Create Your Lotto Mock Draft (with trades)

[NYG]

Create your mock draft lottery with trades...

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Houston Rockets
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks
14. San Antonio Spurs

ESPN's Draft Rankings: https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable
Tankathon's Draft Rankings: https://tankathon.com/big_board
The Ringer's Draft Rankings: https://nbadraft.theringer.com/
NBADraft.net Rankings: https://www.nbadraft.net/ranking/bigboard/

[Tim Lehrbach]

I don't have a mock. My only predictions are:

1. Ace Bailey drops behind at least VJ Edgecombe, possibly others.
2. Philadelphia trades down or swings big for an impact player but does not use #3 to dump George, as some have imagined/wished for.
3. San Antonio is offered one or more stars for #2 but declines.
4. Washington tries to move up to 2 or 3 but does not have the right fits for either trade partner.
5. Portland trades a future asset (pick/swap) to move up or land an immediate impact player.
6. San Antonio picks at #14 or trades it for a future pick. They will not use either pick with salary filler to add another high-priced veteran to their core. (I have no opinion on whether this is the right move, but I think their lottery luck may change their perceived urgency to win immediately.)

[Myth]

1. Dallas Mavericks - Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - Ace
3. Philadelphia 76ers - VJ
4. Charlotte Hornets - Fears
5. Utah Jazz - Tre J
6. Washington Wizards - Knipple
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jakucionis
8. Brooklyn Nets - Maluach
9. Toronto Raptors - CMB
10. Houston Rockets - Noa
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Harper
12. Chicago Bulls - Queen
13. Atlanta Hawks - Asa
14. San Antonio Spurs - Bryant

[Tim Lehrbach]

1. Dallas Mavericks - Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - Ace
3. Philadelphia 76ers - VJ
4. Charlotte Hornets - Fears
5. Utah Jazz - Tre J
6. Washington Wizards - Knipple
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jakucionis
8. Brooklyn Nets - Maluach
9. Toronto Raptors - CMB
10. Houston Rockets - Noa
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Harper
12. Chicago Bulls - Queen
13. Atlanta Hawks - Asa
14. San Antonio Spurs - Bryant

Please be right!

[NYG]

Trades...

Brooklyn Nets get:
Coby White
12th Overall Draft Pick
45th Overall Draft Pick

Chicago Bulls get:
8th Overall Draft Pick
26th Overall Draft Pick
27th Overall Draft Pick

1. Dallas Mavericks - Cooper Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - Dylan Harper
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Ace Bailey
4. Charlotte Hornets - V.J. Edgecombe
5. Utah Jazz - Kon Knueppel
6. Washington Wizards - Tre Johnson
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jeremiah Fears
*-8. Chicago Bulls - Khaman Maluach
9. Toronto Raptors - Derik Queen
10. Houston Rockets - Kasparas Jakucionis
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Egor Denim
*-12. Brooklyn Nets - Noa Essengue
13. Atlanta Hawks - Collin Murray-Boyles
14. San Antonio Spurs - Carter Bryant

[JRoy]

1. Dallas Mavericks - Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - Ace
3. Philadelphia 76ers - VJ
4. Charlotte Hornets - Fears
5. Utah Jazz - Tre J
6. Washington Wizards - Knipple
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jakucionis
8. Brooklyn Nets - Maluach
9. Toronto Raptors - CMB
10. Houston Rockets - Noa
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Harper
12. Chicago Bulls - Queen
13. Atlanta Hawks - Asa
14. San Antonio Spurs - Bryant

LOL.

More like #11 and Deni for 2.

[brackdan70]

1. Dallas Mavericks - Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - Ace
3. Philadelphia 76ers - VJ
4. Charlotte Hornets - Fears
5. Utah Jazz - Tre J
6. Washington Wizards - Knipple
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jakucionis
8. Brooklyn Nets - Maluach
9. Toronto Raptors - CMB
10. Houston Rockets - Noa
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Harper
12. Chicago Bulls - Queen
13. Atlanta Hawks - Asa
14. San Antonio Spurs - Bryant

I have exactly the same but the Blazers trade Harper to the Celtics for 28 and hometown boy Pritchard.

