2022 NBA Draft: Major trades highlight ESPN updated mock draft

Jonathon Givony of ESPN updated his 2022 NBA mock draft ahead of what should be an exciting night that could shape the future of the NBA as we know it.

There’s more questions than answers heading into the night, as Givony prefaced before his predictions.

“Will the Big Three of Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero go in the order expected, and to the teams expected?” wondered Givony. “If it’s Smith to the Orlando Magic at No. 1, Holmgren to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 2 and Banchero to the Houston Rockets at No. 3, what might that mean for the Sacramento Kings at No. 4?

“Will the Kings, who must consider the likelihood of their pick signing with the struggling franchise, strike a draft-night deal? If they do, how will the rest of the night’s dominoes fall?”

Here’s how Givony sees the 2022 NBA Draft playing at the moment.

Round 1

1) Orlando Magic — Jabari Smith, F, Auburn
2) Oklahoma City Thunder — Chet Holmgren, F, Gonzaga
3) Houston Rockets — Paolo Banchero, F, Duke
4) Sacramento Kings — Jaden Ivey, G, Purdue
5) Detroit Pistons — Bennedict Mathurin, F, Arizona
6) Indiana Pacers — Keegan Murray, F, Iowa
7) Portland Trail Blazers — Shaedon Sharpe, G, Kentucky
8) New Orleans Pelicans (via LAL) — Dyson Daniels, G, G-League Ignite
9) San Antonio Spurs — Jalen Duren, C, Memphis
10) Washington Wizards — Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin
11) New York Knicks — AJ Griffin, F, Duke
12) Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC) – Ousmane Dieng, F, France
13) Charlotte Hornets — Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor
14) Cleveland Cavaliers – Ochai Agbaji, F, Kansas
15) Charlotte Hornets (via NO) – Mark Williams, C, Duke
16) Atlanta Hawks — Jalen Williams, F, Santa Clara
17) Houston Rockets — Tari Eason, F, LSU
18) Chicago Bulls — Malaki Branham, G, Ohio State
19) Minnesota Timberwolves — Walker Kessler, C, Auburn
20) San Antonio Spurs (via TOR) — Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame
21) Denver Nuggets — Dalen Terry, G, Arizona
22) Memphis Grizzlies (via UTAH) — TyTy Washington Jr, G, Kentucky
23) Philadelphia 76ers — Wendell Moore Jr, F, Duke
24) Milwaukee Bucks — EJ Liddell, F, Ohio State
25) San Antonio Spurs (via BOS) — Kennedy Chandler, G, Tennessee
26) Houston Rockets (via DAL) — MarJon Beauchamp, G, G-League Ignite
27) Miami Heat — Jaden Hardy, G, G-League Ignite
28) Golden State Warriors — Jake LaRavia, F, Wake Forest
29) Memphis Grizzlies — Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia
30) Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHX) — Christian Braun, G, Kansas

Round 2

31) Indiana Pacers (via HOU) — Andrew Nembhard, G, Gonzaga
32) Orlando Magic — Trevor Keels, G, Duke
33) Toronto Raptors (via DET) — David Roddy, F, Colorado State
34) Oklahoma City Thunder — Jaylin Williams, C, Arkansas
35) Orlando Magic (via IND) — Peyton Watson, F, UCLA
36) Portland Trailblazers — Christian Koloko, C, Arizona
37) Sacramento Kings — Khalifa Diop, C, Senegal
38) San Antonio Spurs (via LAL) — Caleb Houstan, F, Michigan
39) Cleveland Cavaliers (via SA) — Ismael Kamagate, C, France
40) Minnesota Timberwolves (via WAS) — Josh Minott, F, Memphis
41) New Orleans Pelicans — Bryce McGowens, G, Nebraska
42) New York Knicks — Kendall Brown, F, Baylor
43) Los Angeles Clippers — Justin Lewis, F, Marquette  
44) Atlanta Hawks — Hugo Besson, G, France
45) Charlotte Hornets — Patrick Baldwin Jr, F, Milwaukee
46) Detroit Pistons (via BKN) — Ryan Rollins, SG, Toledo
47) Memphis Grizzlies (via CLE) — Max Christie, G, Michigan State
48) Minnesota Timberwolves — JD Davison, G, Alabama
49) Sacramento Kings (via CHI) — Jean Montero, G, Overtime Elite
50) Minnesota Timberwolves (via DEN) — Dominick Barlow, F, Overtime Elite
51) Golden State Warriors — Michael Foster, F, G League Ignite
52) New Orleans Pelicans (via UTAH) — Karlo Matkovic, C, Serbia 
53) Boston Celtics — Gabriele Procida, SG, Italy
54) Washington Wizards (via DAL) — Ron Harper Jr., F, Rutgers
55) Washington Wizards — Yannick Nzosa, C, DR Congo
56) Cleveland Cavaliers (via MIA) — Dereon Seabron, G, NC State
57) Portland Trailblazers (via MEM) — Matteo Spagnolo, G, Italy
58) Indiana Pacers (via PHX) — Ziga Samar, PG, Spain