NEW YORK – The talent is young, alive, raw, bouncy and ready. That means the 2021 NBA Draft is on tap and on Thursday the eyes of the basketball world will turn their attention to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The draft starts at 8 o’clock Eastern Daylight Time on ESPN and ABC (First Round only). Sixty players will be chosen in two rounds.
This might be one of the best drafts at the top since 2003 when All-Stars LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were selected. All four are likely headed to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
As for who will be selected?
Most talent evaluators and recent mock drafts have four young players a year removed from high school going with initial four picks. If the prognostications hold, Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State is headed to the Pistons and Motown. Jalen Green of the G League blasts off for the Houston Rockets and Evan Mobley of Southern California will be chosen third by the Cleveland Cavaliers. At No. 4 Jalen Suggs of Gonzaga might be bound for the Toronto Raptors.
We’ll update the NBA Draft as it unfolds on Thursday and provide succinct commentary on all 30 first round selections. We’ll also send out links via social media for updates throughout the night.
The current order, as of Thursday morning, is posted below. Expect trades and shock picks because the draft never goes as planned.
Enjoy the night. – Christopher Lawlor
First Round
Player, Height, College/Previous Club/Country, Comment
1. Detroit Pistons:
2. Houston Rockets:
3. Cleveland Cavaliers:
4. Toronto Raptors:
5. Orlando Magic:
6. Oklahoma City Thunder:
7. Golden State Warriors (from Minnesota):
8. Orlando Magic (from Chicago):
9. Sacramento Kings:
10. New Orleans Pelicans:
11. Charlotte Hornets:
12. San Antonio Spurs:
13. Indiana Pacers:
14. Golden State Warriors:
15. Washington
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Boston):
17. Memphis:
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami):
19. New York Knicks:
20. Atlanta Hawks:
21. New York Knicks (from Dallas):
22. Los Angeles Lakers
23. Houston Rockets (from Portland):
24. Houston Rockets (from Milwaukee):
25. Los Angeles Clippers:
26. Denver Nuggets:
27. Brooklyn Nets:
28. Philadelphia 76ers:
29. Phoenix Suns:
30. Utah Jazz:
Second Round
Player, Height, Former College/Team/Country
31. Milwaukee (from Houston):
32. New York (from Detroit):
33. Orlando:
34. Oklahoma City:
35. New Orleans (from Cleveland via Atlanta):
36. Oklahoma City (from Minnesota via Golden State):
37. Detroit (from Toronto via Brooklyn):
38. Chicago (from New Orleans):
39. Sacramento:
40. New Orleans (from Chicago):
41. San Antonio:
42. Detroit (from Charlotte via New York):
43. New Orleans (from Washington via Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Utah):
44. Brooklyn (from Indiana):
45. Boston:
46. Toronto (from Memphis via Sacramento):
47. Toronto (from Golden State via Utah and New Orleans):
48. Atlanta (from Miami via Sacramento and Portland):
49. Brooklyn (from Atlanta):
50. Philadelphia (from New York):
51. Memphis (from Portland via Dallas, Detroit, and Cleveland):
52. Detroit (from Lakers via Sacramento, Houston, and Detroit):
53. New Orleans (from Dallas):
54. Indiana (from Milwaukee via Houston and Cleveland):
55. Oklahoma City (from Denver via Golden State and Philadelphia):
56. Charlotte (from Clippers):
57. Charlotte (from Brooklyn):
58. New York (from Philadelphia):
59. Brooklyn (from Phoenix):
60. Indiana (from Utah):
