New Mock Draft (With Trades!)

Next mock draft is ready to go, the full first round, but there won't be too in depth reasons for each pick. There are also a couple of trades that either very well could or should go down with this draft.

Trade #1 - The Memphis Grizzlies trade the #2 pick to the Sacramento Kings for the #4 pick and Kenny Thomas.

Trade #2 - The Minnesota Timberwolves trade the #18 pick and Mike Miller to the Chicago Bulls for Kirk Hinrich and a 2012 second round pick.

Now for the draft:

1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin 6'10" 250 lbs. Forward

This is the obvious choice for the Clippers. Griffin was already a lock for the first pick, but with his strength and athletic ability shown at the combine (35.5" vertical leap, 22 bench presses), it couldn't be any more of a lock.

2. Sacramento Kings (from Memphis) - Ricky Rubio 6'3" 180 lbs. Guard

The Kings need a new point guard badly. Beno Udrih is just not even close to cutting it. Ricky Rubio is not only the best player at this point, but he fills a need for the Kings.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - Hasheem Thabeet 7'2" 270 lbs. Center

Many teams have been very interested in how Thabeet has been in workouts. His combine numbers didn't hurt him either. The Thunder/Sonics have been hurt by drafting project centers in the past (Petro, Swift, and Sene), but Thabeet seems to be much more the real deal. He isn't nearly as much of a project as past Sonics/Thunder center draftees, and he's already been able to prove his defense at the next level down.

4. Memphis Grizzlies (from Sacramento) - Jordan Hill 6'10" 230 lbs. Forward

Memphis also gets something they want here. It'd be hard to pass on a talent like Rubio at the second spot, and while Thabeet is nice, they do have Gasol and really don't have nearly as much at the 4 spot as they do at the 5. Hill is a power forward with a very versatile offensive game, great athletic ability, and someone who can play some defense as well.

5. Washington Wizards - James Harden 6'5" 220 lbs. Guard

The Wizards have not had a decent shooting guard in a little while. James Harden can really help to fill this void. Haywood may not be great, but he's at least a solid guy to have at the center spot, and they have JaVale McGee for the future, who can also play the power forward spot. Jamison and Butler are likely going to be with the Wizards for a little while and Arenas is locked into a long term deal. Clearly the spot to address is the shooting guard spot, and it's either Harden or DeRozan here. Drafting another combo guard will not work well with Arenas. Harden, with his all-around game is the guy to go to here. He doesn't have to be scoring to be effective, and that does work well with Arenas.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves - DeMar DeRozan 6'7" 210 lbs. Guard/Forward

The Timberwolves do have serviceable players at the wing spots, but they can do a lot better. DeRozan has the ability to be that man to make them a lot better.

7. Golden State Warriors - Brandon Jennings 6'1" 170 lbs. Guard

Jennings is a guard who can compliment Monta Ellis very well in the backcourt. He can throw some amazing passes to just about any player. While his game is raw, the Warriors are not going to need him to come in right away and play great, although he should be able to at least be serviceable in his first year.

8. New York Knicks - Stephen Curry 6'3" 180 lbs. Guard

Curry has supposedly been given a guarantee by the Knicks at this spot, so he gets it by that. However, he also has a game that fits in well with a D'Antoni system and could wind up being the Barbosa of D'Antoni's Knicks.

9. Toronto Raptors - Tyreke Evans 6'5" 220 lbs. Guard

With Calderon at the point the Raptors are just fine. However, at the next two spots up, the 2 and 3, the Raptors are in need of a good shooting guard and Evans has the potential to be a very good shooting guard.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn 6' 200 lbs. Guard

Flynn is not only a good distributor, scorer, and very quick. It also turns out that at the combine he unveiled a 40" vertical leap, something that really puts him at a higher level of athleticism than most basketball fans realized. The Bucks have Luke Ridnour and Ramon Sessions as their point guards. Ridnour can't defend while Sessions is horribly inconsistent. Flynn reminds many scouts of a Damon Stoudamire type, only taller.

