NBA mock draft 2023: Instant projection after lottery with Spurs winning No. 1 pick

Here’s our instant NBA mock draft after the Spurs won the lottery for the rights to Victor Wembanyama.

The 2023 NBA Draft will go down as one of the most anticipated in league history. It’s a deep class rich with talent at multiple positions, but there will be no suspense over the No. 1 overall pick.

Victor Wembanyama is the big prize waiting at the top of the draft, and the 7’5 French super prospect has the potential to go down as an all-time great because of his unprecedented combination of size and skill. Now we finally know where Wembanyama will start his NBA career.

The San Antonio Spurs are the lucky winners of the draft lottery, giving Wembanyama his first NBA home. The Charlotte Hornets will pick second, the Portland Trail Blazers will pick third, and the Houston Rockets will pick fourth. The second pick is expected to be a race between G League Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson and Alabama freshman wing Brandon Miller. This could be the rare draft to feature three players who didn’t play college basketball going with the first picks if Overtime Elite point guard Amen Thompson sneaks ahead of Miller.

With the lottery order now determined, here is our instant 2023 NBA mock draft.

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

Wembanyama is one of the best prospects to ever enter the NBA draft, up there with icons like LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The league has never seen a player with his physical tools before: standing 7’5 with an 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama is a fluid athlete who can play all over the floor on both ends, but thrives dominating at the rim. He has somehow exceeded the lofty hype that followed him into this season by establishing himself as the likely MVP of the top French pro league at just 19 years old. He’s leading the league in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and is near the league-lead in minutes played. Read our full scouting report on Wembanyama here. This is another franchise-altering superstar for the Spurs.

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

Henderson is a super athletic point guard prospect who can break opposing defenses with his speed and rim pressure. The 6’2 guard is incredibly fast with the ball in his hands, burning defenders to the cup both in transition with a head of steam, and in the halfcourt with a wicked first step. Henderson should be a great finisher around the rim as he refines his craft: he can get off the ground quickly as an explosive one-foot leaper, he’s strong enough to absorb contact, and he’s agile enough to avoid defenders mid-air when he has to. He’s also a skilled operator in the pick-and-roll, but still has some learning to do in how to blend his own scoring with playmaking. Henderson is not a great three-point shooter (27.5 percent on 2.7 attempts per game this season), and will need to figure out how to threaten defenses when he doesn’t have the ball.

3. Portland Trail Blazers – Amen Thompson, G, Overtime Elite City Reapers

Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson feel like the biggest wildcards of the 2023 NBA Draft after they bypassed more traditional routes for the upstart Overtime Elite league — but passing on them in the top-five might be even riskier than taking them. We’ll give Amen the slight edge over his brother because of his playmaking potential as a lead guard. At 6’7 with a 7-foot wingspan, Thompson has the size of a wing and the skill of a guard, and will be one of the five most athletic players in the league next season. He has incredible speed in the open floor and a blazing first step to draw two defenders to the ball, and at times he’ll have some truly creative passing flashes. Thompson is also a remarkable leaper around the basket, but he still needs to improve as a finisher when he’s not dunking it. His intersection of size, speed, leaping, passing, and defensive versatility gives him sky-high upside, but he’s a rough outside shooter who will essentially be starting from scratch with his three-point shot. He’d be a gamble at No. 3, but he has more upside than any player left on the board.

4. Houston Rockets – Brandon Miller, F, Alabama

There’s a case to be made that Miller has the highest floor of any player in this draft after Wembanyama because of his combination of size and shooting. At 6’9, Miller showed knockdown shooting potential during his freshman season at Alabama by hitting 38.4 percent of his threes on 7.5 attempts per game, while making 86 percent of his free throws. Miller is deadly on spot-ups and can bend opposing defenses by running off screens to hit shots. His ceiling will rest on his development with the ball in his hands. Miller doesn’t have a ton of burst as a driver to create separation against his man, and while his finishing got better in the second half of the season, it remains a bit of a question mark. Miller will also have to answer questions about his presence at the murder of 23-year-old Jamea Harris in January despite not being charged.

