2021 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Round 1 projections post-lottery
We're entering the home stretch, folks.The 2021 NBA Draft is officially less than a month away, and with the NBA Draft Lottery and the NBA Draft Combine both in the rearview mirror, teams have most of the information they need to make their first-round picks.The Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and New York Knicks all have multiple first-round selections, so this may not be the draft order we see on July 29. Teams like the Boston Celtics (more on them at the end) could trade back into the mix after dealing away their first-rounder.But we have a pretty clear picture of what the first round will look like, which means it's time to freshen up the mock draft. Here are our projections for picks No. 1 through 30 in the 2021 NBA Draft, followed by a look at what the Celtics could do without a current first-round pick.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds
There are rumors that the Pistons are considering Evan Mobley and Jalen Green at No. 1 in addition to Cunningham. But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Oklahoma State star only has one pre-draft meeting planned, and it’s with Detroit. No need to overthink this.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 172 pounds
A shakeup at the top! Mobley is the best player available, but Green has incredible upside as a scorer and playmaker and is a better fit alongside 25-year-old big man Christian Wood. Green has the potential to be Houston’s James Harden replacement.
Age: 20
Height, weight: 7-foot, 215 pounds
The Cavs would be thrilled to land Mobley at No. 3. The two-way seven-footer is the perfect complement to Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro, and if you throw Dylan Windler in there, Cleveland could roll out an entire five-man unit of first-round draft picks from 2018 to present.
Age: 20
Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds
The Raptors vaulting into the top four allows them to land Suggs, an elite playmaker and exceptional defender who could help Toronto fans miss Kyle Lowry a bit less as the team transitions to a new era. For what it's worth Suggs is from Minnesota and should be well-prepared for the Canadian winter.
Age: 18
Height, weight: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds
Kuminga is the best player available here, and with good reason: He averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in the G-League at age 18 and is a great ball-handler for his size. This is a no-brainer for the Magic, who pick again at No. 8.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-9, 225 pounds
The Thunder need to start winning games at some point, and Barnes is the kind of player you want on a winning team: He’s a fiery competitor and versatile defender whom The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor compares to Draymond Green Like Green, his offensive game could use some polish, but he should see the court right away in OKC.
Age: 22
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
One of the best two-way players in college basketball last season, Mitchell can ease the scoring burden on Stephen Curry while helping Golden State regain its defensive edge after finishing 18th in points allowed last season. That’s assuming the Warriors don’t trade this pick in return for a current NBA star to pair with Curry.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 205 pounds
Orlando would benefit from better backcourt defense and 3-point shooting after ranking 27th in the latter category last season. Moody checks both of those boxes as a solidly built wing who’s a strong perimeter shooter. Kuminga and Moody is a very solid haul if the Magic keep both top-10 picks.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 185 pounds
Johnson would be a long-term project for Sacramento – he shot 27.1% from 3-point range and averaged 2.6 turnovers per game last season – but he’s a very good defender with enough raw talent to make the wait worth it. The Kings aren't going anywhere in the near future, anyway.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds
Wagner is a solid, two-way combo forward who hits open shots and can defend multiple positions. He’s a safe pick for the Pelicans, who were one of the NBA’s most inconsistent teams last season and could use some stability at both ends of the floor.
Age: 18
Measurables: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds
There are shades of Gordon Hayward in Giddey, an oversized wing who’s an excellent facilitator, strong rebounder and plus defender. The Hornets are well aware of Hayward’s injury history and could use some wing depth, so Giddey is a natural fit.
Age: 20
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 190 pounds
Hard for the Spurs to pass on Bouknight at No. 12. He averaged 18.7 points per game for the Huskies despite shooting below 30% from beyond the arc and could provide instant offense off the bench for a San Antonio team that struggled with secondary scoring last season.
Age: 22
Height, weight: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
The Pacers have two great ball-movers in Malcolm Brogdon and Domantas Sabonis but ranked a pedestrian 17th in 3-point percentage last season. Enter Kispert, arguably the best pure shooter in the draft who should be able to contribute right away after four years at Gonzaga.
Age: 19
Measurables: 6-foot-9, 240 pounds
Sengun, who won Turkish League MVP in 2021 after averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, is impressively polished for his age and perhaps could show last year's No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman a few tricks of the trade. Sengun and Wiseman would be a fascinating frontcourt combo.