11. New Jersey Nets - Chase Budinger 6'7" 210 lbs. Guard/Forward

Ever since the Jefferson trade (okay, it's only been a year) the Nets have not had much to write home about at the small forward position. Budinger can change that. While he's not the slashing type of small forward, he doesn't need to be with someone like Devin Harris out there who can slash and penetrate as well as he can. Budinger will be a great option for Harris to kick it out to on the perimeter, as Budinger is lights out with any open jump shot.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - DeJuan Blair 6'6" 277 lbs. Forward

While Blair will never be a guy to put up a whole lot of numbers outside of his rebounding, and once a shot's being taken he won't be able to do much on defense, he's still a guy who can body up down low and prevent other team's players from getting too close to the basket. This really compliments Emeka Okafor down there. While he isn't the best player for the Bobcats to pick at this point, he has enough hype around him that this is likely as far as he will fall.

13. Indiana Pacers - Eric Maynor 6'3" 165 lbs. Guard

Maynor really brings a complete package as a point guard. He's a solid defender with good speed and solid athletic abilities. He's a solid scorer and a very good passer. The Pacers could use at least a backup point guard, and Maynor is an ideal guy for the job.

14. Phoenix Suns - Jeff Teague 6'2" 175 lbs. Guard

Nash is starting to be able to play less and less as he gets older and older. He likely doesn't have a whole lot of time left in his career, and possibly not much left with the Suns either. At this point the Suns have Goran Dragic ready to take over for him, and that's not good for them. Jeff Teague will likely be a better point guard, and at this point he has the best chance of any point guards left in the draft to be a good starter.

15. Detroit Pistons - Terrence Williams 6'6" 215 lbs. Guard/Forward

This would be a great choice for the Pistons. Not only brings great athletic ability and a great all around game, but he also brings a good level of toughness, which is something that the Pistons seemed to be missing last season. That's what the Pistons have always thrived on when they've been good, and that's what Williams can bring back to them.

16. Chicago Bulls - BJ Mullens 7'1" 260 lbs. Center

The Bulls still could use that very good center. Right now they have Brad Miller, who is as fundamental as a big man comes, but he is older and slower than almost every other center in the league. However, if they draft Mullens they will be able to put him deep enough on the bench where he won't have to be depended on, but not so deep that he can't get some playing time. He'll also have Brad Miller to help mentor him, which is a nice added bonus for a project.

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Ty Lawson 6' 200 lbs. Guard

The Sixers are in danger of losing their starting point guard in Andre Miller and could really use at least someone who can come in and backup whoever it is that they use to take Miller's spot. Even if Miller does stay with them for a few more years, he's getting older and is relying more on his veteran intelligence than anything else right now. Lawson is pretty ready to come right in to the NBA right now though.

18. Chicago Bulls (from Minnesota) - Tyler Hansbrough 6'10" 235 lbs. Forward

Hansbrough suddenly opened a lot of eyes out there just by getting measured at the draft combine last week. He went from a great college player who was supposedly too small to make it in the NBA to a legitimate power forward prospect. However, prospect isn't even a great word to use for him. Hansbrough is a very NBA ready player, and one that can really be effective. He's got a solid jump shot, he's strong, he plays hard, and he'll also aggravate players on other teams with his physical and energetic style of play. He won't move up too far, but considering he was predicted by some to fall to the second round before this, he's already moved up an awful lot.

19. Atlanta Hawks - Jrue Holiday 6'4" 200 lbs. Guard

Holiday is fairly mysterious. It's not that he's shying away from workouts or anything like that, but more that everyone feels like he's going to be this very good player, but he really hasn't done anything to show it yet. However, for the Hawks it would be a great idea to take a shot at a player with this much upside at this point in the draft.

20. Utah Jazz - James Johnson 6'8" 255 lbs. Forward

Johnson is considered by most to be a small forward, but he has the overall size to also play power forward. If the Jazz lose Carlos Boozer this offseason it would be very valuable to have someone with his size to be able to step in and back Millsap up from time to time, but he also can spend plenty of time playing small forward, giving the Jazz a versatile and physical option off the bench.

