NBA Mock Draft 2021: Complete two-round projections for all 60 picks, starting with Cade Cunningham at No. 1 – CBS Sports

The expectation on Thursday night is that Detroit will stay put at No. 1 and select Oklahoma State product Cade Cunningham. The Pistons have worked out several of the other top players in this draft but Cunningham is both a good roster fit and considered the consensus No. 1 prospect in this draft.

There will be three reasonable paths Houston could take here — Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green — but Green is the fast-rising player who I expect will land with the Rockets in this slot. Most gifted scoring prospect in this draft and there’s room to grow for him as well as he develops his defensive profile and adds to his already-elite bag of tricks on offense.

Cleveland’s backcourt is loaded so with Jalen Suggs and Evan Mobley both on the board here the tiebreaker is fit. so they grab the 7-footer from USC. He’s an instant impact defender who can shot block and rim run at a high level and I like the potential a future Jarrett Allen-Mobley frontcourt presents.

Toronto has a type it likes in guards best summed up in a word: Gritty. Jalen Suggs fits that type as a two-way talent and could be a Kyle Lowry replacement to pair next to Fred VanVleet in the backcourt.

Orlando’s drafted its fair share of big forwards whose big weakness is shooting, so Scottie Barnes’ jump shot — or lack thereof — likely won’t scare them away. He’s got a great frame, can guard all five positions and boasts incredible court vision to compensate for his struggles as a shooter.

No lottery pick’s stock has risen more in recent weeks than James Bouknight. He’s impressing in team workouts and answering questions about his jumper to boot. A fit in OKC as a dynamic scorer next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gives the team another exciting backcourt prospect with promise to build around for the future.

If Golden State keeps this pick it would be wise to bet on long-term upside over fit. So, in Jonathan Kuminga, they do precisely that, landing a wing with All-Star upside and the length and athleticism to maybe help early with the Warriors.

After selecting a forward with a shooting problem at No. 5, Orlando scoops 3-and-D talent Moses Moody here to give this young roster another weapon — and he can shoot it. Moody’s got a reliable outside shot, defends at a high level and he’s got enough playmaking upside that, if it continues, he could be one of the steals of the lottery in this draft.

Sacramento has for weeks been linked to Michigan forward Franz Wagner and, for weeks, he has been a mainstay here in my mock. So I’ll continue to keep him here. Still only 19 years old after spending two seasons in college yet has the frame, shooting and defense to be an early NBA contributor.

Memphis moved from No. 17 to No. 10 in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans with Josh Giddey reportedly in mind. Giddey’s the best passer in the draft and a big-bodied wing who can be a plus-playmaker in the NBA.

Alperen Sengun won Turkish League MVP last season as an 18-year-old while averaging 19.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. His production at his age in a very good professional league has earned him plenty of fans. And while his game is more of a throwback to the old school style, it’s reasonable to bet on the production at his age — plus he fits a dire roster need for the Hornets.

The Spurs look plenty deep at the wing position but in Keon Johnson, they get one of the most tantalizing prospects in the draft who, at this point, presents arguably the highest long-term potential among those still on the board. Very raw talent on the whole but an explosive athlete with natural physical tools and a strong defensive framework to build on.

While Jalen Johnson struggled in his 13-game stint at Duke before quitting the team, he’s still a borderline lottery talent because of his frame and ability to play-make and pass at his position. No doubt some flaws in his game but the former five-star has a nice pedigree worth gambling on and he adds unique ability on offense as a passer and shot-creator that could make him a value regardless of how the other parts of his game develop.

After prioritizing a player with a big long-term ceiling who may not be impactful right away at No. 7, Golden State comes back at 14 with a potential win-now addition in Davion Mitchell. Mitchell is a defensive menace who won Naismith Defensive Player of the Year last season, adds top-notch playmaking ability and is coming off a career year in which he made 44.7% of his 3s.

Washington needs shooters to add to its roster and if Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are the foundation this franchise is going to continue forward with, Trey Murphy at No. 15 is worth the price of admission. He has a special ability to reliably make 3-pointers and space the floor and also has positional size to be a plus-defender.

