Jalen Green, Cade Cunningham top Jason McIntyre's NBA Mock Draft 3.0
By Jason McIntyre
FOX Sports Betting Analyst
The 2021 NBA Draft is less than four weeks away.
The combine just happened in Chicago. Players rose (Scottie Barnes! Corey Kispert!) after measurements were taken. Team needs became crystallized as the playoffs progressed. Despite Cade Cunningham's being the most complete prospect in the draft right now, please remember that the draft is forward-looking, and that’s why explosive scorer Jalen Green is at the top of this mock draft. After watching guards Trae Young, Ja Morant and Devin Booker dominate the playoffs, Green becomes more and more attractive.
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1. Detroit Pistons – Jalen Green, wing, G League
Yes, Cade Cunningham is the people’s choice – a do-it-all wing who could probably lead the Pistons to the playoffs in a couple of years. But Jalen Green has the higher ceiling, as he's a player who can be an MVP and dominate in the playoffs like Donovan Mitchell. If you draft for fit, then go Cunningham, who might morph into Khris Middleton, which is a very good thing. Green is already a better shot-creator than Anthony Edwards, who went to Minnesota at No. 1 and averaged 19 points per game as a rookie.
2. Houston Rockets – Cade Cunningham, wing, Oklahoma State
The Rockets are a blank slate. Besides Christian Wood and perhaps John Wall – assuming the latter is healthy – they could draft for any position. Maturity in the locker room is needed. Cunningham’s turnovers (21.9% turnover percentage) are an issue, but that's really the only flaw in his game. As intriguing as Evan Mobley would be alongside Wood in a lineup with interior defense and shooting from both bigs, Houston has to take Cunningham if he’s here.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers – Evan Mobley, big, USC
The Cavs have a promising backcourt (Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, aka "Sexland"), and they love 2020 lottery pick Isaac Okoro on the wing. Jarrett Allen at center was a big win in the James Harden trade. Mobley slides right in at power forward, potentially as a Chris Bosh-type player in a few years. He’s already excellent defensively. Expect a push to trade Sexton so the Cavs can draft Jalen Suggs, who isn’t the scorer Sexton is but is a better decision-maker in the backcourt.
4. Toronto Raptors – Jalen Suggs, point guard, Gonzaga
This is the toughest team in the top five to predict because of the swirling trade rumors. Nick Nurse’s relationship with Pascal Siakam was on the rocks at times this season. Is there a Ben Simmons trade here? What is the status of GM Masai Ujuri? The Raptors would love Mobley to fall here. If Kyle Lowry moves on, do they tear it down and start the rebuild? For now, we’ll go with Suggs, but this situation is the most fluid of any team at the top.
5. Orlando Magic – Scottie Barnes, wing, Florida State
We know that historically, GM John Hammond has gravitated to long, athletic types (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba, to name a few). That bodes well for Jonathan Kuminga, who is still only 18. But his shot remains a large question, and the Magic, one year after making the playoffs, need to get back in or risk another full-on reboot. Barnes has a 73-inch wingspan, and he’d instantly be the most skilled player on the Magic. But he is limited and/or reluctant offensively. Just go watch his disaster vs. Michigan in March Madness if you need evidence.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder – Alperen Sengun, F/C, Turkey
OKC was the biggest draft lottery loser and thus remains two years away from being two years away. We’ll see what happens with Kemba Walker, but the Thunder might start five players younger than 24 years old and be in the 15-to-20-win range next season. Why not take a chance on an 18-year-old MVP of the vaunted Turkish Super League and see what the backcourt of Theo Maledon and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks like?
7. Golden State Warriors (from Minnesota) – Franz Wagner, forward, Michigan
The Warriors will desperately try to trade this pick, likely packaged with Kelly Oubre and/or James Wiseman, to try to land an impact star such as Bradley Beal. If they keep the pick, they need a plug-and-play guy, not another teenager. The problem is there aren’t many of them to be had here. Wagner is the type of inside/outside player with a high IQ who can play alongside Draymond Green and instantly help the Warriors. He isn't the seventh-best prospect in the draft, but he might be ideal for Golden State.
8. Orlando Magic (from Chicago) – Jonathan Kuminga, forward, G League
A tantalizing athlete, Kuminga could slide a bit after he bailed on his G League team’s final three games due to an undisclosed injury. Shooting is a big concern for Kuminga (25% on 3-pointers), who physically reminds me of Jaylen Brown. (Brown started as a 34% shooter on 1.7 attempts per game; he was up to 39% on 7.1 attempts last season.) The Magic could try to package two picks and players to swing for the fences for Ben Simmons because a Simmons/Isaac defensive front line would be formidable and could get them back to the playoffs before the young kids might.
