NBA Draft 2020: Updated first-round mock draft following lottery drawing

Trae Young’s continued ascendance into the upper echelon of the league’s point guards, at least on the offensive end, has cemented his status as a heliocentric star worth building around. Last year’s selections of De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, along with the midseason trade for rim-running shot-blocker Clint Capela, were explicitly done with this in mind, given their ability to help shore up whatever Young gives up on the defensive end.

Isaac Okoro is one of the draft’s strongest on-ball defenders and offers some offensive upside as a powerful slasher with unheralded playmaking equity, making him a reasonable fit playing off of Young in Atlanta.

Atlanta fits: Devin Vassell, Deni Avdija, Isaac Okoro

Cleveland desperately needs an infusion of defensive competence, but it seems like GM Koby Altman is in talent collection mode while still in the early stages of the post-LeBron era, with the novice executive prioritizing scoring tools above all else.

Obi Toppin’s talent on the offensive end is unquestionable, but his worrisome hip fluidity, lateral quickness, and top-heavy stature make him a rather tough player to scheme for on defense. His fit in Cleveland is less than ideal, but some draft analysts are convinced that Toppin won’t slide out of the top five, so he goes here for now.

Cleveland fits: Onyeka Okongwu, Killian Hayes, Isaac Okoro

The perk of being a strong 6’9 forward with advanced playmaking chops, natural cutting instincts, proactive help defense and a yes-no-maybe jumper is that it’s relatively easy to find a role for you on a basketball court, both on offense and defense.

There are valid questions about Deni Avdija’s upside — he lacks shake and advanced ball-handling to make him a reliable self-creator, capping his offensive ceiling significantly, and he may be a tweener due to the functionality of his skills and physique — but he’s more than earned his spot as a top prospect in the class after earning the Israeli League MVP at 19 years old.

Executive VP Artūras Karnišovas has his work cut out for him in his first year with the Bulls, but his track record in building the current Denver Nuggets team from the ground up is very, very encouraging for the future outlook in Chicago. Avdija doesn’t give the Bulls a potential primary (perhaps Killian Hayes would?), but he’s an easy player to squeeze next to Zach LaVine, Coby White, Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., and everyone else.

Chicago fits: Killian Hayes, Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell