2020 NBA Mock Draft: James Wiseman goes No. 1 to Warriors; LaMelo Ball drops to Knicks at No. 6

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Who says NBA Draft prospects can't improve their stock during a pandemic? James Wiseman, who slipped all the way to No. 8 during the first CBS Sports HQ NBA Mock Draft Monday of 2020, made a massive resurgence in this week's re-draft.

CBS Sports basketball analyst and former NBA coach Avery Johnson took Wiseman No. 1 overall in the second CBS Sports HQ live NBA mock draft of the year on Monday. Dayton's Obi Toppin went No. 2 overall and Anthony Edwards went. No. 3 overall.

Johnson played the part of the Warriors' front office while making the selection and praised the promise of Wiseman, who played just three games at Memphis in the 2019-20 season before withdrawing from school amid NCAA eligibility issues in order to prepare for the draft.

Wiseman's rise meant that LaMelo Ball took a tumble. The younger brother of Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball slipped to the Knicks at No. 6 in Monday's mock draft after he was taken No. 1 overall in May's mock draft. The Ball family in New York? That has some serious reality TV potential. And it's a steal for the Knicks as Ball would pair nicely with R.J. Barrett to provide the franchise with one of the most talented young backcourts in the league.

Here is how the first round of the draft played out, as selected by our team of experts.

2020 CBS Sports HQ NBA Draft

PickTeamPlayerSchool/Country
1 Warriors James Wiseman, CMemphis
2 Timberwolves Obi Toppin, PF  
Dayton
3 Pistons Anthony Edwards, SG  
Georgia
4 Hawks Onyeka Okongwu, C  USC
5 Cavaliers Deni Avdija, SF  
Israel
6 Knicks LaMelo Ball, PG  
Australia
7 Bulls Isaac Okoro, SF Auburn
8 Hornets Killian Hayes, SFFrance
9 Wizards Isaiah Stewart, C  
Washington
10 Suns Tyrese Haliburton, PG  
Iowa State
11 Spurs Patrick Williams, SF  
Florida State
12 Kings R.J. Hampton, SG  
New Zealand
13 Pelicans Precious Achiuwa, PF  
Memphis
14 Trail Blazers Aaron Nesmith, SF  
Vanderbilt
15 Magic Tyrese Maxey, F  
Kentucky
16 Timberwolves (via Nets) Devin Vassell, SF  
Florida State
17 Celtics (via Grizzlies) Theo Maledon, PG  
France
18 Mavericks Aleksej Pokusevski, C
Serbia
19 Bucks (via Pacers) Kira Lewis Jr., PGAlabama
20 Nets (via 76ers) Jalen Smith, CMaryland
21 Nuggets (via Rockets) Tre Jones, PGDuke
22 76ers (via Thunder) Nico Mannion, PGArizona
23 Heat Jaden McDaniels, PFWashington
24 Jazz Jahmi'us Ramsey, SGTexas Tech
25 Thunder (via Nuggets) Xavier Tillman, PFMichigan State
26 Celtics Josh Green, SGArizona
27 Knicks (via Clippers) Vernon Carey Jr., CDuke
28 Raptors Cassius Winston, PGMichigan State
29 Lakers Zeke Nnaji, CArizona
30 Celtics (via Bucks) Cole AnthonyNorth Carolina
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Pick grade: B

Would love to see Charlotte make a move for a playmaker and scorer, but this is certainly a safe pick. Isaac Okoro is a great wing who can play virtually every position defensively and knows how to chameleonize himself to win on offense. I like what the Hornets have in Devonte' Graham so adding Okoro to the mix is a nice combo.

July 6, 2020, 5:52 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:52 pm EDT
 
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No. 8 pick: Hornets - Isaac Okoro, Auburn
SF | 6-6 | 225 

Okoro is a versatile, low-ego player with a defensive-first approach. He might not an NBA superstar, but it's a safe bet that he'll be a pretty good role player in the league.

July 6, 2020, 5:48 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:48 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: C

Killian Hayes to Chicago is a good (not great) fit. The Bulls drafted Coby White last year and already have Zach LaVine. Think he could work out, though. He's a good passer and playmaker who could work with White and what they already have in tow.

July 6, 2020, 5:46 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:46 pm EDT
 
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No. 7 pick: Bulls - Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm Ulm
PG | 6-5 | 192

Hayes and Theo Maledon are both French guards with first-round potential. Hayes comes off the board first. He's a smooth ball-handler with good size

July 6, 2020, 5:44 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:44 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: A+

What value. Look at you, New York! LaMelo is the No. 1 prospect in this class and the Knicks didn't have to make a move, stayed patient, and got him at No. 6. In New York he should be a great fit alongside RJ Barrett as a lead guard, and he should be able to step into a role right away as the No. 1 facilitator. No question this is the best pick of the draft thus far. 

July 6, 2020, 5:33 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:33 pm EDT
 
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No. 6 pick: Knicks - LaMelo Ball, Illawarra Hawks
PG | 6-6 | 180 

Ball didn't just skip college, he skipped his senior year of high school basketball, too. Now it's paid off. The gifted passer and ball-handler goes No. 6 overall.

