NBA Mock Draft 1.0: Rockets fill team needs, Pistons capture Flagg

The 2024-25 NBA season has just begun. Most Houston Rockets fans are not thinking about the draft - yet.

That's a welcomed change from seasons past. Rockets fans spent entire seasons running Tankathon spins. They kept an eye on how their current young players were progressing, but it was easy to get caught up in the future.

Now, Rockets fans are in the moment. You can still count on SpaceCityScoop to think about next summer. This is the first of what should be a monthly installment for the page. I spun the infamous Tankathon wheel five times to determine the draft order, and otherwise, I'll be using my best judgement to estimate who these teams will take.

Here's the first SpaceCityScoop NBA Mock Draft of the cycle.

1. Detroit Pistons - Cooper Flagg (Duke)

Was there any doubt?

Flagg is the best defensive prospect since - well, OK. Victor Wembanyama. There's a lot of talent coming into the league.

Still, Flagg's ability to guard 1-through-5 and create from-scratch offense should make him a shoe-in at the top of this summer's class.

2. Utah Jazz - Ace Bailey (Rutgers)

By contrast, the second spot is up for grabs. Still, Bailey has a case. How could the Jazz pass on a 6'10" wing who can create his own shot from all three levels?

That's not to say Bailey is a flawless prospect. Concerns about his shot selection and ability to get to the rim persist. Still, he's got the highest remaining upside on the board once Flagg is gone.

3. New Orleans Pelicans (via Milwaukee Bucks) - Dylan Harper (Rutgers)

Let's be honest - the Bucks aren't sending the Pelicans the third pick in the draft. Yet, Tankathon gives what it gives, so here we are.

If the Pelicans do strike gold, Harper is the obvious play here. He's a 6'6" point guard with outstanding court vision and plus positional athletic traits. The top 3 are likely to be this trio - it's just a question of who goes second, and who goes third.

4. Toronto Raptors - Nolan Traore (Saint-Quentin)

Traore isn't going to overwhelm you with athleticism. That's fine. The Raptors have Scottie Barnes to do that for them.

What Traore will do is make the right play. His feel for the game is arguably the best in the class. Coupled with his knockdown shooting, Traore would be a perfect fit with the Raptors, and is arguably the best player left on the board.

5. San Antonio Spurs - VJ Edgecombe (Baylor)

Edgecombe is a highly coveted archetype in the NBA. He's a 6'5" guard who can lock down the point of attack on defense and knock down threes on the other end.

Don't mistake him for a 3-and-D. Edgecombe is an explosive athlete. His ball-handling is a work in progress, but is he developing. Once it rounds into form, he'll have a strong case to go a spot - or even two - higher in mock drafts.

6. Philadelphia 76ers - Kon Knueppel (Duke)

Like the Pelicans, the Sixers aren't likely to land here. Something will have to have gone seriously wrong for them to wind up with the sixth overall pick in the draft.

Let's assume something does go dreadfully wrong. If so, the Sixers will likely look to get back to contention soon. So, we've got them drafting for fit here. Knueppel is a 6'7" long-range sniper who always competes on defense.

7. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta Hawks) - Egor Demin (BSU)

This could be a low-end projection for Demin. As a 6'9" playmaker, he's the type of player who's often selected closer to the top of the draft.

Consider it a quirk of this mock. The Sixers made a win-now choice with Knueppel instead of taking the sixth-best prospect on the board. The Spurs will be happy to capitalize. Demin has the floor vision and shot-creating abilities to be a point guard at the NBA level, but even if he shakes out as a playmaking wing, he's got star upside.

8. New Orleans Pelicans - Drake Powell (North Carolina)

The Pelicans are looking past fit here. They're welcoming Powell into a wing rotation that's already crowded. Why?

Because Powell is comfortably the best player left on the board.

Powell can guard multiple positions, space the floor, and even make a play with the ball if necessary. His combination of length, mobility, and athleticism makes him an obvious choice here.

9. Memphis Grizzlies - Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina)

The Grizzlies seem to like drafting wings. Why wouldn't they? Between Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., they've got their franchise guys. Why not surround them with versatile wings?

Murray-Boyles fits the bill. He’s not a perfect prospect - Murray-Boyles shoots an exceedingly low volume of threes. Still, he’ll find a role in the NBA due to his defensive versatility.

10. Portland Trail Blazers - Asa Newell (Georgia)

Unlike some other teams in this mock, the Blazers will be hoping to pick higher than 10th. If this is where they land, Newell seems like a smart choice.

He’s a 6’11” combo big with a high motor and vertical. The Blazers are stocked up on young guards, and Donovan Clingan seems like their big man of the future. Adding some versatile wings should be the next step in their rebuild.