[Tim Lehrbach]

1. Dallas Mavericks - Flagg
2. San Antonio Spurs - Ace
3. Philadelphia 76ers - VJ
4. Charlotte Hornets - Fears
5. Utah Jazz - Tre J
6. Washington Wizards - Knipple
7. New Orleans Pelicans - Jakucionis
8. Brooklyn Nets - Maluach
9. Toronto Raptors - CMB
10. Houston Rockets - Noa
11. Portland Trail Blazers - Harper
12. Chicago Bulls - Queen
13. Atlanta Hawks - Asa
14. San Antonio Spurs - Bryant

LOL.

More like #11 and Deni for 2.

I think I posted this somewhere too and would support it, but (1) it's far more aggressive in the direction of long-term rebuilding (and admitting our backcourt sucks) than we should expect from Cronin and (2) San Antonio probably can't pass on Harper unless it's, like, Giannis incoming.

[gswhoops]

1. DAL - Cooper Flagg
2. SAS - Dylan Harper
3. PHI - Ace Bailey
4. CHA - VJ Edgecombe
5. UTA - Tre Johnson
6. BKN (f/WAS)* - Jeremiah Fears
7. NOP - Kasparas Jakucionis
8. WAS (f/BKN)* - Derik Queen
9. TOR - Khaman Maluach
10. SAS (f/HOU)** - Carter Bryant
11. POR - Kon Knueppel
12. CHI - Noa Essengue
13. ATL - Egor Demin
14. BKN (f/SAS)** - Collin Murray-Boyles

* #6 for #8 and 3 2nd round picks
** Cam Johnson + #27 to Houston, #10 to SAS, #14 + future 1st (from SAS) to BKN

[babyjax13]

More fun to have some trades, so I tried to think about how the board could break that would cause them.

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
Great fit, fantastic prospect.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
Strong signals that they are happy here. Always a chance it is for leverage, but I don't think so.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey
They don't need a guard, Bailey gives them shooting and he has been a disruptive defender at times in college. I don't think he is the third best prospect.

4. Charlotte Hornets: Try Johnson
Charlotte fans seem to want VJ, but I think Johnson is clearly a top 4, if not top 3 prospect in this draft.

5. NOP (UTA) ---> VJ Edgecomb
I don't really think VJ has enough upside for me to not want to capture the added value of moving down, but YMMV. New Orleans gets a defense first two-guard with lots of athleticism. In the trade, Utah gets a future first and a look at a "second draft" player who I think is better than he has shown.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

6. Washington Wizards: Kon Kneuppel
Washington gets secondary playmaking and shooting. I really like Kon and think he's a nice fit for the Wizards as a long-term piece, even if he projects as a good starter and not a star.

7. UTA (NOP) ---> Jeremiah Fears
I think Fears has a lot of upside and is clearly a better prospect than any player currently on the Jazz roster. I have he and VJ neck-and-neck, so I'll take the lead guard who is over a year younger + some added value. Again, YMMV.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st [1-4 protected thur 2027 otherwise 2027 UTA 2nd and 2028 DAL 2nd], Jordan Hawkins)

8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach
I think there is a fall-off after the first 7 guys off the board. One of Brooklyn's trade assets is Claxton, I like the idea of them moving him and I think Maluach is a reasonable bet. He is big, young, and mobile.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis
I think Kasparas is a nice fit here as someone who can play the 1 or 2, is very nice in PnR, and a fantastic shooter. He had a bad month in the middle of the season after missing two games with an arm injury and I'm pretty willing to trust his shooting prior to that, especially given that his freethrow percentage remained high.

10. Houston Rockets: Noa Essengue
I'm not really enamored with him, but he hypothetically will be able to shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. A team that is already good or has a clear role for him to go into to develop makes a lot of sense, so I like him in Houston or San Antonio.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Carter Bryant
Bryant fits the MO of this front office. He has the body and movements of an NBA player and he can shoot. If he develops more than that he might be awesome, if he doesn't, he is merely useful.

12. Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin
Already rumblings about this. I think Chicago could use a nice prospect at small forward. Demin is a fantastic passer, but I think he gets unlocked more if he can not always be the primary initiator. This lets him escape some ball pressure and gives him off-ball reps. If, after a time, he looks like he is better at PG you can move Giddey.

13. WAS (from SAC via ATL) ---> Derrick Queen
The board has broken badly for Atlanta, Queen is probably the consensus BPA but he is a terrible fit and this is a center-deep draft. Lots of players in this range aren't great defensively and the ones that are will probably be available at 19. For Washington, I think Queen is a fantastic fit with Sarr and again gives them some secondary playmaking. It gives them kind of a weird-bodied non-traditional front-court, but it is unique and could work really well.
(13 for 18, 2026 OKC/HOU/LAC 1st [lowest conveyed], 2027 BRK/DAL 2nd [more favorable])

14. PHX (from ATL via SAS) ---> Thomas Sorber
I think there is a lot to like from Sorber who is very mobile, has a massive wingspan, is fantastic defensively, and has some nice passing instincts. I also think there is a chance the jumper projects out to three in a few years, but that is really bonus value. For San Antonio, since they are taking Harper it could be nice to mitigate the small backcourt a bit + be able to get better without detrimentally affecting their future salary structure. I don't think what is available at 14 + Vassell are enough to make you balk at getting Durant (but ... could be wrong...).
(14, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson for Kevin Durant, 29)

Bonus, since I have later picks going ...

15. OKC: Cedric Coward
16. ORL: Jase Richardson
17. MIN: Nolan Traore
18. ATL (see 13): Rasheer Flemming
19. BRK: Will Riley
20. MIA: Ben Saraf
21. UTA: Drake Powell
22. ATL: Joan Beringer
23. IND: Danny Wolf
24. OKC: Collin Murray-Broyles
25. ORL: Walter Clayton Jr.
26. BRK: Asa Newell
27. BRK: Hugo Gonzales
28. BOS: Maxime Raynaud
29. SAS (see 14): Liam McNeeley
30. LAC: Adou Thiero

[Tim Lehrbach]

Spoiler:

More fun to have some trades, so I tried to think about how the board could break that would cause them.

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
Great fit, fantastic prospect.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
Strong signals that they are happy here. Always a chance it is for leverage, but I don't think so.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey
They don't need a guard, Bailey gives them shooting and he has been a disruptive defender at times in college. I don't think he is the third best prospect.

4. Charlotte Hornets: Try Johnson
Charlotte fans seem to want VJ, but I think Johnson is clearly a top 4, if not top 3 prospect in this draft.

5. NOP (UTA) ---> VJ Edgecomb
I don't really think VJ has enough upside for me to not want to capture the added value of moving down, but YMMV. New Orleans gets a defense first two-guard with lots of athleticism. In the trade, Utah gets a future first and a look at a "second draft" player who I think is better than he has shown.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

6. Washington Wizards: Kon Kneuppel
Washington gets secondary playmaking and shooting. I really like Kon and think he's a nice fit for the Wizards as a long-term piece, even if he projects as a good starter and not a star.

7. UTA (NOP) ---> Jeremiah Fears
I think Fears has a lot of upside and is clearly a better prospect than any player currently on the Jazz roster. I have he and VJ neck-and-neck, so I'll take the lead guard who is over a year younger + some added value. Again, YMMV.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach
I think there is a fall-off after the first 7 guys off the board. One of Brooklyn's trade assets is Claxton, I like the idea of them moving him and I think Maluach is a reasonable bet. He is big, young, and mobile.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis
I think Kasparas is a nice fit here as someone who can play the 1 or 2, is very nice in PnR, and a fantastic shooter. He had a bad month in the middle of the season after missing two games with an arm injury and I'm pretty willing to trust his shooting prior to that, especially given that his freethrow percentage remained high.

