Zion Williamson and Anthony Edwards headline The Athletic’s NBA All-23-and-Under mock draft

The NBA is in a beautiful place. Its living legends — such as Stephen Curry and LeBron James — are still thriving on the game’s biggest stage. Its young stars — such as Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokić – are on the cusp of overtaking them. The league’s up-and-coming talent — including Anthony Edwards and Evan Mobley — is as dense and as promising as it’s ever been.

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That last group, the one headlined by the likes of Edwards and Mobley, is where we’re going to focus today. The number of talented players 23 and younger in the NBA is, to put it frankly, absurd. We’re talking about close to a dozen players who have franchise-changing potential. Maybe more.

So, to put this all into perspective, The Athletic conducted an NBA All-23-And-Under Draft to show how deep the league currently is. The premise was simple: any player who was 23 or younger as of May 1 was eligible to be selected. The goal was to create the best team possible to potentially win a championship five years from now, in 2028. Therefore, some players who may be more naturally talented than others who were drafted were left off. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, Tim Cato and Mike Vorkunov each picked a team of eight players.

You can see the draft choices, the reasoning behind each selection and their thoughts on the up-and-coming talent below.

Round 1

1. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (Vorkunov): Being given the top pick is a lot of pressure and this was a tough choice but Edwards is the pick because of the season he just had at 21. He’s growing into a dominant scorer but he’s also a two-way player, and that defense is the difference between him and Ja Morant. Edwards is younger, bigger, a slightly better shooter right now, and a better defender.

2. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (Cato): I also would’ve taken Edwards with the first pick — but there’s nothing regrettable about having to “settle” for Morant. We all know how good he is, and we just hope he doesn’t get in the way of that.

3. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans (Edwards): I’ll probably end up regretting this pick five years from now, but I couldn’t let Williamson drop any farther. When he plays, he’s a freak in the most respectable way possible. I just need him to stay healthy.

Round 2

1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers (Edwards): Mobley already is a borderline elite defender and has offensive upside that he’ll reach within the next year or two. A versatile, two-way big who will only be 22 when next season starts? Sign me up. We’ll put 20 pounds on him by 2028.

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2. Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies (Cato): I wanted Mobley or Jackson with this next selection, the two truly transcendent defensive bigs in this player pool. But I preferred Jackson of the two, even if it was a slight preference, due to his more realized offensive game. Mobley’s could surpass him, but Jackson was a near-19-point-per-game scorer this past season — and, more importantly, is a comfortable 3-point shooter who can’t be completely ignored.

3. Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers (Vorkunov): A little surprised that Haliburton fell this far. This is the All-Star point guard who gave the league 20 and 10 in his age-22 season, right? The Pacers were 28-28 in the 56 games he started and 7-19 otherwise, so his impact on winning is clear.

Round 3

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic (Vorkunov): Banchero is really something else at his size, with the scoring touch and playmaking skills of a smaller man. He wasn’t very efficient this season but that was to be expected in his role, but the glimpses of future stardom were clear. At 6-10, 250 he can also allow your team to play big or small, and be versatile offensively.

2. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers (Cato): We’re going to run into this issue later, especially because our format has us building realistic, if fake, teams: That there are too many good, young scoring guards in this league to pick them all. But I believe Garland’s a clear step above the rest of the available options due to his shooting, his quirky in-between finishes, and his ability to not be a complete defensive liability like others who could’ve been taken. He’s proven his ability to play alongside another ball-dominant guard, and I love pairing him with Morant.

3. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (Edwards): The 2021 No. 1 overall pick hasn’t even played a full season’s worth of games due to injuries, but the highlight moments, for me, are just too good for me to let him slide past this pick. He’s got All-NBA potential. Additionally, none of the injuries he has suffered concern me moving forward.

Round 4

1. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (Edwards): If someone told me that, right now, Maxey is the second-best player in Philadelphia, I wouldn’t argue with them. He’s a bucket-getter and fierce competitor. I roll with guys like that.

