Earlier in the week, former Alabama star and reigning CBS Sports National Player of the Year Brandon Miller was the favorite in the betting markets to be the No. 2 pick over G-League Ignite alum Scoot Henderson in the 2023 NBA Draft. Then he visited Charlotte for a second time, worked out in front of current owner Michael Jordan, inexplicably publicly called Paul George his basketball GOAT, and now Henderson is the overwhelming favorite in the betting markets to be Charlotte's pick at No. 2.
Are these things connected?
Probably not.
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But it is hilarious to imagine Michael Jeffrey Jordan being sold on Miller all the way up until Miller called somebody other than Jordan the GOAT — and PG13, of all people. Based on what we learned in "The Last Dance" documentary, that could be a deal-breaker for MJ. Again, I'm assuming that's not really how or why this went down. But it's the funniest way to think about it and thus the way I'm choosing to laugh about it just hours before the draft gets underway.
Anyway …This updated mock reflects the betting markets and has Henderson going second to Charlotte after Victor Wembanyama, the French sensation, goes first to San Antonio. Miller is now projected to go third to Portland — though there's some thought that the Blazers will trade the pick for a veteran to put with Damian Lillard before the pick is executed. If that's the case, or even if it's not, it's possible a Thompson twin will instead be the option at No. 3, at which point Miller would slide to either fourth or fifth.
As always, we'll see.
The answers come Thursday night.
Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
 
Victor Wembanyama
C
France
• 7'4"
/ 210 lbs
Wembanyama has been described as the most unique, and arguably best, teenage basketball prospect the world has ever seen. If things break the right way, the French sensation could develop into the best offensive and the best defensive player in the NBA, one who eventually adds championships to San Antonio's trophy case.
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Round 1- Pick 2
 
Scoot Henderson
PG
G League Ignite
• 6'3"
/ 195 lbs
Henderson emerged as a heavy favorite in the hours leading up to the draft to be the No. 2 pick, which is a development that seems worthy of respecting in this mock. He's a super-athletic lead guard who skipped college for the G-League Ignite and was widely considered the second-best prospect in the draft (behind only Wembanyama) before Miller had an incredible freshman season at Alabama.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
There's a lot of speculation that Portland will move this pick for an experienced piece who is better equipped to help Damian Lillard win now. Either way, the expectation is that Miller will likely be the third player off the board regardless of which franchise makes the pick (unless somebody moves up specifically to take a Thompson twin).
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Round 1 - Pick 4
 
Amen Thompson
SF
Overtime Elite
• 6'7"
/ 199 lbs
The Rockets have some interesting pieces but are still in take-the-best-prospect-available mode. In most people's eyes, at this point in the draft, that prospect is Thompson, a top-shelf athlete who can play lead guard and is maybe just a reliable jump shot away from being a star.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Whitmore reportedly had a super-impressive pro day in California that pushed him into this range of the draft. The 6-7 wing is a great athlete with an elite body and in possession of most of the attributes that are usually necessary to star in the NBA.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
 
Ausar Thompson
SF
Overtime Elite
• 6'6"
/ 205 lbs
This Thompson is Amen's twin brother and a comparable talent whom some believe is actually the superior prospect. He would be a nice building block in Orlando next to frontcourt standouts Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner even if the fit isn't exactly perfect.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Walker will enter the NBA with incredible physical attributes and should be more immediately capable of making an impact defensively than offensively. In time, he'll be able to play the four and some small-ball five, and All-Star Game appearances are possible if the former Houston standout's offensive game develops as he grows older.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Hood-Schifino is a super-talented combo guard who has a more-dependable 3-point shot than what he showed in his one season at Indiana. He could theoretically become the first important piece the Wizards add to the franchise to start a rebuild less than a week after trading Bradley Beal to the Suns.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Hendricks is an out-of-nowhere one-and-done prospect who is likely to go in the lottery despite being a sub-80 prospect in the Class of 2022. He's the type of tall, athletic and a proven shooter who could help progress Utah's rebuild.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Black has great size for his position and the ability to make plays out of pick-and-rolls. Those attributes combined with a high basketball IQ make him a sensible option for a Dallas franchise that might need a lead guard given the uncertainty surrounding Kyrie Irving.
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From
Chicago Bulls
Round 1 - Pick 11
Dick is arguably the best shooter in this draft, one who made 40.3% of the 5.7 3-pointers he attempted per game in his one season at Kansas. The wing would be a welcomed addition to an Orlando franchise that finished 25th in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage this season.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
 