5. Detroit Pistons – Cam Whitmore, F, Villanova

Whitmore has major upside as a scorer thanks to his combination of strength and athleticism while showing flashes of shot-making potential. At 6’6 and 230+ pounds, Whitmore thrives by attacking the basket and finishing through contact. He dunks everything around the rim and can out-muscle smaller or weaker defenders in close. He can score in the restricted area both on and off the ball: his ball handling is pretty tight for a player with his size, and he’s also great at cutting into open spaces for easy baskets. Whitmore made 34.3 percent of his threes on 4.3 attempts per game this year, and can get hot as a shooter when he’s in a rhythm. His playmaking is his biggest area of growth, and scouts will also wonder what position he best defends in the league.

6. Orlando Magic – Taylor Hendricks, F, UCF

No one expected Taylor Hendricks to be a one-and-done when he arrived at UFC as the No. 84 recruit in his class, per 247 Sports. Fast forward six months, and Hendricks is suddenly one of the hottest names in this draft with real potential to go in the top-10. The 6’9 forward checks a lot of boxes teams are looking for in a modern four: he can protect the rim a bit (his 6.2 percent block rate ranked No. 94 in the country), he can hit a spot-up three (39 percent from deep this year), and he can finish plays above the rim as a dunker. Hendricks doesn’t have a ton of juice off the dribble which limits his upside, but he’s impressive defensively and should space the floor on offense, which is something every team is looking for.

7. Indiana Pacers – Ausar Thompson, G/F, Overtime Elite Reapers

The other Thompson twin is a tremendous prospect in his own right. Like his brother, Ausar is an elite athlete at 6’7 with a 7-foot wingspan who wrecks havoc defensively and thrives when the game is in transition. He’s a better shooter than his brother, though his jumper isn’t exactly a strength yet after hitting 29.8 percent of his threes on 3.8 attempts per game. Ausar is more of a wing while Amen projects as a point guard, and isn’t as dynamic off the dribble. Instead, Ausar projects as more of a connective off-ball perimeter player, which could give him a cleaner projection to the league than his brother if his jumper fully comes around.

8. Washington Wizards – Jarace Walker, F, Houston

Walker is one of the best defensive prospects in this draft class, and there’s reason to believe that he has more offensive skill than he showed during his one year at Houston. A 6’8, 240-pound forward with a 7’2 wingspan, Walker offers immense defensive versatility with solid awareness on help rotations, supplemental rim protection skills, and the ability to stick with smaller players for a few seconds on the perimeter. On offense, he should be able to knock down open spot-ups (34.7 percent from three on 101 attempts) while adding value as a passer. Before he played a winning role on a No. 1 seed at the college level, Walker was a great one-on-one scorer at IMG Academy, and could have more upside there. Walker lacks great speed to chase shooters around screens, but he provides almost everything else on defense while having some bankable skills offensively.

9. Utah Jazz – Cason Wallace, G, Kentucky

There is no better perimeter defender in this draft class than Wallace. A 6’3 guard with a 6’6 wingspan and a strong 195-pound frame, Wallace not only blankets opposing guards but can also slide up and defend bigger forwards. He plays with a stunning combination of effort and intelligence on the defensive end, never giving up on plays — as evident by a deep collection of chasedown blocks — while mastering opponents’ tendencies. Wallace’s offense is a little less refined, but he can hit a spot-up jumper (34.6 percent from three on four attempts per game) and acts best as a connective passer on the perimeter.

10. Dallas Mavericks – Anthony Black, G, Arkansas

Anthony Black is a huge guard who should make a significant impact on the defensive end as he figures out his role offensively. At 6’7, 200 pounds, Black is a determined on-ball defender with sharp rotational instincts who could be able to switch across four positions at the NBA level. Black has a strong lower body and quick hands that helps him hold up against bigger matchups, and he’s still quick enough to hang with speedy guards most of the time. The question for Black is how much scoring punch he can provide. He’s a shaky outside shooter (30 percent from three on 98 attempts), and doesn’t generate much rim pressure as a driver. He’s more of a connective passer than a true lead guard, but if the shot comes around this is exactly the type of player teams want in the rotation during the playoffs.