9. Sacramento Kings – Moses Moody, wing, Arkansas
The team with the longest postseason drought in the NBA would love to trade for an impact player. Given the Kings' recent struggles in the lottery – just 2-for-8 in the past nine years, with Tyrese Haliburton and De’Aaron Fox the only hits – that’s a great idea. Good luck with that. New GM Monte McNair is analytically driven and worked for Daryl Morey in Houston, so expect him to take a long look at Moody, who rates highly in FG percentage (44.2%) and free-throw shooting (81%) and posted a 56.8% true shooting percentage as a freshman, which tops that of first-round wings such as Cunningham, Barnes and Keon Johnson.
10. New Orleans Pelicans – Davion Mitchell, guard, Baylor
Who, if anyone, would make Zion Williamson happy? The Pelicans are a massive wild card, and they’d be smart to move heaven and earth to land Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal. Meanwhile, in reality, they might lose Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, and ownership has never paid the luxury tax. Also, they have a new coach coming in. This team doesn't need another young project; it needs help now. Mitchell, who is 22, carries some risk, given the history of 22-year-olds in the lottery, but he’s a fantastic defender with explosive scoring ability. He and Eric Bledsoe would be the Spider-Man meme come to life.
11. Charlotte Hornets – Jalen Johnson, forward, Duke
If Johnson displays maturity in the interview process, the top 10 could be in play. A fall to the late 20s also isn’t out of the question. Charlotte is perfect for Johnson, who has lots of upside with his passing skill set and switchability on defense. In Charlotte, he wouldn't be forced into playing too much too soon but, rather, would learn behind a veteran in Gordon Hayward. Charlotte’s length on the bench – Miles Bridges, Jalen McDaniels, plus Johnson – would be impressive.
12. San Antonio Spurs – Josh Giddey, wing, Adelaide 36ers
Is there a more perfect fit in the back half of the lottery? The Spurs' vaunted player development staff turned former ninth overall pick Jakob Poeltl from bust in Toronto to starter in just three years in San Antonio. Giddey is more skilled and eventually could remind some of Pau Gasol if his defense comes around.
13. Indiana Pacers – Cam Thomas, guard, LSU
The Pacers are in a pickle in which they’ll lose two rotational guys – Doug McDermott and T.J. McConnell – in free agency and are locked into Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert for more than $75 million for the next two seasons. With scoring guards T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb entering contract years, Thomas can call next and push for a starting spot in two years.
14. Golden State Warriors – James Bouknight, wing, Connecticut
He’s a bucket in the way that Jordan Clarkson and CJ McCollum can instantly provide scoring. But all that other stuff – defense, distribution – doesn’t come as easily. To preserve and prolong Stephen Curry’s prime, the more the Warriors can rest him in the regular season and get, say, 15 a night from Bouknight, the more fresh the best shooter in NBA history will be come playoff time.
15. Washington Wizards – Corey Kispert, wing/forward, Gonzaga
Kispert tested extremely well at the combine (30-inch, no-step vertical leap) and is widely considered the best shooter in the draft. It isn't clear that he can create like Tyler Herro, and he doesn’t have the size of Duncan Robinson. But that said, the Wizards going small with Davis Bertans, Beal and Kispert is an absolutely lethal trio of shooters.
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Boston) – Keon Johnson, combo, Tennessee
In a perfect world, the player with the best vertical leap (48 inches) in NBA combine history, who also set the record for standing vertical leap (41 inches), develops a jumper and goes from athlete to scorer. But the world isn’t perfect. Ask legendary leapers Jason Richardson, Dee Brown and Harold Miner, who played in a combined zero All-Star Games. Johnson athletically reminds me of Hamidou Diallo, who fell to the second round in 2018 but averaged 11.5 PPG this season.
17. Memphis Grizzlies – Usman Garuba, power forward, Real Madrid
The third-youngest team in the NBA might have $20 million in salary-cap room to add a free agent, so this pick could be in play. If the Grizzlies keep it, a draft-and-stash is in play. Garuba is only 18 but projects as a young Serge Ibaka, though the offense isn’t quite there yet for him.
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami) – Isaiah Jackson, forward/center, Kentucky
With their third first-round pick this year — fear not, OKC fans, you have 15 more in the next five years — the Thunder take a chance on the 6-foot-10 center with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Jackson started the season slowly but finished with six double-figure scoring outings in his final seven games. He is foul-prone and a couple of years from being a big factor, but he’s talented. And after trading Al Horford and Moses Brown, the Thunder are in need of a couple of bigs.
19. New York Knicks – Chris Duarte, guard, Oregon
The Knicks were the second-best 3-point-shooting team in the NBA but ranked 27th in attempts this season. The offense was exposed in the postseason, as New York was forced to rely upon Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks to provide points. They’re both free agents. Duarte shot 42% on 3-pointers and will be an all-defense candidate sooner than later.
