Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2022 NBA Mock Draft: Final two-round forecast

Dalen Terry’s size and playmaking ability are sure to have several teams interested here at the end of the first round. Should the Spurs decide to utilize their third pick of this draft here at No. 25, the sophomore out of Arizona should definitely pique San Antonio’s interest.

If the Spurs manage to land a pair of high upside players in Jalen Duren and Jalen Williams, drafting a guard with a high floor might be the best move here. San Antonio clearly wants to invest in the development of Josh Primo and Devin Vassell, but the impending departure of Lonnie Walker in free agency should still open a sizeable reserve role for a solid player like Terry.

In most drafts, the alluring promise of potential in a player like Nikola Jovic would have him taken off the board much earlier. While many see this draft as lacking in superstar talent, it makes up for that with a wealth of mid-level talent. For that reason, I could see several teams passing on Jovic in order to address more immediate needs.

Houston, on the other hand, is not drafting to win now. In fact, I believe they’d be quite content being terrible again next season for a shot at Victor Wembanyama in 2023. That would give a player like Jovic ample room to grow. Should the Jovic experiment actually pay off, he’d have a genuine chance to crack the starting lineup as neither Jalen Green nor Paolo Banchero would block his route to playing time.