ASU's Josh Christopher Projecting as Borderline First-Round Pick as NBA Draft Nears

Merely weeks away from the 2021 NBA Draft, Arizona State's own Josh Christopher may very well see himself as a first-round pick.

The 2021 NBA Draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday, July 29. While plenty of players may prepare themselves to hear their names called in the first round, only 30 will have the privilege to call themselves a first-round pick. 

In such an unpredictable event such as the NBA Draft, very few things are probable, and 2021's version is no different. Aside from the very high probability that Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham will go to the Detroit Pistons at No. 1 overall, the rest of the dominoes may fall in any fashion. 

One of those dominoes, Arizona State forward Josh Christopher, finds himself in conversations as a potential first-round selection. 

CBS Sports' latest mock draft, done by Colin Ward-Henninger, sees Christopher selected by the Philadelphia 76ers at pick No. 28. 

"Christopher has all the upside you want in a late first-rounder, and he said he had an 'amazing' meeting with the 76ers," wrote Ward-Henninger. 

"He has NBA athleticism and creates tremendous space off the dribble with a confident mid-range and 3-point stroke. He improved toward the end of the year at Arizona State, indicating an upward trajectory. Philadelphia can give him time to develop, but a bench unit featuring Christopher and Tyrese Maxey could do wonders for its offense."

USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky sees the draft playing out a tad differently, as Christopher lands in New Orleans at pick No. 34 in Round 2:

"ASU’s Josh Christopher is a first-round talent even if he does not hear his name called within the first 30 picks on draft night, and if that happens, folks may look back and wonder why he wasn’t selected earlier."

Recently, Christopher has worked out for teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards. The Atlanta Hawks may also be interested in bringing in the ASU product for a workout.

With only a few weeks left until the draft, Christopher's draft stock will begin to take shape. Regardless of where Christopher falls in the draft, basketball evaluators and fans alike believe Christopher has the tools to carve out a place in the NBA. 

Donnie Druin is a Deputy Editor with AllSunDevils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSunDevils @AllSunDevils.