The San Antonio Spurs were big winners on lottery night; our latest NBA Mock Draft goes through Victor Wembanyama's presumed new home and every first-round pick.
The 2023 NBA draft order is set after the lottery gods once again blessed the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick and a generational big-man prospect to use it on. Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons fell four spots to No. 5 and will have to get more creative to maximize their opportunity.
With the order now finalized and the NBA Draft Combine in full swing, it really is draft season. Expect a lot of movement on draft boards between now and June as teams interview players, host individual workouts and dive deep into personal backgrounds. In the meantime, NBA Twitter will run rampant with speculation and debate over what teams should do.
There are plenty of quality prospects at the top of the board this year; it's Wembanyama and everyone else, but there are multiple potential All-Stars or starters littered throughout the lottery. Even the backend of the first round has the potential to yield several reliable contributors.
For more information on potential draft targets for your team, check out our most recent big board ranking the top 60 prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft.
2023 NBA Mock Draft: Who gets picked in the first round?
Fresh off his national championship with UConn, Andre Jackson is starting to generate first-round buzz. A unique prospect who offers very little as a scorer but a lot elsewhere, Jackson is ready to fill a role for a contender. His open-court playmaking, versatile defense, and relentless hustle could fit nicely with the Clippers.
Brandin Podziemski has been steadily rising up draft boards all season with Santa Clara. He's a crafty scorer with endless confidence and deep 3-point range. There are some concerns about his athleticism translating to the NBA, so he'd be best paired with an elite playmaker in the backcourt like Tyrese Haliburton.
Dariq Whitehead recently underwent his second foot surgery after an underwhelming freshman campaign at Duke. Once hailed as a potential top-10 pick, Whitehead never looked quite himself in Durham. Questions remain about his athleticism, and now there are lingering injury concerns to consider, but there aren't many more complete wings on the board than Whitehead at full capacity.
The Hornets' draft history is all over the place, but selecting the semi-local prospect with massive upside (and downside) feels like a Charlotte move. GG Jackson was originally the top recruit in the high school class of 2024 before reclassifying and joining South Carolina as a 17-year-old. He's the youngest player on the board and a tantalizing 6-foot-9 athlete who can create his own shot. There's plenty of untapped potential.
Jett Howard could tumble on draft night due to defensive concerns. That would make the Pacers a very lucky team. Howard is an elite shooter with positional size at 6-foot-8. He flashed some potential for self-creation at Michigan and he competes hard on defense; now the fundamentals and conditioning need to catch up.
The Grizzlies were decimated by injuries in the frontcourt last season. While they may have bigger concerns on their mind with Ja Morant's looming suspension, there's logic behind acquiring a shot-blocker and rim-runner of Dereck Lively's caliber. He's just a monster athlete, listed at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan.
Kris Murray joins his twin brother Keegan in Sacramento, supplying the Kings with more size and shooting in the frontcourt. Murray is one of the more polished off-ball scorers in the draft — a proven college star who should fit immediately with the Kings' high-voltage offense.
Jusuf Nurkic's steep decline has left the Blazers with a clear need for size and rim protection in the paint. James Nnaji is an absolute destroyer of men in the paint, 6-foot-10 with a plus-9 wingspan. He can wall off the basket for opposing offenses and he's built like a tank, putting his strength to good use on the block.
Rayan Rupert is one of the youngest players on the board and he has experience against grown men in Australia's NBL. A wrist injury interrupted his season, but Rupert is a lengthy and versatile perimeter defender with a knack for creating turnovers. On the offensive end, he needs to iron out his 3-point shot.
Brice Sensabaugh was the best freshman shooter in college basketball when one considers both the efficiency and the relative difficulty of his shot attempts. No one was better at making contested jumpers. Sensabaugh has a deep bag of tricks off the dribble and he's capable of scoring at all three levels, often leveraging his strength to bully defenders in the post. One has to imagine Sensabaugh will find his way to points in the NBA. The question is, will difficult shot-making without creating for others or defending at a high level really translate to winning basketball?
