This big board includes all players who have declared (or are testing the draft waters), even those players that I think will return to school. The NCAA deadline to withdraw from the draft is May 31, 2023, so the next update to this board will be following that deadline.
One notable development during this quiet time in the draft cycle is the news that Duke wing Dariq Whitehead is needing another surgery on his foot and will be out until the fall. Dariq first had surgery on his foot in late August of last year and missed the beginning of the season. He never quite looked the same after that. He put on some weight and didn’t show the same level of quickness he had in high school. He did shoot the ball very well and holds a lot of promise as a spot-up shooter at the next level but this latest set back will hurt his draft stock.
The debate at no.2 continues to rage, with both Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller having a strong case to be selected after presumptive no.1 pick Victor Wembanyama. I’m sticking with Scoot at no.2 on my board but those two are in the same tier for me and I could see it going either way. That selection could come down to team need.
Another debate is between Jarace Walker and Taylor Hendricks, both of whom have a chance to be selected in the first half of the lottery. I see Walker as more of a can’t miss prospect (higher floor) but Hendricks has more star upside. My bet is that both will have a lot of success in the league. I have them both in the same tier and keep going back and forth about which one I’d select first. As much as I’d love to a NBA GM, man, they have some tough decisions to make!
I think I’m higher on the centers in this class than most other scouts (although putting too much value at that position has burned me in the past). I really like the mid/late first round group of young bigs: James Nnaji, Dereck Lively II, Noah Clowney, Adem Bona and TJD. There will be some really solid long-term starters from this group.
As it stands now with all the players who are currently declared/testing the waters, this is a solid group. There’s obviously a lot of star power at the top. I like the international group a lot too, although it’s not a particularly deep group, and there’s value into the second round. A handful of these players will choose to return to school but even with those subtractions the 2023 draft class is looking good.
With just over a week until the lottery, draft season is about to be back in full swing!
2023 NBA Draft Big Board
- Victor Wembanyama – PF/C – France
- Scoot Henderson – PG – Ignite
- Brandon Miller – SF – Alabama
- Amen Thompson – PG/SG – Overtime Elite
- Jarace Walker – PF – Houston
- Taylor Hendricks – SF/PF – Central Florida
- Cam Whitmore – SF – Villanova
- Anthony Black – PG/SF – Arkansas
- Ausar Thompson – SG – Overtime Elite
- Jordan Hawkins – SG – UConn
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