 years old
Chicago Bulls, No. 9
Peyton Watson | UCLA | SF | 18.8 years old
Hornets of Charlotte, No. 10
Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Milwaukee | SF/PF | Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Milwaukee | SF/PF | Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Milwaukee | 18.6 years old
Washington Wizards (#11)
J.D. Davison | Alabama | PG | 18.8 years old J.D. Davison | Alabama | PG | 18.8 years old
Memphis Grizzlies (12) (from New Orleans via Lakers)
Jaden Ivey | Purdue | SG | 19.4 years old
Memphis Grizzlies (#13)
Kennedy Chandler | Tennessee | PG | 18.8 years old Kennedy Chandler | Tennessee | PG | 18.8 years old Kennedy Chandler | Tennessee | PG
Toronto Raptors (14th)
New Zealand Breakers’ Ousmane Dieng | SF/PF | Age: 18.1
15. The Indiana Pacers are a basketball team based in Indiana
Overtime Elite | PG/SG | Jean Montero 18.0 years old
16. Knicks of New York
G League Ignite | SG | Dyson Daniels 18.3 years old
Boston Celtics (#17)
TyTy Washington | Kentucky | PG | 19.6 years old TyTy Washington | Kentucky | PG | 19.6 years old
Portland Trail Blazers (#18)
Daimion Collins (Kentucky) | PF/C | 18.7 years old
Houston Rockets (19.) (from Miami)
Allen Flanigan | Auburn | San Francisco | 20.2 years old
Atlanta Hawks (20th)
Bennedict Mathurin | Arizona | SG/SF | Age: 19.0 Bennedict Mathurin | Arizona | SG/SF | Age: 19.0
Dallas Mavericks (21st)
Real Madrid | PF | Tristan Vukcevic 18.3 years old
22. Nuggets of Denver
Gonzaga | PG | Nolan Hickman 18.2 years old
Oklahoma City Thunder (#23) (from LA Clippers)
Earl Timberlake | Memphis | San Francisco | 20.7 years old
The 76ers of Philadelphia are ranked 24th in the NBA.
Mega Basket | SF | Nikola Jovic 18.1 years old
Utah Jazz (#25)
Roko Prkacin | TBA | PF | 18.6 years old
Oklahoma City Thunder (#26) (from Phoenix)
Khalifa Diop | Gran Canaria | C | 19.5 years old Khalifa Diop | Gran Canaria | C
Golden State Warriors (#27)
Keegan Murray | Iowa | PF | 20.9 years old
Milwaukee Bucks (28th)
UCLA | SG | Jaime Jaquez Jr. 20.4 years old
The Los Angeles Lakers are ranked 29th in the NBA.
Caleb Love is a 19-year-old actor from North Carolina who works in the PG/SG genre.
Miami Heat (#30) (from Brooklyn)
Mark Williams | Duke | C | 19.6 years old
The Cleveland Cavaliers are ranked 31st in the NBA (from Houston)
G League Ignite | PF | Michael Foster 18.1 years old
Oklahoma City Thunder (32nd)
Marcus Bagley (Arizona State) is an SF/PF who is 19.7 years old.
Washington Wizards (#33) (from Detroit)
Ochai Agbaji | SG/SF | Kansas | 21.2 years old
Orlando Magic (34).
Andre Curbelo | Illinois | PG-13 | 19.7 years old
The Pelicans of New Orleans are ranked 35th in the NBA (from Cleveland)
Hugo Besson | New Zealand Breakers | PG/SG | Hugo Besson | New Zealand Breakers 20.2 years old
Minnesota Timberwolves (36).
