NBA: 2022 Mock Draft 3.0

#1 Orlando Magic

Jabari Smith (Auburn)

Age: 19

Height: 6'10

Weight: 220

Wingspan: 7'1

Jabari Smith is likely the most NBA-ready prospect in the draft class and has the potential to become an elite scorer and defender in the near future. Even though Auburn was upset early in the NCAA Tournament, the 6'10 forward flashed smooth scoring ability with 20+ points in 14 games during his SEC Freshman of the Year campaign. The Orlando Magic could pair an ultra-talented and versatile forward in Smith with promising young players Wendell Carter, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. Smith put up 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds on 42% shooting from 3-point range.

NBA Comp: Michael Porter (Nuggets)

#2 Oklahoma City Thunder

Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

Age: 19

Position: C

Height: 7'0

Weight: 195

Wingspan: 7'6

Chet Holmgren easily remains the most difficult prospect to evaluate in the class because of his unconventional play style and lack of strength. Even after a successful freshman season at Gonzaga, the 7'0 center seems to be the furthest from a finished product compared to the other top tier candidates. The Oklahoma City Thunder could look to add Paolo Banchero but the Bulldogs big man is definitely worth the risk if that's the route Sam Presti prefers. Holmgren scored 14.1 points on 60.1% shooting from the field and ranked 4th in the nation with 3.7 blocks per game.

NBA Comp: Mo Bamba (Magic)

#3 Houston Rockets

Paolo Banchero (Duke)

Age: 19

Position: PF

Height: 6'10

Weight: 250

Wingspan: 7'0

Paolo Banchero is still in consideration to be the #1 pick and certainly saw his stock rise on the biggest stage at the Final Four in early April. The 6'10 forward can be a physical force when attacking off the dribble and has incredible isolation capability. Banchero looked ready for the next level when I saw him play in late November at Ohio State and he's only improved since then. The Houston Rockets could decide to take a guard or wing to pair with Jalen Green but the Duke freshman is a safer selection after scoring 18.8 points and shooting 50% from the field during the NCAA Tournament run.

NBA Comp: Julius Randle (Knicks)

#4 Sacramento Kings

Keegan Murray (Iowa)

Age: 21

Position: PF

Height: 6'8

Weight: 225

Wingspan: 6'11

Most mock drafts expect Sacramento to select Jaden Ivey but he didn't work out for the Kings and didn't seem thrilled to be drafted by the franchise during the pre-draft process. According to several reports, multiple teams are hoping to trade up with Sacramento to draft Ivey. If the Kings decide to keep the pick then Keegan Murray is a realistic option. The 6'8 forward has great length, patience, range and is one of the smoothest scorers in the draft class and was downright special en route to easily breaking the Big Ten Tournament scoring record with 23.5 points per game.

NBA Comp: Tobias Harris (76ers)

#5 Detroit Pistons

Jaden Ivey (Purdue)

Jaden Ivey is likely going to be the first guard selected in the upcoming draft after an impressive sophomore season at Purdue. The 6'4 guard has elite athleticism, finishing ability and can play both backcourt positions at the next level. Despite struggling in the Sweet 16 loss against Saint Peter's, I think Ivey will flourish with a faster pace and much more space in the NBA. Ivey averaged a team-high 17.9 points and 3.1 assists per game and could thrive next to Cade Cunningham if the Detroit Pistons draft him. It seems just as likely the Kings decide to pick Ivey before the Pistons have a chance.

Age: 20

Position: PG

Height: 6'4

Weight: 195

Wingspan: 6'8

NBA Comp: Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls)

6) Indiana Pacers

Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)

Age: 18

Position: SG

Height: 6'6

Weight: 200

Wingspan: 7'0

Shaedon Sharpe had a meteoric rise late during his recruiting process prior to enrolling early at Kentucky this season. He originally went to Lexington with the expectation of not being eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft. Even though the 6'6 guard didn't appear in a game at Kentucky, he declared for the draft. There's no doubt his athleticism will translate to the league but it may take a little time given his age and relative inexperience. If the Indiana Pacers decide to add wing depth, Sharpe could slide in alongside Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.

