NBA Draft Rumors 2021: Who Will Go Where?

The 2021 NBA draft is just around the corner and there are already plenty of rumors swirling about who will go where. Stay up to date on all the latest rumors and speculation right here.

Introduction

The 2021 NBA Draft is still nearly a year away, but that doesn’t stop us from wondering where the top prospects will end up.

We’ve put together a list of the Top Players in the 2021 class, as well as some early predictions on where they might land. These are, of course, subject to change—a lot can happen in a year. But it’s never too early to start looking ahead to thedraft.

The Top Prospects

The 2021 NBA Draft is still more than a year away, but that doesn’t stop the rumors from swirling about who will go where. In this early edition of our NBA draft rumors, we take a look at the top prospects and where they might land.

This year’s Draft Class is loaded with talent at the top, and there are a number of ways that the draft could shake out. We’ve heard a lot of talk about how good this class is, and it’s certainly true that there are a Number of players who have the potential to be franchise cornerstones.

The consensus top two prospects right now are USC guard Evan Mobley and Gonzaga center Drew Timme Mobley is a 6’11” forward with perimeter skills and the ability to protect the rim. He’s an elite athlete with great size and length, and he has the potential to be a really special player on both ends of the floor. Timme is a 6’10” center with excellent offensive skills. He can score in the post and also has range out to the three-point line He’s not quite as athletic as Mobley, but he makes up for it with his skill level and feel for the game.

After those two, there’s a group of players that includes Florida State guard Scottie Barnes, Texas Tech guard Kyler Edwards, Alabama guard Jaden Shackelford, Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Michigan State forward Xavier Tillman Sr.. All of these players have lottery potential, but it’s tough to say exactly where they will land until we get closer to the draft.

At this point in the process, it’s impossible to say exactly how things will shake out, but we will continue to monitor the situation and update our mock drafts as we get closer to the 2021 NBA draft

The Mid-Tier Prospects

Summer League is just around the corner, and that means the NBA Draft is, too. As we inch closer to the big day rumors are swirling about which prospects will go where.

We took a look at some of the mid-tier prospects — players who are projected to go anywhere from the late lottery to just outside the top 20 — and what teams might be a good fit for them.

Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama: While Lewis is more of a traditional point guard than many of his counterparts in this class, he has good size (6’3”) and solid athleticism. He’s also a smart player who understands how to run an offense. All of those things could make him a good fit with the Orlando Magic who are in need of a point guard after trading Markelle Fultz at the deadline.

Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State If Haliburton falls out of the lottery — which is a distinct possibility given the depth of this point guard class — he could be an intriguing option for the Boston Celtics at No. 14. Haliburton is a 6’5” playmaker with excellent Court Vision and Three-point shooting ability (42 percent from deep last season). He would give the Celtics another ball-handler and shooter to pair with Kemba Walker in the backcourt.

RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers Hampton is an elite athlete with good size (6’5”) and playmaking ability. He struggles as a jump shooter, but he has all of the tools to be an excellent defender at the next level. That makes him a perfect fit for the Houston Rockets who are always looking for guys who can switch and defend multiple positions.

The Sleepers

In any draft, there are always a few players who fly under the radar and end up being drafted much lower than where they probably should have been. These are the so-called “sleepers” of the draft. This year, there are a few players who fit that bill.

One such player is guard Tyler Bey from Colorado. Bey is an excellent defender with a 6’7″ frame and a 7’2″ wingspan. He also has a lot of upside as a scoring guard, as he averaged 16.9 points per game last season. Bey will likely be drafted in the second round, but he has the potential to be a very good player in the NBA.

Another sleeper in this year’s draft is center Isaiah Stewart from Washington. Stewart is a big body at 6’9″, 250 pounds, and he’s a very good rebounder and shot blocker. He also has a nice touch around the basket and can score in the post. Stewart will likely be drafted in the second round as well, but he has the potential to be a very good role player in the NBA.

The Risers

Each year, a few prospects see their stock rise leading up to the NBA Draft This can be due to strong performances in college or in the pre-draft process, and it can result in players being drafted higher than originally expected. Here are a few prospects who have seen their stock rise leading up to the 2021 NBA Draft

Jalen Suggs A consensus top-10 prospect heading into his freshman season at Gonzaga, Suggs took his game to another level during the 2020-21 campaign. He averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 47.1 percent from three-point range and he was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year. Suggs is an elite athlete with good size for a point guard and he has shown the ability to score from all three levels. He is also a very good playmaker who is capable of running an offense. Some scouts have compared him to All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook and he is now considered a potential top-five pick in the 2021 NBA draft

Cade Cunningham A 6-foot-8 point guard Cunningham was widely considered the top prospect in the 2021 class heading into his freshman season at Oklahoma State He lived up to the hype, averaging 20 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from three-point range and 52 percent from the field overall. Cunningham is an excellent playmaker with superb vision, and he has also shown himself to be a very good shooter from long range. With his size, length and skill level, he has drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson and James Harden Cunningham is now considered a lock to be one of the top two picks in the 2021 NBA draft

Evan Mobley A highly touted recruit coming out of High School Mobley had a very successful freshman season at USC, averaging 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks per game while shooting 56 percent from the field overall. At 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Mobley has excellent size for a center, and he is also an elite athlete who can run and jump with anyone. He is an excellent shot blocker who alters plenty of shots even when he doesn’t get credit for them, and he is also a very good rebounder on both ends of the court. Mobley has drawn comparisons to Patrick Ewing because of his size and skill level, and he is now considered a lock to be one of the top three picks in the 2021 NBA draft

The Fallers

With the 2021 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, there are many rumors circulating about who will be drafted where. In this article, we will take a look at some of the top “fallers” in this year’s draft.

Some of the biggest names that have been mentioned as potential fallers include Jalen Suggs Cade Cunningham and Jonathan Kuminga. All three of these players were once considered to be top-5 picks, but there are now concerns that they could slip out of the top 10.

Jalen Suggs is a 6’4″ guard from Gonzaga. He is an excellent shooter and scorer, but there are concerns about his ability to create his own shot at the next level.

Cade Cunningham is a 6’8″ forward from Oklahoma State He is a versatile player who can shoot and pass well, but there are questions about his athletic ability and how he will fare against NBA-level competition

Jonathan Kuminga is a 6’7″ forward from the Congo. He is an explosive athlete with a lot of upside, but he is still raw and there are concerns about his ability to make an immediate impact in the NBA.

The Wildcards

The 2021 NBA Draft is loaded with potential All-Stars, but there are also a handful of players who could go either way. These are the wildcards of the draft, guys who could be taken anywhere from the lottery to the second round. Here are the five biggest wildcards in the 2021 NBA Draft

1. Cade Cunningham PG, Oklahoma State

Cunningham is the consensus top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft but there are still a few unanswered questions about his game. He’s an incredible scorer and playmaker, but some wonder if he has what it takes to be a true lead guard at the next level. There’s also the question of his shooting stroke; he was inconsistent from deep in college and will need to prove that he can knock down shots consistently in order to reach his full potential.

2. Jalen Suggs, PG, Gonzaga

Suggs is one of the most explosive guards in the draft and has tremendous upside as a player. However, there are concerns about his ability to run an offense at an elite level and whether or not he can shoot well enough from outside to be a true impact player at the next level. He’s also dealt with injuries throughout his career, which is something that teams will certainly take into consideration on draft night.

3. Devin Askew PG, Kentucky

Askew is one of the more polarizing prospects in this year’s draft class Some see him as a potential star point guard with elite playmaking ability and defensive upside; others believe he’s nothing more than a solid role player. There are definitely concerns about his shooting stroke (he shot just 29 percent from three-point range in college) but there’s no denying his talent and upside as a player. He could really go either way on draft night.

4. Scottie Barnes, SF/PF, Florida State

Barnes is one of the more unique prospects in this year’s draft class he has the size and athleticism of a Power Forward but he also has the skillset of a point guard or wing player. That versatility is both a blessing and a curse; while it allows him to impact the game in multiple ways, it also makes him somewhat of a ‘tweener without a defined role at the next level. He’ll need to find a way to carve out a role for himself at

The Mock Drafts

The 2021 NBA Draft is still nearly eight months away, but that hasn’t stopped scouts and analysts from putting out their mock drafts There’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the draft, as many of the top prospects have yet to play a college game, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any idea of how things could shake out. Here are the latest Mock Drafts from around the web:

ESPN:
1. Cade Cunningham, PG, Oklahoma State
2. Evan Mobley, PF/C, USC
3. Jalen Suggs, PG, Gonzaga
4. Jonathan Kuminga, SF/PF, Congo (G-League Ignite)
5. Scottie Barnes, PF/SF/C, Florida State
6. Jalen Green SG/SF, USA (G-League Ignite)
7. Daishen Nix PG/SG, USA (G-League Ignite)
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The NBA Draft Rumors

The NBA draft is just around the corner, and there are already plenty of rumors swirling about who will go where.

One of the more interesting rumors is that the Houston Rockets are interested in trading for New Orleans Pelicans Star Anthony Davis The Rockets are reportedly willing to give up a package including Eric Gordon P.J. Tucker and multiple first-Round Draft picks.

Another rumor is that the Golden State Warriors are interested in drafting Lamelo Ball with the second overall pick. This would be a bit of a surprise, as most mock drafts have Ball going third overall to the Charlotte Hornets

As always, there will be plenty of trades on draft night. One team to watch is the Orlando Magic who are reportedly open to trading center Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is an All-Star and one of the league’s best big men so he could fetch a nice return in a trade.

Finally, keep an eye on the Minnesota Timberwolves They have the fifth and sixteenth overall picks in the draft, and they are reportedly open to trading one or both of those picks for an established player.

We’ll have to wait until draft night to see how these rumors pan out, but it should be an exciting night nonetheless!

Conclusion

We have reached the end of our NBA Draft rumors roundup. As always, be sure to check back in with us closer to the event for the latest information and analysis. Thank you for reading!