NBA Mock Draft 6.0: Is anyone’s ceiling higher than Anthony Edwards?

In my last mock draft, I put Anthony Edwards together with the Hawks. It was not a seamless fit considering how much the ball will continue to be in Trae Young’s hands. But I was drawn to the lack of complementary shot creation on the current Hawks’ roster, with the young wings they’re developing specializing in defense (Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter) or shooting (Kevin Huerter). Someone like LaMelo Ball or Killian Hayes would address the same issue but neither player is the scorer Edwards projects to be and the fit with Young seems like it could create even more friction.

Okongwu is the best defensive big man prospect in this class, a stout rim protector and someone with the agility, strength and awareness to handle smaller players in space. On offense, he may be more limited but he has a clear role as a lob threat and has hinted at upside with his passing and shooting. Okongwu would be slotted on the bench behind Clint Capela but he could add frontcourt depth to a defense that still has A LOT of questions to answer and his age (19) lines up better with Young (21) than Capela (26) as far as a collective developmental timeline.

Learn more about Onyeka Okongwu with our full scouting report.