Los Angeles Clippers NBA Mock Draft Roundup

Lewis emerged as a great scorer and was even ranked nationally in the top 20 earlier in the season. He has good size at his position as a wing and added about 12 pounds to his frame compared to his listed weight last season at Pepperdine. Lewis has plenty of upside and could be a good value pick here at 30.

Lewis is the rare non-Gonzaga WCC player with realistic first-round aspirations. He's a 6-7 wing with a 6-10 wingspan who can shot-create and punish teams from the 3-point line, both of which are qualities NBA franchises value immensely.

If Kawhi Leonard is going to miss a chunk of the 2023-24 season with a torn meniscus, the Clippers will need forward depth. Murray is the type of plug-and-play prospect who could give LA some relief in a position of need.

The twin of 2022 top-five pick Keegan Murray, Kris immediately stepped in to fill his brother's role as the go-to guy for the Hawkeyes this season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He brings a similar positional versatility on defense and has the ability to space the floor on the wing.

The Scout: I'm betting Jaquez has a strong pre-draft workout circuit. He'll impress in team meetings and will likely perform well when he goes into competitive settings because of his experience and skill level as well as his two-way prowess. Jaquez can create his own shot, defends well within a team construct and is the kind of player who will lift the energy and intensity of those around him. He's a four-year player at UCLA who was an All-American this past season on the wing, helping to turn around a UCLA program under new coach Mick Cronin when he took over back in 2019 with his talent and leadership.

The Fit: The Clippers tend to love guys with what they define as "Clipper DNA." These guys, by and large, tend to be extremely competitive, tough and willing to put in effort on both ends. Jaquez needs to clean up his jumper off the catch, but as long as that happens, it's easy to imagine him having a 10-year NBA career.

A lot of NBA scouts like Jaquez Jr.'s game and will be watching him closely during the NBA Draft Combine to see how he performs against tougher competition and with NBA spacing. He was the glue-guy at UCLA for all four years and could provide solid minutes off the bench for an established Clippers squad.

Despite Jackson's scoring flaws, the Clippers could picture him thriving in the same point-wing role he played for the national champion Huskies. The right fit could optimize his open-floor athleticism, transition play-making, half-court ball-moving, play-finishing and defensive activity.

Walsh is a defensive stopper on the wing who will need to improve his jump shot to stay in the league. At 6'7 with a 7'2 wingspan, the Arkansas forward is a determined defender who can switch ball screens and guard a variety of assignments. He can handle and pass the ball in transition a bit, but needs to figure out ways to score in the halfcourt. Still, there aren't many wings this big and this skilled defensively if a team thinks it can improve his scoring against a set defense.

After Peyton Watson was snagged in the first round last year after an underwhelming one-and-done season at UCLA, I find it highly unlikely Bailey and his five-star pedigree slip further in this draft. He was admittedly streaky, but he flashed some scoring punch down the stretch for the Bruins and has nice flash as an athlete that could make him a slasher/scorer type in the league.

As we reported last month, Dayton's DaRon Holmes quietly declared for the draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.

Holmes had the second-most dunks (89) of all Division I prospects last season, per Bart Torvik. He was also one of the most efficient players in college basketball when rolling to the rim after ball screens and he was one of the leaders in shooting fouls and floor fouls drawn as well.

Still only 20 years old, Holmes projects as one of the most intriguing big men in this draft class.

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