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Jabari Smith, Walker Kessler selected in the first round in Sports Illustrated's latest NBA mock draft
Both Auburn stars, Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler are expected to be first-round selections in the NBA Draft later this month. Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo wrote about the upside that Smith and Kessler bring to an NBA franchise.
He has Smith being the first overall pick to the Orlando Magic. He has Kessler as the Dallas Mavericks taking Kessler with the 26th overall selection.
Here were Woo's comments on Smith going first overall to the Magic.
As I wrote a couple weeks ago following the lottery, the general expectation around the NBA has been that Orlando will go with Smith at No. 1. And while I’d caution that it’s never a great idea to operate with absolute certainty regarding the Magic, who are one of the more buttoned-up organizations when it comes to leaks, there are plenty of people around the NBA who consider Smith the big prize of this draft, myself included. This next statement isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but Orlando will do its due diligence and is expected to bring in as many of the top prospects as possible for workouts in the coming weeks. My gut feeling remains that they’ll land on Smith, who is both an excellent fit with the roster and a potential culture-setting player for a Magic team still establishing its identity.
He also discussed Kessler landing with the Mavericks in his mock draft.
The Mavericks need to upgrade their supporting cast around Luka Dončić and could use some additional size with Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber entering contract years. Kessler was the most prolific shot-blocker in college basketball last season and figures to be the third center off the board after Jalen Duren and Mark Williams, but his range is a bit wide in the back part of the first round, with his fit a little bit more situational. His sheer size coupled with solid athleticism gives him legitimate potential as a rim protector, and if he gets more comfortable shooting the three, Kessler could return good value in the 20s.
The NBA Draft is on June 23rd.
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