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2. Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets (Cato): Look, I love Şengün. He has defensive faults and might have been typecast into another role a decade ago. But Nikola Jokić and Domantas Sabonis have made it clear centers can be primary offensive initiators, too, and I’m all in on Şengün turning into the league’s next great one. Putting him next to a center like Jackson feels like the best way to minimize his weaknesses, too.

3. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets (Vorkunov): Ball had a rough season between his injuries and the Hornets’ losing ways, but the talent is obvious. He’s improved as a shooter, hitting 38 percent of his 3s on heavy volume the last two seasons, and is a gifted passer. The talent is just too much to pass on.

Round 5

1. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz (Vorkunov): Maybe it’s a bit of reach, maybe I forgot about Chet Holmgren, maybe I should have taken Jaden McDaniels, but Kessler is obviously good. He not only projects as a top-notch rim protector and defender, he already is one at 21 as well.

2. Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves (Cato): Vorkunov’s loss is my gain. McDaniels is a terrifyingly disruptive defender with much more offensive potential — particularly in the shooting improvements he made this season — than other defense-first youngsters. I needed a wing with this pick, but McDaniels was the only player I wanted to select here.

3. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder (Edwards): Another upside pick by me, as Holmgren missed his entire rookie season due to injury. I loved him coming out of the draft and think that he’s going to be a matchup nightmare if health is in his favor. I can’t wait to roll out him and Evan Mobley, both 20-30 pounds heavier, on the defensive end in 2028.

Round 6

1. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings (Edwards): The only thing my team is missing so far is a low-maintenance, steady presence. Welcome, Keegan Murray. I’m a firm believer this guy is going to be, at minimum, an NBA starter for the next decade plus by just doing the simple things.

2. Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors (Cato): The first five picks were fairly straightforward for me. These next three were much, much tougher. I decided to draft another wing defender based on my roster construction so far, but I’m also light on shooting. I considered Devin Vassell, R.J. Barrett, and most seriously Jalen Williams. Barnes’ talent won out. A slightly disappointing second season on an odd-fitting team doesn’t change what he can be.

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3. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic (Vorkunov): Wagner has kind of excelled in anonymity down in Orlando, but it’s clear in two seasons that’s a long, talented wing with strong two-way potential down the road. He’s also improving as a shooter and playmaker and he offers some versatility for this made-up team.

Round 7

1. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder (Vorkunov): This really came down to Williams or Josh Giddey, so crucify me if you want, Thunder fans, but the appeal of Williams is so clear. He’s got size, ball-handling skills, hustle, defensive acumen, and he can get better as a shooter. Giddey is obviously better now but this is a bet on 2028 and Williams seems like he can not only be a high-quality connector on a team but he’s already shown he can score after averaging 14.1 points per game as a rookie.

2. Tyler Herro, Miami Heat (Cato): This is the 20th overall selection, and we’ve clearly left some talented, arguably better players on the board in favor of ones who balanced out our made-believe teams. This is where that “too many young scoring guards” issue really made this difficult: How am I supposed to know which of Herro, Jordan Poole, Anfernee Simons, Jalen Green, or Jalen Suggs will end up best? I couldn’t pick Jaden Hardy, not after he barely played 700 minutes this season, but his shooting really stood out. I suspect he forces his way into this group in his second season. But I opted for Herro, the most proven scorer and shooter of these players.

3. R.J. Barrett, New York Knicks (Edwards): Barrett’s defense at his age is just too good to pass up. He can guard multiple positions. My team needs a shutdown defender on the perimeter for the 2028 title run.

Round 8

1. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons (Edwards): Just in case Mobley and Holmgren can’t put on weight, give me the league’s youngest player who is built like an oak dresser. Based on the glimpses he showed at 19, I’m very much intrigued to see what the 24-year-old version of him looks like.

2. Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans (Cato): I mostly selected my team by talent and positional needs, not a player’s perceived role. I considered using this final pick on who I considered the best player remaining, which probably would’ve been Devin Vassell or Giddey. But I really like Murphy’s size and shooting, even if his ceiling is far from stardom. I’m happy with him getting the nod as the role-playing “eighth man” in this exercise.

3. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks (Vorkunov): Maybe this pick is a response to watching Quickley closely over his entire three-year career but he’s just a good player who does smart things. He’s a very good team defender, can play multiple positions, including point guard, and there’s still shooting upside after coming into the league with the Knicks thinking he’d be an elite shooter (even if that hasn’t worked out so far). The perfect player for a team that will need off-ball players along with all the other skilled guys.

Do you like the team you drafted?

Edwards: I actually do. There were a couple of players who I wanted that went right before I picked — McDaniels and Haliburton — but I accomplished my goal of creating a defensively versatile, switchy team that can create matchup problems on offense, too. Cunningham will be my lead initiator but he can also play off of Maxey. I can get creative with Mobley, Williamson and Holmgren. Murray will be there for kickouts and cuts. It’s pretty balanced and I do believe the players complement one another nicely.

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Vorkunov: I do, since I’m not gonna fire myself as GM without playing a game. Maybe it’s a little guard-heavy (OK, it is) but the NBA is about playmaking, scoring, and causing havoc, and my team is full of those kinds of players, with a little defense mixed in. It may not be big but it is good.

Cato: Love my dudes. Can’t wait to see them play together. They all got that dawg in ‘em. Şengün solves some half-court issues we’ve seen with both Morant and Garland’s offenses, and pairing him with Jackson is the best way to maximize him. McDaniels, Barnes, and Murphy are the type of tall wings that offer enough size that I didn’t feel the need to draft another big man. Herro makes everything smoother for a team that otherwise might not have enough shooting. Who knew that being a general manager was this easy?

Which players will we regret not selecting?

Edwards: Jalen Green is the top one for me. His upside as a scorer is as high as anyone we drafted. I’m just not sure, right now, that he’ll be much more than that. Jaden Ivey is another player who I’m sure we’ll regret not selecting. The rapid pace in which he improved as a rookie suggests to me that he could be a real problem five years from now. Giddey deserves love here, too, but we were trying to build a team, and the guard pool is just too talented.

Vorkunov: Giddey is an obvious one. Benedict Mathurin and Vassell were tough to not pick, too. Jabari Smith was just the No. 3 pick and the talent and size are there, though he didn’t have a standout rookie year. Naz Reid received some consideration, mostly because I like his game and his style of play.

Cato: I talked in my blurbs about some of the struggles and considerations I had, and I agree with most of the names above. Vassell, for sure, is an omission. If I had taken another big man, I was eyeing Onyeka Okongwu, who is already good and will get better. I selected my preferred defensive wing in McDaniels, but you two should’ve given serious thought to Herb Jones. Josh Green probably deserved some consideration, too, after spending about a month as the team’s second-best player prior to the Kyrie Irving trade. And while I briefly mentioned Jalen Suggs, I think his rapid improvement in the second half of the season is worth noting — and that he soon might surpass some of the more visible scoring guards who we regret not picking.

Which team, aside from yours, do you like the most?

Edwards: I’ll go with Cato’s squad. They make me sweat a little. He, too, has rangy wings and bucket-getting guards. Vork and I went about team building almost completely opposite, so I’m trusting my gut over his.

Vorkunov: OK, James. I won’t forget this. Can’t wait to see you roll out your team of bigs all at once in our made-up playoffs. I like Cato’s team, too.

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Cato: James, I’m sorry, but how are Cade Cunningham and Tyrese Maxey alone going to run a proper NBA offense for your squad? I think Barrett fell too far, and grabbing him was a smart pick, but I’m opting for Mike’s squad. His team would definitely put up more of a fight against mine before losing. Heck, they might even steal one game in a best-of-seven series. That’s alright. Me and my guys, we’re all gentlemen.

( Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: David Liam Kyle, Sarah Stier, David Berding / Getty Images)