The NBA will hold its 76th draft at 7 p.m. CDT Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBA teams have drafted 44 players from Alabama high schools and colleges in the first round, including four in the 2020s.
For the fifth straight year, at least one player from an Alabama high school or college will be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday night – and it could be a unique pick.
Auburn’s Jabari Smith will be in play for the Orlando Magic at No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft, and if he goes in that spot, he’ll be the first player from an Alabama high school or college to be fastest off the board. The closest the state has come to No. 1 occurred in 1995, when Alabama’s Antonio McDyess was the second selection.
In 2020, two players with Alabama basketball roots went in the first round, and in 2021, that happened again. If it happens in 2022, it will be because Auburn’s Walker Kessler joined his teammate as a first-rounder.
RELATED: THE FIRST FIRST-ROUNDERS WITH ALABAMA ROOTS
RELATED: FIRST ROUND GROWS ALABAMA ROOTS IN EIGHTIES
RELATED: 10 FIRST-ROUNDERS WITH ALABAMA ROOTS IN THE NINETIES
RELATED: A SLOW START TO THE 21ST CENTURY
RELATED: EMPTY FIRST ROUNDS IN THE 2010S
The first-round NBA Draft picks with Alabama basketball roots in the 2020s include:
2020: Isaac Okoro (Auburn), No. 5 by the Cleveland Cavaliers
A defensive stopper, Okoro led the Cavaliers by playing 2,173 minutes, and his average of 32.4 minutes of playing time per game led all NBA rookies during the 2020-21 season as he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie second team. The 6-foot-5 forward ran into a few injury obstacles in his second season but still played in 67 games. In 134 NBA regular-season games, Okoro has averaged 9.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
2020: Kira Lewis Jr. (Hazel Green High School, Alabama), No. 13 by the New Orleans Pelicans
The 6-foot-1 guard closed his rookie campaign by playing in the Pelicans’ final 21 games after getting on the court for 33 of New Orleans’ first 51 games in the 2020-21 season. But Lewis lost that momentum in his second campaign, which ended after 24 games because a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. In 78 NBA regular-season games, Lewis has averaged 6.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
2021: Davion Mitchell (Auburn), No. 9 by the Sacramento Kings
The Kings drafted Mitchell from Baylor, where he played two seasons after spending his freshman campaign at Auburn. Mitchell came on as the season progressed and made 11 of his 21 starts to close the season. He averaged 18.8 points and 9.3 assists in those 11 games. The 6-foot-2 guard played in 75 games as a rookie and averaged 11.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
2021: Josh Primo (Alabama), No. 12 by the San Antonio Spurs
Primo played in 50 games for San Antonio and 12 for the Spurs’ NBA G League affiliate in Austin during the 2021-22 campaign. Twelve of his 16 NBA starts came to close his rookie season, and he averaged 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in those 12 games. The 6-foot-6 guard turned 19 years old during his first NBA season. As a rookie, Primo averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.