NBA Comp: Jalen Green (Rockets)

7) Portland Trail Blazers

Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)

Age: 19

Position: SG

Height: 6'6

Weight: 210

Wingspan: 6'9

Bennedict Mathurin emerged as the Pac-12 Player of the Year after exploding onto the scene with a number of eye-popping dunks and finishes in the paint. The 6'6 guard is a smooth and slithery slasher that attacks the rim with anger. He is reportedly locked into the lottery and could get picked a few spots higher or lower. The Portland Trail Blazers seem just as likely to draft someone with more size like Dyson Daniels, Jalen Duren, or Ousmane Dieng depending on who the front office prefers to add alongside Damian Lillard, Jusuf Nurkić and the recently acquired Jerami Grant.

NBA Comp: Victor Oladipo (Heat)

8) New Orleans Pelicans

Dyson Daniels (G-League)

Age: 19

Position: PG

Height: 6'6

Weight: 200

Wingspan: 6'10

Coming into the start of last season, Dyson Daniels wasn't projected to be a lottery pick but the 6'6 point guard has been one of the biggest risers in the draft because of his impressive athleticism, decision making and defensive versatility. Despite not being a consistent perimeter shooter yet, Daniels displayed nice touch around the rim and an adequate floater. The Australian product put up 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game with the G-League Ignite. New Orleans definitely needs more shot creation and Daniels would bring just that.

Player Comp: Lonzo Ball (Bulls)

9) San Antonio Spurs

Jalen Duren (Memphis)

Age: 18

Position: C

Height: 6'11

Weight: 250

Wingspan: 7'5

Jalen Duren's strength and size can compete with anyone in this class and he has the potential to become an impactful rim runner and shot blocker in the league. Penny Hardaway helped raise his level of play and the 6'11 center averaged 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game despite a slow start to his freshman season. Duren will undoubtedly look to develop his offense going forward and playing with the San Antonio Spurs would be the perfect place to do so under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich and guys like DeJounte Murray, Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker.

NBA Comp: Robert Williams (Celtics)

10) Washington Wizards

Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)

Age: 20

Position: SG

Height: 6'5

Weight: 194

Wingspan: 6'8

Johnny Davis didn't look great in an upset loss to Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament but he is a deadly mid-range scorer that could theoretically replace free agent Brady Beal in the Wizards backcourt. The 6'5 shooting guard had to be a volume shooter as a sophomore since Wisconsin didn't have a lot of weapons and defenses were able to overwhelm him later in the season. Davis won't have to deal with that as a rookie. The Big Ten Player of the Year scored 19.7 points per game including several 30-point showings and should continue to be a consistent defender going forward.

NBA Comp: Gary Trent Jr (Raptors)

First Round Projections:

1. Jabari Smith (Magic/PF)

2. Chet Holmgren (Thunder/C)

3. Paolo Banchero (Rockets/PF)

4. Keegan Murray (Kings/PF)

5. Jaden Ivey (Pistons/PG)

6. Shaedon Sharpe(Pacers/SG)

7. Bennedict Mathurin (Blazers/SG)

8. Dyson Daniels (Pelicans/PG)

9. Jalen Duren (Spurs/C)

10. Johnny Davis (Wizards/SG)

11. Ousmane Dieng (Knicks/SF)

12. AJ Griffin (Thunder/SG)

13. Jalen Williams (Hornets/SF)

14. Ochai Agbaji (Cavaliers/SF)

15. Mark Williams (Hornets/C)

16. Jeremy Sochan (Hawks/PF)

17. Tari Eason (Rockets/PF)

18. Malaki Branham (Bulls/SG)

19. TyTy Washington (Wolves/PG)

20. Nikola Jović (Spurs/SF)

21. Jaden Hardy (Nuggets/SG)

22. Dalen Terry (Grizzlies/PG)

23. EJ Liddell (76ers/PF)

24. Marjon Beauchamp (Bucks/SF)

25. Blake Wesley (Spurs/PG)

26. Kennedy Chandler (Rockets/PG)

27. Christian Koloko (Heat/PF)

28. Walker Kessler (Warriors/C)

29. Caleb Houstan (Grizzlies/SG)

30. Kendall Brown (Nuggets/SF)

Blake Wesley

Draft order via NBA Draft.

