2023 NBA Mock Draft: SB Nation writers project the first round

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We know Victor Wembanyama is going No. 1 overall, but our mock draft features twists and turns as our experts pick for their teams in the first round.

The NBA playoffs came to an end when the Denver Nuggets were crowned champions, but that just means it’s time for draft season. The 2023 NBA Draft is going down on Thursday, June 22.

But today it’s time for the annual SB Nation NBA mock draft. Experts from around our NBA team communities and national writers made a selection for their club in the first round. Trades were not allowed.

For more draft coverage, check out the latest mock draft from our own Ricky O’Donnell, who projected the entire first round here, and you can find complete draft coverage from our team communities at our NBA draft hub.

The San Antonio Spurs were on the clock first with the No. 1 pick, and made the exact selection you were expecting before things got interesting.

1. San Antonio Spurs – Victor Wembanyama, C, Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92

Jesus Gomez, Pounding the Rock — There will be no surprises with the top pick. Victor Wembanyama, a prospect that is universally considered to be among the best of the past 20 years by experts, claimed that spot months ago and after a lot of losing, the Spurs were lucky enough to get the opportunity to select him. Sometimes tanking works.

2. Charlotte Hornets – Scoot Henderson, PG, G League Ignite

James Dator, SB Nation writer and Hornets fan — The Hornets aren’t in a position to play safe and focus on perfect team building. Charlotte needs talent, and for that reason alone Scoot is a no-brainer. There are significant concerns about whether a LaMelo/Scoot backcourt can work, but it’s impossible to pass on a player with his talent. Let the coaching staff work out the fit later.

3. Portland Trail Blazers – Brandon Miller, F, Alabama

Dave Deckard, Blazer’s Edge — The Blazers won’t have a choice about the player who falls to the third pick, but they won’t be disappointed with Brandon Miller’s potential. Size, wingspan, and defensive ability, plus the potential of a 3-point shot? Sold.

Miller lacks shot creation and playmaking ability, but the Blazers already have those in spades. They need forwards and they need defense. Miller should fit the bill. Off-court issues put an asterisk on this selection, but Portland will depend on Damian Lillard and the culture club to acclimate Miller properly. Hopefully it works, but either way, Miller has to be the selection.

4. Houston Rockets – Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite City Reapers

Darren Yuvan, The Dream Shake — I’m not in love with this pick. In fact, I don’t think that the Rockets should even make it. I want them to trade back a few slots, pick up some extra capital and possibly target Jarace Walker. But there’s no trading for our purposes, and there’s no doubt that the team needs a point guard, and I’m also of the belief that James Harden is simply using the team as leverage.

Thompson is certainly gifted athletically, but his limits as a shooter have me worried, partiuclarly on a team that’s been struggling shooting the ball for three seasons now. But he also has a high upside, and with no sure things left, gambling on upside is Houston’s best bet.

5. Detroit Pistons – Ausar Thompson, G/F, Overtime Elite Reapers

Sean Corp, Detroit Bad Boys — The Detroit Pistons’ war room seems to be similar to the Rockets’ war room. This is not a pick that I am thrilled to make on behalf of the Pistons, but at the same time, I feel like if I don’t take the risk, I could be looking back in three years and wondering what I was thinking passing up on a talent like Ausar. He’s not as heralded as his brother, but he has skills that point to elite two-way potential on the wing. That also happens to be exactly what the Pistons need to complement Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren.

Of course, the Pistons also need shooting, and Ausar does not provide that. In fact, his shot is so questionable, he has significant bust potential. Perhaps I’m overcorrecting for the lessons of last year when I wanted the Pistons to play it safe and take Bennedict Mathurin instead of Jaden Ivey. Detroit took Ivey, and all he did was show that not only did he have elite athleticism, but an elite work ethic that saw him improve significantly throughout the season. By the end of the year, he was running an offense, cleaning up a messy 3-point stroke, turning his big weakness as a mid-range shooter into a strength, and looking like a potential elite player.

Much the same could be said of Ausar. He has elite athleticism and the potential to be an All-NBA defender. He also has self-creation and finishing skills that are the lifeblood of today’s NBA. Finally, he has the same superlative work ethic as Ivey. I trust his skills, and I want to believe his shot can come around. Because if it does, there is no player on the board that could reach his ceiling.

