1. Washington Wizards--Chet Holmgren. With the proposed trade with Utah of the top overall pick for 2 and 13, this makes much more sense for Utah, who needs a defensive guy and facilitator to play alongside Zion. However, even for Washington and their cupboards bare, adding a Swiss Army Knife like Holmgren isn't a bad choice.
2. Utah Jazz--Jabari Smith. This selection might make less sense if Utah sticks at 2, but Jabari has lots of upside. If he does end up going to Washington, it will help that team as someone has got to score the ball.
3. Utah Jazz--Paolo Banchero. It doesn't quite make sense for a team like Utah, who already has Zion on the roster and will end up likely with either Chet or Jabari to select another big here. However, it's best not to overthink things. Paolo is considered one of the top three guys in this draft, and Utah will find minutes for this guy... or a trade partner willing to give the Jazz what they want.
4. Sacramento Kings--Shaedon Sharpe. No one has seen Sharpe play competitive basketball in over a year, but the concept of a potentially high-scoring guard from Kentucky, fresh off the heels of successful seasons by Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey, has fans and front offices alike salivating. For a Sacramento team that has wondered the desert in recent years, adding Sharpe as a cornerstone with his potential seems like a no brainer.
5. Dallas Mavericks--Jaden Ivey. There may be some thought that Dallas may try to hit a homerun and throw the draft into chaos. I think that if Ivey is here, they will absolutely take him. Ivey isn't a star day one. He needs work on his outside shot and to stay focused on defense. But there is a lot already there to like, and he can be very useful if not stretched beyond his abilities early on.
6. Sacramento Kings--Keegan Murray. With Sharpe and the recent return of Demar DeRozan, Sacramento can likely use a guy who can play inside and doesn't necessarily need the ball to be successful. Enter Keegan Murray who seems to be universally considered to fill that "glue guy" role.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers--Bennedict Mathurin. Cleveland's biggest weakness last year was the lack of a starting point guard. With this year's draft light on top point guard prospects, Cleveland will probably choose to go after another area of weakness in the other backcourt position. Johnny Davis is also an option here, but Cleveland isn't in win-now mode, and that may mean that the team tries to go for a home run over the safe play.
8. Dallas Mavericks--Jalen Duren. Having taken a guard at 4 already, Dallas can turn to center, a self-inflicted position of need after failing to offer James Wiseman his third-year option. Duren is more of a traditional center than the league likes these days, but Dallas simply needs to build a team under the front office's image after blowing up the previous regime's roster last year.
9. Sacramento Kings--Adrian Griffin Jr. At this point, with two top ten selections already, Sacramento may be leaning towards best player available. Adrian Griffin's long-range prowess can be a solid complement to the penetration of Sharpe and the mid-range mastery of DeRozan. However, don't be surprised if Sacramento perhaps goes with a foreign player in a draft-and-stash possibility.
10. Detroit Pistons--Dyson Daniels. For the second straight offseason, Detroit has started early to remake their roster. The roster as of July 1 looks pretty bare, and point guard is one big hole at the moment. Daniels has been climbing up the draft boards lately for his ability to pass, defend, and score in most areas. Some are still concerned about his long-range shooting, but we've seen in past years where players with similar concerns have become league average very quickly.
11. Boston Celtics--Jeremy Sochan. For some reason, I have considered this pick to be a lock. Sochan just feels like he belongs in the green and white with his ability to be a solid defender and his ability to seemingly fit in seamlessly according to scouts. Boston is also pretty set at the guard and big man positioins with the likes of Maxey, Giddey, Love, and Williams already on the roster.
12. Phoenix Suns--Mark Williams. At one point in the previous season, the Phoenix Suns were a huge team. Now, looking at the roster, size is a concern. Mark Williams would be a solid fit on this Phoenix team as a guy who can provide that size while also being capable of staying out of the way while Harden and Russell penetrate.
13. Utah Jazz--Johnny Davis. Utah wouldn't be opposed to landing the Taco Bell-loving All-American, but with this pick rumored to be going to Washington, Davis isn't a bad choice here for the Wizards either. Davis doesn't have that wow factor or is considered to be one of those selections dripping with potential, but he's ready to play in the big leagues, and that kind of ability and mentality can help a Washington team that may struggle mightily next season.
14. Detroit Pistons--Nikola Jovic. There's smoke moving around this guy in recent mock drafts, and as a result, he's been rising up the boards. With the Pistons having four picks in the first round, I think this is a pick where Detroit takes a flyer on the mystery and either holds onto him as a guy who can end up very special or dangles him out there in trade offers to see what the market is like by teams even more enamored with the mystique.
