5 Bold Predictions for 2023 NBA Draft Night

The 2023 NBA draft is here, and there's absolutely no question about what will happen with the first overall pick.

Victor Wembanyama is perhaps the most hyped prospect the league has seen since LeBron James in 2003. And the San Antonio Spurs will make him the No. 1 pick.

From there, things get a lot more interesting.

There's been a weeks-long debate on who'll go second. Will it be sweet-shooting forward Brandon Miller or mid-range maestro Scoot Henderson?

Who will move up in the draft? Who might trade out?

Some bold predictions applying to all of the above are found below.

Trail Blazers Keep Their Pick and Take Scoot Henderson

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Scoot Henderson

From the moment they secured the No. 3 pick after the draft lottery, speculation was rampant about the Portland Trail Blazers potentially trading it for a veteran to pair with Damian Lillard.

And as tempting as that may be for a Blazers team that's surely interested in maximizing the 32-year-old's prime, taking Scoot Henderson third represents the better opportunity.

If they add the dynamic playmaker and keep Lillard, they'll have about as good a mentor as anyone could have for an incoming lottery talent. If they were to trade the seven-time All-Star for an asset-rich haul, they'd be ready to kick-start a rebuild around the 19-year-old.

Either way, keeping the pick and using it on Henderson does a lot more for Portland's future than trading it does.

Jazz Move Up

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Danny Ainge

Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has developed a reputation as one of the game's most aggressive team executives. And on Thursday, he'll leverage some of his team's massive trove of draft assets to get a better pick from the lottery.

Utah enters the draft with the ninth, 16th and 28th picks in the first round, but it already has a solid core of young talent in place.

Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Ochai Agbaji and Talen Horton-Tucker all figure to be around next season. And adding three more rookies to that mix may not make a ton of sense. Adding one top-five or top-six pick, on the other hand, would.

Expect the Jazz to put two or all three of those picks together to get high enough to take a high-upside wing like Amen Thompson or Cam Whitmore.

Mavericks Trade Their Pick for a Veteran

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Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving

The Dallas Mavericks blatantly tanked (and were fined $750,000 for doing so) to close out the season. And they accomplished what they wanted to when the lottery secured them the 10th overall pick.

But on a team that already has Luka Dončić and is hoping to re-sign Kyrie Irving, a mid-first-round rookie doesn't make a ton of sense.

For weeks, reporting has suggested Dallas is looking to trade its tanking prize for someone who can help right now. And it will find a taker on draft night.

Adding a win-now player on Thursday could prove helpful in convincing Irving to re-sign, too. As he enters his age-31 season, he is likely interested in playing for a contender.

A team with him, Dončić and the right veteran would qualify.

Hornets Take Brandon Miller

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Brandon Miller

Rapidly shifting odds may make this prediction less than "bold," but they're not infallible.

Brandon Miller may be the betting favorite to go second overall, but Jabari Smith Jr. was pegged to go first overall for much of the lead-up to last year's draft. And Paolo Banchero obviously secured that spot.

Scoot Henderson isn't off the table for the Charlotte Hornets, but they're ultimately going to go with Miller.

LaMelo Ball's size would help him coexist in a playmaking-heavy backcourt with Henderson, but Miller is simply the better fit.

As a freshman, the 20-year-old averaged 18.8 points and 2.9 threes, while shooting 38.4 percent from deep and 85.9 percent from the line.

That kind of shooting should command defensive attention on the perimeter, which will widen Ball's driving lanes a bit.

Lakers Trade Their Pick for a Veteran

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LeBron James and Anthony Davis

Like Dallas, the Los Angeles Lakers are close enough to contention to justify selling on their future for a chance to win right now.

And according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, they may have already made that calculation:

"The Lakers have the No. 17 and 47 picks, but there has been a growing buzz in recent days that the Lakers, more likely than not, will trade their pick, whether it's moving up, down or out of the draft altogether, multiple team sources not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic."

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, first-round picks figure to hold more value than they have in the past. Difference-makers on affordable contracts will be critical for contenders threatening the dreaded "second apron."

And that means L.A. could get real help with that No. 17 pick.