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2020 NBA Mock Draft: Trail Blazers, Wizards, Kings face franchise defining decisions

By Austin Carroll

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs dribbles by Ibi Watson #2 of the Dayton Flyerst during a first round Maui Invitation game at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 25, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 25: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Georgia Bulldogs dribbles by Ibi Watson #2 of the Dayton Flyerst during a first round Maui Invitation game at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 25, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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2020 NBA Mock Draft, Trail Blazers
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 11: Olivier Sarr #30 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defends Vernon Carey Jr. #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

C. Duke. 16. 125. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. vernon carey jr.. player

Previous Rank: No. 13 (-3)

Vernon Carey Jr. is tough. The freshman has quickly stepped in and become the backbone of Duke’s offense and defense. He’s averaging 17.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Carey Jr. is a force in the low post and utilizes his 270-pound frame to bully opponents and crash the boards. The Hawks have made no effort in their search to find a reliable center. If they fail to do so via trade, adding Carey Jr. and allowing him to duke it out with Bruno Fernando for the job seems as good a plan as any.

josh green. 17. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. G/F. Arizona. 38

Previous Rank: No. 14 (-3)

The Orlando Magic already have a top five defense in the NBA (when healthy). Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba, Nikola Vucevic, and Al-Farouq Aminu form a near impenetrable barrier around the hoop. Now imagine adding one of the best defenders in college basketball to that lineup. Couple that with the fact Orlando has been thirsting to improve that guard rotation for what seem like forever, Green doesn’t need to be the second coming of Victor Oladipo to be a smashing success with the Magic.

theo maledon. player. 149. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. G. ASVEL (France). 18

Previous Rank: No. 11 (-7)

Theo Maledon is going to suffer a bit from due to a limited role and minutes in EuroLeague play, especially with this stacked guard class. That being said, Maledon could truly thrive next to Shai-Gilgeous Alexander under the tutelage of Chris Paul. Building around this young core of guards and moving from there would be a great way to start this ‘transitional phase’ — for lack of a better term, because the Thunder certainly aren’t tanking.

Scouting Report. player. 89. Pick Analysis. F/C. Washington. isaiah stewart. 19

Previous Rank: No. 18 (-1)

If you like big boy basketball, you probably love Isaiah Stewart. The freshman out of Washington is averaging 18.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. The Lopez Bros. experiment is going along swimmingly in Milwaukee, but the wheels are bound to fall eventually. Stewart averages three offensive rebounds per game, and adding an extra set of bear paws to dig in and reel in extra possessions for Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. seems like a great idea.

Pick Analysis. F/C. player. 79. Scouting Report. Colorado. tyler bey. 20

Previous Rank: No. 21 (+1)

If Tyler Bey is guarding you tonight, you’re going to have a hard time. Bey has quickly rose to the spotlight as one of the nation’s best defenders. In fact, he’s posted the second highest Defensive Box Plus/Minus of any non-frontcourt player in the country (behind only Kenechukwu Ndefo of St. Peter’s, trying saying that three times fast). Bey’s efforts have helped propel Colorado directly into the fight for control of the PAC-12. He could become the perfect complementary player next to Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway.