Updated ESPN mock draft lists Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston as picks
Draft night isn’t expected to be the Kentucky basketball infomercial it’s been in the past, John Calipari shaking hands and kissing babies in the green room as the Wildcats come off the board one after the other. Four players have entered the draft, but only one is a projected first-round selection.
It’d be a major upset to see Cason Wallace slip too far, certainly not out of round one. He’s a fringe lottery pick, sitting comfortably at No. 15 in ESPN’s updated mock ahead of Thursday evening’s NBA Draft.
“For the Hawks, draft night might represent as much of an opportunity to clean up their salary sheet as add talent, with the likes of De’Andre Hunter, Clint Capela and John Collins all said to be potential options for shaving money as the second apron approaches and looming extensions for Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey and Onyeka Okongwu appear daunting,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote Tuesday. “The Mavericks are said to be one potential trade partner, but the Hawks may balk at using the No. 15 pick in a deal for Capela, who still has positive trade value. Lively is said to be viewed as a potential successor for Capela should the draftee fall this far, but if he doesn’t, the glut of guards in this range — many of whom avoided working out for the Rockets due to their crowded backcourt situation — could be attractive in adding depth to the roster.”
Wallace is the only Kentucky player listed in the first round of ESPN’s latest mock.
- Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92) – San Antonio Spurs
- Brandon Miller (Alabama) – Charlotte Hornets
- Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite) – Portland Trail Blazers
- Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite) – Houston Rockets
- Jarace Walker (Houston) – Detroit Pistons
- Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite) – Orlando Magic
- Taylor Hendricks (UCF) – Indiana Pacers
- Anthony Black (Arkansas) – Washington Wizards
- Cam Whitmore (Villanova) – Utah Jazz
- Dereck Lively II (Duke) – Dallas Mavericks
- Gradey Dick (Kansas) – Orlando Magic
- Kobe Bufkin (Michigan) – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana) – Toronto Raptors
- Jordan Hawkins (UConn) – New Orleans Pelicans
- Cason Wallace (Kentucky) – Atlanta Hawks
- Bilal Coulibally (Metropolitans 92) – Utah Jazz
- Jett Howard (Michigan) – Los Angeles Lakers
- Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas) – Miami Heat
- Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara) – Golden State Warriors
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette) – Houston Rockets
- Noah Clowney (Alabama) – Brooklyn Nets
- Keyonte George (Baylor) – Brooklyn Nets
- Rayan Rupert (NZ Breakers) – Portland Trail Blazers
- Kris Murray (Iowa) – Sacramento Kings
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA) – Memphis Grizzlies
- James Nnaji (Barcelona) – Indiana Pacers
- Leonard Miller (G League Ignite) – Charlotte Hornets
- Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine) – Utah Jazz
- Ben Sheppard (Belmont) – Indiana Pacers
- Dariq Whitehead (Duke) – LA Clippers
Wallace has one final draft workout with the Atlanta Hawks scheduled for Tuesday.
The former Kentucky guard is getting used to the camera ahead of Thursday’s draft where he’s certain to get plenty of screentime:
From there, it’s a long wait before the next (and last) Wildcat comes off the board. And no, it’s not Oscar Tshiebwe, who has had 16 total workouts with NBA teams — he has a second visit with the Boston Celtics and first with the Cleveland Cavaliers this week. Though he’s projected to go undrafted by ESPN, he remains the outlet’s No. 60 best available prospect, just outside the 58-man draft range.
Instead, it’s Chris Livingston projected to hear his name called in the second round with the No. 53 overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is ESPN’s No. 54 overall best-available draft prospect.
Jacob Toppin is listed at No. 86 overall.
Wallace up to No. 11 on CBS Sports’ Big Board
Matt Norlander of CBS Sports also released his own mock draft, but with a twist. Rather than a traditional list based on fit, his is designed to predict which prospects will have the best NBA careers.
Where does Wallace rank? No. 11 overall and No. 4 at the point guard position, with the former Wildcat seen as “one of the most valuable backup point guards by 2026.”
“A lot of NBA people will tell you the ingredients to sticking in the league for a long time involve these three pillars: play legitimate defense all the time, don’t be a below-average shooter, be a great teammate. Simple as it sounds, it’s a tall task for a lot of guys,” Norlander wrote. “I don’t think it will be for Wallace, who is a flat-out joy to watch play defense. He has ridiculous versatility and reaction when guarding the ball. I don’t think he’ll be much of a scorer, but so long as his injury from Kentucky doesn’t linger moving forward? He’ll be alright. His wingspan is six inches longer than his frame and he could be one of the most valuable backup point guards by 2026.”
The NBA Draft is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard