NBA mock draft 4.0: Houston trades out of the top 3 for a veteran!

The Houston Rockets were within a stone’s throw of qualifying for the NBA play-in tournament, which speaks to how much they improved in just one season. Forbes wonders whether the Rockets would go all-in on a Donovan Mitchell trade, but there’s a different player we have in mind that might be a better fit.

Rather than pursue Mitchell, our contention is that Houston would go after Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn would receive the number three overall pick (which Houston ironically has because of them), Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. In return, the Rockets would receive Bridges.

The Nets don’t figure to be in the playoff mix for the next couple of years, so it makes sense for them to acquire a couple of Houston’s young players and select the top three in this draft. On the other side, the Rockets would receive an iron man who should fit in well with the culture Ime Udoka is trying to build. The NBA’s website points out that Bridges has never missed a game in his professional career.

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There’s a wide range of outcomes for Smith as a prospect and in terms of where he might get selected, according to Yahoo Sports. He showed some nice improvement as a pick and pop shooter, but was largely inconsistent in the G-League. His physical profile would be intriguing to most teams, however, as a 6’11” forward.

Bleacher Report compares Filipowski to Moritz Wagner of the Orlando Magic, which Sacramento should sign up for in a heartbeat. The franchise has been looking for a center to take pressure off Domantas Sabonis. Even if Filipowski is able to steal some minutes from other underwhelming options, this pick will be worth it.

Josh Giddey spoke to Yahoo Sports about his diminished role in the playoffs, and it could mean that Oklahoma City is looking for change at the swingman spot. Walter is a completely different type of player, but should provide reliable outside shooting at the next level. Walter and Isaiah Joe could light it up from downtown off the bench.

Bleacher Report had the Bulls scooping Williams up here, and we agree that the fit is logical. We don’t know how much longer Chicago will feature a team led by DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, so it might be time to go with the raw talent. Theoretically, even if those veterans stay, Williams could fit in off the ball.

The Jazz have to be happy with Keyonte George’s rookie season, as the Salt Lake Tribune chronicled how well he played as a rookie. With that being said, Utah shouldn’t feel dissuaded to take another promising backcourt prospect. Castle’s defensive ability on the perimeter at UConn should translate nicely to the NBA.

The Ringer is supremely high on Clingan, who they have ranked as their second-highest prospect. His winning pedigree at UConn could be something Memphis finds attractive, considering that the Grizzlies will aim to re-emerge as a Western Conference playoff team next season.

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This selection is the Spurs’ second in the lottery, thanks to the Jakob Poeltl trade that keeps on giving. It depends on what San Antonio’s mindset is with regard to their timeline. If they want to make a leap in the standings next season, they might seriously consider taking Knecht. The senior can score at all three levels and stretch the floor for Victor Wembanyama.

This is a pivotal selection for Portland, who is looking to restock the cupboard full of talent this offseason. Yahoo Sports believes that Holland has natural scoring ability, but his quick hands defensively could make him an asset on that side of the floor as well. He could fit in nicely with the young backcourt Portland has.

According to Spectrum News, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is considering wearing ankle braces next season in order to protect him from recurring injuries. Charlotte will also need to take steps to insure themselves if Ball can’t stay on the floor. Sheppard’s upside may not be that high, but he figures to slot in as a reliable guard with or without Ball.

It would make the most sense for the Pistons to secure a versatile wing player in this draft. There are a few different directions they can go in, but Buzelis’ potential might be too tantalizing to pass up on. Buzelis might already be known by some NBA fans, as he hit the game-winning shot in the Rising Stars challenge at All-Star weekend.

The Spurs used to be one of the best teams in the NBA at ball movement, and Gregg Popovich could try to re-instill that style of play with an emerging young team. Topic is a ball-mover who can see over the defense at 6’6”, as Bleacher Report calls out. It’s possible his underwhelming shooting may get better with defensive attention paid to Victor Wembanyama.

We’ve arrived at the selection re-acquired by the Nets in the proposed Mikal Bridges trade. This would signal a complete teardown and rebuild for Brooklyn, so going with Risacher here would make sense. The Frenchman is one of the highest upside selections in the entire draft.

The Wizards haven’t had much go right for them, but the John Wall era was the best somewhat recent stretch that Washington experienced. They could go back to the well once more to take another athletic scoring guard out of Kentucky. The Ringer wrote about Dillingham’s unique shiftiness, which other guards in this draft may not have to the same extent.

Bleacher Report, NBC Sports and Sports Illustrated all believe that this will finally be the summer that Atlanta trades center Clint Capela. When there’s this much smoke, there’s usually fire, and this could indicate the Hawks’ desire to go big with the first selection. Sarr would represent a younger, higher upside version of the stout Capela.

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