Washington Wizards – Corey Kispert
The Washington Wizards are in an awkward spot in the middle of the first round, giving them a lack of viable prospects to choose from. But if Kispert can fall to them at No. 15, then the Wizards shouldn’t waste any time making him their choice.
Everyone is waiting to see what Bradley Beal chooses to do, whether he requests a trade or not. If Beal asks out, then Washington could be taking an entirely different approach in the draft. In the event that Beal stays, adding Kispert to improve the shooting around Beal and Russell Westbrook would be perfect as the Wizards hope to show Beal that they are building a contending roster that can compete in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
READ MORE: 7 bold predictions for the 2021 NBA Draft
New Orleans Pelicans – Davion Mitchell
New Orleans felt comfortable moving back seven spots in the draft in the trade with Memphis. The Pelicans got a talented center in Valanciunas and now they can turn their attention to addressing their backcourt. Lonzo Ball is a restricted free agent and it is unknown if they’ll decide to bring him back.
New Orleans has also been rumored to be interested in someone like Kyle Lowry in free agency. Even if the Pelicans add a point guard this offseason or retain Ball, Davion Mitchell would be an excellent addition to the roster. Mitchell is a scrappy guard that can both positions in the backcourt.
To conclude his collegiate career, Mitchell led Baylor to an improbable win in the National Championship game over Gonzaga. As the Pelicans intend to build around Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, Mitchell could be a solid rotation player for them.
New York Knicks – Jalen Johnson
Another team that could be looking to move up in the draft is the New York Knicks. New York owns the No. 19 and No. 21 overall picks, putting them in a position to possibly sneak into the backend of the lottery. If the Knicks are able to move up, Jalen Johnson may be a player that interests them.
Unless New York can get an irrefutable offer for them, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett are the two franchise cornerstones on the roster right now. Finding a player like Johnson that can excel on the wing alongside Randle and Barrett should be the move.
Johnson is a lengthy forward that notched 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 44.4 percent shooting from deep in his one year at Duke.
READ MORE: 7 bold predictions for the 2021 NBA Draft
Atlanta Hawks – Ziaire Williams
Not many teams have drafted better than the Atlanta Hawks have in recent years. Besides the excellent choice of Trae Young in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hawks have added Cam Reddish, D’Andre Hunter, John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Onyeka Okongwu in recent drafts.
The one problem with having success on the majority of their draft picks is that they won’t be able to pay them all when the time comes. With that in mind, to continue adding depth on the wing, Ziaire Williams would be a perfect selection for Atlanta.
Williams is still growing — as a player and in height — and has plenty of room for improvement in his offensive game. At the least, Williams would be a solid defensive player for the Hawks as he needs time to work on his shot.
