The uncertainty with the 2020 NBA draft class reaches all the way to the top.
The talent grab is less than two weeks away, and it's still unclear who will be picked first—or even which team will be making the pick. The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially in that spot, but both they and the Golden State Warriors, slated to draft second, are logical candidates to move the picks for more win-now help.
Saying all that, the lottery portion of most mocks feature a similar group of prospects from one prognostication to the next. However, there are players who aren't being mocked in that range who could still reach it by the draft.
We'll spotlight three of those potential risers after running through a mock first round.
2020 NBA Mock Draft
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks
4. Chicago Bulls: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
6. Atlanta Hawks: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn
7. Detroit Pistons: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
8. New York Knicks: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm
9. Washington Wizards: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC
10. Phoenix Suns: Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State
11. San Antonio Spurs: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State
12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers
15. Orlando Magic: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
18. Dallas Mavericks: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos II
19. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
20. Miami Heat: Josh Green, SG, Arizona
21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
22. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): Desmond Bane, SG, TCU
23. Utah Jazz: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
24. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): Theo Maledon, PG/SG, ASVEL
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): Zeke Nnaji, C, Arizona
26. Boston Celtics: Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Grant Riller, PG/SG, Charleston
29. Toronto Raptors: Robert Woodard II, SF, Mississippi State
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): Xavier Tillman, PF/C, Michigan State
Josh Green, SG, Arizona
Sleepers aren't always the proverbial needle in the haystack. Sometimes, the best ones are hiding in plain sight.
That could be the case with Green. He isn't coming out of thin air. He's a McDonald's All-American who played on a high-profile Arizona team. Evaluators have known about him for a while.
But his surrounding talent with the Wildcats—he played alongside fellow potential first-rounders Zeke Nnaji and Nico Mannion—might have masked Green's potential. He trailed both Nnaji and Mannion in shots and usage percentage, so there could be more to Green's game than he was able to show.
He's already a reliable source of versatile defense, transition attacking and explosive athleticism. If his shooting perks up (30 threes at a 36.1 percent clip), and he tightens his handle, he could be a three-and-D wing who also attacks the basket and wiggles around closeouts. That's a lottery-level skill set, provided some club thinks it can coach that out of him.
Desmond Bane, SG, TCU
Bane's biggest knock might be experience. That doesn't seem right, but the Association's obsession with upside on draft night doesn't help players who spent all four seasons at college, like Bane did at TCU.
Seniors aren't excluded from lottery consideration, though. If teams see something they like in a prospect, they can still send the pick to the podium.
For instance, if clubs view Bane as the best shooter in this draft—he's at least in the discussion—than he might make a surprise lottery appearance the same way Cameron Johnson did as last summer's 11th overall pick. In his senior season at UNC, Johnson made 2.7 threes per game on 45.7 percent shooting. Bane capped his TCU career by splashing 2.9 triples a night at a 44.2 percent clip.
Bane isn't just a stationary shooter, either. He's already a brilliant off-ball mover, and on the ball, he gets buckets off step-backs and pull-ups. While not a great athlete or especially long, he's a helpful defender who can cause chaos in passing lanes, body up bigger players and rotate to the right place at the right time.
While the lottery investment would be mostly made for Bane's shooting, he shouldn't be thought of as a one-dimensional prospect.
Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
This year's draft lottery may not be the upside chase it often is.
There are two reasons for that. One, even the prospects with the most potential have huge question marks. Clubs could simply decide the risk-reward calculations don't add up. Second, there aren't many full-fledged rebuilders in the lottery. The entire Western Conference might carry win-now intentions into next season, as will the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks and maybe Chicago Bulls.
All of the above increases the chances for a player like Bey, a standout three-and-D swingman with a glue-guy game, to become a top-14 pick. Not to go all coach-speak on you, but he makes a bunch of winning plays. He plays within his role, absolutely cooks from distance (45.1 percent in 2019-20), defends multiple positions, moves the basketball and logs a lot of mistake-free minutes.
He probably won't ever be a focal point, but he will make the game easier for his teammates with high IQ play, floor spacing and reliable defensive rotations. If lottery teams need instant impact from their picks, he's an easy plug-and-play option to target.
The uncertainty with the 2020 NBA draft class reaches all the way to the top.