Josiah James | SG | Tennessee | 20.8
Sacramento Kings (#37)
Johnny Juzang | UCLA | SF | 20.3 years old
Cleveland Cavaliers (#38) (from San Antonio)
Matthew Mayer | Baylor University | SF/PF | 21.8 years old
Sacramento Kings (#39) (from Chicago)
Justin Lewis | Marquette University | SF/PF | 19.2 years old
Hornets Hornets Hornets Hornets Hornets Hornets Hor
Gabriele Procida | Fortitudo Bologna | SG | 19.1 years old Gabriele Procida | Fortitudo Bologna | SG | Age: 19.1 years old Gabriele Procida
Minnesota Timberwolves (#41) (from Cleveland via Washington)
St. John’s | Julian Champagnie | SF/PF | 20.0 years old
New Orleans Pelicans (42nd)
Walker Kessler | Auburn | C | 19.9 years old
Memphis Grizzlies (#43)
Drew Timme | Gonzaga | PF/C | Drew Timme | Gonzaga | PF/C | Drew Timme | Gonzaga | 20.8 years old
Golden State Warriors (44). (from Toronto)
Ariel Hukporti | Melbourne United | C | 19.2 years old Ariel Hukporti | Melbourne United | C | 19.2 years old Ariel Hukporti |
Orlando Magic (#45) (from Indiana)
Ibou Dianko Badji | Barcelona, Spain | C | 18.7 years old
New York Knicks (#46)
Malcolm Cazalon | SG | Mega Basket | 19.9 years old
Boston Celtics (#47)
Taevion Kinsey | Marshall | Singapore | 21.3 years old
48. The Portland Trail Blazers are a professional basketball team based in Portland,
Andrew Nembhard | Gonzaga University | PG | 21.5 years old
Indiana Pacers (49). (from Miami)
Oral Roberts | Max Abmas | PG | Age: 20.3
Atlanta Hawks (50)
Tubelis Azuolas | Arizona | PF/C 19.3 years old
The Dallas Mavericks are ranked 51st in the NBA.
Guil Santos | Minas Tennis Club | SF/PF | Guil Santos | Minas Tennis Club | SF/PF | Guil Santos | Min 19.0 years old
Minnesota Timberwolves (52nd) (from Denver)
Terrence Shannon Jr. is an SG/SF for Texas Tech. 20.9 years old
Los Angeles Clippers (#53)
Nevezis | Abramo Canka | SG/SF | 19.3 years old
Houston Rockets (54). (from Philadelphia)
Zsombor Maronka | Joventut | San Francisco | 18.8 years old
New Orleans Pelicans (#55) (from Utah Jazz)
Vitoria | SG | Pavel Savkov 19.2 years old
Phoenix Suns (56).
Will Richardson | PG | 21.8 years old | Oregon
Golden State Warriors (57).
Jahvon Quinerly | Alabama | PG | 22.6 years old Jahvon Quinerly | Alabama | PG | 22.6 years old
58. The Pistons are a basketball team based in Detroit, Michigan (from Los Angeles Lakers)
DeVante’ Jones | PG/SG | Michigan 23.2 years old
The Brooklyn Nets are ranked 59th in the NBA.
Mississippi St. | SG | Iverson Molinar 21.6 years old
*The Bucks have lost their 2022 second-round selection due to a violation of the rules regulating free agency talks.
The following are the top stories to keep an eye on for the class of 2022.
Who is the most important person in the world?
Even more so than in the 2021 NBA draft, when Cade Cunningham maintained the top position from start to end, beginning with our very first prediction, the battle for the No. 1 selection is wide open at this stage. We’ve already switched Holmgren and Banchero at the top of our 2022 mock draft, and scouts are divided on who will go first — but Holmgren’s excellent showings at the Iverson Classic and FIBA U19 World Cup give him a small advantage for now. NBA executives have already marked Nov. 26 on their calendars, when Holmgren and Banchero will square off when Duke takes on Gonzaga in the Continental Tire Challenge from Las Vegas, a game that is already sold out and will be a major scouting event alongside the Champions Classic.
Cade Cunningham was selected first overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft.
• Cunningham No. 1; Suggs to Magic • Recap, analysis of every selection • Cunningham No. 1; Suggs to Magic • Reactions from the public, as well as fashion statements
Where will Duren make his debut?
Duren, the No. 2 prospect in the coming high school senior class of 2022, is generally anticipated to declare that he’ll start college a year early, putting him eligible for the 2022 draft. According to sources, Duren’s scholastic homework is mostly in line, and he should get his high school graduation on time. We’ve provisionally placed him at No. 4 in our mock draft since it seems he’ll be playing in college or professionally this next season, with Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers now regarded the club to beat for Duren’s talents.
A deep draft is on the way.