The Rockets get another long, versatile forward to add to the mix alongside Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. Leonard Miller was highly productive for the G-League Ignite, averaging a 16.9-point double-double. He can handle the ball fluidly and he thrives running the floor in transition. If his 3-point shot comes around and he locks in on defense, Miller could be one of the draft's biggest steals.
The Warriors have to consider a future that may or may not include Draymond Green. Either way, there's value in Noah Clowney — a versatile defensive weapon in the frontcourt. He's also 18 years old, and as Golden State has shown in the recent past with picks like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, they tend to prioritize youth and upside on draft night.
The Heat grab backcourt help in the form of Jalen Hood-Schifino, a shifty scorer from Indiana. Hood-Schifino is an elusive ball-handler who displays tremendous touch on floaters and mid-range jumpers. Mild inconsistency and a lack of explosiveness around the rim are holdups, but there's obvious upside as a secondary creator helping Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro shoulder the load.
Keyonte George's lack of efficiency at Baylor is cause for concern, but his shot profile is generally positive and he shoots the 3 well. His craft off the dribble, combined with flashes of playmaking out of the pick-and-roll, gives George ample upside as a secondary creator in the Lakers' offense. That role takes on elevated importance if Austin Reaves leaves for more money in free agency.
Kobe Bufkin has been a steady source of first-round buzz for some time now. Utah has guard depth, but Collin Sexton and Talen Horton-Tucker can only take you so far. Bufkin is a tenacious defender and talented slasher who could give the Utah offense more rim pressure and another source of playmaking in the backcourt.
Bobi Klintman recently withdrew from the combine, the kind of behavior that could suggest a favorable first-round promise. The Hawks will be looking for frontcourt help whenever John Collins is finally offloaded. Klintman is a 6-foot-10 wing who can spread the floor and comfortably grab-and-go in transition. The NBA has never been hungrier for big, skilled wings.
Jordan Hawkins received the annual "Best Player on the NCAA Champion" boost. He's widely projected as a lottery pick now; the Pelicans, in search of prospects who complement what is theoretically a winning core, take the proven role player with an elite, immediately translatable skill.
If nothing else, Hawkins will make the net sing. He's arguably the best shooter on the board: equally deadly spotting up, running off screens, or pulling up. His mechanics are crisp and clean; there's no wasted movement, no wasted time. He would be well suited to 4-2 pick-and-rolls with Zion Williamson, setting screens and then popping out to the perimeter while Zion rumbles downhill, not unlike what Joel Embiid and J.J. Redick used to do in Philadelphia.
Hawkins' ancillary skill set is more bare-bones than other lottery prospects, but sometimes all you need to succeed in the NBA is one elite skill and some heart. Hawkins scraps his way to positive possessions on the defensive end and at 6-foot-5, he's a decent enough athlete to avoid persistent targeting.
He doesn't have much juice as a ball-handler, but Hawkins will warp the defense plenty with his shooting. When you have a downhill threat of Zion's caliber — not to mention other offensive hubs like Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jonas Valanciunas — it's hard to overstate the value of a truly elite movement shooter.
Injuries overwhelmed Nick Smith's freshman season at Arkansas. The former top recruit struggled to stay on the floor and when he was on the floor, he didn't look like the Nick Smith we all expected. That shouldn't deter the Raptors from maintaining confidence in the 19-year-old who was widely considered a top-5 pick before the season.
Smith has good positional size at 6-foot-5, a trait the Raptors, in particular, seem to value. He's also an excellent fit in terms of skill set. Toronto's lack of self-creation and perimeter scoring was a big issue last season. Smith isn't quite full-time point guard material, but he's a shifty ball-handler who can get to his spots and provide Toronto with more points created from scratch.
