2022 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: Who gets the star big men at the top?

The Orlando Magic won the NBA Draft lottery and the order is set. Find out who lands the biggest stars in our latest NBA Mock Draft.

The NBA Draft Lottery delivered the No. 1 pick to the Orlando Magic with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and Detroit Pistons rounding out the top five in that order. Most big boards have a three-man tier at the top of this draft, all big men, but there is plenty of depth and sleepers abound.

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 Brian Schroeder, Jeremy Woo and Kevin O’Connor. 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 Thunder have three first-round picks and can plug a lot of holes. Koloko adds frontcourt depth as an athletic shot-blocker and rim-runner with some potential passing upside. He also rounds out what the Thunder get with the No. 2 and No. 12 picks (more on that below).

Tyus Jones is a free agent and the Grizzlies may not be able to keep him. Montero needs to improve his efficiency but he’s a lightning-quick creator who could eventually sop up some second-unit point guard minutes as a microwave scorer.

Chandler probably wouldn’t fit into the Warriors’ immediate plans. But as a savvy ball-handler and aggressive, if undersized, point-of-attack defender he could be a useful piece around the long-term core of Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Jordan Poole and James Wiseman.

Williams is a skilled ball-handler and excellent shooter who projects as a high-level offensive player, capable of working on or off the ball. His defense may limit him to the second unit but he has good size and fits in with the versatile system the Heat are building.

Roddy is a big wing who works hard on defense, has developed as a shooter and has some upside as a secondary creator. The Mavericks are looking to compete right now and his skill set could be useful right away, adding two-way wing depth around Luka Doncic.

Dieng is projected much higher in some mocks and he’d be an absolute steal if he fell to the Spurs here. He’s young and raw, particularly as an outside shooter, but he’s a 6-foot-10 wing with smooth ball-handling and passing ability and plenty of defensive upside.

Baldwin Jr. was a highly rated prospect who turned in an unbelievably underwhelming freshman season. He may seem like a lazy pick given his Milwaukee ties but he has good size and still projects as an excellent shooter on a team that might need to replace some outside threats this summer.

Moore has an intriguing package of versatile skills but lacks the high-level athleticism to become a star. Still, he can shoot, create and defend and could be a useful depth piece right away as the Nets look to reload for next season.

The Grizzlies already have a lot of depth and have the luxury of spending picks on some players who might pay off later. Kessler is an elite shot-blocker and excellent finisher around the basket. His ceiling is limited simply because of his role but he could be a useful situational piece in a few years, potentially even a long-term replacement for Steven Adams down the road.

Kendall Brown has a lot of Aaron Gordon in his game and his jumper is an enormous question mark. But he’s a strong and versatile defensive prospect who is a fantastic finisher and knows how to get open in the halfcourt. Playing off Nikola Jokic should get him a lot of open looks and highlight dunks.

Liddell was a primary scorer in college but his skill set should translate nicely as a high-level role player. He can shoot and defend multiple positions and has a solid face-up game that will let him exploit certain mismatches. There’s a lot of P.J. Washington to his game.

Jovic would be a project, but one with a lot of potential upside. He’s a 6-foot-10 ball-handler who is still learning how to use his size and handle as a scorer. His jumper is a work in progress but he is the kind of malleable piece who could play off Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns as this roster continues to progress.

Washington only makes sense if the Bulls trade Coby White this summer and even if they do, he may be a bit too similar for some fans’ tastes. But he’s a savvy ball-handler and creator who can help take some of the playmaking weight with the second unit while spacing the floor around the team’s stars.

Agbaji definitely raised his profile during March Madness but even before that he had established himself as a strong 3-and-D wing prospect. The Rockets have a lot of talent in place (and will add more with the No. 3 pick). Agbaji is the kind of role player who can help support the future stats on this roster as they try to pivot towards competitiveness.

The Hawks have both youth and veteran talent but it didn’t coalesce in the ways they were hoping this year. Wesley might not have a spot in the rotation next season but he’s an exciting wing creator and bucket-getter who could be useful down the road as some of those veterans are shuffled out.

Matching the Hornets with a defensive-minded center is one of the most obvious picks here. Williams is a good shot-blocker whose quickness, wingspan and body control should allow him to be a defensive force in drop coverage as well. His offensive role is likely limited to lob threat and vertical spacer but he should be excellent in both regards.