As we previously reported, a major bottleneck has developed when a big number of players either chose not to join the 2020 NBA draft or withdrew their names owing to the limitations they faced throughout the pre-draft process, as well as the considerable uncertainty those restrictions created. This trend continued in the 2021 draft, with 16 of the ESPN top 100 players opting out before the NCAA and NBA deadlines. This does not include the eight returning collegians who are expected to be first-round picks in 2022 but did not participate in the 2021 draft.
2 Related
These facts, coupled with the typical two dozen or so one-and-done prospects from the rising freshman class and the 2003-born foreign class, should give the 2022 class a lot of depth. It also means that NBA scouting visits will cover as much territory as ever, including evaluations of the new Overtime Elite venture, the G League Ignite club, the Australian NBL, and the other 16 foreign talents presently expected to be selected, which is an exceptionally large amount. OTE and Ignite have both said that they want to spend part of their season playing against foreign teams and academies, requiring NBA scouts to renew visas that had expired due to the epidemic.
Is this a huge year for bigs?
The NBA draft is usually a solid indicator of how the league is going in terms of position. In recent years, we’ve witnessed a considerable increase in the number of adaptable, multipositional wings selected in the first round. Only three centers (Evan Mobley, Isaiah Jackson, and Day’Ron Sharpe) were chosen in the first round this year, indicating that they had lost some importance. To some degree, smaller point guards who project as one-position players seem to be on their way out. This is also a supply-and-demand problem, as most clubs are reluctant to pursue a player type (particularly a big man) that they could obtain just as readily in free agency, with defensive flexibility being a top priority.
Is Paolo Banchero, who is headed to Duke, a genuine danger to Chet Holmgren at No. 1 overall in 2022? Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire photo
However, the big-man trend will be put to the test in the next draft, as five of the top seven players expected to be selected are 6-foot-10 or taller. Most are either extremely flexible perimeter big men (particularly Holmgren and Banchero) or defensive anchor types (Duren and Yannick Nzosa), but their development will be scrutinized as the season progresses.
The previous time five of the top seven players were big men was in 2018, when Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Jarvis Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba, and Wendell Carter Jr. were ranked 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7. Bagley, Bamba, Carter, and (to a lesser degree) Jackson have yet to live up to the hype, which may have an impact on how the top of the 2022 selection is seen. When everything is said and done, it’s a reasonable bet to say that tall, versatile wing/forwards like Griffin, Watson, Baldwin, and Dieng will have every chance to establish themselves as top-five selections, since the NBA is moving much more in their way than it is toward big men.
It’s worth noting that ten players who mainly played center were chosen in the top 35 of the NBA draft in 2020, with half of them landing in the top 20. Most of them, particularly those selected in the top 10 (James Wiseman, Onyeka Okongwu, and Obi Toppin), have underperformed their selection position so far, but it’s too early to make definite judgments at this point.
Early action on the draft order for 2022
In the year 2022, a handful of draft selections have already changed hands:
Atlanta will hold Oklahoma City’s first-round selection if it falls between 15 and 30 in 2022, which seems improbable. If Oklahoma City fails to make the playoffs as anticipated, Atlanta will get the Thunder’s second-round selections in 2024 and 2025.
Oklahoma City holds the unprotected first-round pick of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Oklahoma City also owns the first-round pick of Phoenix if it falls between 13 and 30. If the Suns finish the season with one of the NBA’s 12 poorest records, they will transfer their top-10 protected selection in 2023, top-eight protected pick in 2024, or an unprotected pick in 2025.
If Miami reaches the playoffs next season, Houston will get either Brooklyn’s or Miami’s first-round selection, whichever is better. If Miami reaches the playoffs but ends below Brooklyn in the standings, it will get the Nets’ first-round pick in the same deal (while sending its own to Houston). The first-round pick of the Los Angeles Lakers belongs to New Orleans (unprotected). If Utah’s first-round pick lands between Nos. 7 and 30, Memphis owns it.
If Detroit’s first-round selection lands between 17 and 30, it will be transferred to Houston.
Visit Bobby Marks’ comprehensive list of NBA draft assets for future drafts for a complete list of forthcoming draft assets.
Jonathan Givony is the creator and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics firm used by NBA, NCAA, and foreign clubs.
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