10. Houston Rockets: Noa Essengue
I'm not really enamored with him, but he hypothetically will be able to shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. A team that is already good or has a clear role for him to go into to develop makes a lot of sense, so I like him in Houston or San Antonio.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Carter Bryant
Bryant fits the MO of this front office. He has the body and movements of an NBA player and he can shoot. If he develops more than that he might be awesome, if he doesn't, he is merely useful.

12. Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin
Already rumblings about this. I think Chicago could use a nice prospect at small forward. Demin is a fantastic passer, but I think he gets unlocked more if he can not always be the primary initiator. This lets him escape some ball pressure and gives him off-ball reps. If, after a time, he looks like he is better at PG you can move Giddey.

13. WAS (from SAC via ATL) ---> Derrick Queen
The board has broken badly for Atlanta, Queen is probably the consensus BPA but he is a terrible fit and this is a center-deep draft. Lots of players in this range aren't great defensively and the ones that are will probably be available at 19. For Washington, I think Queen is a fantastic fit with Sarr and again gives them some secondary playmaking. It gives them kind of a weird-bodied non-traditional front-court, but it is unique and could work really well.
(13 for 18, 2026 OKC/HOU/LAC 1st [lowest conveyed], 2027 BRK/DAL 2nd [more favorable])

14. PHX (from ATL via SAS) ---> Thomas Sorber
I think there is a lot to like from Sorber who is very mobile, has a massive wingspan, is fantastic defensively, and has some nice passing instincts. I also think there is a chance the jumper projects out to three in a few years, but that is really bonus value. For San Antonio, since they are taking Harper it could be nice to mitigate the small backcourt a bit + be able to get better without detrimentally affecting their future salary structure. I don't think what is available at 14 + Vassell are enough to make you balk at getting Durant (but ... could be wrong...).
(14, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson for Kevin Durant, 29)

Fun mock and breakdown. Amusingly enough, the part I like the least is your trade for Utah. I should watch more of Fears to be sure, but I am bullish on Edgecombe and think he's my third favorite player in this draft.

[JRoy]

1. DAL - Cooper Flagg
2. SAS - Dylan Harper
3. PHI - Ace Bailey
4. CHA - VJ Edgecombe
5. UTA - Tre Johnson
6. BKN (f/WAS)* - Jeremiah Fears
7. NOP - Kasparas Jakucionis
8. WAS (f/BKN)* - Derik Queen
9. TOR - Khaman Maluach
10. SAS (f/HOU)** - Carter Bryant
11. POR - Kon Knueppel
12. CHI - Noa Essengue
13. ATL - Egor Demin
14. BKN (f/SAS)** - Collin Murray-Boyles

* #6 for #8 and 3 2nd round picks
** Cam Johnson + #27 to Houston, #10 to SAS, #14 + future 1st (from SAS) to BKN

Pass on KK for POR. Some other team can waste a lotto pick on him.

[Tim Lehrbach]

Spoiler:

1. DAL - Cooper Flagg
2. SAS - Dylan Harper
3. PHI - Ace Bailey
4. CHA - VJ Edgecombe
5. UTA - Tre Johnson
6. BKN (f/WAS)* - Jeremiah Fears
7. NOP - Kasparas Jakucionis
8. WAS (f/BKN)* - Derik Queen
9. TOR - Khaman Maluach
10. SAS (f/HOU)** - Carter Bryant
11. POR - Kon Knueppel
12. CHI - Noa Essengue
13. ATL - Egor Demin
14. BKN (f/SAS)** - Collin Murray-Boyles

* #6 for #8 and 3 2nd round picks
** Cam Johnson + #27 to Houston, #10 to SAS, #14 + future 1st (from SAS) to BKN

Pass on KK for POR. Some other team can waste a lotto pick on him.