What makes Smith special is his ability to operate with or without the basketball. He's a nifty cutter who has a good sense of when to relocate and how to keep the defense occupied. He has absurd, star-making touch on shots at the rim. His was an inconsistent 3-point shooter at Arkansas, but he took a healthy volume and there's reason to believe in the jumper long-term.
A lot of folks will have to reflect and reconsider their opinion of Masai Ujiri and the Raptors' front office if Toronto passes up on a guard prospect of Smith's caliber in favor of another wing. At some point, they have to add a greater variety of role and skill to that offensive ecosystem.
Check out our full scouting report on Nick Smith Jr.
OKC has been more willing than most teams to bet on young, athletic, less-proven overseas talent (see: Aleksej Pokusevski, Ousmane Dieng). With a competitive core already established and a good chance to take another leap next season with the imminent return of Chet Holmgren, there's no harm in taking another patient upside swing.
Bilal Coulibaly is one of the youngest players on the board. Starring in the shadow of Victor Wembanyama with Metropolitans 92, Coulibaly has wowed talent evaluators with his explosive finishes, ferocious rebounding, and versatile defense.
Not many 18-year-olds show Coulibaly's awareness on defense; he's constantly shooting the gaps and making timely rotations. His 7-foot-3 wingspan poses quite the hurdle for opposing ball-handlers and he's already strong battling bigger wings. He could potentially defend 1-4.
OKC has built its offense around a gaggle of competent playmakers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams. Coulibaly doesn't offer much off the dribble, but he's a good finisher around the rim who makes enough 3s to keep the defense honest. As a play-finisher and potential defensive cornerstone, he makes a lot of sense in the 12-spot.
Check out our full scouting report on Bilal Coulibaly.
The Magic have long prioritized athleticism and length on draft night. Gradey Dick isn't the most explosive athlete, but he does bring size to the perimeter (6-foot-8) and he's probably the single most ideal offensive fit available.
Dick, next to the aforementioned Hawkins, is in the running for the best shooter in the draft. He can fly around the perimeter like a madman, or he can size his man up off the dribble before burying him in a sea of nylon. The Magic offense already has multiple sources of playmaking and scoring around the rim; what it desperately needs is someone to draw the defense out to the 3-point line.
With Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Markelle Fultz slashing downhill, Dick would be well-positioned to feast on spot-up jumpers. Dick also offers complementary support beyond his shooting. He doesn't have the burst or wiggle to create his own shots, but Dick is a rapid-fire playmaker who loves to keep the ball popping around the floor.
There are valid concerns about Dick's ability to defend stronger wings one-on-one. He won't be able to keep pace with twitcher guards on the perimeter either. That said, Dick does bring a fair amount of size and intelligence to the defensive end. He knows when to help and he's active in passing lanes. He's not the complete defensive liability some are making him out to be.
Check out our full scouting report on Gradey Dick.
Dallas has a lot to figure out this offseason after what can only be described as a disastrous 2022-23 season that finished with them haphazardly tanking to keep their top-10 protected pick. Luckily the lottery gods showed mercy and let them keep the pick; now, it's a matter of whether or not they use it or trade it.
If the pick is indeed made by Dallas, Cason Wallace feels like a reasonable bet. The Mavs need better defenders across the board, but their perimeter defense was especially problematic after the Kyrie Irving trade. A 6-foot-3 guard can only cover so much ground, but Wallace is a bullish defender who puts his 6-foot-8 wingspan to excellent use.
He's all over the place: blowing up passing lanes, suffocating ball-handlers at the point of attack, or flying into the lane as an unorthodox but highly effective source of rim protection. Wallace's effort level would be a welcome reprieve for Dallas fans who had to deal with the team's apathy down the stretch.
Wallace doesn't offer the same offensive ceiling as some of his lottery counterparts, but with Luka in tow and Kyrie likely to return, the Mavs aren't short on shot creation. Wallace is a mistake-averse passer who can space the floor and bury the occasional floater. He struggles to turn the corner against length and he doesn't have much vertical pop at the rim, but he's a good complementary piece for a team with elite primary playmakers already in place.
