NBA Mock Draft 2021: Predictions for Top Prospects with Draft Day Approaching
The Detroit Pistons are on the clock.
OK, that won't officially happen until Thursday evening when the 2021 NBA draft begins, but unofficially, time has been ticking ever since the Pistons won the draft lottery and snagged the top overall selection.
Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham has been penciled in by most prognosticators, though ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Sunday "they haven't formally made that decision yet."
Could Cunningham land somewhere other than the Motor City? And where will the draft's other blue-chip prospects go? We'll answer those questions after running through our latest mock first round.
2021 NBA Mock Draft
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1. Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, Oklahoma State
2. Houston Rockets: Jalen Green, SG, G League Ignite
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley, C, USC
4. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Suggs, PG/SG, Gonzaga
5. Orlando Magic: Scottie Barnes, SF/PF, Florida State
6. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jonathan Kuminga, SF, G League Ignite
7. Golden State Warriors (via Minnesota Timberwolves): James Bouknight, SG, UConn
8. Orlando Magic (via Chicago Bulls): Moses Moody, SG, Arkansas
9. Sacramento Kings: Keon Johnson, SG/SF, Tennessee
10. New Orleans Pelicans: Davion Mitchell, PG, Baylor
11. Charlotte Hornets: Kai Jones, PF/C, Texas
12. San Antonio Spurs: Franz Wagner, SF, Michigan
13. Indiana Pacers: Josh Giddey, PG/SG, Adelaide 36ers
14. Golden State Warriors: Corey Kispert, SF, Gonzaga
15. Washington Wizards: Trey Murphy III, SF, Virginia
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Boston Celtics): Alperen Sengun, C, Besiktas
17. Memphis Grizzlies: Jared Butler, PG/SG, Baylor
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami Heat): Jalen Johnson, PF, Duke
19. New York Knicks: Isaiah Jackson, C, Kentucky
20. Atlanta Hawks: Tre Mann, PG/SG, Florida
21. New York Knicks (via Dallas Mavericks): Sharife Cooper, PG, Auburn
22. Los Angeles Lakers: Cameron Thomas, SG, LSU
23. Houston Rockets (via Portland Trail Blazers): Usman Garuba, C, Real Madrid
24. Houston Rockets (via Milwaukee Bucks): JT Thor, PF, Auburn
25. Los Angeles Clippers: Ayo Dosunmu, PG/SG, Illinois
26. Denver Nuggets: Chris Duarte, SG, Oregon
27. Brooklyn Nets: Ziaire Williams, SF, Stanford
28. Philadelphia 76ers: Nah'Shon Hyland, SG, VCU
29. Phoenix Suns: Miles McBride, PG/SG, West Virginia
30. Utah Jazz: Roko Prkacin, PF, Cibona
Cunningham Won't Slip Past No. 1
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There's an argument to be made for Cade Cunningham having both the draft's tallest ceiling and its highest floor. He is good at a lot of things and potentially great at several of them.
For a rebuilding team like the Pistons, he seems like the perfect centerpiece to assemble a roster around. He works on or off the ball, can be a primary playmaker or a No. 1 option scorer and he could one day defend at an all-league level.
Detroit shouldn't overthink this.
The Athletic's Kelly Iko wrote it would take "a cosmic offer" to get this pick away from the Pistons. While I can't say for certain exactly what that is, I can confidently say it isn't enough.
Cunningham is bound for Detroit.
No Surprises in the Top 4
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If you like intrigue in your drafts, you're in luck. The 2021 talent grab should provide it early and often.
As previously written, the Pistons aren't entirely locked in with Cunningham at the top, so there's at least a slight chance something unexpected could happen at No. 1. Drop down to the Rockets at No. 2, and it wouldn't be shocking for them to select any of Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs. Same goes for the Cavaliers at No. 3 and the Raptors in the No. 4 slot.
Saying that, this is as mysterious as things should get through the first four selections. The payoff with these prospects is too rich for a team to stray outside of this quartet and make someone else a top-four pick.
Regardless of how big boards rank Cunningham, Green, Mobley and Suggs against one another, the takeaway should be that this is the top tier, and it's separated from everyone else.
Moses Moody Will Be a Top-10 Pick
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While not every top-10 pick will turn into a star—most won't, in fact—that's usually the hope when making such an early investment.
Moses Moody probably isn't headed to stardom at any point. He doesn't have the off-the-dribble verve or fluidity to get him there.
For some, that might rule him out of top-10 consideration. It shouldn't. As obsessed as the modern NBA has become with three-and-D wings, Moody's combination of shot-making and defensive versatility should get him noticed within the top 10 picks.
Those dead set on hitting a home run won't give him a ton of thought, but those who can see the value in lacing a double to the gap—with the chance to leg it out into a triple—should be all over him.
