The Golden State Warriors have won their fourth NBA Championship in the past eight years and Steph Curry finally won an NBA Finals MVP!
Last night, the Detroit Pistons traded Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a future first-round pick. They also swapped second-round picks tonight. Grant joins Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons as the Blazers look to return to the NBA Playoffs. They currently hold the 7th pick in the draft, but rumor has it they are looking to acquire another veteran with this pick. Las year, they traded C.J. McCollum, Norman Powell and Robert Covington as their season unraveled.
Last week, the Dallas Mavericks traded for Christian Wood and sent the 26th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft back to Houston. The Rockets have three first-round picks as they also own the Brooklyn Nets selection. RealGM does a great job breaking down all traded draft picks.
I was really hoping to see the Houston Rockets select Jaden Ivey with the third pick, but this all but confirms whichever of the big three are left will don a Rockets uniform.
Earlier in the week, the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder made a trade that sent the 30th pick in the NBA Draft to Denver in exchange for JaMychal Green. Time for an updated 2022 NBA Mock Draft!
The Orlando Magic won the NBA Lottery and will pick first in the 2022 NBA Draft. They will have a tough decision to make in the frontcourt, choosing between Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith.
The Sacramento Kings moved into the top four with the Detroit Pistons falling out. The Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers moved down one spot.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had four of the first 34 picks, including three first-rounders, thanks to the Chris Paul (Suns) and Paul George (Clippers) trades, before acquiring a future first-round pick from Denver.
The Indiana Pacers were looking like a lock for two first-round selections, after trading Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, injuries stunted the Cavs playoff push and Cleveland landed in the lottery, keeping their protected pick.
The San Antonio Spurs acquired two extra first-round picks at the NBA trade deadline when dealing Derrick White (Celtics) and Thaddeus Young (Raptors).
The Brooklyn Nets deferred the Philadelphia 76ers picks until 2023, which means Brooklyn does not have a first-round pick and the Sixers hold onto the 23rd pick.
[pickup_prop id="19827"]
2022 NBA Mock Draft
| Pick | Team | Player | School | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic | Jabari Smith | Auburn | F |
| 2 | Thunder | Chet Holmgren | Gonzaga | F/C |
| 3 | Rockets | Paolo Banchero | Thunder | F |
| 4 | Kings | Jaden Ivey | Purdue | G |
| 5 | Pistons | Keegan Murray | Iowa | F |
| 6 | Pacers | Shaedon Sharpe | Kentucky | W |
| 7 | Blazers | AJ Griffin | Duke | W |
| 8 | Pelicans via LAL | Bennedict Mathurin | Arizona | W |
| 9 | Spurs | Dyson Daniels | Ignite | G |
| 10 | Wizards | Johnny Davis | Wisconsin | G |
| 11 | Knicks | Jalen Duren | Memphis | F/C |
| 12 | Thunder via LAC | Ousmane Dieng | New Zealand | F |
| 13 | Hornets | Jeremy Sochan | Baylor | W |
| 14 | Cavaliers | Malaki Branham | Ohio State | G |
| 15 | Hornets via NO | Mark Williams | Duke | C |
| 16 | Hawks | Tari Eason | LSU | F |
| 17 | Rockets via BKN | Ochai Agbaji | Kansas | W |
| 18 | Bulls | E.J. Liddell | Ohio State | F |
| 19 | Timberwolves | TyTy Washington | Kentucky | G |
| 20 | Spurs via TOR | Jaden Hardy | Ignite | W |
| 21 | Nuggets | Nikola Jovic | Serbia | F |
| 22 | Grizzlies via UTA | Jalen Williams | Santa Clara | F |
| 23 | Sixers | MarJon Beauchamp | Ignite | W |
| 24 | Bucks | Dalen Terry | Arizona | W |
| 25 | Spurs via BOS | Kendall Brown | Baylor | F |
| 26 | Rockets via DAL | Kennedy Chandler | Tennessee | G |
| 27 | Heat | Blake Wesley | Notre Dame | W |
| 28 | Warriors | Christian Braun | Kansas | W |
| 29 | Grizzlies | Bryce McGowens | Nebraska | W |
| 30 | Nuggets via OKC | Jake Laravia | Wake Forest | F |
Quick Thoughts
- Jaden Ivey is not a great fit in Sacramento but this team continues to be an absolute mess and should just focus on drafting BPA
- I want (need) to see Shaedon Sharpe and Tyrese Haliburton play together
- Bennedict Mathurin and Dyson Daniels have been rising draft boards and are now projected top 10 picks
- I still think the Knicks need to figure out their point guard situation, but forcing themselves into TyTy Washington is most likely not the answer. Hopefully, they can bring Jalen Brunson in as a free agent!
- It will be interesting to see just how much teams value rim protection with bigs like Mark Williams, Walker Kessler and Christian Koloko
Check out our 2022 Fantasy Football Team Previews!
