2023 Hoops Prospects Podcast Mock Draft

June 22, 2023 Richard C. Harris NBA Draft 0

Cam Whitmore
Despite rumors of poor workouts and possible health issues, Villanova’s Cam Whitmore proved to be an impactful wildcard in the HPP NBA Mock Draft. (Photo courtesy of Villanova Athletics)

Over the last three weeks on the Hoops Prospects Podcast (HPP), the crew has been diligently working on its second annual HPP Mock Draft, featuring in-depth analysis of all 58 selections and nine players who should be no worse than undrafted free agents signed to two-way contracts.  We broke the mock draft into four separate episodes (see below), and all HPP shows are organized in chapters so you can easily skip to the sections that you want to hear.

This year’s analysts were Drew Barton, Ayad Bunni, Jake Copestick, Jackson Inagi, Cam Riehl, and myself.  Each drafter was assigned certain teams (see below), and in-house trades were permitted (within reason).  We had just two mock trades this year, neither of which were complicated, and one actual trade occurred during the process (see below).  

Please make sure to listen in because you won’t hear more detailed prospect analysis on any other podcast, and if you tune in year-round, it’s safe to say that you will not find a podcast that has better coverage of the NBA Draft and college basketball.  

The HPP NBA Mock Draft does differ from the official Hoops Prospects Mock Draft, which is done by me and includes more recent trades.  

The Episodes:

Analysts Assigned Teams:

  • Bunni:  Rockets (4, 20), Pistons (5, 31), Jazz (9, 16, 34, 39), Cavaliers (49), Suns (52)
  • Drew: Trail Blazers (3, 29, 32, 43), OKC (12, 50), Pelicans (14), GSW (19), Timberwolves (53), Bucks (58)
  • Jake: Magic (6, 11, 36), Raptors (13), Nets (21, 22, 51), Grizzlies (25, 45, 56), 
  • Jackson: Hornets (2, 27, 28, 41), Wizards (8, 42, 57), Lakers: (17, 47), Bulls (no picks)
  • Cam:  Mavericks (10), Heat (18), Kings (24, 38, 54), Clippers (30, 48), Nuggets (37, 40), Knicks (no picks)
  • Rich:  Spurs (1, 33, 44), Pacers (7, 23, 26, 55), Hawks (15, 46), Celtics (35), 76ers (no picks)

Trades:  

  1. The Charlotte Hornets send picks 34 and 39 to the Utah Jazz for pick 28 — in-house trade.
  2. OKC Thunder sends pick 37 to the Denver Nuggets as part of a larger pick swap — actual trade.   
  3. The Indiana Pacers send picks 29 and 32 to the Portland Trail Blazers for pick 23 and the 2024 2nd-rounder (via Atlanta) — in-house trade.

The Results

PickTeamPlayerTeamPosition
1San Antonio SpursVictor WembanyamaMet 92 (France)C/PF
2Charlotte HornetsBrandon MillerAlabamaSF
3Portland Trail BlazersCam WhitmoreVillanovaSF
4Houston RocketsScoot HendersonG League IgnitePG
5Detroit PistonsJarace WalkerHoustonF
6Orlando MagicAmen ThompsonOvertime ElitePG
7Indiana PacersAusar ThompsonOvertime EliteSF
8Washington WizardsAnthony BlackArkansasPG
9Utah JazzGradey DickKansasSF
10Dallas MavericksTaylor HendricksUCFPF
11Orlando MagicCason WallaceKentuckyCG
12Oklahoma City ThunderBilal CoulibalyMet 92 (France)Wing
13Toronto RaptorsDariq WhiteheadDukeWing
14New Orleans PelicansJordan HawkinsConnecticutSG
PickTeamPlayerTeamPosition
15Atlanta HawksJalen Hood-SchifinoIndianaPG
16Utah JazzDereck LivelyDukeC
17Los Angeles LakersKobe BufkinMichiganSG
18Miami HeatKris MurrayIowaF
19Golden State WarriorsNoah ClowneyAlabamaPF
20Houston RocketsLeonard MillerG League IgnitePF
21Brooklyn NetsKeyonte GeorgeBaylorCG
22Brooklyn NetsNick Smith Jr.ArkansasCG
23Trail Blazers for Pacers (3)Brice SensabaughOhio StateSF
24Sacramento KingsJaime JaquezUCLAF
25Memphis GrizzliesJett HowardMichiganW
26Indiana PacersTrayce Jackson-DavisIndianaPF/C
27Charlotte HornetsBrandin PodziemskiSanta ClaraCG
28Jazz for Hornets (1)Olivier-Maxence ProsperMarquetteF
29Pacers for Trail Blazers (3)Amari BaileyUCLACG
30LA ClippersGG JacksonSouth CarolinaPF
PickTeamPlayerTeamPosition
31Detroit PistonsMarcus SasserHoustonCG
32Pacers for Trail Blazers (3)Colby JonesXavierW
33San Antonio SpursAndre JacksonUConnCG
34Hornets for Utah Jazz (1)Rayan RupertNew Zealand BreakersW
35Boston CelticsSidy CissokoGL IgniteW
36Orlando MagicJaylen ClarkUCLAW
37Thunder for Nuggets (2)James NnajiFC BarcelonaC
38Sacramento KingsEmoni BatesWestern MichiganW
39Hornets for Utah Jazz (1)Maxwell LewisPepperdineF
40Denver NuggetsKobe BrownMissouriF
41Charlotte HornetsJulian StrawtherGonzagaSF
42Washington WizardsJordan WalshArkansasF
43Portland Trail BlazersTristan VukcevicKK PartizanC
44San Antonio SpursBen SheppardBelmontW
45Memphis GrizzliesJalen WilsonKansas
PickTeamPlayerTeamPosition
46Atlanta HawksJulian PhillipsTennesseeF
47Los Angeles LakersSeth LundyPenn StateW
48LA ClippersRicky CouncilArkansasW
49Cleveland CavaliersTerquavion SmithNC StateCG
50Oklahoma City ThunderIsaiah WongMiamiCG
51Brooklyn NetsJordan MillerMiamiW
52Phoenix SunsKeyontae JohnsonKansas StateSF
53Minnesota TimberwolvesMike MilesTCUPG
54Sacramento KingsJalen SlawsonFurmanF
55Indiana PacersChris LivingstonKentuckyW
56Memphis GrizzliesOmari MooreSan Jose StateCG
57Washington WizardsMouhamed GueyeWashington StateC
58Milwaukee BucksDrew TimmeGonzagaPF/C
PickTeamPlayerTeamPosition
UFA 1Chicago BullsHunter TysonClemsonF
UFA 2New York KnicksMarquis NowellKansas StatePG
UFA 3Philadelphia 76ersOscar TshiebweKentuckyPF/C
UFA 4Cleveland CavaliersAdama SanogoUConnC
UFA 5Golden State WarriorsJalen PickettPenn StatePG
UFA 6Toronto RaptorsTosan EvbuomwanPrincetonF
UFA 7Los Angeles LakersToumani CamaraDaytonPF
UFA 8Memphis GrizzliesMojave KingGL IgniteW
UFA 9Boston CelticsDrew PetersonUSCSF

Author

  • Richard C. Harris

    Richard has worked as a sports writer/editor/analyst since 1998, and is NBA credentialed. He has contributed to various magazines, radio shows, and a number of other sites, including ESPN.com, SI.com, and USAToday.com. He is the former CEO of FantasyFootballExperts.com and a former member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). He is currently the Managing Director at Hoops Prospects. Follow on Twitter @HoopsProspects.

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