21. New Orleans Hornets - Gerald Henderson 6'5" 215 lbs. Guard

Henderson would be a great compliment to Peja at the wing spot. Paul penetrates and either kicks it out to Peja for the open jumper or to Henderson who's able to get to the hoop before the defense has time to recover. Henderson is a very good all-around shooting guard and would work out very well with the Hornets. It's tough to see Henderson falling this far, but it very well could wind up happening, and the Hornets will be right on top of that.

22. Dallas Mavericks - Wayne Ellington 6'5" 200 lbs. Guard

Ellington is a sharp shooter in every sense of the word. While Dallas does have Dirk who can already shoot from the outside, Ellington isn't someone who's going to be called on in the post too much who can really hang out more at the perimeter. Dallas could use another point guard, but there really isn't anyone worth stretching for at this point.

23. Sacramento Kings - Earl Clark 6'10" 225 lbs. Forward

Despite his height, Clark is better suited to be a small forward. The player he would best compliment on the team though would be Ricky Rubio. He has that versatile game that will help Rubio out no matter who else is out there, he'll always have Clark there who can score in any way possible. Clark also has some good passing skills, and while not a point forward, he can help to facilitate the offense, creating some nice versatility and bringing the Kings back to what made them so good at the beginning of the decade, being a team with great ball movement.

24. Portland Trailblazers - Toney Douglas 6'2" 185 lbs. Guard

At this point do the Blazers go for that one player to put them over to the next level as a team, or do they just go ahead and draft a project who can put them over later? The answer is simple. You're not going to find that player at this point who can put you over the top without just getting lucky. Therefore you go for a bit of a project, especially since it looks like Oden's going to need another year or two before he's ready to be that big man that will be the anchor of a championship team. Toney Douglas is a guy who can run the point, but can also shoot very well, almost like the point guards that the Bulls had during their first championship run, which will compliment someone like Roy, who can run the offense, very well. His passing and ball handling are very underrated by most at this point.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Omri Casspi 6'8" 210 lbs. Forward

He'll be a bit of a project, but he does have the ability to come in and give quality minutes right away. Casspi helped his cause out at the combine and should be a nice pickup for whoever drafts him.

26. Chicago Bulls - Darren Collison 6'1" 165 lbs. Guard

Collison would be to the Bulls much like Chris Duhon was to them in 2004. He's a point guard who put in a good four years in college and is very NBA ready. He won't develop into any sort of superstar point guard, but he's a good defender who is solid at running an offense. With Kirk Hinrich gone at this point (assuming the Minnesota trade goes through) the Bulls will need a solid backup for Derrick Rose.

27. Memphis Grizzlies - Patrick Mills 6' 175 lbs. Guard

Mills would almost be the type of person that the Grizzlies would bring in to replace Navarro or Lowry. He's a small scoring point guard. Mills actually does have the ability to run an offense, but he's so quick and can penetrate so easily that he'll be a great fit as more of a scoring backup point guard.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves - Damion James 6'7" 225 lbs. Forward

The Wolves would likely go for a point guard at this spot, but all of the point guards worth looking at by this point have been taken. However, now with Kirk Hinrich and Sebastian Telfair backing him up, the Wolves should be pretty solid at that spot. This means that they'll go for more help at the wing spot, and James is a great guy to go for. James is an excellent defender with decent offensive ability.

29. Los Angeles Lakers - Taj Gibson 6'10" 215 lbs. Forward

Gibson won't give the Lakers anything outstanding, but he'll give them a little bit of added defense down low, and of course the Lakers like to pick guys who play in their general area (see Jordan Farmar), so it's not unlikely that they'll grab Gibson with this pick.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Tyler Smith 6'6" 210 lbs. Guard/Forward

He's got good size and abilities to play either the 2 or the 3, but what really puts him above other players at this spot is his ability to pass the ball. While he won't be starting any time soon, he'll be an excellent player and possibly even a facilitator off the bench.



Keep in mind that what seems like it will happen takes priority over what will happen at this point, but there's still not a whole lot out there as far as to tip anyone off as to what will happen. When there has been that, it's been included.