NBA Draft 2021: Cade Cunningham clear No. 1 pick in way-too-early mock draft

With the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga set to go in next year’s lottery, the 2021 NBA Draft could be a special one.

We’re only a few days removed from the 2020 draft, but with the upcoming college basketball season starting this week, it’s time to look ahead to the 2021 NBA Draft!

This past draft cycle was marked by the lack of consensus at the top, with no player truly breaking out as the clear-cut No. 1 guy. Though Georgia wing Anthony Edwards would ultimately be selected first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, his name was incessantly mentioned along with Memphis center James Wiseman and Illawarra (NBL) guard LaMelo Ball, with the trio making up an agreed-upon Big Three.

Unlike last year, though, the 2021 draft is considered one of the strongest in recent memory, with multiple players with achievable All-Star upside in the top-five and a bona fide, generational talent worth tanking— er, rebuilding for in Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham.

There are other tantalizing prospects set to go in the first five picks or so, including high school stars Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, BJ Boston, Evan Mobley, and many others vying for spots at the top of the board. It’s not a terribly deep class by any means, but this year’s lottery pool is much more impressive than last year’s.

A lot can change in the ensuing months, given how quickly and unpredictably the college and professional landscape changes each and every day, so some players will inevitably rise and fall between now and next year’s draft. But we’ll do our best anyway because it’s the thought and effort that counts.

Here are our initial projections for the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, with the draft order based on Tankathon’s current forecast.