2021 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Detroit Pistons land the draft’s biggest prize

The Detroit Pistons won the NBA Draft Lottery and the rest of the order is set, bringing clarity to our latest 2021 NBA Mock Draft.

The draft lottery has set the order for our latest NBA Mock Draft, putting the Detroit Pistons in the driver’s seat and extra picks in the hands of the Orlando Magic and Golden State Warriors.

Who is rising and falling in our latest NBA Mock Draft?

The analysis of each individual player here relies heavily on the insights of draft experts like Trevor Magnotti, Ben Pfiefer and Jackson Frank. Each pick is not necessarily a guess at who each team will or even should take, just a hopefully insightful match between prospect skill and upside and each team’s need.

And if you’re looking at any of these picks wondering what the heck I was thinking, just remember that mock drafts are made to be mocked.

The Jazz excelled this year with a wealth of shooters and creators around the perimeter. However, their perimeter defense was exposed by the Clippers. Bagley has an exceptional frame for a wing, strong at 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. He looks like the kind of 3-and-D wing who could help improve the Jazz on that end without taking much off the table as a floor-spacer.

The Suns are primed for a championship run and have the luxury of using the draft to plug hypothetical roles for the future. Nix is a big (6-foot-5) point guard with defensive upside who wins with strength and savvy, and could provide some nice backcourt depth and versatility down the road.

Prkacin is an athletic combo forward with potential upside as a shooter and creator off the dribble. His outside jumper needs to get more reliable and he’ll have to prove his creation upside holds up against NBA athletes. But even his floor as a lane-filler and high-energy slasher could be useful for the 76ers.

Murphy is an excellent shooter with the size (6-foot-9) and willingness to be a meaningful defender across a few different positions. He might never offer more than that 3-and-D package but that’s honestly all the Nets need right now.

Mann is an excellent shooter and shot-creator who could help cover for some of what the Nuggets are missing in the absence of Jamal Murray. His passing and defense likely cap him as a second-unit guy but the Nuggets could certainly use another creator off the bench.

Sharpe would give the Clippers a different kind of frontcourt depth. He’s very much a ground- and paint-bound big but he moves well enough to defend a little in space, he’s a good rim-protector and an excellent passer who can help keep the ball moving in the halfcourt.

Hyland will be limited by his size defensively and his score-first mentality prevents him from being a full-time lead guard. But he’s an elite pull-up shooter and shot-maker who should have value as a second-unit microwave scorer type.

Jackson is a very familiar archetype — the rim-protecting, vertical-spacing, run-and-jump big man. But even if he’s limited to that role he can be useful to the Rockets as they look to start over.

Mitchell will be higher on some draft boards and not just because of his championship run at Baylor. His defensive intensity and shot-making give him a real shot at a long NBA career. But he measured at just 6-foot without shoes which really limits him positionally since he’s probably not a full-time point guard. He’d be fantastic with the Lakers though, potentially as an Alex Caruso replacement, and the kind of no-nonsense young player LeBron would love.

Duarte could be a special get for the Knicks. He has a skillset and approach that should easily translate to being a consistent 3-and-D wing contributor at the next level, but his experience as a primary scorer at Oregon also gives him a bit more upside with bench units.

Thor is a bit of an offensive project but he’s an athlete with the size, mobility and defensive awareness to be a difference-maker against in a variety of situations. If he continues to develop his outside shot and handle he could be a Pascal Siakam-type.

Kispert has to prove he can hold up on defense against NBA athletes and attack closeouts and mismatches enough to not be one-dimensional on offense. But he’s an elite shooter, both spotting up and off-movement, and he should help add plenty of space to a Knicks’ offense that was starved for it in the playoffs.

With so many picks, in this draft and over the next few, the Thunder have the luxury of exploring a variety of player archetypes and figuring out how they fit together later. As a ground-bound big with average athleticism, Sengun might not have a spot on a lot of other rosters but his passing, touch around the basket and high basketball IQ could make him a useful piece for the Thunder.

Williams really struggled with his jumper in one season at Stanford but there are plenty of reasons to think it was a blip. He’s a skilled slasher and pull-up shooter who should have upside on and off the ball.

Bouknight was averaging 20.1 points per game before he went out with an injury, largely on a diet of self-created opportunities. His 3-point efficiency leaves plenty to be desired but, again, he’s taking plenty of tough shots and sharing the floor with other creators should help refine his shot selection and improve his outside efficiency. He doesn’t have much upside as anything besides a scorer but the Thunder have the picks to take some chances and could certainly use another backcourt creator.

The Wizards just missed making the playoffs and would probably love to nab a player here who can help them right away. Jones is definitely not that, an athletic 6-foot-11 big whose upside is tied to his mobility, handle and outside shooting potential. But the Wizards haven’t hit a draft home run in a while and at this range, they’re probably better off taking a big swing.