OKC should be in the market to add to its center rotation — via the draft or free agency — so in Isaiah Jackson they get a young, promising prospect on a rookie-scale deal. He’s a springy leaper who, with his long and wiry arms, can do a little of everything around the rim.

New Orleans moved back from No. 10 to No. 17 in a trade with the Grizzlies but still comes away with a role player in Corey Kispert, the draft’s best sharpshooter. He should be a knockdown option to pair next to Zion Williamson as the team adds shooting around their young star.

A scout told CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger earlier this year that on his own personal projections he ranks Jaden Springer ahead of Jalen Suggs in this draft. That praise might be pouring it on a tad thick, but it shows there really are believers in what Springer can do. He’s a bulldog defender who has a real edge and swagger to his game that shows up on both ends, and there’s enough play-making and shot-making in his game to find a strong role on a young team like OKC.

While Davion Mitchell got the NCAA Tournament draft bump, Jared Butler was quietly the Final Four MOP and the offensive weapon that helped lead Baylor’s top-rated offense. He’s a decisive passer who operates well in tight spaces with his sharp handle and is a career 38.4% 3-point shooter. Skill-wise, a great match for a Knicks franchise in need of depth at the guard spot.

As a freshman for LSU last season Cameron Thomas led the SEC in scoring. He was a scorer at the prep level, a scorer at the college level, and he’ll be a scorer in the NBA. It’s his NBA skill. The Hawks clearly value that type of talent, too, having traded for Lou Williams earlier this year.

The defensive chops of Usman Garuba combined with his ability to defend multiple positions makes him one of the more ready-made prospects in the draft on defense. While he’s a tad undersized for a big and still developing his offensive weaponry, New York could put him to work early — and potentially use him to insure against Mitchell Robinson.

Chris Duarte is the oldest prospect in the draft but he is also one of the most NBA-ready prospects, too. Great size, great shooter, great defender — and a great match on a Lakers team that could put him to work right away as they try and extend their championship window.

Houston should be taking as many big swings as possible and at No. 23, in this draft, there’s arguably no one with more potential than Ziaire Williams. The wing has special shot-creation skills for his size. He struggled in his one season at Stanford, though, and could wind up falling in this range on draft night.

Another Houston pick, another big swing, this time with a product not far away in Texas’ Kai Jones. Jones can knock down corner 3-pointers, run the rim and defends at a high level as well.

“Bones” Hyland dominated at the combine, knocking down shots, getting to the cup and providing instant offense. A team looking to add a microwave scorer would do well to look his way in the mid-to-late first round — and the Clippers might be an ideal landing spot to add more shot-making on an already-loaded roster.

Ayo Dosunmu came back to college as a junior to improve as a shooter and try to lead Illinois to a title. He failed at the latter but achieved the former, hitting 38.6% from 3-point range (after it was 29.6% the year prior) while improving as a passer and rebounder. Glue-guy potential here with him as he does a lot of things really well but nothing at an elite level. Someone who should stick and find success.

A former five-star who struggled at Kansas, Quentin Grimes re-made his game at Houston and developed into one of the draft’s most prolific shooters. That skill — coupled with his playmaking potential, good size and defense — could make him a valuable addition to a Nets team with a core of superstars already in place.

Philly needs to find an answer at its backup center spot. I can think of no better way to complement the NBA’s most dominant interior force in Joel Embiid than with one of college’s most physically imposing bigs in Charles Bassey. Coming off a knee injury, Bassey destroyed Conference USA last season and he has made significant strides as a rebounder and shot-blocker. He might struggle defending in space but there’s immense value for a big who can do what he does.

Phoenix in the Finals lacked enough playmakers on its roster so here, I have them getting a potential table-setter in Tre Mann, who could potentially step into a reserve role with the Suns. The shooting (from any range) he provides from the 2-guard spot is a plus, but it’s his vision and passing that makes him a potential value add.

Wieskamp tested well at the combine athletically and is coming off a career year at Iowa in which he made nearly half of his 158 3-point attempts. With his shooting ability it’d be silly to let him slip out of the first round.