The talent grab is less than two weeks away, and it's still unclear who will be picked first—or even which team will be making the pick. The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially in that spot, but both they and the Golden State Warriors, slated to draft second, are logical candidates to move the picks for more win-now help.
Saying all that, the lottery portion of most mocks feature a similar group of prospects from one prognostication to the next. However, there are players who aren't being mocked in that range who could still reach it by the draft.
We'll spotlight three of those potential risers after running through a mock first round.
2020 NBA Mock Draft
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, PG/SG, Illawarra Hawks
4. Chicago Bulls: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF/C, Dayton
6. Atlanta Hawks: Isaac Okoro, SF/PF, Auburn
7. Detroit Pistons: Deni Avdija, SF/PF, Maccabi Tel Aviv
8. New York Knicks: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm
9. Washington Wizards: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC
10. Phoenix Suns: Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State
11. San Antonio Spurs: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State
12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Precious Achiuwa, PF/C, Memphis
14. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers
15. Orlando Magic: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Jalen Smith, PF/C, Maryland
18. Dallas Mavericks: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos II
19. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
20. Miami Heat: Josh Green, SG, Arizona
21. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Tyrell Terry, PG, Stanford
22. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): Desmond Bane, SG, TCU
23. Utah Jazz: Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
24. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): Theo Maledon, PG/SG, ASVEL
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): Zeke Nnaji, C, Arizona
26. Boston Celtics: Jaden McDaniels, SF/PF, Washington
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Grant Riller, PG/SG, Charleston
29. Toronto Raptors: Robert Woodard II, SF, Mississippi State
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): Xavier Tillman, PF/C, Michigan State
Josh Green, SG, Arizona
Sleepers aren't always the proverbial needle in the haystack. Sometimes, the best ones are hiding in plain sight.
That could be the case with Green. He isn't coming out of thin air. He's a McDonald's All-American who played on a high-profile Arizona team. Evaluators have known about him for a while.
But his surrounding talent with the Wildcats—he played alongside fellow potential first-rounders Zeke Nnaji and Nico Mannion—might have masked Green's potential. He trailed both Nnaji and Mannion in shots and usage percentage, so there could be more to Green's game than he was able to show.
He's already a reliable source of versatile defense, transition attacking and explosive athleticism. If his shooting perks up (30 threes at a 36.1 percent clip), and he tightens his handle, he could be a three-and-D wing who also attacks the basket and wiggles around closeouts. That's a lottery-level skill set, provided some club thinks it can coach that out of him.
Desmond Bane, SG, TCU
Bane's biggest knock might be experience. That doesn't seem right, but the Association's obsession with upside on draft night doesn't help players who spent all four seasons at college, like Bane did at TCU.
Seniors aren't excluded from lottery consideration, though. If teams see something they like in a prospect, they can still send the pick to the podium.
For instance, if clubs view Bane as the best shooter in this draft—he's at least in the discussion—than he might make a surprise lottery appearance the same way Cameron Johnson did as last summer's 11th overall pick. In his senior season at UNC, Johnson made 2.7 threes per game on 45.7 percent shooting. Bane capped his TCU career by splashing 2.9 triples a night at a 44.2 percent clip.
Bane isn't just a stationary shooter, either. He's already a brilliant off-ball mover, and on the ball, he gets buckets off step-backs and pull-ups. While not a great athlete or especially long, he's a helpful defender who can cause chaos in passing lanes, body up bigger players and rotate to the right place at the right time.
While the lottery investment would be mostly made for Bane's shooting, he shouldn't be thought of as a one-dimensional prospect.
Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, Villanova
This year's draft lottery may not be the upside chase it often is.
There are two reasons for that. One, even the prospects with the most potential have huge question marks. Clubs could simply decide the risk-reward calculations don't add up. Second, there aren't many full-fledged rebuilders in the lottery. The entire Western Conference might carry win-now intentions into next season, as will the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks and maybe Chicago Bulls.
All of the above increases the chances for a player like Bey, a standout three-and-D swingman with a glue-guy game, to become a top-14 pick. Not to go all coach-speak on you, but he makes a bunch of winning plays. He plays within his role, absolutely cooks from distance (45.1 percent in 2019-20), defends multiple positions, moves the basketball and logs a lot of mistake-free minutes.
He probably won't ever be a focal point, but he will make the game easier for his teammates with high IQ play, floor spacing and reliable defensive rotations. If lottery teams need instant impact from their picks, he's an easy plug-and-play option to target.