6. Orlando Magic – Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — Orlando already has so much offensive firepower with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and they’re adding another electric scorer in Whitmore with this pick. Unlike Banchero and Wagner, Whitmore is an elite athlete who can attack the paint both as a cutter and driver and finish players above the rim. He should give this team some transition juice they badly need, and I’m also bullish on his 3-point shot. It doesn’t feel like there’s a perfect fit for Orlando at this spot, but Whitmore’s projectable shot and athletic oomph will be a nice addition to one of the league’s best young cores.

7. Indiana Pacers – Jarace Walker, F, Houston

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — This would be one of the best possible fits in the first round. The Pacers have enough shooting to mitigate concerns about a spacing crunch with Walker in the lineup, and he’s an ideal defensive counterpart to Myles Turner in the front court who has both rim protection and wing stopper potential. I also think there’s a good chance Walker can tap into the creation upside he showed at the high school level with some good shooters in Indiana around him. The Pacers should be praying he’s still on the board at No. 7.

8. Washington Wizards – Bilal Coulibaly, G/F, Levallois Metropolitans 92

Kevin Broom, Bullets Forever — I don’t believe in drafting for need, and besides: the Wizards’ biggest need is talent. In my stat-based system, Coulibaly rates as a top-five pick. He’s long, athletic and young (he turns 19 in July). Not a perfect player, but he dominated under-21 competition and was productive as Wembanyama’s teammate in a strong professional league. The Wizards can afford to wait a couple years for him to mature, and their developmental process should be better with the new executive team and the additional resources team owner Ted Leonsis has promised.

9. Utah Jazz – Anthony Black, G, Arkansas

James Hansen, SLC Dunk — With both Taylor Hendricks and Anthony Black on the board, this became a tough decision. It essentially came down to upside. Utah is still looking to find stars and Black has the potential to become even more than he was in college, while Hendricks appears to be an elite role player in the future. Utah has found its point guard of the future!

10. Dallas Mavericks – Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF

Kirk Henderson, Mavs Moneyball: In a draft that had a consensus top-nine for what feels like months, having the 10th pick isn’t ideal. But draft season is when teams lose their minds *waves at Wizards happily*. Taylor Hendricks is who Mavs Moneyball has had eyes for going back to April when it became clear that the play-in would go poorly because Dallas was a very bad basketball team. It seems wild to get a multi-talented forward who can, in theory, be a plug-and-play on both sides of the ball. Dallas is lucky if something like this happens on draft night.

11. Orlando Magic (via Chicago) – Gradey Dick, G/F, Kansas

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — The Magic have their top offensive options in place. Now they need role players around them to open up the floor and increase the offensive flow. Dick is a natural fit: at 6’8, he might be the best shooter in this draft class, able to shoot at high volume while also being highly accurate. Paolo Banchero’s supersized rim attacking skills suddenly become a lot more dangerous with a shooter like Dick one pass away.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky

Damon Allred, Detroit Bad Boys Draft Expert — I wanted to target play finishers rather than creators, so I was hoping someone like Gradey Dick would still be available this late into the lottery. However, Cason Wallace still checks some of those boxes by way of shooting 64.2% at the rim (77th percentile, per Synergy) and 35% on catch-and-shoot 3P (59th percentile), but the defensive end is where I really love the fit.

Wallace is the class’s best point-of-attack defender and can guard up the lineup too, giving him an important role in lineups alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. He’s also as mature as one-and-dones come, so he won’t have trouble getting in sync with an OKC squad that’s ready to be a playoff staple.

13. Toronto Raptors – Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan

JD Quirante, Raptors HQ — It was a tough decision between Kobe Bufkin and Keyonte George, both can’t-miss prospects at the 13th spot. Ultimately, I went with the more natural fit for a couple of reasons: Bufkin’s well-rounded offensive game and the ability to play the point. While he may not have the potential upside as some of the prospects at this range, he immediately fills many holes for the Raptors as a three-level scorer and playmaker. With more minutes potentially opening up if Fred VanVleet decides to take his talents elsewhere, we could be looking at the steal of the draft.

14. New Orleans Pelicans – Jalen Hood-Schifino, G, Indiana

Calvin Chappell, SLC Dunk Draft Expert — The Pelicans could really use a steady hand at point guard for the future. JHS is an elite decision-maker with one of the more complete skill sets in the draft. He could be a perfect fit next to all the scorers in New Orleans. He can be effective on-ball as a PnR partner with Zion (if he remains with the Pelicans), or off-ball as a spot-up shooter deferring to Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.

15. Atlanta Hawks – Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas

Wes Morton, Peachtree Hoops — Smith was the top high school recruit to join the college ranks in 2022. But a nagging knee injury sapped some of the explosiveness that got him there. He showed flashes of brilliant self-creation and pull-up jump shooting while at Arkansas, but it’s hard to ignore his 39.7% shooting from two-point range and his poor 2.6 assists per 40 minutes as an on-ball guard. Still, the Hawks need to try to escape mediocrity somehow, and picking at 15th overall may leave no other choice but to risk this upside play.

16. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota) – Keyonte George, G, Baylor

James Hansen, SLC Dunk — This was a “best player available” pick. There are things to be concerned about with George like the defensive lapses and being an undersized shooting guard, something the Jazz are very familiar with, but George has serious potential as a 3-level scorer who has a very good chance of coming into the league and getting buckets at a high level. If he can be an elite shooter and scorer, the Jazz could come out of this draft very happy.

17. Los Angeles Lakers – Kris Murray, F, Iowa

Jacob Rude, Silver Screen and Roll — The Lakers have the option to go with best player available with their depth found in the middle of the season this year. At that point, it’s a personal preference for the scouting department that continues to find gems, with Austin Reaves as the latest example of their longtime talent evaluation skill. Kris Murray makes a lot of sense as a wing that can space the floor and knock down 3-pointers, a number of things that are positive attributes in role players surrounding Anthony Davis and LeBron James.

18. Miami Heat – Dereck Lively II, C, Duke

JP Acosta, SB Nation writer and Heat fan — If (and that’s a huge if) Miami ends up making this pick in the draft, they need to prioritize length and finding someone who can play alongside C Bam Adebayo. Lively is an explosive athlete with nice mobility, with the potential to be an extremely good defender right away. His lack of an offensive game wouldn’t be as much of a worry, with Adebayo expanding his game outside of the paint. Miami needs a big they can trust outside of Bam, and in Lively, they get one.

19. Golden State Warriors – Noah Clowney, C, Alabama

Brady Klopfer, Golden State of Mind — Conventional wisdom says the Warriors should target a more NBA-ready player, but is that really realistic at No. 19 for a team trying to win a title? Clowney has a lot of similarities to another young big that the Warriors drafted late in a different first round: Kevon Looney. The Warriors have struggled with player development a little, but did wonderfully with Looney, who fits their system beautifully. They’ve been looking for a backup for him for years, so why not Clowney? His defensive instincts and switchability give him a chance of being playable immediately, and his offensive potential as a pick-and-roll release valve and eventually a shooter give him a fairly high ceiling.

20. Houston Rockets – Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite

Darren Yuvan, The Dream Shake — I considered multiple players in this spot, from getting the Rockets some more shooting in Jordan Hawkins, to the scoring prowess of Brice Sensabaugh and even a swing on the potential upside of the seven-foot James Nnaji from Nigeria, who came to the game late and holds some obvious parallels to another late-to-the-game Nigerian who once played for the Rockets.

But Houston doesn’t have the space for more development right now, and they are in dire need of some more size, so the more polished 6’10” Miller is the pick. He can guard 3-5, and is one of the best rebounders in this draft class. And while he needs some work on his 3-point shot, his athleticism (he’s great in transition), motor (he goes!), versatility and defensive potential could help the Rockets right away.

21. Brooklyn Nets (via PHX) – Jordan Hawkins, G, UConn

Tom Lorenzo, Nets Daily — If there’s one thing we know the Nets love, it’s a wing who can stretch the floor. With the futures of Joe Harris and Seth Curry in flux, the Nets could look to add one of the best shooters in the draft in Jordan Hawkins who can help the team immediately as someone who can come in and space the defense.