July 6, 2020, 5:30 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:30 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: A

Deni Avdija is my draft crush and LOVE that he lands in Cleveland. Cavs are already loaded with young backcourt talent and Avdija can help meld those pieces. Very good, versatile forward who can be a valuable playmaker alongside Trae Young.

July 6, 2020, 5:29 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:29 pm EDT
 
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Spot on with your assesment of Okongwu to Atlanta. Too many centers.

July 6, 2020, 5:28 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:28 pm EDT
 
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No. 5 pick: Cavs - Deni Avdija, Israel
SF | 6-9 | 215

Avdija is a versatile forward and good offensive playmaker who is still developing his outside shot.

July 6, 2020, 5:28 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:28 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: C

Onyeka Okongwu off the board. Finally, a smart team! Only problem is ... what a weird fit. Hawks already have John Collins and traded for Clint Capela last season. So now they draft another big? Why? ATL needs wing depth and there's a ton of wings still on the board. I'm a huge Okongwu fan but this is arguably one of the worst potential landing spots for him.

July 6, 2020, 5:26 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:26 pm EDT
 
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No. 4 pick: Hawks - Onyeka Okongwu, USC
C | 6-9 | 245 

He's an imposing low-post presence who has been climbing draft boards during the coronavirus after a stellar freshman season against plenty of other quality bigs in the Pac-12. Just don't expect him to stretch the floor anytime soon.

July 6, 2020, 5:24 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:24 pm EDT
 
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Well, I certainly wish Detroit had gone LaMelo at No. 3 instead of Ant Eddy. But it's hard to argue against the logic. The Pistons definitely just need talent regardless of position considering where they are at, so this is a major upside play in hopes of him becoming a bit more efficient.

July 6, 2020, 5:16 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:16 pm EDT
 
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An A!? Wow, looks like Kyle is a Big Baller.

July 6, 2020, 5:14 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:14 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: A

If I'm Detroit and LaMelo is still on the board, that's my move. The point guard spot in Detroit is a big question mark and Derrick Rose isn't getting younger.

That said, Anthony Edwards has a ton of potential and is one of the biggest boom/bust prospects in this class. He can create for himself, he's a freakish leaper and athlete, and has tons of room for development.

July 6, 2020, 5:14 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:14 pm EDT
 
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No. 3 pick: Pistons - Anthony Edwards, Georgia
SG | 6-5 | 225 

A great shot-creator with an impressive frame for someone just a year removed from high school.

July 6, 2020, 5:13 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:13 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: D

Gary Parrish selects Obi Toppin for the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 2. Hate. Hate. Hate. Minnesota's already got a ton of deficiencies on defense, and they select one of the weakest big-man defenders in Toppin. Struggles moving laterally. His fit on offense should be awesome next to KAT and D-Lo, but this makes an already-bad defensive team worse.

July 6, 2020, 5:12 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:12 pm EDT
 
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No. 2 pick: Timberwolves - Obi Toppin, Dayton
PF | 6-9 | 220 

The breakout star of the 2019-20 college hoops season comes off the board after proving to be a versatile, top-flight athlete in his sophomore season at Dayton.

July 6, 2020, 5:11 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:11 pm EDT
 
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I'm an Okongwu > Wiseman truther. Sorry, my Memphis brother. Okongwu more polished on both ends of the floor. If I'm taking a big in the top-3 I'm going with the USC product.

July 6, 2020, 5:08 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:08 pm EDT
 
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C+ wow, Kyle!

July 6, 2020, 5:07 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:07 pm EDT
 
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Pick grade: C+

Avery Johnson, drafting for the Golden State Warriors, selects James Wiseman at No. 1 overall.

I like the fit. Think it can work. The Warriors have been efforting for years to try and get an above-the-rim finisher and shot-blocker with Wiseman's skill set and they get it here. I think Golden State could have traded out of this spot, gotten value and selected Wiseman in the 3-5 range, but don't hate it. Plug-and-play addition.

July 6, 2020, 5:07 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:07 pm EDT
 
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No. 1 pick: Warriors - James Wiseman, Memphis
C | 7-1 | 240 

With an absurd 7 foot 6 wingspan and ample athleticism, Wiseman could be an All-Star by his third or fourth year in the league.

July 6, 2020, 5:05 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:05 pm EDT
 
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Alright, here we go...

July 6, 2020, 5:04 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:04 pm EDT
 
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About to get underway here for Mock Draft Monday. Fired up to hand out some grades on how the fellas make picks. I've been told I'm a lenient grader in the past, so I'm tightening up my scale today. If I don't like your pick I will let you know.

July 6, 2020, 5:01 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 1:01 pm EDT
 
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But if Gary Parrish's mock that published this morning is any indication, Wiseman's stock is still not at No. 1 level. Here's the link to Gary's mock: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/...

July 6, 2020, 4:43 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 12:43 pm EDT
 
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LaMelo Ball went No. 1 overall to the Warriors in our last live mock draft. But let's be real. James Wiseman is the player who would make Golden State better right away.

July 6, 2020, 4:24 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 12:24 pm EDT
 
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Good day, basketball fans! Welcome to second CBS Sports HQ NBA Mock Draft Monday of 2020. Should be entertaining. Watch it live on CBS Sports HQ at 1 Eastern and follow along here for live updates and commentary.

July 6, 2020, 4:01 PM
Jul. 06, 2020, 12:01 pm EDT