NBA Mock Draft 2021: Predictions for Jalen Suggs and Full 1st Round

The 2021 NBA draft may be months away, but there's no better time than now—in the thick of March—to dive into projections. Not all of the top options are playing in the Big Dance, some opted to join the G-League, some got bounced early and some are overseas.

Still, it's March Madness and that means men's amateur basketball is in its most intriguing time of the year. As NBA front offices evaluate how prospects perform under the bright lights, we examine the draft's first round and apply a microscope to the most divisive selection: No. 3.

While 2020 was a confusing draft after a clear top three, 2021 only has a clear top two. After Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham and USC's Evan Mobley, the third pick is a difficult one. Most would agree No. 3 should be a Jalen, but it's a tough debate between Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs and the G League's Jalen Green. Fellow G League standout, Jonathan Kuminga could come under consideration as well. 

Here, we take an early look at a first-round mock draft for 2021, followed by analysis of the top G Leaguers, Green and Kuminga. And, to conclude, why Suggs should be picked over both at the third spot.

2021 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft

John Locher/Associated Press

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Cade Cunningham, G, Oklahoma State

2. Detroit Pistons: Evan Mobley, C, USC

3. Houston Rockets: Jalen Suggs, PG, Gonzaga

4. Orlando Magic: Jalen Green, SG, G League Ignite

5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Jonathan Kuminga, F, G League Ignite

6. Washington Wizards: Scottie Barnes, SF, Florida State

7. Sacramento Kings: Moses Moody, SG, Arkansas

8. New Orleans Pelicans: Jalen Johnson, F, Duke

9. Oklahoma City Thunder: Keon Johnson, SG, Tennessee

10. Indiana Pacers: Corey Kispert, SF, Gonzaga

11. Chicago Bulls: Isaiah Jackson, PF, Kentucky

12. Toronto Raptors: Franz Wagner, SF, Michigan

13. Golden State Warriors: Cameron Thomas, SF, LSU

14. Memphis Grizzlies: Kai Jones, PF, Texas

15. Atlanta Hawks: James Bouknight, SF, UConn

16. New York Knicks: Ayo Dosunmu, SG, Illinois

17. Charlotte Hornets: Alperen Sengun, C, Beskitas (Turkey)

18. Boston Celtics: Sharife Cooper, PG, Auburn

19. Oklahoma City Thunder: Josh Giddey, SG, Adelaide (Australia)

20. New York Knicks: Tre Mann, PG, Florida

21. San Antonio Spurs: Ziaire Williams, SG, Stanford

22. Houston Rockets: Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky

23. Denver Nuggets: Greg Brown, PF, Texas

24. Milwaukee Bucks: Marcus Bagley, SF, Arizona State

25. Los Angeles Clippers: Usman Garuba, PF, Real Madrid (Spain)

26. Los Angeles Lakers: Chris Duarte, SG, Oregon

27. Brooklyn Nets: Davion Mitchell, PG, Baylor

28. Philadelphia 76ers: Jared Butler, PG, Baylor

29. Phoenix Suns: Jaden Springer, PG, Tennessee 

30. Utah Jazz: Terrence Shannon Jr., SG, Texas Tech

Choosing Between the Ignite Stars, Green and Kuminga

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Both highly touted out of high school, Green and Kuminga have each bolstered their reputations in the G League this past year. Many are enamored with Green and Kuminga's ceilings. 

Cunningham and Mobley, a guard and a big, are practically uncontested as the top two picks right now. Each possesses raw length, strength and explosiveness (to varying degrees) alongside obvious talents with the ball. Past them, debate opens up centered directly on the 19-year-old Green and 18-year-old Kuminga. 

In the G League, the 6'5" Green averaged 17.9 points (on 46.1 percent from the field) and showed off an unmistakable next gear to his game. That control should give him an edge over a rawer, 6'8" Kuminga, who averaged 15.8 on an unideal 38.7 percent from the field. 

Larger and younger, Kuminga's potential is enticing—particularly when he drops off a neat dime or rises into a smooth, contested jumper. But Green has NBA-ready offensive juice and the pacing to suggest a surer path to effectiveness. Nevertheless, Suggs could be the pick over both.

Poise and Playmaking: The Case for Suggs at No. 3

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

There are top candidates whose physical traits catch your eye and some whose intangibles simply grow on you. Green and Kuminga lean toward the former, Suggs toward the latter. In 2020, now-Sacramento King Tyrese Haliburton was fully the latter—an unmistakable floor general with NBA-ready game control—and he dropped to No. 12, becoming the steal of the draft.

Suggs isn't likely to fall that far, but there's a case to be made for picking him as early as No. 3. Like Haliburton, Suggs is best evaluated in-game rather than by the box score. While the 6'4" freshman did average a smooth 14.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists, the eye test shows unquantifiable poise and comfort controlling the offense. Those intangibles denote an effortlessly positive presence on the court.

If the team that drafts third, like the rebuilding Houston Rockets, wants a playmaker, then Suggs is the guy. At 19 years old, his handle feels results-driven and his wide-ranging dime package is effective. 

Impressively, he also shot 50.4 percent from the field (on double-digit attempts per game) and a 34.1 percent rate from deep belies how fluid and natural his jumper is. At 19 years old, that level of game management is incredibly unique and grants him an edge over his fellow teenagers at No. 3.