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Los Angeles Clippers) - Khaman Maluach (Duke)

Maluach could go higher than this. He could go lower than this. The Duke big man is raw, but his potential is tantalizing.

Every day is looking for a big man who can space the floor, move in space and protect the rim. Sure, the Thunder already have one, but imagine how formidable they could be with Maluach alongside Chet Holmgren.

As it stands, Maluach's floor spacing is mostly theoretical. If he starts to connect from distance alongside Flagg at Duke this year, he won't be on the board at 11.

12. Atlanta Hawks (via Los Angeles Lakers) - Tre Johnson (Texas)

This board has Johnson a bit lower than consensus. To be sure, the kid is a certified scorer. Can he do much else?

That'll be the question for Johnson to answer at Texas this year. His ability to create offense for himself leaps off the screen. If he can start creating for his teammates, he could find himself selected higher in the lottery. For now, his ability to hit difficult shots is intriguing - even if scouts would prefer to see him create easy ones.

13. Charlotte Hornets - Jalil Bethea (Miami)

The Hornets did well to pair LaMelo Ball with Brandon Miller. Now, they need to find him his backcourt mate of the future. Why not Bethea?

Like Johnson, Bethea isn't known for his passing chops. That's fine - Ball is among the best passers in the NBA. Pairing him with a scorer like Bethea should give Charlotte one of the most dynamic young backcourts in the league.

14. Orlando Magic - Ben Saraf (Ratiopharm Ulm)

At 6'6", Saraf is another jumbo playmaker. The Magic's roster is lined with such players, but something tells us that they wouldn't mind adding another one.

Granted, there's some skill overlap here - and not in a good way. Saraf is a strikingly similar prospect to Anthony Black. He's a great decision-maker with the ball who struggles with his jumper. That's fine. Black is making strides with his shot. Saraf could do the same.

Either way, the Magic have a type, and they likely wouldn't be able to resist a high-upside prospect like Saraf at this position

15. San Antonio Spurs (via Chicago Bulls) - Will Riley (Illinois)

The Spurs found a potential star in Demin at 7, so at 15, we've got them playing it safe.

Riley is a limited athlete. He may not create for himself at the NBA level. Why would the Spurs be interested? Simple: Riley is 6'8" and he can shoot the lights out.

That skillset tends to carry over into the NBA. The Spurs could use more floor spacing around Wembanyama, making Riley a strong choice here.

16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami Heat) - Liam McNeeley (Connecticut)

What do you get a person who's got everything? What about an NBA team? Well, you look for something - or someone - who will be useful in any situation.

That's Liam McNeeley. He's a 6'7" sharpshooter who makes smart plays on and off the ball. The Thunder will easily be able to plug him into what's already perhaps the most loaded rotation in the NBA. The Thunder are title contenders and loaded with young talent. Making a safe pick here is the smart play.

17. Brooklyn Nets - Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)

At the risk of beating a dead horse, it's worth noting that the Nets could easily be picking higher than this. They've had a surprisingly hot start to the 2024-25 season, but with limited talent on their roster, they're likely to regress.

If they don't, it could be smart to chase potential in the draft. Pate has tremendous upside. He's a 6'8" guard with a smooth handle and strong floor vision. He's perhaps a boom or bust proepsect - Pate is a poor finisher around the rim and an even poorer three-point shooter. Still, if he can figure out how to score the ball consistently, he's got every other tool to be a high impact player.

18. Indiana Pacers - Kanon Catchings (BYU)

The Pacers find themselves in an intriguing position. They've got some intriguing young players from years of rebuilding, but they're in win-now mode. Jarace Walker is a recent lottery pick, and he's struggling to find time in their rotation.

So, a 6'9" wing who can hit threes would be a smart choice in the draft. There are questions about Catchings' ability to create offense off the dribble, but he won't need to do that in Indiana. His portable skillset should make it possible for him to find a place in the Pacers' rotation.

19. San Antonio Spurs (via Charlotte Hornets) - Hugo Gonzales (Real Madrid)

The Spurs have a frightening number of picks in this loaded draft class.

Once again, they're landing a wing with plus positional height. Gonzales is a 6'9" wing with strong burst and verticality. He should be a two-way player. At the moment, he's about a jump shot away from being picked higher in the draft than this. As it stands, the Spurs are loading up on young talent and shouldn't mind stashing Gonzales near the back of their bench.

20. Brooklyn Nets (via New York Knicks) - Donnie Freeman (Syracuse)

Freeman is one of the more intriguing players in this class. He's a 6'9" combo big who should be able to guard multiple positions in the NBA. His outstanding physical tools could help him develop into an elite defender in time.