1. As soon as I saw this mock I was eagerly awaiting your response, knowing your admiration for Kon.
2. Draft season is fun because we are treated to you passing on proposed draft picks as well as every trade offered to Portland.

[babyjax13]

Spoiler:

More fun to have some trades, so I tried to think about how the board could break that would cause them.

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
Great fit, fantastic prospect.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
Strong signals that they are happy here. Always a chance it is for leverage, but I don't think so.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey
They don't need a guard, Bailey gives them shooting and he has been a disruptive defender at times in college. I don't think he is the third best prospect.

4. Charlotte Hornets: Try Johnson
Charlotte fans seem to want VJ, but I think Johnson is clearly a top 4, if not top 3 prospect in this draft.

5. NOP (UTA) ---> VJ Edgecomb
I don't really think VJ has enough upside for me to not want to capture the added value of moving down, but YMMV. New Orleans gets a defense first two-guard with lots of athleticism. In the trade, Utah gets a future first and a look at a "second draft" player who I think is better than he has shown.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

6. Washington Wizards: Kon Kneuppel
Washington gets secondary playmaking and shooting. I really like Kon and think he's a nice fit for the Wizards as a long-term piece, even if he projects as a good starter and not a star.

7. UTA (NOP) ---> Jeremiah Fears
I think Fears has a lot of upside and is clearly a better prospect than any player currently on the Jazz roster. I have he and VJ neck-and-neck, so I'll take the lead guard who is over a year younger + some added value. Again, YMMV.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach
I think there is a fall-off after the first 7 guys off the board. One of Brooklyn's trade assets is Claxton, I like the idea of them moving him and I think Maluach is a reasonable bet. He is big, young, and mobile.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis
I think Kasparas is a nice fit here as someone who can play the 1 or 2, is very nice in PnR, and a fantastic shooter. He had a bad month in the middle of the season after missing two games with an arm injury and I'm pretty willing to trust his shooting prior to that, especially given that his freethrow percentage remained high.

10. Houston Rockets: Noa Essengue
I'm not really enamored with him, but he hypothetically will be able to shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. A team that is already good or has a clear role for him to go into to develop makes a lot of sense, so I like him in Houston or San Antonio.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Carter Bryant
Bryant fits the MO of this front office. He has the body and movements of an NBA player and he can shoot. If he develops more than that he might be awesome, if he doesn't, he is merely useful.

12. Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin
Already rumblings about this. I think Chicago could use a nice prospect at small forward. Demin is a fantastic passer, but I think he gets unlocked more if he can not always be the primary initiator. This lets him escape some ball pressure and gives him off-ball reps. If, after a time, he looks like he is better at PG you can move Giddey.

13. WAS (from SAC via ATL) ---> Derrick Queen
The board has broken badly for Atlanta, Queen is probably the consensus BPA but he is a terrible fit and this is a center-deep draft. Lots of players in this range aren't great defensively and the ones that are will probably be available at 19. For Washington, I think Queen is a fantastic fit with Sarr and again gives them some secondary playmaking. It gives them kind of a weird-bodied non-traditional front-court, but it is unique and could work really well.
(13 for 18, 2026 OKC/HOU/LAC 1st [lowest conveyed], 2027 BRK/DAL 2nd [more favorable])

14. PHX (from ATL via SAS) ---> Thomas Sorber
I think there is a lot to like from Sorber who is very mobile, has a massive wingspan, is fantastic defensively, and has some nice passing instincts. I also think there is a chance the jumper projects out to three in a few years, but that is really bonus value. For San Antonio, since they are taking Harper it could be nice to mitigate the small backcourt a bit + be able to get better without detrimentally affecting their future salary structure. I don't think what is available at 14 + Vassell are enough to make you balk at getting Durant (but ... could be wrong...).
(14, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson for Kevin Durant, 29)

Fun mock and breakdown. Amusingly enough, the part I like the least is your trade for Utah. I should watch more of Fears to be sure, but I am bullish on Edgecombe and think he's my third favorite player in this draft.

Honestly I have VJ/Fears/Traore pretty tightly clustered at the moment.