11. Orlando Magic – Gradey Dick, G/F, Kansas

Dick is the favorite to earn the ‘best shooter in the class’ label. The 6’8 freshman made 40.3 percent of 206 attempts on three-pointers this year, mostly on shots his teammates created for him. With deep range and a quick release, Dick is the sort of shooter opposing defenses have to stay glued to, and that opens things up for everyone else. While he’s not super fast sprinting around screens, Dick does have movement shooter potential because he’s able to quickly square himself to the basket to fire a shot. He also showed that he can attack a closeout and get into a one dribble mid-range pull-up when he needs to. Dick shouldn’t be counted on to attack off the bounce much, and his defense will be a big question mark early in his career. Still, it’s hard to find 6’8 guys who can shoot as well as he can, and that should make him a lotto pick.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Keyonte George, G, Baylor

George has a case as one of the most skilled offensive guards in the class even if the numbers from his freshman year at Baylor don’t necessarily confirm it. The 6’4 guard can play on- or off the ball, flashed scoring ability from all three levels, and has already mastered the art of getting easy points from the free throw line. On the ball, George is an advanced ball handler who often hunts pull-up jumpers, but can also throw some really impressive passes. Off the ball, he has legit movement shooting potential as a knockdown threat running around screens. So why did George only shoot 33.8 percent from three (on 228 attempts) and 42.4 percent on two-pointers? He lacks top-end speed and leaping, and has a tendency to settle for difficult shots he can make but aren’t efficient looks. It would have been nice to see George get some easier buckets against college competition, but his offensive versatility and technically sound perimeter defense should still make him a lotto pick.

13. Toronto Raptors – Dariq Whitehead, G, Duke

Whitehead had a reputation as a big guard who could put pressure on the rim with tremendous speed and leaping ability when he entered his freshman year at Duke. Then he fractured his right foot, missed the start of the season, and had to reimagine his game on a Blue Devils team that already had a stud shot creator in Jeremy Roach. Instead, Whitehead became something of a designated shooter — considered a weakness in his game entering college — by hitting 42.4 percent of his three-pointers on 99 attempts. Add in solid defense with the potential to switch across two or three positions, and there’s a lot to like about Whitehead if he can regain the burst as a driver he showed earlier in his career.

14. New Orleans Pelicans – Brice Sensabaugh, G, Ohio State

Sensabaugh is one of the truly great scoring prospects in this draft class. A strong 6’6, 230-pound wing, the Ohio State freshman is the master of the midrange while also being an excellent three-point shooter. Sensabaugh has drawn comparisons to modern-day DeMar DeRozan for his ability to get to his spots and hit pull-up jumpers from the elbows. He’s also an awesome three-point shooter, making 40.5 percent of his triples on 148 attempts. So why isn’t he considered a top pick in this draft? Well, Sensabaugh doesn’t pass much and doesn’t defend much, either. He’s already such a good scorer that he should have a role in the league for a long time either way, but if he can improve in those areas, he could be one of the bigger value plays in this draft.

15. Atlanta Hawks – Jett Howard, F, Michigan

Howard is a big wing with impressive shooting ability who can still create his own shot despite underwhelming athleticism. At 6’8, 215 pounds, Howard is a volume three-point shooter who can knockdown spot-ups and offer some movement shooting ability. He made 36.8 percent of his threes on 212 attempts this season. Howard also has an advanced handle for someone his size and can shake defenders one-on-one to get into his pull-up. While he’s not super fast or a great leaper, he is a good finisher when he can get to the rim, The biggest questions will be on the defensive end, but Howard’s size allows him to hold up a bit inside. He feels like a safe bet as an off-ball shooter, and just might turn into a better on-ball creator than most realize.

16. Utah Jazz – Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas

Smith was supposed to be the best NBA prospect in college basketball this year. Instead, he battled a knee injury and gave pro scouts more questions than answers about his game during his one year at Arkansas. At his best, Smith is an incredible half-court scorer who can beat defenses with floaters, pull-up jumpers, and spot-up threes. He didn’t get to and finish at the rim as often as NBA teams wanted, and his thin frame is going to face major questions defensively. Smith’s best role in the league might be as a microwave bench scorer, but you don’t have to squint too hard to still talk yourself into star upside here.

