Where Michigan prospects Kobe Bufkin, Jett Howard are projected in latest NBA mock drafts

Michigan Wolverines basketball is projected to have multiple first-round NBA Draft picks for the first time since 2014 (Nik Stauskas and Mitch McGary), with guards Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard both expected to be taken in round one next week (June 22).

Here’s a look at where both Michigan prospects stand in the latest mock drafts.

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Kobe Bufkin

• Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN.com: No. 12 to the Oklahoma City Thunder

“Bufkin has quietly gathered a good deal of interest in the pre-draft process and is being extremely selective where he works out, with a lottery selection potentially on the horizon,” Woo wrote. “The Thunder have plenty of young guards and can go in a number of directions at No. 12, but Oklahoma City rarely hesitates to grab the best talent on the board, and Bufkin has built a strong case to be the first player drafted among a large group of guards jockeying for position. He’s a name to watch over the next week, with room to potentially rise higher. Washington and Utah appear to be candidates to select guards at No. 8 and No. 9.”

• Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times: No. 17 to the Los Angeles Lakers

“Another player who is moving up draft boards and could be among the lottery picks, Bufkin has the kind of two-way skills that might set him apart from other point guards in this draft,” Woike wrote. “He has a lot of fans around the NBA.”

• Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports: No. 19 to the Golden State Warriors

“The Warriors already took a shooting guard from Michigan a few years ago in Jordan Poole, and that worked out pretty well,” Ward-Henninger said. “Still in need of playmaking guards outside of Poole and Steph Curry, Golden State would find a good one here in Bufkin, who can operate the pick-and-roll as both a scorer and passer. He’s not an elite athlete, but his 6-8 wingspan allows him to get a lot of deflections and more than hold his own defensively.

• Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: No. 19 to the Golden State Warriors

“There is a divide among scouts on Bufkin, who has believers in his versatility and trajectory and skeptics over the eventual effectiveness of his creation, shooting and physical tools,” Wasserman wrote. “The Warriors could value Bufkin’s backcourt versatility with his three-level shot-making, efficient finishing and passing IQ.”

• Zach Braziller, New York Post: No. 22 to the Brooklyn Nets

“The last player the Nets drafted out of Michigan, Caris LeVert in 2016, turned into a quality NBA player,” Braziller wrote.

Jett Howard

• Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, ESPN.com: No. 19 to the Golden State Warriors

“Howard’s draft range starts around No. 11 (Orlando), with plenty of teams looking for shooters with size, skill and feel that will likely consider him, including Toronto (No. 13), Utah (No. 16), and the Lakers (No. 17),” Givony wrote of the Michigan prospect. “He’s an extreme contrast in ability, from what he showed early in the season until late of it when he played through an injury. If not Howard, the Warriors could look at other prospects who fit their style of play. The appetite for taking on more projects will likely be limited due to their narrow window for maximizing the prime of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and others. Sources tell ESPN the Warriors are also exploring the option of acquiring a high draft pick in exchange for a young prospect such as Jonathan Kuminga.”

• Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times: No. 19 to the Golden State Warriors

“The son of former NBA player and Michigan coach Juwan Howard has plenty of size and can really move and shoot the ball,” Woike wrote. “The big questions are on the defensive end, where he hasn’t maximized the potential of his frame.”

• Colin Ward-Henninger, CBS Sports: No. 22 to the Brooklyn Nets

“Knock-down shooters aren’t easy to come by, and Howard is an exciting one at 6-8,” Ward-Henninger wrote of the Michigan guard. “He’s a quick decision-maker who can spot up in transition or hit 3-pointers off the dribble, and has also flashed some playmaking ability off of closeouts. He’s going to get targeted defensively, but his shooting ability makes it worth taking him at No. 22.”

• Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: No. 23 to the Portland Trail Blazers

“With a valued, translatable skill set for off-ball scoring, and questions about athleticism and defense, Howard’s draft range is wide, likely from No. 15 to No. 30,” Wasserman wrote.

Wasserman also recently named Howard one of the top five NBA Draft prospects with “serious red flags,” noting his “lack of production outside of scoring.”

• Zach Braziller, New York Post: No. 24 to the Sacramento Kings

“The son of Michigan coach Juwan Howard is one of the better wing shooters in this draft and could crack the Kings’ rotation as a specialist off the bench right away,” Braziller wrote.