2022 NBA Mock Draft: Magic take Chet Holmgren at No. 1 in first projection after Orlando wins lottery

I understand the concerns about Holmgren’s slight frame — but he’s such a unique talent that I’d be uncomfortable passing on a 7-foot legitimate rim-protector who can also bounce it like a guard and reliably make 3-pointers. He’s the most talented prospect in this draft and should be selected as such.

Banchero is probably the safest option at the top of this draft. He’s a big, strong and skilled forward who could be an incredible building block in Oklahoma City alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Smith still needs to develop in lots of ways but he’s already a great shooter and switchable defender who plays with great energy. If he doesn’t go first or second — and he obviously could — the Rockets will be thrilled to snag him with the third pick in this draft.

Ivey is an explosive athlete who plays big and is capable of attacking the rim in a variety of ways. As the Kings continue to build, the Purdue star would be a great option at this point in the draft in part because he could reasonably play beside DeAaron Fox.

Murray is a switchable big who can guard in space and consistently make shots from the perimeter. What he does, at his size, is perfectly suited for the modern NBA and would fit well with a Detroit franchise trying to return to respectability with Cade Cunningham as the centerpiece.

Even though he enrolled in January and was eligible to compete, Sharpe never played at Kentucky in part because the people around him wanted to protect his status as a projected top-10 pick. Unless he really bombs in workouts, it’s hard to imagine the explosive athlete going much lower than this considering he’s a gifted scorer with the physical tools to be a disruptive defender on the wing in Indiana.

I’m higher on Agbaji than most simply because I don’t understand what’s not to like about a 6-5 athlete who is a plus-defender on the wing and excellent 3-point shooter. Once you get past the top-tier prospects in this draft, the Kansas All-American makes as much sense as anybody and would provide Damian Lillard with a new teammate equipped to help from Day One.

Davis went from a mostly anonymous power-conference player to a candidate for national player of the year in his sophomore season at Wisconsin. An ankle injury limited him down the stretch, but he showed enough before that to justify his status as a projected lottery pick.

Duren isn’t really the type of floor-spacing big franchises prefer these days, but he’s such a physical specimen and great athlete that there’s probably a place for him in the top 10 of this draft. At worst, he should be a terrific rim-running and rim-protecting center who alters shots and dunks everything.

Mathurin was the star of Arizona’s team that won the Pac-12 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-6 wing is an impressive athlete and above-average shooter who could lighten the scoring load on Bradley Beal in Washington

Sochan is the rare sub-100 high school recruit who could be a one-and-done lottery pick. His ability to guard multiple positions in multiple ways is among the reasons he’s a tantalizing prospect who is one of the most versatile players available in this draft.

It took Griffin a little while to get comfortable at Duke because of a preseason knee injury that seemed to affect his ability to show his athleticism. But the five-star high school recruit, who is the son of former NBA player Adrian Griffin, eventually showed glimpses of why he’s a lottery talent, mostly by proving to be a fantastic 3-point shooter who made 44.7% of his 4.1 attempts from beyond the arc per game.

Williams, like fellow projected lottery pick Duren, is more of a traditional big than a modern big. But any franchise in need of a rim-protector and lob-catcher — like Charlotte — would have to consider him at this point in the draft.

Branham is a shooting guard with good size and great length who really flourished in the second half of the season. While shooting 41.6% from the 3-point line, the one-and-done standout became the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year and a legitimate lottery option for his home-state franchise.

Eason was a breakout star at LSU after transferring following a so-so first season at Cincinnati. He’s a versatile frontcourt option who can guard multiple positions and punish defenses in transition opportunities.

Dieng is a long and skilled prospect who still needs to develop but is worth a serious look anywhere outside of the lottery. He might not contribute immediately but definitely projects as an interesting long-term investment with undeniable potential.

Daniels isn’t quite the prospect previous Ignite stars have been but is still a fascinating guard with size who can play with or without the ball. His jumper, at this point, is the biggest area of concern.

Kessler was arguably the best defensive player in college basketball this season while averaging 4.6 blocks per game. He’s an incredible rim-protector with the potential to develop into a comfortable perimeter shooter.

Washington mostly played off the ball in his one season at Kentucky but projects as a lead guard in the NBA. Ankle injuries limited him in the second half of the season but the one-and-done Wildcat showed enough before he was hampered to solidify his status as a top-20 pick.

Hardy didn’t do much over the past year to help his draft stock — but he’s still a likely first-round talent capable of developing into a special player. Being drafted by a franchise like San Antonio would probably be the best thing for the trajectory of his career.

Brown never really became more than a role player in his one season at Baylor, which is notable and somewhat concerning. But the 6-8 wing still has the physical tools to make him worthy of a first-round pick from a Denver franchise desperate to put more talent around Nikola Jokic.

The possibility of Tyus Jones leaving via free agency might have Memphis in the market for a point guard. At this point in the draft, the best option would be Chandler — the Memphis-raised product who has won at every level and already possesses a close relationship with Grizzlies’ star Ja Morant.

Liddell is the type of player who could help Brooklyn’s core of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons theoretically compete for a title next season. He’s undersized but effective.

Moore shot above 40% from 3-point range in his final season at Duke. The bet here is that his jumper is a translatable skill, which would be valuable in a place like Milwaukee, where chasing championships with Giannis Antetokounmpo is the goal for the foreseeable future.

Braun is a wing with size who can guard his position, reliably make jumpers and finish in transition. He’s the type of prospect who could flourish in the culture San Antonio has established.

Jalen Brunson’s pending free agency could lead to a departure from Dallas, which might have the Mavericks targeting a primary ball-handler with this pick. If so, Montero, a deep-shooting guard who is still only 18 years old, would be a reasonable option.

Adding a young athlete to the backcourt wouldn’t be the worst idea for a Miami franchise that has advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Wesley is exactly that and would be a steal at the bottom of the first round if his jumper becomes more consistent.

With James Wiseman’s potential unclear, the Warriors could target a center with their first-round pick. Koloko is the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year with better mobility than most bigs his size.

Baldwin was a projected top-10 pick before he more or less disappeared for a year after choosing to play for his father at Milwaukee. The Grizzlies could afford to take a big swing here and see if they hit on another pick late in the first round.

Oklahoma City remains very much in rebuild mode with a young core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Josh Giddey. Adding an 18-year-old international prospect like Jovic to the franchise could be a nice long-term move.