20. Atlanta Hawks – Sharife Cooper, guard, Auburn
As has been clearly evident in the playoffs, Trae Young is a budding star. And with him off the court … the Hawks struggled. Kris Dunn hasn’t been healthy. A backup point guard is a clear need for Atlanta, and there might not be a better fit in the 20s than Cooper to the Hawks. Cooper played only 12 games and didn’t shoot very well from 3 (22%), but from his handle to his pick-and-roll potential, he makes all the sense for Atlanta.
21. New York Knicks (from Dallas) – Jared Butler, guard, Baylor
Derrick Rose was excellent, but he’ll be 33 in October. Frank Ntilikina and Elfrid Payton are on their way out. Immanuel Quickley is the future point guard, assuming the Knicks don’t trade for someone such as Lillard, and a veteran such as Butler fits perfectly behind him. If Butler’s medicals check out, he’s in play in the first round: He shot 41% on 3s and is a fantastic defender (42nd in college basketball with a 3.75 steal rate, best of any first-round prospect).
22. Los Angeles Lakers – Miles McBride, guard, West Virginia
McBride is quietly rising up the charts after measuring well — yes, that’s a thing — at the combine. His 6-foot-8 wingspan (he’s only 6-foot-2), combined with 41% 3-point shooting (on 3.8 attempts per game), have made him a hot commodity. Trying to figure out what the Lakers will do in the draft is a fool’s errand because you know they’ll at least kick the tires on NBA stars in free agency. McBride feels firmly like a first-round pick.
23. Houston Rockets (from Portland) – Tre Mann, guard, Florida
No change. Mann didn’t measure well at the combine (he isn't 6-foot-5, and his wingspan is a pedestrian 6-foot-4), but he is only 20 years old and tore up the SEC last season, including dropping 30 on Tennessee’s two first-round prospects. His 83% foul shooting portends improvement from 3 (40% on 4.7 per game).
24. Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee) – Kai Jones, center, Texas
Jones is here mostly because he’s a high-end athlete at 6-foot-11. And yes, he’s from the Bahamas — so is Deandre Ayton! (No, Jones isn’t Ayton, but I’d be lying if I didn’t see Ayton perform exceptionally in the playoffs and begin thinking about the potential for a kid such as Jones or James Wiseman). Remember, teams don’t draft for what players are; they draft for what they can be.
25. LA Clippers – Ziaire Williams, wing, Stanford
Williams is a difficult evaluation because of how little basketball he played at Stanford (14 starts). Despite the wiry frame, his talent (and 6-foot-10 wingspan) could allow him to one day toggle between the 2-3-4. He doesn’t turn 20 until September. And if the Clippers trade Paul George …
26. Denver Nuggets – Johnny Juzang, forward, UCLA
With Michael Porter Jr.’s injuries and Jamal Murray likely missing at least the first four months of next season, what stood out from Denver’s postseason is that the Nuggets need scoring. Enter Juzang, a highly touted recruit who started at Kentucky and then guided UCLA to the Final Four with heroic performances against Michigan (11-of-19, 28 points) and undefeated Gonzaga (12-of-18, 29 points).
27. Brooklyn Nets – Josh Christopher, wing, Arizona State
The Nets will open next season as title favorites, and it’s unlikely that they’ll have a rookie on the roster while chasing a ring. Christopher didn’t shoot well from deep last season (30%), but his 80% free-throw percentage bodes well. He’s a first-round talent.
28. Philadelphia 76ers – Nah'Shon Hyland, guard, VCU
Hyland's tenacious defense and aggressive nature will fit well coming off the bench in Philadelphia, a city that loves blue-collar toughness. At only 6-foot-3, he has a 6-foot-9 wingspan. That matters more than his 169-pound weight. For instance, Cam Payne stood 6 feet but had a 6-foot-7 wingspan at 182 pounds. Hyland isn’t that type of shooter … yet.
29. Phoenix Suns – Ayo Dosunmu, guard, Illinois
The Suns will almost certainly lose crucial backup Cam Payne in free agency and elevate Jevon Carter. Given Chris Paul’s age (36) and history of injuries, the Suns are going to need another point guard. Dosunmu was an All-American who averaged 20-6-5.
30. Utah Jazz – Jaden Springer, guard, Tennessee
Perhaps the youngest prospect in the draft, Springer is still only 18. The Jazz have traded a first-round pick in four of the past five seasons, they just "parted ways" with their GM, and Donovan Mitchell is reportedly unhappy. A big decision awaits on Mike Conley, who has been injured and missed chunks of three of the previous four seasons. Springer’s game reminds me of Norman Powell. He is an explosive combo guard who is a couple of years away from popping.
Jason McIntyre is a FOX Sports gambling analyst, and he also writes about the NFL and NBA Draft. He joined FS1 in 2016 and has appeared on every show on the network. In 2017, McIntyre began producing gambling content on the NFL, college football and NBA for FOX Sports. He had a gambling podcast for FOX, "Coming Up Winners," in 2018 and 2019. Before arriving at FOX, he created the website The Big Lead, which he sold in 2010.
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