[SkyHook]

Spoiler:

More fun to have some trades, so I tried to think about how the board could break that would cause them.

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
Great fit, fantastic prospect.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
Strong signals that they are happy here. Always a chance it is for leverage, but I don't think so.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey
They don't need a guard, Bailey gives them shooting and he has been a disruptive defender at times in college. I don't think he is the third best prospect.

4. Charlotte Hornets: Try Johnson
Charlotte fans seem to want VJ, but I think Johnson is clearly a top 4, if not top 3 prospect in this draft.

5. NOP (UTA) ---> VJ Edgecomb
I don't really think VJ has enough upside for me to not want to capture the added value of moving down, but YMMV. New Orleans gets a defense first two-guard with lots of athleticism. In the trade, Utah gets a future first and a look at a "second draft" player who I think is better than he has shown.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

6. Washington Wizards: Kon Kneuppel
Washington gets secondary playmaking and shooting. I really like Kon and think he's a nice fit for the Wizards as a long-term piece, even if he projects as a good starter and not a star.

7. UTA (NOP) ---> Jeremiah Fears
I think Fears has a lot of upside and is clearly a better prospect than any player currently on the Jazz roster. I have he and VJ neck-and-neck, so I'll take the lead guard who is over a year younger + some added value. Again, YMMV.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach
I think there is a fall-off after the first 7 guys off the board. One of Brooklyn's trade assets is Claxton, I like the idea of them moving him and I think Maluach is a reasonable bet. He is big, young, and mobile.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis
I think Kasparas is a nice fit here as someone who can play the 1 or 2, is very nice in PnR, and a fantastic shooter. He had a bad month in the middle of the season after missing two games with an arm injury and I'm pretty willing to trust his shooting prior to that, especially given that his freethrow percentage remained high.

10. Houston Rockets: Noa Essengue
I'm not really enamored with him, but he hypothetically will be able to shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. A team that is already good or has a clear role for him to go into to develop makes a lot of sense, so I like him in Houston or San Antonio.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Carter Bryant
Bryant fits the MO of this front office. He has the body and movements of an NBA player and he can shoot. If he develops more than that he might be awesome, if he doesn't, he is merely useful.

12. Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin
Already rumblings about this. I think Chicago could use a nice prospect at small forward. Demin is a fantastic passer, but I think he gets unlocked more if he can not always be the primary initiator. This lets him escape some ball pressure and gives him off-ball reps. If, after a time, he looks like he is better at PG you can move Giddey.

13. WAS (from SAC via ATL) ---> Derrick Queen
The board has broken badly for Atlanta, Queen is probably the consensus BPA but he is a terrible fit and this is a center-deep draft. Lots of players in this range aren't great defensively and the ones that are will probably be available at 19. For Washington, I think Queen is a fantastic fit with Sarr and again gives them some secondary playmaking. It gives them kind of a weird-bodied non-traditional front-court, but it is unique and could work really well.
(13 for 18, 2026 OKC/HOU/LAC 1st [lowest conveyed], 2027 BRK/DAL 2nd [more favorable])

14. PHX (from ATL via SAS) ---> Thomas Sorber
I think there is a lot to like from Sorber who is very mobile, has a massive wingspan, is fantastic defensively, and has some nice passing instincts. I also think there is a chance the jumper projects out to three in a few years, but that is really bonus value. For San Antonio, since they are taking Harper it could be nice to mitigate the small backcourt a bit + be able to get better without detrimentally affecting their future salary structure. I don't think what is available at 14 + Vassell are enough to make you balk at getting Durant (but ... could be wrong...).
(14, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson for Kevin Durant, 29)

Bonus, since I have later picks going ...