Bilal Coulibaly
SF
France
• 6'8"
/ 195 lbs
Coulibaly emerged as a legitimate first-round option during a deep playoff run alongside Wembanyama in France. He's still just 18 years old but already viewed as a wing with a 7-3 wingspan who can be a versatile defender on one end of the court and an explosive rim-attacker on the other.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
The Raptors ranked 28th this season in 3-point field goal percentage, which is among the reasons Howard makes sense here. He can play multiple positions, reliably make shots from the perimeter and is just, broadly speaking, a good-sized player with a well-rounded skill set, in part because he's the son of a former NBA player and high-major college coach.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Bufkin's pre-draft workouts have garnered rave reviews, so much so that the guard with a 6-8 wingspan is now expected to be a lottery pick. He made 35.5% of the 3.7 3-pointers he attempted per game this season and would provide backcourt depth for a New Orleans franchise capable of contending in the West if Williamson finds a way to get in shape and stay healthy, provided, of course, the former No. 1 pick isn't moved in advance of, or during, the draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Having a real and young rim-protector to grow with Trae Young would be a move in the right direction for an Atlanta franchise that's stalled. Lively's one season at Duke got off to a rough start and was statistically unimpressive, but he showed enough down the stretch as an impactful defender to solidify himself as a top-20 pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Assuming Zion Williamson is ever healthy enough to play consistently, the Pelicans will need to surround him with shooting. Hawkins made more than 38% of the 7.6 3-pointers he attempted per game this season while helping UConn win the national championship.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Lakers could stand to add a point guard who can be impactful on both ends of the court as a rookie. Wallace checks those boxes and should be an above-average point-of-attack defender the moment he enters the NBA after one season at Kentucky in which he finished fourth in the SEC in steals per game.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
 
Leonard Miller
SF
G League Ignite
• 6'10"
/ 210 lbs
Miller had a nice season with the G-League Ignite, averaging 16.9 points and 10.1 rebounds as a 19 year-old playing against professionals. There's still a lot of development that needs to be done, but the physical tools to make it are all in place and ideal for a Miami franchise in need of the type of length Miller possesses.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Smith dealt with a less-than-perfect knee all season that limited him to just 17 games, most of which he struggled in relative to the expectations that accompanied him to Arkansas. That's among the reasons he won't be selected where most projected he'd go a year ago, but the 6-4 combo guard is still super-talented and could fill a need now that Golden State has traded Jordan Poole to Washington.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 - Pick 20
If the Rockets use the fourth pick on Whitmore, they could look to add a guard with this pick. George would be a reasonable option if he's available given his ability to navigate pick-and-rolls, put pressure on defenses and score in bunches.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 1 - Pick 21
Jaquez will enter the NBA at the age of 22 and would be ready to contribute in Brooklyn immediately. I've been a big believer for a while and assume he'll be, at worst, a role player who positively impacts winning in a variety of ways.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Defensive versatility is a desired skill set these days, and it also happens to be Clowney's strongest attribute. The forward has a 7-2 wingspan and the necessary enthusiasm to guard different types of players all over the court.
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From
New York Knicks
Round 1 - Pick 23
Much like his brother who plays for the Kings, Murray projects as a combo forward who can stretch the floor on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. The Iowa alum won't be a top-five pick like his twin was last year, but he should comfortably go somewhere in the first round.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Sensabaugh, like Hendricks, was a sub-80 prospect in the Class of 2022 who was surprisingly great in his one year at Ohio State. If he improves as a perimeter defender, the wing with a reliable 3-point shot could get on the floor early and help Sacramento become real contenders in the West.
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From
Memphis Grizzlies
Round 1 - Pick 25
The Celtics are in the market for a guard after trading Marcus Smart to Memphis. Podziemski is among the best shooters in this draft and could be a nice fit after making 43.8% of the 5.8 3-pointers he attempted this season while averaging 19.9 points per game for Santa Clara.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1 - Pick 26
 
Rayan Rupert
SF
France
• 6'6"
/ 185 lbs
Rupert remains unreliable offensively and very much a project. But he's a wing with a 7-3 wingspan who has all the prerequisites to be a great perimeter defender if his shooting comes around enough to make him playable at the NBA level.
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From
Denver Nuggets
Round 1 - Pick 27
Prosper emerged as a real first-round option after a wonderful performance at the combine. He's a forward with a 7-1 wingspan who can be a versatile defender thanks to a motor that runs full-speed.
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From
Philadelphia 76ers
Round 1 - Pick 28
Wilson is the latest Kansas alum to develop into a legitimate NBA player after spending multiple years under Bill Self. He made a huge leap from his third season to his fourth season with the Jayhawks while earning Big 12 Player of the Year honors.
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From
Boston Celtics
Round 1 - Pick 29
Sasser is a combo guard who played a big role in helping Houston secure a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. His ability to make plays and reliably make jumpers will give him a chance to stick in the NBA even if he is a little on the small side.
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From
Milwaukee Bucks
Round 1 - Pick 30
Whitehead's one not-so-great year at Duke is the main reason he might still be available at the bottom of the first round. But a bet on him is one worth making considering he has good positional size and shot 42.4% from 3-point range this season.
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