NBA Mock Draft 2020: Bold Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects
The 2020 NBA draft will be unforgettable.
For starters, it's going down in mid-November. Some teams have had seven months to prep for the event. Others were playing postseason games within the last two months. This is as unique a predraft process as we've had in recent memory.
The actual event will be conducted virtually from ESPN's studio in Bristol, Connecticut. Prospects may make virtual appearances, but there will be no podium-crossing for handshakes and photos.
Oh, and the picks themselves could still go any direction. You'd think there might be clarity by now, but nope—it's a guessing game at No. 1 and the 59 selections after it.
Unexpected twists and turns should probably be expected, so let's get ahead of those curves with three bold predictions following our latest mock first round.
Mock Draft
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1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks
4. Chicago Bulls: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
6. Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
7. Detroit Pistons: Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State
8. New York Knicks: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm
9. Washington Wizards: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC
10. Phoenix Suns: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
11. San Antonio Spurs: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn
12. Sacramento Kings: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos II
15. Orlando Magic: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
18. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
19. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
20. Miami Heat: Desmond Bane, SG, TCU
21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
22. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers
23. Utah Jazz: Josh Green, SG, Arizona
24. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): Theo Maledon, PG/SG, ASVEL
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): Zeke Nnaji, C, Arizona
26. Boston Celtics: Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Grant Riller, PG/SG, Charleston
29. Toronto Raptors: Robert Woodard II, SF, Mississippi State
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): Xavier Tillman, PF/C, Michigan State
No Trades in Top 5
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This predraft process has been dominated by trade talks, and they start right at the top. The Timberwolves and Warriors have both kept busy shopping their picks, per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, and there is no shortage of trade candidates behind them.
But our crystal ball doesn't have a deal coming together for the Wolves, Warriors or anyone else holding a top-five pick.
There are too many question marks with the top prospects for anyone to give up major assets to get them. Conversely, those prospects' ceilings are too high to just give away the picks for pennies on the dollar.
Trades will obviously take place on draft night. Maybe a lot of them, maybe as early as No. 6. But it will take longer than many expect for the first deal to go down.
Kira Lewis Jr. Cracks Top 10
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Normally, a prospect ranked fourth at his position might have no mathematical chance of going in the top 10. Kira Lewis Jr. is ready to buck that trend.
He's the fastest player in this draft, so maybe it's no surprise to see him surging up mock draft boards. The 6'3" point guard—who could be the fourth player taken at his position behind LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton and Killian Hayes—thinks his versatility could help him stand out from a deep position group.
"I think what differentiates me ... I feel like I can do a little bit of everything, whether it's shoot the ball, get into the lane, make the right pass, turn up the speed," Lewis told SI.com's Jeremy Woo. "I feel like I can do a little bit of all of it."
Lewis did a lot of everything down the stretch of the 2019-20 season. He closed his college career by averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 assists, 2.8 threes and 1.8 steals with a 49.0/46.3/75.5 shooting slash over his last nine contests.
Aleksej Pokusevski Will Be a Lottery Pick
4 of 4Aleksej Pokusevski may never build up the necessary bulk to log major NBA minutes. Even if he does, he could doom himself with efficiency-torpedoing bouts of hero ball.
The red flags are omnipresent in his scouting report, but in a class like this, his upside is too tempting for every lottery team to pass up. There's a nonzero chance he becomes a 7'0" shot-blocker, sniper, shot-creator and passer. That's a drool-worthy combination in the contemporary game, and if anyone envisions that kind of future for him, he won't make it past the first 14 picks.
"A patient lottery team uninterested in settling for a non-star NCAA prospect may be willing to gamble this year," B/R's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "If Pokusevski improves his body and discipline, it could result in the ultimate payoff."
Pokusevski has a highlight reel few players his size can match. If clubs are convinced he can add strength on his thin frame and master the more mundane responsibilities of the sport, he won't be waiting long to hear his name called.
