Where TyTy Washington, Shaedon Sharpe stand in latest ESPN mock draft

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On3 image — Photo by Dr. Michael Huang | Kentucky Sports Radio

With the deadline to withdraw from the 2022 NBA Draft just a few hours away, the pool of pro prospects is becoming clearer. Jacob Toppin announced his return to Kentucky for a third season on Tuesday, setting himself up for a big season with the ‘Cats.

The actual draft is set for a little over three weeks from now on June 23 in Brooklyn, NY where a pair of former ‘Cats players expect to hear their names called early: TyTy Washington and Shaedon Sharpe. Both are projected as consensus first-round picks, with Washington expected to go anywhere from 5-15 picks after Sharpe. Over at ESPN, draft expert Jonathan Givony released an updated mock draft on Tuesday ahead of the midnight deadline.

In it, he slotted Sharpe at No. 7 to the Portland Trail Blazers with Washington falling outside of the top 14 lottery picks to the Houston Rockets at No. 17.

Both players dropped one pick compared to Givony’s previous projections from May 17 following the NBA Draft lottery. He bumped up G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels from No. 9 to No. 6 in Tuesday’s update, passing Sharpe along the way. Givony also moved Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan from No. 18 to No. 16, taking Washington’s spot in the process.

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Here’s what Givony said about both prospects.

Shaedon Sharpe: No. 7, Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are early in their rebuilding process and can afford to swing for the fences for a prospect some consider to have the highest upside of any player in the draft. Sharpe is oozing with talent, possessing elite physical tools with his exceptional frame, length and explosiveness, to go along with dynamic perimeter shooting ability. There was a reason Sharpe was the No. 1-ranked player in his high school class, but his lack of experience and how little he has been evaluated might make it difficult for a team picking higher than this to roll the dice on him.
Jonathan Givony, ESPN

The Blazers appear hell-bent on keeping Damian Lillard around for the long haul and figuring out how to win around him. After shipping off CJ McCollum in the middle of the season to the New Orleans Pelicans and promoting 22-year-old scoring savant Anfernee Simons to second-fiddle alongside Lillard, there is a need for another scoring punch in the backcourt. Obviously, there are unlimited questions surrounding just how NBA-ready Sharpe might be after sitting out his freshman season at UK, but it feels inevitable that he goes among the top 10.

TyTy Washington: No. 17, Houston Rockets

NBA opinions are mixed regarding the long-term future of Kevin Porter Jr. in Houston, after what’s been a roller-coaster ride of a short career thus far. Adding another steady-handed guard in the backcourt who can play with or without the ball, excels in pick-and-roll and is a strong perimeter shooter makes some sense here, especially since Washington has the size and length to play in many different lineup configurations.
Jonathan Givony, ESPN

Similar to why Portland might go with Sharpe, the Houston Rockets would be a solid landing spot for Washington. There is a need for more backcourt scoring and playmaking, which is currently being handled by a pair of guards, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., that operate better at the two. Washington isn’t a prototypical point guard but has shown the ability to thrive in that role during his time at Kentucky. Houston also has veteran guards Dennis Schroder (28 years old) and one-time Wildcat John Wall (31) on the roster to potentially help guide Washington if they were to stick around for the 2022-23 season.

The 2022 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.