National Basketball Association

NBA 6-Pack: Chris Broussard analyzes, predicts the 2021 NBA Draft

Updated Jul. 29, 2021 3:15 p.m. ET

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There's no shortage of star power in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

Tonight, Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, will host the NBA Draft for the eighth time in the venue's history. 

The Detroit Pistons own the first pick — for the first time since 1970 — followed by the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic rounding out out the top five. 

A college freshman has been the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft for the past 11 years, and it looks like it'll be more of the same this time around. 

With that, FOX Sports NBA Analyst Chris Broussard is here to provide six draft predictions and thoughts before the spectacle gets underway. 

1. If you are the Detroit Pistons, which prospect are you looking at taking No. 1? Which guy gives you the best chance to turn your franchise around immediately?

Broussard: Most people around the league that I’ve spoken to say Cade Cunningham is the guy, and ultimately, I think that’s probably who Detroit picks. But Jalen Green is said to have wowed the Pistons with his workout, so he seems like a legitimate possibility.   

2. The Golden State Warriors own the 7th and 14th overall picks in the draft. Stephen Curry will enter the upcoming season at 33 years old, while Draymond Green and Klay Thompson will both enter the season at the age of 31 –  with Thompson coming off two major injuries. Is it in the Warriors’ best interest to use both picks to supplement their roster with youth and depth, or should they look to cash in those picks, possibly alongside last year’s No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, to add a proven star on the same timeline of their core group?

Broussard: The Warriors should definitely try to turn those two picks into a star who can help them immediately. They need to maximize their championship window while Curry remains one of the best players in the world – a period of say, the next four years. Ideally, they’d be able to get Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards for their assets. In fact, I think Beal should tell the Wizards he wants to be traded to a contender and that the Warriors are high on his list. I’d hate to give up Wiseman if I’m Golden State, and I’d try like the dickens to keep him while still getting Beal. That may not be possible, though.

3. The consensus top four players in this draft class heading into Thursday night are Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Green and Jalen Suggs. Do you see any of the four being a superstar?

Broussard: I think Cunningham and Green could become superstars, and Suggs and Mobley can be stars. 

4. Is there a player outside of the elite four that you believe could end up potentially being the steal of the draft a few years down the line?

Broussard: I love Scottie Barnes, the 6-foot-9 point-forward out of Florida State. Don’t be fooled by his pedestrian stats (10 points, four assists, four rebounds per game) during his one season in college. He’s perhaps the most versatile player in the draft. He’s got high-level passing and ball-handling skills and can even play point guard. He gets after it defensively. His jump shot needs big work, but he’s a strong player with a high basketball IQ and big-time upside.

5. Toronto made seven consecutive playoff berths between 2013-20, including winning an NBA title in 2019. However, the Raptors missed the playoffs last season and now hold the No. 4 pick, with longtime PG Kyle Lowry presumably on his way out. Is it time for full-rebuild mode in Toronto, beginning with Thursday’s draft?

Broussard: Yes, it’s definitely time for a rebuild. That doesn’t mean jettisoning all of their veterans, but it does mean knowing they need a new core. They should begin building that core now around the No. 4 pick.

6. The Sacramento Kings have picked in the lottery in 13 of the past 14 drafts. This year, the Kings will pick ninth. They seem to have found their franchise PG in De’Aaron Fox, but what else is it going to take to get this team over the hump and back into contention?

Broussard: That seems to be the million-dollar question. Fox is a potential second- or third-tier star, and Tyrese Haliburton had a strong rookie season. The Kings need to find either a transcendent superstar player/talent, or four young players whose games and timetables (for their prime years of play) match and complement each other. To date, they’ve found neither.

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National Basketball Association

Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham

Golden State Warriors

Evan Mobley

Jalen Suggs

Scottie Barnes

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Florida State Seminoles

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Toronto Raptors

Sacramento Kings

Chris Broussard