Where TyTy Washington projects to land in the 2022 NBA Draft

The 2022 NBA Draft is set for later tonight and it’s anyone’s guess as to where Kentucky guard TyTy Washington will land. The 6-foot-3 former Wildcat is one of 24 prospects who will be in the Green Room at the Barclays Center (alongside his college “teammate” Shaedon Sharpe) as he waits for commissioner Adam Silver to call his name so his professional career can begin. He’s fully expected to go among the first round of picks, but anything can happen once the clock starts ticking.

So where will Washington go? Or maybe a better question: what would be the best fit for him throughout his early NBA years?

Ahead of the draft, which begins at 8:00 p.m. EST on ESPN/ABC, every sports outlet imaginable has dropped their final mock draft projections. I perused through 10 of the biggest websites out there to see where they all have Washington falling. His average draft position came out to 20.7, which would slot him to either the San Antonio Spurs (No. 20) or Denver Nuggets (No. 21).

Three different outlets had Washington going No. 19 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he would team up with former Wildcats Karl-Anthony Towns and Jarred Vanderbilt. The highest he’s projected is No. 16 by CBS Sports while the lowest comes from The Ringer at No. 25. The early 20s feel like a comfortable prediction on the day of the draft.

TyTy Washington mock draft projections

ESPN: No. 22 – Memphis Grizzlies
NBA.com: No. 19 – Minnesota Timberwolves
CBS Sports: No. 16 – Atlanta Hawks
The Athletic: No. 21 – Denver Nuggets
NBADraft.net: No. 22 – Memphis Grizzlies
NBC Sports: No. 19 – Minnesota Timberwolves
Yahoo! Sports: No. 21 – Denver Nuggets
The Ringer: No. 25 – San Antonio Spurs
Sports Illustrated: No. 23 – Philadelphia 76ers
SB Nation: No. 19 – Minnesota Timberwolves

Any one of these franchises would be a solid starting point for Washington. The Grizzlies, Hawks, and Nuggets all have foundational point guards in Ja Morant, Trae Young, and Jamal Murray, respectively, running the show, but all could use a backup ball-handler or secondary scorer to help them out.

As for the Spurs or 76ers, there would be an immediate role for Washington. San Antonio has its point guard of the future in Dejounte Murray, who was named an All-Star this past season, but he’s a limited scorer compared to the likes of Morant and Young, earning his praise on the defensive end of the floor. The Spurs are also in a bit of a rebuilding process, meaning more minutes can be pushed onto Washington.

The 76ers would be the most interesting of the five projected landing spots. Philadephia is working on a new contract for future Hall of Famer James Harden, who is in the backend of his career, while former Wildcat Tyrese Maxey has shown he’s ready for more responsibilities. Washington shares similar qualities to that of Maxey, too, which could lead to an overlap in abilities, but the 76ers need more guards, particularly ones who can put the ball in the basket.

As for the Timberwolves, there is a need for a scoring punch in the backcourt behind the likes of D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards. But Minnesota also has guards Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley on the roster. I would put money on one of Russell or Beasley not starting the 2022-23 season with the Wolves, but the draft is tonight — adding Washington would create a bit of an immediate logjam.

Washington would be a snug fit with at least five of the six franchises named above, but let’s not discount the possibility he goes somewhere else entirely.

Personally, I would love for my Cleveland Cavaliers to surprise everyone and snag him at No. 14 overall. The Cavs could be parting ways with shooting guard Collin Sexton as fresh-faced All-Star Darius Garland takes command as the franchise centerpiece. There are question marks surrounding the team’s backcourt situation moving forward and adding Washington would help answer some of them.

The Charlotte Hornets at No. 13 and 15 is also an interesting potential landing spot. LaMelo Ball is the future, but Miles Bridges is going to demand a ton of money this offseason while rumors of a Gordon Hayward departure have begun to swirl. Charlotte has Terry Rozier but could use some more size alongside Ball in the backcourt. As a plus for the BBN, the Hornets would then have a trio of former ‘Cats in Washington, PJ Washington, and Nick Richards.

If we’re talking worst-case scenario and Washington slips into the backend of the first round, we should look at the Miami Heat with pick No. 27, which has a track record of drafting one-time Kentucky players under team president Pat Riley. Notably, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo fell to Miami at No. 13 (2019) and No. 14 (2017), respectively, while Tyrese Maxey nearly went there as well before landing in Philly. If Washington is still available that late in the first round, I’d be surprised to see the Heat skip over him.