Washington Post

The NBA draft will commence Thursday with an air of total certainty: Victor Wembanyama, the most coveted teenage prospect since LeBron James, will go first to the San Antonio Spurs. But all bets are off once Commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with the smooth-shooting 7-foot-4 French center on the Barclays Center stage. There’s no telling whom the Charlotte Hornets will take second with Michael Jordan stepping away from his role as majority owner, and it’s not clear whether the Portland Trail Blazers, who are facing pressure to build a winner around Damian Lillard, will keep or trade the third pick. The composition of this year’s talent pool only adds to the murky outlook. Lottery teams will be weighing players from four pathways: international professional leagues, the NCAA, the G League Ignite developmental program and the Overtime Elite start-up organization. Here’s a quick-hitting mock draft to help make sense of the madness.