That could make him a potent frontcourt partner for Nic Claxton. Freeman projects as a floor spacer, so they should be able to co-exist. The Nets could build a devastating switch-everything defense behind this duo and give themselves an identity moving forward.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston Rockets) - Adou Thiero (Arkansas)

Here, the Thunder reap the benefits of a trade they made with the Rockets years ago. It hurts, doesn't it?

If you haven't noticed, the Thunder have a lot of picks in this draft. It wouldn't be a surprise if they looked to consolidate some of them. If they can't, Thiero could be an intriguing project. He's a hyper athletic 6'8" wing with outstanding defensive tools. His offensive game is raw, but the Thunder have time to let him develop.

22. Los Angeles Clippers - Carter Bryant (Arizona)

The Clippers' future is unclear, so they should take the highest-upside pick at 20. That would be Bryant. He's a 6'8" wing with perimeter skills.

That said, Bryant also has a high floor. His combination of size and shooting ability should make him a long-term rotation player in the NBA. He should be able to contribute to the Clippers from day one if they stay in win-now mode. Still, if they start rebuilding, they should like Bryant's potential. If he can learn to create shots for himself, he could be a steal.

23. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota Timberwolves) - Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm)

There's a trend in this draft. It may be a broader trend with NBA prospects. Essengue is a versatile 6'9" wing who has star upside - if he can only develop his shot.

Teams like to gamble on these players - especially later in the first round. Spending the 20th overall pick on a player with Essengue's upside is good asset management. His ability to handle the ball, set-up teammates and defend will make him a potential star with a league-average jump shot.

24. Orlando Magic (via Denver Nuggets) - Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois)

Yup. Another jumbo playmaker for the Magic.

This time, they're looking at a 6'10" guard/wing out of Illinois. Jakucionis feels like a boom-or-bust type of prospect. He's a deft ball-handler and shot maker at his size, but also a limited athlete. Jakucionis may not be able to create at the NBA level, and it's hard to imagine his floor being high if that's the case.

The Magic can afford to gamble. If this works out, they can start playing lineups where everyone on the floor is at least 6'8". Come to think of it, the Magic can do that whether Jakucionis works out or not.

25. Dallas Mavericks - Derrion Reid (Alabama)

Contending teams like the Mavericks do well to seek instant production in the draft. Reid feels like someone who can enter the NBA and immediately make an impact.

He's a 6'8" 3-and-D wing with some secondary skills. Reid may not be a dynamic playmaker, but he does have solid passing instincts. If his shot takes some time to fall, he may still be able to help Dallas right away. Learning from a late bloomer like Derrick Jones Jr. could expedite his progress as well.

26. Houston Rockets (via Phoenix Suns) - Rocco Zikarsky (Brisbane)

Finally.

There seems to be some controversy over how Ime Udoka has handled Alperen Sengun. He finds himself on the bench during pivotal moments of games. Perhaps Udoka would prefer a more defensive-minded big.

If so, Zikarsky should appeal to him. He's a 7'2" big man with impeccable defensive timing. Offensively, Zikarsky is a crafty passer, but his jumper is a work in progress. Even if the Rockets are committed to Sengun, grabbing his long-term back up late in the first-round is smart.

27. Golden State Warriors - Kwame Evans (Oregon)

If the Rockets seem unsure about Sengun, the Warriors seem downright disinterested in Jonathan Kuminga. It feels increasingly likely that he'll soon be continuing his NBA career somewhere else.

Here, the Warriors are drafting his replacement. Evans is a similarly built 6'9" wing with intriguing defensive tools. He does struggle as a three-point shooter, but his strong free throw shooting suggests that he's due to improve in time.

28. Houston Rockets (via Oklahoma City Thunder) - Karter Knox (Arkansas)

The Rockets need rim protection - check. Zikarsky solves that issue. They need shooting as well.

Check.

Knox can score from all three levels. His silky smooth jumper is beautiful to watch, and at 6'6", he can get it off against a wide range of defenders. He's a sensible addition to a roster in need of some floor spacing.

29. Boston Celtics - Alex Karaban (Connecticut)

The Celtics have done well to find floor spacers in the back end of their rotation. That's what they'd be doing here.

Karaban won't be a strong defender. He's very unlikely to ever be a self-sufficient shot creator. That's fine. Karaban is one of the best natural shooters in the draft. Luckily, this loaded Celtics roster doesn't need much else.

30. Utah Jazz (via Cleveland Cavaliers) - Ian Jackson (North Carolina)

Finally, the Jazz make their selection by way of the Cavs. Jackson feels like the pick. He's the best prospect remaining on the board. Jackson is a pure scorer with the athleticism to get to the bucket. If he can improve on his shot selection at North Carolina, he could climb in our next board.