Kentucky players in updated NBA mock drafts from ESPN, The Athletic

The 2022 NBA Draft is just two days away and Kentucky will see a couple of former Wildcats called up to begin their pro careers by commissioner Adam Silver.

Over at ESPN and The Athletic, Jonathan Givony and Sam Vecenie, respectively, released updated mock drafts ahead of Thursday night’s draft. Shaedon Sharpe and TyTy Washington are both expected to go in the first round, with Sharpe a potential top 10 selection and Washington a projected mid- to late-first-round pick. Both have slight slid down in the mocks over the weeks, but will be in the Green Room with the rest of the projected top picks.

Here’s where they currently stand according to the experts.

ESPN (Jonathan Givony)

Sharpe –> No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers

Sharpe’s standing has solidified with some outstanding showings in competitive private workouts — his performances have improved with every visit and he has demonstrated significantly more fire than teams expected from the intel they gathered on Sharpe coming out of Kentucky. Damian Lillard is said to be high on Sharpe’s talent, despite Sharpe being 12 years younger and seemingly on a completely different timetable from Lillard. Sharpe is clearly oozing with natural ability, possessing elite physical tools with his exceptional frame, length and explosiveness, to go along with dynamic perimeter shooting ability. There was a reason he was the No. 1-ranked player in his high school class, but his lack of experience and how little he has been evaluated might make it difficult for a team picking higher than this to roll the dice on him.

Jonathan Givony, ESPN

Washington –> No. 22 Memphis Grizzlies

With the impending free agency of backup point guard Tyus Jones, who is in line for a raise after an excellent season, adding depth in the backcourt could make a lot of sense, especially a steady-handed guard like Washington who can play with or without the ball, excels in pick-and-roll and is a strong perimeter shooter. Washington has the size and length to play in many different lineup configurations for a team like Memphis, giving him nice positional versatility to go along with his strong feel for the game.

Jonathan Givony, ESPN

The Athletic (Sam Vecenie)

Sharpe –> No. 10 Washington Wizards

Sharpe finally comes off the board here at No. 10. He has an incredibly wide range on draft night, as I would say anywhere from No. 5 to No. 12 are in play — with most teams in that range having shown some real degree of interest. Teams have struggled throughout the process to get a handle on Sharpe’s game, something our Kyle Tucker has written about in-depth multiple times. I’ve popped him here to Washington at No. 10. He is the antithesis of what the Wizards have done in each of the last few drafts, as they’ve taken wing/forwards that are a bit older or in the case of Deni Avdija, a bit more limited as offensive players. Sharpe would bring them some real firepower and excitement, on top of the fact that he’d get to learn from Bradley Beal — an NBA superstar who has been among the best in the league in regard to caring about the future generations and helping to develop younger players, as shown by his experiences with his AAU program. It is worth noting the Wizards are thought league-wide to be in the market for a lead guard. With Ivey and Daniels off the board, there isn’t really one available here who makes sense. But there could be a few names on the trade market who do.

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic

Washington –> No. 19 Memphis Grizzlies

It’s a bit more difficult to find a fit for Washington than you would expect on draft night, which is part of the reason why you have seen his name fall in recent weeks on mock drafts. Still, he fits a number of boxes that Tim Connelly tends to look for in prospects, as a guy who is excellent from a skill perspective and processes the game exceedingly well.

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic

Throughout Monday, we had a couple more mocks pop up around the interwebs, which were consistent with what’s been said about these two for the last several weeks: Sharpe is still a giant question mark but there will likely be a team that takes the risk while Washington still appears to be a lock to land in the first round.

Vecenie writes that he thinks Sharpe could go anywhere from No. 5 to No. 12. Washington worked out for the Cleveland Cavaliers this week, according to Pro Insight’s Andrew Slater, which has the No. 14 pick. It could truly go in any direction come draft night for both players.

The 2022 NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC/ESPN. It will be held at the Barclays Center.