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

Murray is the twin brother of Kings rookie Keegan Murray, and he enjoyed a similar breakout season at Iowa as his bro became a key starter on a playoff team in Sacramento. A 6’8, 220-pound forward, Murray can shoot threes with volume and defend slower wings. He seems a tad less athletic than his brother, and his shooting numbers dipped as the season went on, but he should be a safe bet to stick around the league for a while when every team needs big wings who can hit shots.

18. Miami Heat – Terquavion Smith, G, NC State

Smith was a borderline first rounder last year, but decided to come back for his sophomore season at NC State. The whole country got to see his microwave scoring ability on display in March Madness, when he popped off for 32 points in a close first-round loss to Creighton. A thin 6’4 guard, Smith has a quick trigger and deep range as a pull-up shooter that allows him to stockpile points in a hurry. He developed nicely as a playmaker as a sophomore, improving his assist percentage from 14.2 percent to 22.9 percent. It’s difficult to see how he positively impacts the game defensively, but he should provide value as a bench gunner.

19. Golden State Warriors – Leonard Miller, F, G League Ignite

Miller is a big 6’10 forward with a 7’2 wingspan who can handle the ball out on the perimeter, has good touch around the basket, and offers defensive versatility when he’s locked in. The Canadian was the prep school mystery man at last year’s NBA Draft combine, but decided to join the G League Ignite after a poor showing in scrimmages. He impressed attacking closeouts and getting into his Eurostep, and was able to hit shots with both hands around the basket. Miller’s biggest issue is his three-point shot: he has a slow, long release, and his touch around the basket doesn’t seem to extend to the perimeter. He’s also a bit of an erratic decision-maker with the ball in his hands. There’s still plenty of upside here even with more tape on his game, and he makes sense for most teams after the lotto.

20. Houston Rockets – GG Jackson, F, South Carolina

Jackson is a huge forward with shot-creation potential who is still growing into his game as the youngest prospect in the draft. The No. 1 high school junior in the country before reclassifying late, Jackson spent his freshman year initiating the Gamecocks’ offense and flashing tough shot-making skills. At 6’9, 215 pounds, Jackson is a fluid if not super explosive athlete who could be a mismatch problem at the next level as he continues to learn how to leverage his physical gifts. The issue with Jackson right now is he doesn’t read the game very well — he finished the season with 86 turnovers to 27 assists — and still needs to prove himself as an off-ball player in terms of his catch-and-shoot efficiency and ability to impact the game with cuts, offensive rebounds, and hustle plays. There’s some real upside here, but it’s going to take a patient team who can get him to embrace a winning role.

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

Rupert is a young French wing with ridiculous length who could profile as a high-impact defensive stopper down the road. At 6’6 with a 7’3 wingspan, Rupert impressed scouts with his on-ball defense and ability to get into the passing lanes while playing in Australia’s NBL. His halfcourt offense is mostly limited to catch-and-shoot opportunities at this point, where he’s shown decent touch but still has progress to make after hitting 31.3 percent of his threes and 74 percent of his free throws. Rupert can handle the ball in transition and reportedly showed good feel offensively, but there’s no doubt defense will be his calling card to make it in the league.

22. Brooklyn Nets – Maxwell Lewis, F, Pepperdine

Lewis is a spindly wing who can create his own shot with an advanced package of offensive moves, and still feels like he’s growing into both his body and his skill set. At 6’7 with a 6’10 wingspan, Lewis is a gifted one-on-one scoring prospect who can fire pull-up jumpers from mid-range and three-point territory. The Pepperdine sophomore has long strides and real flexibility around the basket when he breaks down the defense, and made pro-level shots throughout his breakdown campaign. While his deep shooting numbers aren’t great — 32.5 percent from three on 120 attempts — the stepback Lewis often goes to looks the part and could become a major weapon with more seasoning. There are questions about his playmaking and defensive impact, but there could be some hidden upside in a tall wing prospect with this type of shot creation ability.

