NBA Draft 2023: Latest mock draft after San Antonio Spurs get No. 1 overall pick

Coulibaly is a 6’8 true small forward from France that actually played on the same team as Victor Wembanyama this past season. He has his own high-level talent as a supreme talent and can play above the rim. He also doesn’t turn 19 years old until July and already projects to be a quality defender as well. It may take a while but he very well could be the second-best international prospect in this NBA Draft.

Houston already has a ton of young players on the roster and is a prime candidate to draft a player for the further future. It worked out with big man Alperen Şengün, who is now part of the rotation. But until the Rockets figure out what to do with this young core, it makes sense to take someone with a high ceiling but likely not expecting much playing time out of the gate.

Lively was definitely a development prospect in his freshman year at Duke but he played much better as time went on and made a case for being the best interior defender in college basketball. The 7’0 center was a tremendous shot-blocker and while his offense will take a while to develop, can immediately have an impact on defense.

Golden State has several decisions to make, including Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. If they decide they’re not bringing back the multi-time Defensive Player of the Year, adding another big man would be the priority. It didn’t work out with former top-3 pick James Wiseman but Lively, in a specific role, could definitely work with the aging Warriors core.