15. OKC: Cedric Coward
16. ORL: Jase Richardson
17. MIN: Nolan Traore
18. ATL (see 13): Rasheer Flemming
19. BRK: Will Riley
20. MIA: Ben Saraf
21. UTA: Drake Powell
22. ATL: Joan Beringer
23. IND: Danny Wolf
24. OKC: Collin Murray-Broyles
25. ORL: Walter Clayton Jr.
26. BRK: Asa Newell
27. BRK: Hugo Gonzales
28. BOS: Maxime Raynaud
29. SAS (see 14): Liam McNeeley
30. LAC: Adou Thiero

Love the detail, love the idea of the Jazz moving down for value.

[Tim Lehrbach]

Spoiler:

More fun to have some trades, so I tried to think about how the board could break that would cause them.

1. Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg
Great fit, fantastic prospect.

2. San Antonio Spurs: Dylan Harper
Strong signals that they are happy here. Always a chance it is for leverage, but I don't think so.

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Ace Bailey
They don't need a guard, Bailey gives them shooting and he has been a disruptive defender at times in college. I don't think he is the third best prospect.

4. Charlotte Hornets: Try Johnson
Charlotte fans seem to want VJ, but I think Johnson is clearly a top 4, if not top 3 prospect in this draft.

5. NOP (UTA) ---> VJ Edgecomb
I don't really think VJ has enough upside for me to not want to capture the added value of moving down, but YMMV. New Orleans gets a defense first two-guard with lots of athleticism. In the trade, Utah gets a future first and a look at a "second draft" player who I think is better than he has shown.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

6. Washington Wizards: Kon Kneuppel
Washington gets secondary playmaking and shooting. I really like Kon and think he's a nice fit for the Wizards as a long-term piece, even if he projects as a good starter and not a star.

7. UTA (NOP) ---> Jeremiah Fears
I think Fears has a lot of upside and is clearly a better prospect than any player currently on the Jazz roster. I have he and VJ neck-and-neck, so I'll take the lead guard who is over a year younger + some added value. Again, YMMV.
(5, Svi Mykhailiuk and Johnny Juzang to NOP for 7, 2026 IND 1st, Jordan Hawkins)

8. Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach
I think there is a fall-off after the first 7 guys off the board. One of Brooklyn's trade assets is Claxton, I like the idea of them moving him and I think Maluach is a reasonable bet. He is big, young, and mobile.

9. Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis
I think Kasparas is a nice fit here as someone who can play the 1 or 2, is very nice in PnR, and a fantastic shooter. He had a bad month in the middle of the season after missing two games with an arm injury and I'm pretty willing to trust his shooting prior to that, especially given that his freethrow percentage remained high.

10. Houston Rockets: Noa Essengue
I'm not really enamored with him, but he hypothetically will be able to shoot, dribble, pass, and defend. A team that is already good or has a clear role for him to go into to develop makes a lot of sense, so I like him in Houston or San Antonio.

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Carter Bryant
Bryant fits the MO of this front office. He has the body and movements of an NBA player and he can shoot. If he develops more than that he might be awesome, if he doesn't, he is merely useful.

12. Chicago Bulls: Egor Demin
Already rumblings about this. I think Chicago could use a nice prospect at small forward. Demin is a fantastic passer, but I think he gets unlocked more if he can not always be the primary initiator. This lets him escape some ball pressure and gives him off-ball reps. If, after a time, he looks like he is better at PG you can move Giddey.

13. WAS (from SAC via ATL) ---> Derrick Queen
The board has broken badly for Atlanta, Queen is probably the consensus BPA but he is a terrible fit and this is a center-deep draft. Lots of players in this range aren't great defensively and the ones that are will probably be available at 19. For Washington, I think Queen is a fantastic fit with Sarr and again gives them some secondary playmaking. It gives them kind of a weird-bodied non-traditional front-court, but it is unique and could work really well.
(13 for 18, 2026 OKC/HOU/LAC 1st [lowest conveyed], 2027 BRK/DAL 2nd [more favorable])

14. PHX (from ATL via SAS) ---> Thomas Sorber
I think there is a lot to like from Sorber who is very mobile, has a massive wingspan, is fantastic defensively, and has some nice passing instincts. I also think there is a chance the jumper projects out to three in a few years, but that is really bonus value. For San Antonio, since they are taking Harper it could be nice to mitigate the small backcourt a bit + be able to get better without detrimentally affecting their future salary structure. I don't think what is available at 14 + Vassell are enough to make you balk at getting Durant (but ... could be wrong...).
(14, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson for Kevin Durant, 29)

Bonus, since I have later picks going ...