Age: 20
Height, weight: 6-foot-11, 220 pounds
Daniel Gafford’s mini-breakout in Washington could encourage the Wizards to take Jones, who’s an inch taller than Gafford and can block shots and knock down 3-pointers. The Wiz could use Jones’ defensive prowess after another rough season on that end.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-9, 220 pounds
The Thunder are armed to the teeth with draft picks and could flip the asset they received from Boston in the Kemba Walker-Al Horford trade. But if they stay put, it makes sense to take a swing on Johnson, a stretch forward with guard skills who bailed on Duke after just 13 games last season.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds
Garuba has Memphis written all over him. The Spain native is a high-energy defender and relentless rebounder who may remind Grizzlies fans of Zach Randolph. He’d be a nice frontcourt complement to the more offensive-minded Jaren Jackson Jr.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-10, 205 pounds
If the Thunder are looking for a Moses Brown replacement, Jackson is their guy. He's raw, but he blocked a ridiculous 2.6 shots per game for the Wildcats and is a rim-runner with upside on offense.
Age: 20
Measurables: 6-foot-6, 215 pounds
You know the Knicks are drafting a guard with at least one of their first-round picks after their issues at the position in 2020-21. Mann can play and defend both guard positions and knocked down 40.2% of his 3-pointers for the Gators last season.
Age: 24
Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds
The Hawks have proven they’re ready to contend now, so the 24-year-old Duarte is an enticing option as a well-rounded combo guard who can contribute right away. He’s also a versatile defender who could help mask Trae Young’s deficiencies on that end.
Age: 18
Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds
There's a good chance the Knicks move one of these picks, but there's a case for them drafting two guards given their need at the position. Springer made the most of his limited sample size at Tennessee, hitting 43.5% of his 3-point attempts in 25 games.
Age: 19
Measurables: 6-foot-8, 185 pounds
The Lakers drafting Williams would be all part of LeBron James’ master plan to team up with his son: Williams and Bronny James were teammates at Sierra Canyon High School. (Feel old yet?) Williams actually is a good fit for L.A. as an athletic stretch forward who’s a plus defender.
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds
The Rockets are a prime candidate to trade one of their back-to-back late-round picks. But they might be tempted by Butler, who was the floor general for the NCAA champion Bears last season and would bring playmaking and a winning mentality to Houston.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-9, 205 pounds
If the Rockets feel like taking a swing, Brown is a remarkable athlete who could use some seasoning on the offensive end. He’d be a pretty potent complement to Christian Wood if he pans out.
Age: 20
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 180 pounds
The Clippers were among the teams to interview Cooper at the NBA Draft Combine, and he makes a lot of sense for Los Angeles as an intelligent ball-handler who can facilitate for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
Another upside play with a small sample size, Christopher averaged 14.3 points over 15 games for the Sun Devils last season and can score at all three levels. He could be a nice bench option for Michael Malone when Jamal Murray needs a blow.
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-4
The Bucks exposed Brooklyn’s lack of secondary scoring in their playoff matchup. Thomas, a microwave scorer who led the SEC in scoring as a freshman at 22.4 points per game, could help in that regard. He’s still raw, but the Nets have the luxury to let him develop.
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-foot-9, 205 pounds
Philly needs to make shooting a priority this offseason, and drafting Murphy would be a good place to start: The rangy wing was Virginia’s most efficient 3-point shooter last season at 43.3% on 4.8 attempts per game
Age: 19
Height, weight: 6-foot-11, 265 pounds
Consider Sharpe DeAndre Ayton insurance. He averaged 7.6 rebounds per game in the ACC last season and was one of the hardest workers on the Tar Heels. Sharpe is a solid pick for any contender looking for grit off the bench.
Age: 21
Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 195 pounds
Mike Conley would leave a huge hole at point guard if he leaves in unrestricted free agency. Dosunmu might be Utah’s best option in the draft to help plug that hole. The Bob Cousy Award winner as the nation’s top point guard did it all for an elite Illinois team last season and comes NBA-ready after three years in college.
The Celtics have a backlog of mid- to late-first-round picks in Grant Williams, Romeo Langford, Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith. So, it makes sense why they'd trade away No. 16, and it seems unlikely they'd trade into the first round unless there's a player in the top 10 who they love.
Second-rounders are often lottery tickets, but former No. 60 pick Isaiah Thomas would tell you not to overlook them completely. Here are a few prospects who could be around for Boston at No. 45:
David Duke Jr., Providence, Guard
Duke is a local kid -- he grew up in Rhode Island and attended high school at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts -- and averaged 16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Friars last season as a rangy, athletic guard.
Johnny Juzang, Guard, UCLA
The Celtics could use some outside shooting, and Juzang shot nearly 45% from the floor last season while catching fire for the Bruins in the NCAA Tournament.
Neemias Queta, Utah State, Center
If the C's move Tristan Thompson this summer, they could take a flier on a big man to develop behind Robert Williams and veteran Al Horford. The 7-foot Queta averaged a double-double for Utah State and has a whole lot of upside.
