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

In this mock, the Thunder have already landed a versatile big man and a shot-making wing in Alperen Sengun and James Bouknight. Neither has an incredibly high ceiling but they’re both interesting pieces who add skill and versatility to a young roster still taking shape. Here, with the No. 6 pick they can take a home run swing on pure upside.

Johnson is already a high-level defender, making a difference with his elite athleticism and absurdly competitive motor. At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, he’s mostly defending backcourt players and smaller wings but he definitely has the versatility to move across positions and defending primary creators at the point of attack. On offense, he’s still figuring out how to use his considerable athletic advantages but there’s a pathway to him being a strong slasher and scorer given his quickness and leaping ability. He’s still developing as a shooter but he showed some upside as a passer.

Johnson has a very wide range of possible outcomes but at his ceiling he could be a devastating star complement to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.