#6 Oklahoma City Thunder – G James Bouknight – UConn
The Thunder are down to two players with this No. 6 pick, assuming they hold onto it, and they tend to favor James Bouknight a little bit more than Jonathan Kuminga. Bouknight was limited to playing just 15 games this past season at UConn, but has solidified himself as a top-tier prospect throughout the pre-draft process.
The Warriors also have interest in Bouknight and could possibly look to trade up with the Thunder here to draft him as well. Already having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in their backcourt, the addition of James Bouknight could create a scary backcourt duo for other teams to guard.
When addressing the media after his workout with the Thunder, Bouknight stated, “Me and Shai in the backcourt, I feel like that could be deadly.”
Oklahoma City is rebuilding right now and looking to add players who can not only make a difference now, but for the foreseeable future and Bouknight is certainly the guy that can make a difference for this organization.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: 3 trade scenarios we’d like to see during 2021 NBA Draft
#7 Golden State Warriors – F Jonathan Kuminga – G-League (Ignite)
There are a lot of avenues the Warriors could go with this No. 7 pick, including trading it for an already established player, but Jonathan Kuminga seems to be a smart choice for them if he falls this far. Arguably one of the most athletic players in this year’s draft, Kuminga can fill an immediate need on the wing for Golden State as a versatile, attacking forward.
Kuminga’s shot is a big question mark and he is one of the younger, more raw prospects in this year’s draft class, much like James Wiseman last year, but the upside he possesses could very well be too much for the Warriors’ front-office to pass up on.
This organization wants to contend for a championship now and they are willing to sacrifice future assets to make a run at the NBA Finals during the 2021-22 season, so what Golden State decides to do could very well have heavy implications on how the rest of this draft plays out. Some of the star players we mentioned earlier are definitely in-play to be traded here to the Warriors for this draft pick.
#8 Orlando Magic – G/F Ziaire Williams – Stanford
Now this would certainly shake things up in the draft and Ziaire Williams going 8th overall to the Magic is gaining more and more traction. Originally viewed as a mid first-round selection, Williams has worked his way up to being a potential high lottery pick because of the way he has performed in his pre-draft workouts, specifically with Orlando.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report reported Wednesday night that the Magic remain very high on Ziaire Williams, even though his freshman season at Stanford did not go as planned this past year.
Standing just under 6’10” and having the ability to play virtually anywhere and guard almost any position, Williams is one of the “hybrid” players in this year’s draft class. He could go 8th overall here to Orlando, or the Magic could look to trade back to get him, but nonetheless, the Orlando Magic are the team most connected to Ziaire Williams in this year’s draft.
#9 Sacramento Kings – F Franz Wagner – Michigan
Many league personnel believe that Franz Wagner has a Top-10 promise in this year’s draft and it would make sense if said promise was from the Sacramento Kings.
This team has virtually no solidified talent outside of De’Aaron Fox and last year’s first-round pick Tyrese Haliburton on their roster and they especially need talent on the wing. With trade rumors swirling around Buddy Hield, Harrison Barnes and Marvin Bagley III, it seems fitting that the Kings would draft Franz Wagner to be their new wing moving forward.
He can score, shoot, defend and facilitate, which is why Franz Wagner is the best fit for the Sacramento Kings. Wagner definitely does not possess the most potential and he does have little room to grow, but he can be a sustainable, reliable player in Sacramento for years to come, something they have not had in a player in forever.
READ MORE: NBA Rumors: 3 trade scenarios we’d like to see during 2021 NBA Draft
#10 Memphis Grizzlies – G Josh Giddey – Australia
This draft pick was originally owned by the New Orleans Pelicans and was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of the Jonas Valanciunas-Eric Bledsoe/Steven Adams deal. Memphis traded up and acquired the No. 10 pick with the mindset of drafting one guy and that guy is Josh Giddey.
The best international prospect in this year’s draft, Giddey is a lengthy combo-guard who can do a little bit of everything on the court. He likes to call himself the next “Ben Simmons” and while he may not be an All-Star right away, he definitely has the potential to be a “swiss army knife” kind of player for any team in this league.
Memphis does have Ja Morant at the point guard position, but Giddey could play off-the-ball next to him, creating a really strong “one-two punch” in the Grizzlies’ backcourt. The 6’8” guard was the NBL’s Rookie of the Year and was sensational with the Adelaide 36ers, averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28 games.