15. OKC: Cedric Coward
16. ORL: Jase Richardson
17. MIN: Nolan Traore
18. ATL (see 13): Rasheer Flemming
19. BRK: Will Riley
20. MIA: Ben Saraf
21. UTA: Drake Powell
22. ATL: Joan Beringer
23. IND: Danny Wolf
24. OKC: Collin Murray-Broyles
25. ORL: Walter Clayton Jr.
26. BRK: Asa Newell
27. BRK: Hugo Gonzales
28. BOS: Maxime Raynaud
29. SAS (see 14): Liam McNeeley
30. LAC: Adou Thiero

Love the detail, love the idea of the Jazz moving down for value.

Not picking on babyjax13 here by making a second post about his Utah deal, but do you think it's enough to justify moving down, even if Fears is the guy? Indiana seems very likely to still be good next year, and Hawkins may not be an NBA player. When Atlanta moved the Luka pick for Trae, they got a much higher-variance extra pick in the deal, which indeed ended up being #10 overall. Could Utah do better, or is the difference here that there is no Luka on the board?

[Texas Chuck]

I Love the detail, love the idea of the Jazz moving down for value.

I started doing one of these and I had Utah moving up with Philly (no Paul George make it too big stuff). I think Utah will have a clear favorite sitting there and its time for them to go start putting a core together. Philly doesn't seem to love anybody after Flagg and Harper so the opportunity appears to be there.

Utah needs no more low level prospects. They need someone to start building around. They don't have a single one of those guys on the roster right now. Oh sure they probably are kinda stuck with Lauri and will probably pay Kessler and call them core guys, but that's not a serious start to anything. But it could be a serious complement to something if they could find a guy.

[Tim Lehrbach]

Oh sure they probably are kinda stuck with [Grant] and will probably pay [Sharpe] and call them core guys, but that's not a serious start to anything. But it could be a serious complement to something if they could find a guy.

[sighs in Rip City]

[babyjax13]

Not picking on babyjax13 here by making a second post about his Utah deal, but do you think it's enough to justify moving down, even if Fears is the guy? Indiana seems very likely to still be good next year, and Hawkins may not be an NBA player. When Atlanta moved the Luka pick for Trae, they got a much higher-variance extra pick in the deal, which indeed ended up being #10 overall. Could Utah do better, or is the difference here that there is no Luka on the board?

I really debated about what the value would/could/should be. A swap? A top-1 protected swap and the Indiana pick? Just the Indiana pick? The Indiana pick and a prospect?

I do think no Luka on the board is a meaningful difference. I thought he was the best prospect since LeBron at the time and when Phoenix passed on him for Ayton I kind of understood (but disagreed) but when Sacramento passed on him AND Atlanta traded him it felt like a bit of a joke. But, who knows if teams felt how I did, and I've been wrong more than right!

[babyjax13]

I Love the detail, love the idea of the Jazz moving down for value.

I started doing one of these and I had Utah moving up with Philly (no Paul George make it too big stuff). I think Utah will have a clear favorite sitting there and its time for them to go start putting a core together. Philly doesn't seem to love anybody after Flagg and Harper so the opportunity appears to be there.

Utah needs no more low level prospects. They need someone to start building around. They don't have a single one of those guys on the roster right now. Oh sure they probably are kinda stuck with Lauri and will probably pay Kessler and call them core guys, but that's not a serious start to anything. But it could be a serious complement to something if they could find a guy.

I would like that, but I don't see an easy method. 21 + 1 or 2 of our lower variance future picks is only enough if Philly doesn't have a strong preference, and imagine that real front-offices will (including Morey).