Check out our full scouting report on Cason Wallace.
The Jazz essentially remake their backcourt with Anthony Black and Kobe Bufkin. Black doesn't share the traits of your traditional Danny Ainge star guard (Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving, etc.), but he's the perfect playmaking engine for Will Hardy's balanced, movement-driven offense.
Utah likes to spread the wealth and get everyone involved. Black is the classic modern combo guard: a jumbo-sized playmaker who processes the game at a high level and who loves to play set-up man. Black can pressure the rim and he's capable of explosive finishes, but he's not a prolific self-creator. He's geared toward elevating teammates.
Black's limited shooting is the primary hang-up right now. He's inconsistent from deep and he doesn't have a pull-up game to speak of. Defenders will sag off and make it difficult for Black to find open lanes to the rim. Utah, for the short term, has enough shooting dynamism to offset Black's weaknesses. Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, and Collin Sexton can help shoulder the load.
At 6-foot-7, Black's defense is another highlight of his draft profile. He's rugged at the point of attack and always tuned in off the ball. He makes plays, and Utah already has a terrific young backstop in Walker Kessler to empower Black.
Check out our full scouting report on Anthony Black.
The Wizards feel superglued to mediocrity at this point. No single draft pick will fix their problems, but Jarace Walker could go a long way toward reshaping their team identity. A strong-bodied defensive enforcer who can credibly guard 1-5, Walker would fit hand-in-glove as a potential Kyle Kuzma replacement at power forward.
Washington is widely expected to re-sign Kristaps Porzingis on the heels of his revitalizing 2022-23 season. While it's fair to question Washington's motivation for keeping the Beal-Porzingis duo in place, it's hard to imagine a better frontcourt partner for Walker to start his career alongside.
Porzingis is an incredible offensive luxury due to his ability to bomb deep 3s. He draws centers out of the paint and can really open the lane for an interior, downhill playmaker hub like Walker. Porzingis, meanwhile, can struggle with physicality and maneuverability on the defensive end. Walker is a switchable tank that can wage war in the post.
There's also potential for Walker to develop offensive chemistry with Bradley Beal in two-man actions on the perimeter. Walker sets thundering screens and he's a highly adept finisher in the paint, complete with balletic footwork and remarkable touch.
Check out our full scouting report on Jarace Walker.
The Pacers form the foundation of a defensive superteam with Myles Turner and Taylor Hendricks in the frontcourt. Hendricks has been steadily rising up draft boards all season; the Pacers have struggled to find the right blend of skill and versatility at the 4-spot.
Hendricks can't really create his own offense: he's stiff off the dribble with limited court vision and a distinct lack of scoring craft. What he does well is everything else. Hendricks is a hyper-versatile defender, capable of switching onto the perimeter to contain guards or getting dirty in the post. He's the draft's best roamer, wandering away from non-shooters to protect the rim from the weak side or disrupt passing lanes.
On the offensive end, the Pacers don't need Hendricks to create his own looks. Tyrese Halliburton was second in the NBA in assists per game last season; he's arguably the best set-up man alive. Plus, Bennedict Mathurin figures to assume expanded offensive duties as a slasher and secondary creator in year two.
Hendricks is there to shoot 3s, and shoot 3s he will. Hendricks shot just shy of 40 percent from deep on healthy volume at UCF. He's one of the best spot-up shooters on the board, making him the archetypal 3-and-D wing every team covets (he toes the line between wing and big). Myles Turner can also shoot, allowing the Pacers to go five-out with Haliburton and Mathurin running the show.
Check out our full scouting report on Taylor Hendricks.
The Magic have prioritized athleticism and positional versatility above all else in years past. Ausar Thompson fits right in, offering the Magic an explosive playmaker who, at 6-foot-7, can guard all over the perimeter. Orlando would have some difficult personnel decisions to make in the backcourt, but Thompson is too talented to pass up.
Thompson is a blinding-quick slasher who has no trouble getting into the paint and creating for teammates. He's a reactive, visionary passer who could end up leading the draft class in assists. He spent some time off the ball for the City Reapers in the Overtime Elite league too, which could hasten his acclimation period playing alongside other playmaking wings like Banchero and Wagner.
What will give Orlando the most pause is Thompson's poor jumper. He's further along than his twin brother Amen, but Ausar still won't demand consistent attention on the perimeter when he enters the league. Spacing is already an issue for the Magic, especially when one considers Markelle Fultz's place in the offensive hierarchy (a Thompson pick might beget a Fultz trade).
Orlando adds an elite shooter in Gradey Dick with the No. 11 pick, however, and there's enough shooting between Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Cole Anthony to avoid the complete arterial blockage of driving lanes. Orlando would have to work to place the right supporting cast around the Thompson-Banchero-Wagner triumvirate, but the skill level and athleticism between them are breathtaking to think about.
Check out our full scouting report on Ausar Thompson.
The Pistons were the big losers on lottery night, dropping from No. 1 to No. 5 — the kind of misfortune that can set a rebuild back. Luckily for Detroit, the top of the lottery is brimming with talent this year. Cam Whitmore is not only a decent consolation prize; he's a potential star wing who can lead the next decade of Detroit basketball.
Whitmore's production fluctuated at Villanova. He didn't have the consistency of other top-5 pick candidates, but the flashes were enough to keep him locked on the Pistons' radar. Whitmore has a rare blend of strength and explosiveness. His first step is electric and there's significant shot-creation upside if he can refine his handles.
Jarace Walker is another name to watch here — he'd certainly align with the Pistons' recent hyper-focus on size and strength in the post — but Whitmore's ceiling is too appealing. He's enough of a shooter and off-ball weapon to fit next to Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey in the short term. In the long term, he has the chance to develop into another legitimate go-to option.
At 6-foot-7, Whitmore's tremendous strength and athleticism translate to the defensive end too. He's capable of guarding 1-4 on paper and he has eruptive potential as an off-ball disruptor. He might take more time to click at the next level than others drafted in this range, but he's worth the patience for Detroit.
Check out our full scouting report on Cam Whitmore.
How confident the Rockets are in their offseason plans to add experienced talent could determine the direction they take here. If James Harden has basically given them a wink-wink, nod-nod agreement, maybe a non-shooting guard who demands touches like Amen Thompson is the wrong move. It wouldn't then be surprising for wings like Whitmore or Hendricks (or even Amen's slightly more wing-oriented brother, Ausar) to take priority.
That said, Amen is the best player available and the Rockets, on the surface, are not in a position to prioritize theoretical future fit over raw talent. Plus, we have seen Harden exponentially improve young guards with his presence before (see: Tyrese Maxey). If Harden is the summer plan, there's still plenty of appeal in riding with Amen here.
Thompson is a true one-of-one athlete. His movement skills are off the charts. The dude can zip by defenders before they have a chance to rotate their hips. His ability to bounce side-to-side and evade defenders in traffic is quite rare for essentially a 6-foot-7 wing. He's also one of the best passers in the draft; reactive and proactive, consistently leveraging his gravity as a driver to generate looks for teammates.
It's hard not to get excited by the sheer athletic potential of a Thompson-Green backcourt. Harden would change the trajectory of the team short-term, but he's one of the best playmakers on the planet. Thompson has the athleticism to thrive as a cutter or filling the lane in transition. He's a smart player; one has to imagine he'd adjust. The primary issue is that Thompson can't shoot right now. It's a glaring hole in his game and he'll need to work hard at it.
Check out our full scouting report on Amen Thompson.
