2021 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: What if the Toronto Raptors make the playoffs?

Oklahoma City just needs some star power, to be blunt, as their promising start has been blunted with a losing streak that has them in contention for the top pick in the draft. The puzzling trade of Hamidou Diallo has opened up a need on the wing, and that hole could be filled if the Thunder take Johnson and make him the new small forward.

Johnson needs a lot of work on the offensive end with regards to his shooting and playmaking off of the dribble, but his meteoric stock rise is due to remarkable athletic talent, a willingness to run the floor, and play hard on both ends, and excellent rebounding skills. The Thunder would have quite the interesting core in Johnson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Moses Brown.

With Oklahoma City leaning on Darius Bazley, Cleveland ends up grabbing a power forward for the future in Kuminga. Another G League standout, Kuminga’s size and leaping ability make him too big for perimeter players to defend, yet too quick to stop in the post. The Cavaliers would love to start Kuminga at the PF spot next to the “Sexland” backcourt and center Jarrett Allen.

Much like 2020 first-rounder Isaac Okoro, Kuminga isn’t the best shooter in the world, which could make for a slow transition to the pros. If he improves that part of his game, we might be talking about Cleveland as a potential playoff team next year if they lean on a Garland-Sexton-Okoro-Kuminga-Allen starting lineup.

Sacramento needs a true center, as plugging a square peg like Marvin Bagley III into this round hole is not the best way to do business. Even considering how there is a large gap in talent between Evan Mobley and the second-best center in this class, Jackson’s ability to potentially become a star on the defensive end could vault him up this high.

Jackson only averaged 8.4 points per game last season, but his per-36 minute starts show that he is averaging nearly a double-double with almost 5 blocks per game. A master rim-protector and rebounder, Jackson could be a piece to build around in the frontcourt while De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton lock down the backcourt.

Orlando already has their backcourt secured after the Green pick, so why not take a chance on someone who could either be the power forward of the future or a unique player that handles the ball at 6-9? Barnes didn’t have the best production or shooting splits in Tallahassee, but his style of play is so unique that he won’t make it out of the Top 10.

Barnes, who isn’t a very good shooter, might seem redundant to some given the presence of a very similar former Seminole in Jonathan Isaac, but Orlando is in a position where they could take a gamble on his athletic potential. If Barnes truly hits his stride, which will be accomplished via quality shooting, he has as high a ceiling as any player in this class on the offensive end.

As good as Rui Hachimura is, the Wizards need interior scoring more than perimeter shooting, and Johnson could be an ideal fit as a small-ball center, small forward in a large lineup, or a traditional power forward that owns the mid-range. His opt-out at Duke will have minimal impact on his draft stock.

His shooting is inconsistent, and he never took over games on offense at Duke, but that shouldn’t discourage Washington from using their pick on him. Johnson has the potential to start right away while giving them a potential successor to Russell Westbrook or Bradley Beal considering the uncertainty around that duo.