23. Portland Trail Blazers – Emoni Bates, F, Eastern Michigan

Bates will go down as one of the most infamous prospects of his generation regardless of his NBA career turns out. At 15 years old, Bates was being called “the next Kevin Durant” for his combination of size and shooting. His winding high school path led him to enroll at Memphis as a 17-year-old, where his turnovers, inefficient scoring, and injuries ultimately pushed him out of the rotation. He landed with his hometown Eastern Michigan program and put up big scoring numbers on a terrible team, but there are still serious questions about how his game will translate to the next level. Bates does have a few things going for him, namely: size (6’10), shooting, and youth. The guess here is some team will find him intriguing enough to take in the first round.

24. Sacramento Kings – Kobe Bufkin, G, Michigan

Bufkin closed the season on a tear for Michigan to win himself new fans among NBA evaluators as a sophomore who is younger than a lot of the top freshmen in this draft. The 6’4 guard is slippery with the ball in his hands, combining impressive change of pace with an advanced finishing package around the basket. He’s a solid shooter — 35.5 percent from three, 85 percent from the foul line — and has really quick hands defensively despite a thin frame. He feels like one of the more well-rounded guard prospects in this class if he can continue to develop off-the-ball while adding strength.

25. Memphis Grizzlies – Dereck Lively II, C, Duke

Lively is a super long rim-protecting center who showed more defensive versatility as the season went on. A 7’2 big man with a reported 7’7 wingspan, Lively was a top recruit who struggled to live up the hype early in his freshman year for Duke. While his offense never really developed — he averaged 5.2 points per game on the season — his defense was excellent. Lively finished third in the country in block rate (12.7 percent), proved he could hit the offensive glass hard, and showed more coverage versatility beyond just playing drop late in the season. If the shooting upside scouts thought he had coming out of high school ever develops, he could be one of the more high-upside picks in this range.

26. Indiana Pacers – Jordan Hawkins, G, UConn

Hawkins was the perimeter star of UConn’s run to the national championship, and his movement shooting ability makes him an enticing fit in the NBA. The 6’5 guard doesn’t create much with the ball in his hands, but he can zip around screens and hit threes playing off the ball. His footwork coming off pindowns is pristine, and the way he gathers himself to get off a shot so quickly is impressive. Scouts will wonder about his decision-making after he finished with more turnovers than assists on the year, but the team that drafts will be doing so for his shooting.

27. Charlotte Hornets – Noah Clowney, C, Alabama

Clowney is a raw big man with the upside to space the floor on offense and protect the rim on defense has he continues to grow into his game. A 6’10 big man with a 7’2 wingspan, the Alabama freshman showed the ability to fight on the glass and offer supplemental shot-blocking defensively. He took a ton of threes (120) for someone so young and so big, and while he only made 28.3 percent of them, the volume is encouraging and the shot look clean. He was also an impressive finisher at the rim. It will probably take him a couple years to make an impact in the league, but a patient team could find a gem in the late first with the right development.

28. Utah Jazz – Sidy Cissoko, G, G League Ignite

Cissoko is a long and strong French wing who projects as an impact defender. At 6’7 with a 6’10 wingspan, Cissoko has a strong chest and quick feet that allows him to defend multiple positions on switches. He was excellent at coming over to get blocks and steals as a help defender during his year with the Ignite. His offense is less developed at this point but he has a decent shooting stroke on spot-ups and can throw some interesting passes as a ball handler. Scouts will want to see if he can pressure the opposing defense as a scorer with the ball in his hands.

29. Indiana Pacers – Bobi Klintman, F, Wake Forest

Klintman is a 6’10 Swede with a projectable 3-and-D skill set as a modern power forward. While he only averaged 5.3 points per game as a freshman at Wake Forest, Klintman showed off an impressive catch-and-shoot stroke (36.8 percent from three) and moves well in space. He’s extremely raw, but the sales pitch is intriguing enough to get him looks at the end of the first.

30. Los Angeles Clippers – Jordan Walsh, F, Arkansas

Walsh is a defensive stopper on the wing who will need to improve his jump shot to stay in the league. At 6’7 with a 7’2 wingspan, the Arkansas forward is a determined defender who can switch ball screens and guard a variety of assignments. He can handle and pass the ball in transition a bit, but needs to figure out ways to score in the halfcourt. Still, there aren’t many wings this big and this skilled defensively if a team thinks it can improve his scoring against a set defense.