Top-100 Prospects:

1. Jabari Smith (Auburn)

2. Paolo Banchero (Duke)

3. Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

4. Jaden Ivey (Purdue)

5. Keegan Murray (Iowa)

6. Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)

7. Dyson Daniels (G-League)

8. Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)

9. Jalen Duren (Memphis)

10. Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)

11. Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)

12. AJ Griffin (Duke)

13. Tari Eason (LSU)

14. Malaki Branham (Ohio State)

15. Mark Williams (Duke)

16. Ousmane Dieng (France)

17. Nikola Jović (Serbia)

18. EJ Liddell (Ohio State)

19. Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)

20. Jaden Hardy (G-League)

21. Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)

22. Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)

23. MarJon Beauchamp (G-League)

24. Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)

25. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)

26. TyTy Washington (Kentucky)

27. Kendall Brown (Baylor)

28. Christian Koloko (Arizona)

29. Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)

30. JD Davison (Alabama)

31. Michael Foster (G-League)

32. Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)

33. Jamaree Bouyea (San Francisco)

34. Wendell Moore (Duke)

35. Walker Kessler (Auburn)

36. Ryan Rollins (Toledo)

37. Patrick Baldwin Jr (Milwaukee)

38. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)

39. Khalifa Diop (Senegal)

40. Christian Braun (Kansas)

41. Dalen Terry (Arizona)

42. Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)

43. Max Christie (Michigan State)

44. Caleb Houstan (Michigan)

45. Trevor Keels (Duke)

46. Hugo Besson (France)

47. Ismael Kamagate (France)

48. Terquavion Smith (NC State)

49. Karlo Matković (Croatia)

50. Isaiah Mobley (USC)

51. Keon Ellis (Alabama)

52. Julian Champagnie (St. John’s)

53. Izaiah Brockington (Iowa State)

54. Justin Lewis (Marquette)

55. Harrison Ingram (Stanford)

56. Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)

57. JD Notae (Arkansas)

58. Josh Minott (Memphis)

59. Leonard Miller (Canada)

60. Kameron McGusty (Miami)

61. Taevion Kinsey (Marshall)

62. David Roddy (Colorado State)

63. Matteo Spagnolo (Italy)

64. Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)

65. Ziga Samar (Spain)

66. Roko Prkačin (Croatia)

67. Trevion Williams (Purdue)

68. Scottie Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)

69. Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)

70. Johnny Juzang (UCLA)

71. Moussa Diabate (Michigan)

72. Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall)

73. Tyrese Martin (UConn)

74. Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)

75. Peyton Watson (UCLA)

76. Tevin Brown (Murray State)

77. Jabari Walker (Colorado)

78. Kai Sotto (Philippines)

79. Jordan Hall (St. Joseph's)

80. Gabriele Procida (Italy)

81. Dereon Seabron (NC State)

82. Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)

83. Vince Williams (VCU)

84. Mojave King (Australia)

85. Marcus Bingham (Michigan State)

86. Yannick Nzosa (Congo)

87. Tristan Vukcevic (Serbia)

88. Ron Harper Jr (Rutgers)

89. Colin Gillespie (Villanova)

80. Kellan Grady (Kentucky)

91. Kenneth Lofton (Louisiana Tech)

92. Bryson Williams (Texas Tech)

93. Ibou Dianko Badji (Senegal)

94. Brady Manek (North Carolina)

95. Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)

96. Eli Brooks (Michigan)

97. Hyun-Jung Lee (Davidson)

98. Gabe Brown (Michigan State)

99. Makur Maker (Howard)

100. Fedor Žugić (Montenegro)

Best International Prospects:

1. Shaedon Sharpe (Canada)

2. Dyson Daniels (Australia)

3. Bennedict Mathurin (Canada)

4. Ousmane Dieng (France)

5. Nikola Jović (Serbia)

6. Christian Koloko (Cameroon)

7. Khalifa Diop (Senegal)

8. Hugo Besson (France)

9. Ismael Kamagate (France)

10. Karlo Matković (Croatia)

Underrated Prospects:

1. Dyson Daniels (SG)

2. Malaki Branham (SF)

3. Ochai Agbaji (SF)

4. Mark Williams (C)

5. Blake Wesley (PG)

6. Bryce McGowens (SG)

7. Orlando Robinson (C)

8. Alondes Williams (SF)

9. Jamaree Bouyea (PG)

10. Ryan Rollins (SF)

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Photo Credit: Sporting News.