22. Brooklyn Nets – Rayan Rupert, G, New Zealand Breakers

Tom Lorenzo, Nets Daily — There are a lot of tea leaves to be read here with this pick; first, the fact that Rupert plays in New Zealand, a personal favorite scouting ground of Nets GM Sean Marks. Second, the fact that Rupert said Mikal Bridges is his favorite NBA player. This seems like a match made in heaven. There are a lot of teams in the league who could use a lock-down perimeter defender, the Nets included. So Rupert could be an instant plug-and-play for Brooklyn next season to help give them some credibility on the defensive side of the ball.

23. Portland Trail Blazers (via NYK) – Jett Howard, F, Michigan

Dave Deckard, Blazer’s Edge — Howard is going to be an NBA floor spacer from Day 1. You can never have too much of that. Plus you have to respect the lineage. Diamonds in the rough, best player available…take your pick. We’re thinking Howard fulfills all of the above.

24. Sacramento Kings – Dariq Whitehead, G, Duke

James Piercey, The Dream Shake Draft Expert — Just a big fan of Whitehead in general. High floor prospect with a sneaky high ceiling. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could be a helpful member of the King’s rotation next season. I think Whitehead gets overlooked after a shaky college season, but he was hurt. I see a three-level scorer with defensive value at best and a solid three-and-D player who hustles hard at worst.

25. Memphis Grizzlies – Brandin Podziemski, G, Santa Clara

Parker Fleming, Silver Screen and Roll editor and Grizzlies fan/writer — Podziemski checks a lot of boxes from the Memphis Grizzlies’ past draft selections — good rebounder (8.8 per game), playmaker (3.7 assists), defensive event creator (1.8 steals), and shooter (43.8% from 3 on 5.8 attempts per game). He’s not the perfect prospect, as he needs to improve as a defender and a scorer at the rim. However, he’d be a great fit in the Grizzlies’ backcourt alongside Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, and Luke Kennard — a guard that can play next to any of those players and provide depth after Morant’s latest suspension.

26. Indiana Pacers (via Cleveland) – Tristan Vukčević , C, Partizan Belgrade

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — The best tall shooter in the class, Vukčević is a 6’11 big man who shot the hell out of the ball at the combine. There’s not a ton of tape to go on because he didn’t play much for Real Madrid this past season, but that shooting stroke is hard to deny in a game that keeps getting more and more spaced out.

27. Charlotte Hornets (via NYK/OKC) – Emoni Bates, F, Eastern Michigan

James Dator, SB Nation writer and Hornets fan — Back at pick No. 2, I said Charlotte wasn’t in a position to play things safe — that continues here. At pick 27, the team has a chance to roll the dice and find a legitimate star, albeit with a lot of risk. Bates failed to hit his 2020 Gatorade National Player of the Year billing in college for a variety of reasons, but there were flashes at Eastern Michigan last year that suggested he could be unlocked and break out in a way no other player at No. 27 could. There are major Michael Porter Jr. vibes here. Ask the Nuggets how that worked out.

28. Utah Jazz (via Philly/Brooklyn) – Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine

James Hansen, SLC Dunk — Maxwell Lewis is a fantastic option at 28 with his combination of size, athleticism and shooting at the wing. Lewis is the type of late first-round prospect that has the tools to become something much better if he finds himself in the right situation. With Will Hardy and the Jazz’s coaching staff, there’s no doubt he can eventually turn into a rotation player if he works hard and improves.

29. Indiana Pacers (via Boston) – GG Jackson, F, South Carolina

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation Draft Expert — Jackson is a boom-or-bust prospect whose upside is too tantilizing to pass on with a late first round pick. The big shot-creating forward is one of the youngest players in this draft class. His feel for the game is very much still a work in progress, but he could one day develop into someone who could play both sides of the pick-and-roll, crush switches against small defenders, and offer some pull-up mid-range shooting. No one is too upset about a late first round pick that busts — but if Jackson hits, he could give the Pacers a dimension they’ve never had before.

30. LA Clippers (via MIL/HOU) – Olivier-Maxence Prosper, F, Marquette

Sven Karabegovic, SLC Dunk Draft Expert — Olivier-Maxence Prosper would come in as an instant impact player for the Clippers. He has strong size, elite athleticism, great positional versitility, and a hyperactive motor. While there are questions surrounding his shot, he made 33.9% of his attempts from three in his junior season. He isn’t the flashiest player in the class, but he has NBA-ready athleticism and defense, bringing much needed pop to the Clippers’ aging wing core.