Pick No. 23: James Bouknight, Houston Rockets (via Portland):
Wing, 6-5, UConn (Sophomore)
As the Rockets look to re-tool their roster, they will likely find themselves excited about James Bouknight if he is available this late into the first round.
Bouknight, who will perform well with athletic testing if he chooses to participate in the NBA draft combine, averaged 18.7 points per game as a sophomore. That included a 40-point performance against Creighton.
While he was less of a factor in the tournament, that shouldn’t scare teams away in the first round.
Sophomore guard James Bouknight showed exactly why he's one of the most dynamic scorers in the country with a 40 piece on 13-for-24 shooting against Creighton. UConn ran out of gas in OT but Bouknight looked like a potential top-10 pick. Scores it effortlessly at all 3 levels. pic.twitter.com/0rA5DlyORV
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) December 21, 2020
Pick No. 24: Isaiah Jackson, Houston Rockets (via Milwaukee)
Big, 6-10, Kentucky (Freshman)
While he is technically still “testing the waters” for this draft class, there are going to be several teams with their eyes on Kentucky’s Isaiah Jackson.
He was the best player on the Wildcats this year and with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, while he was a freshman, Jackson was one of the best rim protectors in the nation. With an excellent second jump and good instincts as a rebounder, he makes sense in the first round.
Kalbrosky’s complete 2021 NBA mock draft (as of June 1), which also includes projected second-round picks, can be viewed here.
[lawrence-related id=49633,49063]
UK’s Isaiah Jackson is the teams best NBA prospect by a large margin. His freakish athleticism at 6’10, end line speed, underrated jump shooting, and versatility will put him in my top 15 prospects easily. NBA teams will be in awe of this kid. Trust me. #Yoda pic.twitter.com/YczYOVlzSQ
— Rashad Phillips (@RP3natural) March 8, 2021