According to ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony, most NBA teams are currently expecting the Houston Rockets to draft G League Ignite guard Jalen Green with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 first round.
Assuming consensus frontrunner Cade Cunningham goes No. 1 to Detroit, top candidates at No. 2 are likely to include Green, USC center Evan Mobley, and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs. In his latest mock draft, Givony cautions that many rival teams don’t yet have a strong read on the Rockets, since it’s a relatively unknown front office led by first-year general manager Rafael Stone. However, Green is their best guess.
As part of his summary, Givony writes:
Most teams think the Rockets will end up prioritizing the shot creation and playmaking ability of Green over Mobley, the type of big man a front office groomed by previous GM Daryl Morey would seem less likely to covet. Green has the type of superstar upside the franchise lacks, making him an exciting prospect to build around long term, on and off the court.
It’s also worth noting that in the Detroit section at No. 1, Givony reports that some teams believe the Pistons might be open to trading down a spot to No. 2 and drafting Green or Mobley. In that scenario, the Rockets would presumably be moving up to land Cunningham, themselves.
With no shortage of storylines, the 2021 NBA draft is now exactly one month away from its scheduled date of Thursday, July 29.
Note: This post first appeared on Rockets Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
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