NBA Draft Recap: Hornets pick twice in first round; Duke's Jalen Johnson, UNC's Day'Ron Sharpe off the board
Posted July 29, 2021 9:39 p.m. EDT
Updated July 30, 2021 8:44 a.m. EDT
The Detroit Pistons started off the 2021 NBA Draft by picking Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham No. 1 overall. Cunningham was the Big 12 Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in his freshman season.
No. 2 overall was Jalen Green, chosen by the Houston Rockets. Green decided to play for the NBA's G League Ignite rather than play college basketball, and he averaged nearly 18 points and four rebounds a game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers then took USC center Evan Mobley at No. 3. Mobley was the PAC-12 Player of the Year and averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks.
The No. 4 pick was the first ACC selection as Florida State's Scottie Barnes was taken by the Toronto Raptors. Barnes is now the second straight Florida State Sixth Man of the Year to get drafted No. 4 overall, joining Patrick Williams last year.
Barnes averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Seminoles, and was one of the most versatile and athletic players in the country on both ends of the court.
Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs was chosen fifth by the Orlando Magic. Suggs played just one season for the Zags, who did not lose until the national title game,and averaged 14.4 points and 4.5 assists.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took Australian guard Josh Giddey at No. 6, while G-League alum Jonathan Kuminga from the Congo went 7th to the Golden State Warriors.
The Magic had the No. 8 pick as well and now have a set of Wagner brothers on their roster as they drafted Mo's younger brother, Franz, who also played at Michigan. Franz Wagner averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a 6-9 forward.
At No. 9, the Sacramento Kings took Baylor guard Davion Mitchell. Mitchell was the National Defensive Player of the Year for the national champion Bears, averaging 14.1 points, 5.5 assists and nearly two steals a game.
The next pick was a bit of a surprise in Stanford's Ziaire Williams, who the Memphis Grizzlies took 10th. Teams liked the athleticism and upside of the 6-8 forward, but he averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Cardinal on just 37.4% shooting in his freshman season.
The Charlotte Hornets picked 11th and nabbed UConn guard James Bouknight, who was projected as high as 6 or 7 in some mock drafts. Bouknight averaged 18.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Huskies last season and could provide some added scoring help for LaMelo Ball.
At 12, the San Antonio Spurs took Alabama guard Joshua Primo, who averaged 8.1 points for Alabama in his freshman season.
The No. 13 pick was Oregon shooting guard Chris Duarte, who went to the Indiana Pacers. Duarte averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his senior season with the Ducks.
The Golden State Warriors took Arkansas guard Moses Moody at No. 14. Moody shot nearly 36% from 3 and averaged 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds on his way to being named SEC Freshman of the Year.
At No. 15, the Washington Wizards took Gonzaga senior big man Corey Kispert, a First-Team All-American for the Zags who won WCC Player of the Year. Kispert averaged 18.6 points and five rebounds in his final season.
Turkish League MVP Alperen Sengun was taken 16th by the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the selection was made on behalf of the Houston Rockets in a trade.
Virginia's Trey Murphy III becomes the second ACC player off the board as he goes No. 17 to the Memphis Grizzlies, although they were picking on behalf of the New Orleans Pelicans due to a trade. Murphy, a Durham native, averaged 11.3 points and shot 43.3% from the 3-point line in his one season with the Cavaliers after transferring in from Rice.
At No. 18, the Thunder took (for themselves) Florida guard Tre Mann, who averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists and shot 40.2% from the 3-point line.
The Charlotte Hornets traded up to No. 19 to draft Texas center Kai Jones, who averaged just 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds as a sophomore for the Longhorns but was named Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year.
Duke freshman Jalen Johnson ended a bit of a wait by going No. 20 to the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson played just 13 games at Duke before deciding to leave the team in February to prepare for the draft after suffering a foot injury. Johnson averaged 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds.
The Knicks traded their No. 21 pick to the Los Angeles Clippers, who selected Tennessee guard Keon Johnson. Johnson average 11.3 points and made the SEC All-Freshman Team.
The Lakers then took Kentucky forward Isaiah Jackson at the No. 22 spot. Jackson made both the SEC All-Freshman and All-Defensive Teams in his only season in Lexington, averaging 2.6 blocks per game. The Rockets then took Spanish big man Usman Garuba 23rd. The Rockets had the No. 24 pick as well and took Arizona State guard Josh Christopher, who averaged 14.3 points.
The New York Knicks finally picked for themselves at No. 25 and took Houston's Quentin Grimes, the AAC co-Player of the Year and Third-Team All-American who averaged 17.8 points for the Cougars. At No. 26, the Warriors took VCU guard Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland, who averaged 19.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. LSU guard Cameron Thomas was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets at 27; Thomas averaged 23 points and was First Team All-SEC.
The Philadelphia 76ers took Tennessee freshman guard and Charlotte native Jaden Springer at No. 28.
UNC big man Day'Ron Sharpe's wait was ended as well as the Phoenix Suns drafted him at 29 (but will be trading him to the Brooklyn Nets).
Sharpe decided to forego the remainder of his eligibility after his freshman season with the hopes that he would sneak into the first round, and that's exactly what he did.
Sharpe, a Greenville native, made the ACC's All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.5 points and 7.6 rebounds.
The Memphis Grizzlies rounded out the first round by picking Loyola center Santi Aldama, who averaged 21.2 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Greyhounds.
The Hornets picked again at No. 37 as a result of their trade with the Pistons, and took Auburn center JT Thor, who averaged 9.4 points and 1.4 blocks in his lone collegiate season.
Louisville point guard David Johnson gave the ACC yet another pick, going No. 47 to the Toronto Raptors.
The Hornets closed things out at pick No. 56, taking Scottie Lewis. a 6-5 shooting guard from Florida. FSU center Balsa Koprivica was taken with the very next pick by the Hornets for the Pistons in a trade, and then at 59, FSU forward RaiQuan Gray was drafted by the Nets.
Duke leading scorer Mathew Hurt went undrafted. He was projected as a second-round pick. But Hurt joins fellow First Team All-ACC members Justin Champagnie, Moses Wright, Carlik Jones and Sam Hauser in going undrafted. All were draft-eligible.