Frankly, Amen Thompson feels far more in line with the Blazers' recent drafting M.O., but there doesn't appear to be a world in which Brandon Miller falls further than the No. 3 pick at this point. The Blazers are expected to explore trade options here, and there is surely a long list of teams who would have interest in acquiring Miller's services.
If the Blazers do keep the pick, Miller is probably the most natural fit. At 6-foot-9, he would give the Blazers more size and shooting on the wing. Portland needs more spacers on the perimeter; Miller is an elite volume shooter, spotting up or pulling up. He would be well positioned as the Robin to Damian Lillard's Batman.
Miller showed impressive instincts as a playmaker as the season progressed at Alabama. There are still some concerns about his verticality and finishing at the rim, but his soft touch, long frame, and season-long improvement arc are reasons for optimism. As a secondary creator who can attack the rotating defense off dimes from Lillard and Anfernee Simons, it's hard to imagine a better immediate fit for Miller.
Portland will also have interest in Miller's defensive profile: he's not the mega-athlete they tend to prefer, but he's a switchable 6-foot-9 wing who could join forces with Matisse Thybulle and Jerami Grant to wall off the perimeter for opposing offenses.
Check out our full scouting report on Brandon Miller.
The Hornets were probably not the ideal No. 2 outcome for folks hoping to see Scoot Henderson off the board before Brandon Miller. The Alabama wing is a strong candidate to join Charlotte here given the presence of LaMelo Ball as a primary ball-handler and foundational piece in the Hornets' rotation.
That said… miss me with the "Hornets shouldn't have two point guards" argument. Ball is a bombs-away 3-point shooter and passing wizard who loves to keep the ball popping; Henderson is an explosive downhill attacker who puts pressure on the rim and scores proficiently at every level. There is absolutely a synergistic potential fit between Ball and Henderson.
Plus, think of the entertainment value. Henderson has been compared to Russell Westbrook not only stylistically, but also in terms of personality. "Killer instinct" is overused in the basketball vernacular but gosh darn it, Henderson wants to kill his opponent. He really does attack the rim. Him getting out in transition and catching passes from Ball with momentum toward the basket is a tantalizing thought.
Henderson is only 6-foot-3 but he has a plus-6 wingspan and the ability to defend either guard spot. Ball is already a taller guard, so the defensive overlap and size concerns are minimal. The Hornets have been running Terry Rozier in the backcourt for years now. Henderson is an immediate upgrade. I'd imagine this team, with this backcourt, is winning games sooner than later.
Check out our full scouting report on Scoot Henderson.
How poetic. The Spurs, after two decades of dominance with former No. 1 pick Tim Duncan, are now set to draft the next great big man prospect in Victor Wembanyama. He's the most hyped prospect since LeBron James, and the hype machine has already run amok. He's also French, so we have Tony Parker posting photos of a young Wembanyama in his Spurs jersey. This was destiny.
It's hard to imagine a better landing spot for Wembanyama individually. He will get the keys to the car straight away — the Spurs have talent, but no clear No. 1 stars clamoring for touches. It's Wemby's show, and the collection of talented wings around him (Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson) fits extremely well on paper. Vassell-Wemby pick-and-rolls will be very fun.
There also isn't a better basketball development hotspot than San Antonio. He will get to learn the ropes from Gregg freakin' Popovich while working with the best support staff in the league. "Spurs Culture" is probably a slightly overrated idea, but there's a reason Popovich has five rings to his name. That team tends to do things the right way, Kawhi Leonard notwithstanding.
The Spurs' rebuild has just been fast-tracked. Wembanyama is a truly generational talent — all of 7-foot-4, he can hit running 3s, handle in the pick-and-roll, go to the Dirk fadeaway in the post, or simply catch lobs at the rim with his 9-foot-7 standing reach. Oh, and he'll probably win DPOY one day with his rim protection. San Antonio fans should be celebrating in the streets.
Check out our full scouting report on Victor Wembanyama.
