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The NCAA Tournament is done and so is the NBA regular season, setting the stage for an exciting summer of NBA Draft chatter.
The end of the season — both collegiate and professional — is a milestone in every NBA Draft cycle. The lottery odds are set, but the ping pong balls have yet to dish out their brutal, unforgiving verdict. Every lottery team, 1-14, has felt a faint glimmer of hope. The kind of hope only a 7-foot-5 Frenchman hitting one-legged fadeaways can inspire.
A diverse array of teams in different stages of development comprise this year’s lottery. Young teams like Orlando and Oklahoma City are a stone’s throw away from playoff basketball. Older teams like Washington and Portland desperately need to recalibrate. And then, of course, there are the committed bottom-dwellers, such as Houston and San Antonio. And, lest we forget, the abject disappointments — Dallas and Toronto.
How the ping pong balls fall could determine the course of NBA history. This is a particularly talented draft class, especially at the top. While attention has understandably been focused on Victor Wembanyama, there are several potential stars and high-level contributors littered throughout the top 14.
Who gets picked in the first round of our 2023 NBA Mock Draft?
As is tradition, we simulated the lottery via Tankathon — and thankfully, the fake lottery gods blessed us with a juicy outcome. It’s worth remembering that the worst teams in the NBA only have a 14 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick, which are not great odds. Anything can happen.
For insight on the top 60 prospects in this year’s class, you can read our latest big board here. This mock draft will take into account team fit as well as personal evaluation of each prospect, but we have also reached the point where prediction comes into play on some level. It’s far too early to predict with any real certainty, but we can use a team’s draft history and current set of needs — combined with the general buzz around prospects in the draft community — to make an educated guess about who’s rising and who certain teams might have interest in.
Brandin Podziemski
G // Santa Clara, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers close out the first round with a strong value pick. Brandin Podziemski flew under the radar at small-time Santa Clara, but his crafty shot creation and defensive toughness give him a clear path to NBA utility.
Nikola Durisic
F // Serbia, Indiana Pacers
Nikola Durisic began the season as a potential lottery pick before seeing his stock drop due to several factors, injury-related and otherwise. He’s still a talented 6-foot-9 playmaker with untapped two-way potential. The Pacers have three first-round picks and can afford an upside swing.
Kris Murray
F // Iowa, Utah Jazz
Kris Murray brings size and shooting to the perimeter, a combination that never goes out of style. His breakout season wasn’t without bumps in the road, but teams clearly liked his brother Keegan and could see a similar path to NBA relevance for the second twin.
Colby Jones
F // Xavier, Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets grab a winning player in Colby Jones, who did a little bit of everything at Xavier. He can spray 3s, he can defend multiple positions, and he’s a perceptive passer who projects as a snug-fitting role player on the wing next to an offensive hub like LaMelo Ball.
Maxwell Lewis
G // Pepperdine, Indiana Pacers
Maxwell Lewis is a long, shifty wing who struggled at times under the heavy offensive burden thrust upon him at Pepperdine. He would be able to streamline his duties with Indiana, focusing on catch-and-shoot 3s and attacking closeouts. Tyrese Haliburton is the ideal teammate for just about anyone looking to maximize their offensive situation.
Jalen Hood-Schifino
G // Indiana, Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies swing on Jalen Hood-Schifino, who tumbles a bit further than expected due to concerns about his efficiency at the rim. While Hood-Schifino’s lack of elite burst and reliance on difficult in-between shots will give some teams pause, there’s undeniable upside in his crafty handles and remarkable touch.
Rayan Rupert
G // France, Sacramento Kings
The Kings were the best offense in the NBA and a bottom-five defense. No rookie is going to solve that problem entirely, but Rayan Rupert boasts a 7-foot-3 wingspan and one of the most impressive defensive acumens in the draft. He gets after it on the perimeter and will force turnovers to feed Sacramento’s elite transition offense.
Dereck Lively II
C // Duke, Portland Trail Blazers
Dereck Lively improved drastically over the course of the season at Duke. He finished strong in Duke’s brief NCAA Tournament run, showcasing impressive defensive awareness and all the athletic tools that had many pegging him as a top-10 prospect before the season. Portland desperately needs to find their next starting center with Jusuf Nurkic on a sharp decline.
Bilal Coulibaly
F // France, Brooklyn Nets
Bilal Coulibaly is getting a lot of buzz despite operating in the rather large shadow of Victor Wembanyama for Metropolitans 92. He’s one of the youngest players in the draft and an undeniable athlete. His bursty athleticism and highlight-reel defense warrant the investment from Brooklyn.
Brice Sensabaugh
G // Ohio State, Brooklyn Nets
Brice Sensabaugh set nets aflame all season for Ohio State. The defensive concerns are legitimate and it’s fair to ask if all the contested jumpers will fall at the same rate in the NBA. But frankly, shot-makers of his caliber don’t come around too often and there’s reason to believe in the upside. Especially for the Nets, who could use some more firepower to lessen the scoring burden on Mikal Bridges.
Noah Clowney
F // Alabama, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors’ offseason could get complicated with the future of Draymond Green up in the air. The new CBA doesn’t seem to be doing them any favors and Green punching Jordan Poole in the wake of the latter’s big contract extension is still fresh in many minds. Either way, Noah Clowney makes sense as a versatile 6-foot-10 defender with untapped offensive potential. He’s one of the youngest players on the board.
Andre Jackson Jr.
F // Connecticut, Houston Rockets
Andre Jackson is one of the most unique prospects on the board, a brilliant basketball thinker who can influence winning without making a ton of shots. Houston already has offensive cornerstones in Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun, plus James Harden might soon be making his triumphant return. Jackson can help tie it all together with his fervent defense and high basketball I.Q.
Kobe Bufkin
G // Michigan, Miami Heat
Kobe Bufkin has seen his stock rise drastically in his sophomore season. He’s still quite young and he competes on both ends of the floor. Miami needs guard help with Kyle Lowry fading fast, and Bufkin has the kind of versatile skill set that can fit alongside and accentuate Miami’s star duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.
Jordan Hawkins
G // Connecticut, Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan Hawkins was the primary beneficiary of March Madness, leading his team to the national title and cementing his place in the first round in most projections. It’s fair to be concerned about the lack of variety in his skill set offensively, but Hawkins is a blistering 3-point shooter who can fly around screens and thrive in NBA-style actions. It’s hard to imagine a better home for such a player than next to LeBron James.
GG Jackson
F // South Carolina, Utah Jazz
GG Jackson was originally projected as a potential top pick in the 2024 draft before reclassifying to 2023 and joining South Carolina as a 17-year-old. In unsurprising news, his efficiency was in the gutter as he was asked to carry a significant offensive burden despite being less experienced than all his peers. Jackson’s statistical profile has justifiably left some wary, but he’s a 6-foot-8 athletic tank who can create his own looks off the dribble. Those players aren’t terribly common and he has more time than most to put the pieces together. The Jazz have three first-round picks and can afford the patient approach.
Dariq Whitehead
F // Duke, Atlanta Hawks
Dariq Whitehead struggled with injuries at Duke, never quite looking himself. He couldn’t get much elevation around the rim and the aggressive shot-making that defined his high school ascension was mostly absent. What he did do, however, was scorch the nets from 3-point range. The evident scalability of his skill set, plus the untapped potential of Whitehead at 100 percent health, makes him a potential steal for the Hawks just outside the lottery.