Welcome to Glass Slipper! The Reds might be kind of good; please enjoy the show.

- Jacob Rhee

Less than 72 hours after the Thunder claimed their first NBA championship, we’re on to the draft. This league moves quickly.

As always, I’m not telling you what I believe these franchises should do with their picks. This mock draft is simply what I think will actually happen at the Barclays Center tonight. Let’s go.

Pick No. 1 (Mavericks): Cooper Flagg, Duke PF

No explanation necessary. Nico Harrison will be looking quite smug in the war room.

Pick No. 2 (Spurs): Dylan Harper, Rutgers PG/SG

A drama-free top two. Harper is the best guard prospect since Cade Cunningham.

Pick No. 3 (76ers): VJ Edgecombe, Baylor SG

After its catastrophic season, Philly is rewarded with the most explosive athlete in the draft.

Edgecombe should be an effective energy potion for this aging roster.

Pick No. 4 (Hornets): Kon Knueppel, Duke SG/SF

Those that pigeonhole Knueppel as a shooting specialist aren’t paying attention whatsoever. He’s a well-rounded offensive engine that will serve as a strong supporting actor for 15 years.

Pick No. 5 (Jazz): Ace Bailey, Rutgers SF/PF

You can tell that a person is making bizarre decisions when even Paul George has something to say about it. Bailey is an ultra-talented scorer who vanishes into thin air far too often.

Pick No. 6 (Wizards): Khaman Maluach, Duke C

A 9-foot-6(!!) standing reach. That’s about all you need to know. I like the idea of pairing Alex Sarr with another giant; Maluach will corral strong opposing bigs, and help his running mate clean the glass.

Pick No. 7 (Pelicans): Tre Johnson, Texas SG

I have no idea what to make of Tre. The way he creates - and buries - long-distance shots is other-worldly, yet every other aspect of his skill set is highly unimpressive. A confusing player joins a mess of a team.

Pick No. 8 (Nets): Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma PG

Nets fans will be ready to run through a brick wall for Fears by halftime of his NBA debut. His competitive hunger is rare.

Pick No. 9 (Raptors): Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois PG

Perhaps the most overrated dude in the class. A subpar athlete that finished with the fifth-most turnovers in America? This is a second-rounder, masquerading as a lottery pick.

Pick No. 10 (Suns): Derik Queen, Maryland C

I’m not drafting a center with defensive question marks this early. Plain and simple. The Suns famously fell into the trap in 2018, and I’m not sure they learned their lesson.

Pick No. 11 (Trail Blazers): Carter Bryant, Arizona SF/PF

General manager Joe Cronin just signed an extension, and he uses that leeway to make an awfully risky selection. Bryant’s tools are enticing, but he couldn’t win a full-time starting job on an Arizona squad with average forwards.

Pick No. 12 (Bulls): Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina PF

I love him, I love him, I love him.

To me, Murray-Boyles is the third-best guy in the draft; a gift flutters into Chicago’s lap.

Pick No. 13 (Hawks): Nique Clifford, Colorado State SG/SF

Clifford is ready to step in and contribute immediately, for an organization that likely smells opportunity in a weakened East.

Pick No. 14 (Spurs): Asa Newell, Georgia PF

Newell would be a clunky fit on a lot of squads, but Victor Wembanyama can make it work with anyone. San Antonio’s defense gets a boost.

Pick No. 15 (Thunder): Noa Essengue, Ratiopharm Ulm SF/PF

The newly-crowned champions are drowning in talent, and have the luxury of taking a project. A locker room full of players that can guard multiple positions adds another one.

Pick No. 16 (Grizzlies): Cedric Coward, Washington State SG/SF

Coward has an awesome story, but I just flat-out don’t believe he’s earned a spot in the first round. Those gorgeous shooting splits plummet when he’s staring a real opponent; he was 44% from the floor and 25% from distance against current Power Five programs.

Pick No. 17 (Timberwolves): Rasheer Fleming, St. Joseph’s SF/PF

A quintessential 3-and-D wing. Tighten up that handle, man.

Pick No. 18 (Wizards): Nolan Traore, Saint-Quentin PG

Traore is a lot like the Kentucky version of Tyrese Maxey. If he can develop a reliable jumper to pair with his breakneck speed, this is a steal.

Pick No. 19 (Nets): Joan Beringer, KK Cedevita Junior C

The fluidity is legitimately unbelievable for a human being that size. There’s not a whole lot of skill to speak of at the moment, but I can understand taking a flier on his athletic gifts.

Pick No. 20 (Heat): Walter Clayton Jr., Florida PG

A flame-throwing 22-year-old point guard won the national title in 2014, and Pat Riley snapped him up. History will repeat itself here.

The Gainesville legend is staying in Florida.

Pick No. 21 (Jazz): Thomas Sorber, Georgetown PF/C

Sorber and his freakishly-long arms head to an extremely disjointed roster. On appearance alone, you’d think Thomas was 11; he might fit Utah’s contention timeline better if that were the case.

Pick No. 22 (Nets): Egor Demin, BYU PG

Some folks still have Demin coming off the board in the top 10. I think he tumbles, with general managers realizing that it might not be prudent to spend such a prized pick on a 6-foot-9 guy that was above 50% from the field in exactly four of his last 28 collegiate contests.

Pick No. 23 (Pelicans): Liam McNeeley, UConn SG/SF

McNeeley is a far better shooter than his UConn numbers indicate. He’ll stick around in this league for a long time.

Pick No. 24 (Thunder): Danny Wolf, Michigan PF/C

I don’t see Wolf ever starting for a good team. If any organization can afford a couple of whiffs, it’s Oklahoma City.

Pick No. 25 (Magic): Jase Richardson, Michigan State PG

In spite of those sparkling 49-41-84 splits, Jase’s stock took a nosedive when the combine revealed his rather diminutive frame.

With an elite defensive structure in place, Orlando is as equipped as anyone to accommodate Richardson’s potential shortcomings on that end.

Pick No. 26 (Nets): Will Riley, Illinois SF

I think Riley could’ve returned to school and been a top-five selection in 2026. He should spend this entire summer lifting weights and wolfing protein; Will is literally lighter than TJ McConnell right now.

Pick No. 27 (Nets): Hugo Gonzalez, Real Madrid, SG/SF

From an effort standpoint, I really like what I see from Gonzalez. He’ll probably stay in Europe for another year or two while the three-ball finds consistency. There’s a cool Spanish connection with head coach Jordi Fernandez waiting for him whenever he does arrive.

Pick No. 28 (Celtics): Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton C

Some franchise will inevitably fall in love with Kalkbrenner’s rim protection, and pull the trigger in Round 1. After shipping away Kristaps Porzingis, Boston could certainly use a behemoth to hold it down on the interior.

Pick No. 29 (Suns): Drake Powell, North Carolina SG/SF

Powell’s success from distance during his campaign in Chapel Hill always felt a little bit fluky to me, quite honestly. Still, it makes sense for a wing-needy squad to bank on the development of a former five-star.

Pick No. 30 (Clippers): Kam Jones, Marquette PG/SG

If Kam is available here, it means that 15 front offices overthought this thing. I wish he got to the line more, but the kid has experience as a sixth man, a sidekick, and a No. 1 option. He’s going to be awesome.

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